Not all slow cookers are equal
There are 2 kinds of slow cookers, depending on where the heat source is. This Hamilton Beach unit has heat coils around the sides which stay hot, as opposed to slow cookers with heat sources in the base, which turn on and off intermittently. I have found that with this type of constant heat slow cooker (with the coils around the sides) I don't need to add as much liquid. In fact I cut the liquid (water or stock) by half of what the recipes call for when I use this cooker. The 4 quart size is good for roasts up to 3 or so pounds. If you slow cook chicken or game hens in it, cut the bird up into pieces and remove the skins. Don't slow cook a whole uncut bird (in any kind of slow cooker).
This is a nice little slow cooker for a single, a couple, or a small family. I have had no problems with the knob* (as yet).
*The knob problem probably arises from the close proximity of the heating element to the knob, as opposed to slow cookers that heat from the bottom, away...
Loved it, for a while
I bought this cooker seven months ago, and really liked it. It's quite handsome, and I have no complaints about how it works. I've made many fine meals in it. Sadly, the knob broke a few weeks or a month ago. I glued it back together, but today it broke apart again. I don't think it will take a second gluing any better than the first, so now if I want to use it I have to use pliers or something, and I have to count clicks--which are not as distinct as I'd like--to know quite which setting it's on.
Such a shame this otherwise great cooker is now incredibly difficult to use because of such a "small" detail!
This was my first full size slow cooker (I have a 1.5 qt one too) and I've learned a couple of things I'll share for people looking for their first. The 4 quart size has been really good. I first bought it when I was living alone, so I'd have lots of leftovers, which I love. Now I live with my boyfriend, and the size is still good--we usually have enough...
good slow cooker - and a fix for broken knobs
I agree with the several other reviews on this site which rate this crock pot high in its quality - other than its cheap plastic knob, which broke. Like others, I was really disappointed, having to take pliers to turn the knob. My husband told me Radio Shack has knobs of all kinds and sizes and offered to get one for me. And that was the perfect fix! He got a 1 1/4" Hexagonal control knob, "skirted and indexed" - package of 2, for approximately $3. It has the set screw to tighten against the post, and it fits perfectly inside the opening. Extremely durable. I was thrilled! Now I'm back to having dinner ready when we get home from work!
(Hamilton Beach should take a lesson and make a deal with Radio Shack to change those knobs on BEFORE people buy the pot so they can have fully satisfied customers.)
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