All summer long, most families spent a lot of time running (I know we sure did!). Not only physical running, but also running to sports practices and play-dates and swimming lessons and all sorts of other warm weather activities. It makes me tired just thinking about it! With summer schedules the way they are, it makes it difficult for families to sit down to a nice hot meal together. Now that fall is here, we're all getting back into the swing of sitting around the table with good food and discussing the events of the day.
There's no better way to do that than with a slow-cooker meal. I was asked to review the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget® 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker With Spoon/Lid. I love slow cookers because, like the slogan says, you just put everything in there in the morning, set it, and forget it till you're ready to eat. It doesn't get any easier than that, right?
This particular model is pretty technologically advanced as far as slow cookers go. It has three different options for cooking - the manual, probe, and program mode. The program mode will automatically shift temperatures to the keep warm setting when the cooking time is up.
So if you work for 8 hours but your recipe only requires 6 to cook, the cooker will stop cooking at 6. The probe mode is for large pieces of meat like chickens and pork roast. You insert the probe, and when the meat's internal temperature is where you want it to be, the cooker switches to the keep warm setting.
It's like having your own chef at home taking care of it for you! The manual mode is helpful if you're cooking things with certain dairy items because they need to be added during the last half hour anyway, or they'll separate. You just set it to high, low, or warm on your own and do your thing. The temperature shows on a bright blue LCD display right on the front so you can keep an eye on it.
Another great feature of the Set & Forget is that it has a clip-locked lid. That means you can haul your famous meatballs and sauce to the church potluck or bring these tasty Grilled Cilantro Lime BBQ Party Wings to your next tailgate party without having a car full of food.
Even cleanup is simple with this slow cooker - the lid and 6 quart stoneware crock are dishwasher safe, and after the base cools, you just wipe it out. It really couldn't get any easier.
If you're new to slow-cookers, you should check out the Hamilton Beach website - they offer cooking tips and more information on how to use this must have addition to your kitchen. Need some recipes? You can start with this Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff!
The Set & Forget retails for less than $50 at Amazon .It's a great price for a slow cooker that has so much capability. Try it for yourself. With a one year warranty, you really have nothing to lose.