has worked as it should the 3 times we've used the crock-pot...hawaiian pulled pork (kailua pig) that's the reason to have one of these.
strengths: looks good, nice size, large diameter for roasts and poultry weaknesses: way way waaaaaayyyyy too hot!
i made a pork roast in it which usually works great but in this slow cooker it seemed to cook quicker with no liquid left because it evaporated through the faulty lid.
this pot cooked my whole chicken well on low, but the first meal i tried burned.
we gave up on this after only six weeks and replaced it with a hamilton beach.
in this price range cooks illustrated recommended the hamilton beach programmable slow cooker with temperature probe, but for those with more to spend the highest recommended model was the all-clad
i use it for soups and stews every week.
for instance, it's possible to brown the outside of a roast directly in the pot on a stove and then transfer it to the heating tray to finish off with slow cooking.
i tried a pot roast and it cooked perfectly in the specified time.
for beef stew or chili and then just bring the pot over to the base heater.
today i cooked a whole slab of ribs in it and there was room to spare.
i can fit a huge chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions ~ at one time ~ and it comes out perfect.
i bought this while i was purchasing the programmable roaster (another fantastic product) and it is worth every penney.for meals that are smaller or require a gravy/sauce in which to cook this was
used it first for meatballs and sauce and worked perfectly great for my kids (newly weds) first cooker!!!
i tried a slow cook recipe for old fashion stew beef.
we now have used it twice in the four days that we have had it, once, to cook my wife's favorite "taco soup" recipe, and, a beef roast.
i also made mexican shredded beef with it and it was excellent.
holds an 8lb chicken.
i have braised, made stews, sauces, and even corned beef in this not-so-little guy, and all have come out great.
stews, pasta sauce,chickens, pot roast, soups, carne asada, and other foods that require low and constant heat to cook properly are perfect for this crockpot-slow cooker.
it is perfect for cooking a moist, fragrant (using herbs) ~7lb roaster chicken, cooking dry beans overnight or during the day (without soaking!), chili, soup, tomato sauce from those big, cheap
used leftover xmas ham to make bean soup in this crock-pot and the size and convience of being able to program it for time and temperature made for some of the best soup i've ever made.
i'm using it less in the summer, but the winter months were vastly improved by the soups, stews, roasts, and other warm comfort foods i made in this!
got this for christmas and have used it twice to make roast and had to wait over 10 hours for it too cook and still wasn't done.
as long as you do soups and very moist meats (lots of liquids) it works fine.
if i put in six boneless chicken breasts with sauce in the morning and set it on low, the chicken is dried out and falling apart by dinner time.
this slow cooker is the perfect size for a roast with vegtables or two whole chickens.
this item is listed as a slow cooker, but it really is more like a portable roaster oven.
the large size is great if you want to cook ahead for the week (two small whole chickens cost about 6 dollars at the warehouse club, cooked and deboned it is enough meat for at least 4 meals for 4)
well, i saw the 9'x13', 6 quart cooker and thought--hey, i can put bigger roasts in that!
since the cooking pot is rectangle you can easily cook two chickens or a large long roast.
i am very pleased with the hamilton beach slow cooker.
i've used it to cook boneless chicken breasts and a pot roast, adjusted the liquid levels accordingly, and have had great results so far.
we use it on a regular basis for stews, chili, meats, and dessert too.
i made a whole chicken.
i've made soups, meats and desserts.
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