ddustyrose's Full Review: Hamilton Beach 33675 Meal Maker 7-Quart Slow Cooke...
My 20 year old slow cooker (or as we called it, a CROCK POT) up and died on me and since I'd gotten plenty of use out of it, I knew I had to have another one so once again it was time to shop around and see what was on the market. I settled for this one as it's a bit larger than my old one and perfect for larger meals like chili or beef stew when family would be dropping by. I loved the design on the outside and the knob had a KEEP WARM setting along with a low and high setting for temperature control. Also Hamilton Beach is noted for their good, reliable products.
I was use to my old one so this one required some experimenting with so I could cook tolerable meals (trust me, I'm NOT a good cook and any appliance I can find to make my job easier, I'll jump onto it quicker than a flea on an old hound dog). Best of all, you can serve from the crock and not have more dishes to wash. The crock is quite pleasing to the eye also and can be put on your table with pride.
I'm sure most people out there have their own recipes for using their slow cooker so I'll not add any here. Just let me say my new slow cooker sure does make a delicious pot of chili AND beef stew.
HOW TO USE YOUR SLOW COOKER: Before your first use, wash the crock and lid in warm soapy water, dry. Using your own recipe, place your food in the crock, cover, plug cord in outlet, and select your temperature setting. When it's done, you can remove food from the crock or serve it in the crock, or if you're not going to be eating right away, select your "keep warm" setting until you're ready. This works wonderfully well.
A FEW TIPS FOR SLOW COOKING: Stirring isn't necessary but if you do cook on HIGH, you may want to stir it occasionally. Cooking on HIGH with this machine can reduce the water level (something that didn't happen with my old slow cooker) so you'll want to watch that. To get best results, fill your crock half full. If you're cooking soups, stews, or chili, leave a small 2 inch space between the crock and the food so that the recipe can come to a simmer. I find that I can put food on in my slow cooker at night, on LOW, and have my meal already prepared for the next day. You can also prepare your food at night, put the crock in the refrigerator, and then cook the next morning while you're gone to work.
Always be careful when removing the top from your slow cooker. I use pot holders (or mitts) for this. The base of your slow cooker gets warm so keep little fingers from touching.
CLEANING YOUR SLOW COOKER: DO NOT immerse base in water. Your cooker should be turned off and unplugged. You can immerse the crock into warm soapy water and it cleans wonderfully. It's also dishwasher safe. Very easy to clean. If you wash it in your dishwasher, place the lid on the top rack.
OPTIONAL FEATURES: My slow cooker also has the LID LATCH which is a plastic ring securing the lid to the base so your crock won't spill if want to take your food to a gathering, or social function. There's nothing like having prepared your food, and then having to hold it to keep it from spilling out. With this feature, no problem.
There's also a carrying case on some of the models.
Features Removable oval stoneware crockery. Wrap-around even heat. Oval shape fits a 6-pound chicken. Portable design includes lid latch strap and eas...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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