Your Crockpot Cooking Salvation

Crock Pot Stainless Crock-Pot® 3 Q Round Manual - 3 quart

• 3-qt. capacity
• Keep-warm setting
• Dishwasher-safe stoneware
• See-thru lid
• Stainless-steel finish

Take the hassle out of making dinner with this slow cooker that features a dishwasher-safe stoneware crock for effortless cleaning.

List Price: $ 14.99

Price: $ 24.99

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Hamilton Beach Set 'N Forget Programmable Slow Cooker Review

The holiday season is officially here. If you are like me, it will be busy between entertaining, pot lucks, kids school parties etc. Wooo I am tired just thinking about it. I really don't have a lot of time to sit and cook for each and every obligation. Then add in nightly dinner and I am pooped. However, I have found my silver lining, the Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. Lets take it to the test.

Specs:

Holds 6-quart Programmable slow cooker LED digital control panel 3 cooking choices: program, manual/probe, or automatic keep-warm Power-interrupt protection Clip-on spoon Clip-tight gasket lid Side handles for safe transport Dishwasher-safe stoneware Tempered-glass lid Dimensions: approx. 10-2/5 by 16 by 16 inches

Before I even think about the features I take a look at the design of a slow. I don't want a clunky Stone age slow cooker sticking out in my kitchen messing up the decor. That won't happen with the Hamilton Beach slow cooker. It is sleek and clean. The stainless steel exterior also allows for easy cleaning. It has and oval shape which is great for large meats. It didn't take me any maneuvering to fit in my pot roast. Also, the actual stoneware pot is very durable.

On top there is a clip on spoon for stirring, which I love. I always hate having to find a place for my dripping spoon. I wanted to check the lid bc I have had problems with them coming off. It has a snap tight lid that stops the sliding. Two steel handles are attached to the side for easy transporting. On the front there is a flat LED digital control panel. No more knobs for me.

The Hamilton Beach Set'n Forget Slow Cooker comes with a wide range of other features as well. With the digital control panel come 3 programmable choices for cooking. You can choose from program, manual, probe, and key warm when it is finished cooking. This makes it easier for you to make healthy meals when you are away from home. The three choices:

Program mode- cooks you meal for a specific time. After it is finished it automatically goes on Keep Warm Manual- Select from high or low Probe- Allows you to pierce the food with a thermometer. After it reaches you the temperature you decide it will automatically go to Keep Warm. Gotta love that!

Though my family and I enjoyed this slow cooker it was a couple of thing we could do without. For one, though the shape is 6 quarts I have had larger slow cookers that was able to take more. I hope they start to make at least a 7 quart model. If I wanted to had a lot of vegetable to a turkey or large hen it might be a tight fit. Secondly, the unit does not always tell you when you have programmed wrong. If you do not get a sequence in the correct order you could come home to an uncooked meal that has set for hours. The best thing to do is check to make sure you have the sequence correct before you leave.

Even with these shortcomings the Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker is still a very good appliance.

Related Slow Cooker Reviews Articles

by fiveforefun

Using your Slow Cooker Effectively

I tend to have the most energy in the morning, and my ability to do five things at once during these early hours, is why I love my slow cooker. While the kids are eating breakfast, and I'm enjoying my morning coffee, handing my husband his lunch and kissing him goodbye, I add a few ingredients to the slow cooker and walk away feeling confident that there will be a healthy dinner on the table at five o'clock.

However, as convenient and simple as slow cookers are, there are a few tips that will help you avoid the morning rush. If you are more of a night owl, most ingredients can be prepared the night before and put in the fridge till morning. Pasta and rice are the exception to this rule. Be sure to read your slow cooker recipes carefully and note when these ingredients are meant to be added.

Temperature and Time

Most slow cookers only use two settings, High and Low. I tend to cook all of my meals on low, since it is practically impossible to overcook foods at this temperature. One tips when cooking on low is to refrain from taking the lid off to often, since it causes the recipe to not only lose moisture, but also heat (creating a longer cooking time).

Most slow cooker recipes will give you an approximate cooking time. It is important to remember that approximate is just that, and cooking times aren't set in stone. Depending on your slow cookers size and temperature settings cooking times will vary.

Meats

Tougher, less tender, cuts of meat work really well in a slow cooker, since longer cooking time and increased moisture works to break down the meat. The other benefit of cooking meat over a long duration is that there is less shrinkage. Most meat should be defrosted before adding to the slow cooker, although there are exceptions, roasts can be added frozen but will need longer cooking times. As well, when you are cooking with ground beef, it is best to brown the meet before adding it to the slow cooker.

Vegetables

Fresh, raw vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots tend to take longer to cook than meats, so they should be thinly sliced or cut into smaller pieces and placed at the bottom of the slow cooker. Canned or frozen vegetables don't take as long and can be added on top of the meats you are cooking.

Breads and Cakes

I was surprised to that slow cookers can successfully bake breads and cakes. However, the appearance does tend to be somewhat different then using a conventional oven. Because some moisture is held onto in a slow cooker, cakes and breads tend to have large air holes and a coarser consistency. You can also use your slow cooker to warm dinner roles, but be sure to wrap them in foil wrap.

Dairy Products

Dairy products tend not to tolerate high temperatures for very long. When possible, add any dairy products during the last hour of cooking. Hard cheese is especially temperamental to long periods of heat, so use processed cheese when feasible.

Have fun with your slow cooker. There are literally thousands of creative and delicious slow cooker recipes available. You can serve a nutritious and mouth-watering home cooked meal every night with little preparation and plenty of extra time to spend on your other responsibilities. What an amazing and handy invention!

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by hummingcrow

Question by Jules: Anyone have any good crock pot recipes?
Some days there just isn't enough time to cook a big dinner. A crock pot is a great alternative but I have ran out of recipes, LOL. We can't eat the same thing over and over. Anyone have any recipes I could put to good use? Thanks!
In return I will send you my crock pot recipe for Mac and Cheese if you are able to receive email. Thank you!

Best answer:

Answer by Just Me
here is a link with tons of them on there..

http://www.recipesource.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?search_string=crockpot&filter=off&dir=.%2Fmisc

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

by ScottHernandez

Question by Damiana: Slow cookers/Crock pots?
Are they more energy efficent than stovetops or ovens?

Best answer:

Answer by Momof3
I'm not sure about energy efficient, but they definitely don't heat the house up as much as the other two, and less work. (I use mine ALOT). Less heat is important, depending on where you live (I'm in Texas, so less heat is crucial in the summer!)

What do you think? Answer below!

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