Hamilton Beach Portable 6-Quart Stay or Go Programmable Slow Cooker with Lid Lock Stainless Steel 33561 6 quarts

I like the simplicity of the unit very easy to clean it is nice when you can cook a meal all day and come home to a nice hot meal Read more

I ordered this new Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker to replace my old unit, different brand, that seemed to cook everything on hot or hotter in its final days. This new unit offers easy operation. There are three settings as per the norm: High, Low and Warm. The timer is on increments of 30 mins. On this machine, the timer goes all the way up to 20 hours (plus a 4 hour warm default). The crock and lid can go in the refrigerator for prep. And for cleanup the crock and lid can go in the dishwasher (though not on SANI setting). In design, the lid and ceramic crock have some wiggle room. It’s not a tight fit. A nice improvement over my old unit is the black color. The inevitable cooking stains in the crock are hidden. I also LOVE the fastening feature on the lid. This makes so much sense for potlucks and other party uses. (One nightmare memory is a tomato soup disaster in my minivan.) This new unit is also quite a bit lighter in weight than my old machine, so easy to carry when full. As far as looks, it’s stainless with a black base and a front control unit. There are rubber knobs on the bottom to prevent it from sliding. The crock itself is microwave-safe and oven-proof (though not the lid). The 6-quart capacity works for small or larger portions. My first meal was a 3-pound pulled pork sandwich recipe (serves a hungry 4). The meat turned out super tender, not dry or overcooked or mushy. Great reviews from my diners. This is a nice, basic and sturdy slow cooker. Good for the long haul...long days at work, lots of kids’ meals, potlucks and parties. Read more

It was as advertised Read more

This is a good product, value for money. Read more

One of the most-used appliances in my kitchen is a Hamilton Beach Stay-or-Go slow-cooker. We used a 6-qt. non-programmable model for years until the stoneware cracked and we needed to replace it. We replaced it with a 7-qt. model, but this one is also a non-programmable model (at the time be bought it, it was on sale and slightly less expensive than the 6-qt. unit). We’ve used other “programmable” slow-cookers that aren’t really programmable and they have left us disappointed. This one is the first one we have used that is properly programmable and so far it has been excellent. It has become the main slow cooker we use in the kitchen. In addition to being programmable, there are some good improvements over the non-programmable Stay-or-Go units we have used, specifically with the lid. The main issue we have seen with programmable slow cookers is that there is some creative interpretation of what constitutes being programmable. One cooker we have used allowed for setting the digital timer, and when the time was gone the unit shut off completely where it should have switched to the Warm setting. Another allowed for setting the time, but only in 2-hour blocks which is less than useful in some cases. This Stay-or-Go allows for setting the time, from 30 minutes to as much as 20 hours, in 30-minute intervals. At the end of the timed session, it switches from High/Low to Warm and stays there for several hours, which is what a good programmable slow cooker should do. This isn’t rocket science, and I have been surprised at how many cookers do other things instead of properly handling timed cooking. The unit’s controls are easy to understand and use. The display is bright and clear and shows the time remaining as well as the temperature mode being used. There are just four buttons: + and – which control the time in 30-minute increments, Mode which changes the cooking temperature, and Power which turns the whole thing on and off. My wife prefers more analog-type controls and generally shies away from digital controls like this, but she uses this slow cooker and is quite pleased with it. Cooking appears to be even and we haven’t had trouble with hot spots or scorching. We haven’t needed to adjust cook times for this cooker which is good. The lid is a nice improvement over other Stay-or-Go cookers we have used. Others have had a hinged lid that flips up, and a nice billow of steam comes up when the lid is opened. Unless you stand behind the cooker and open from the hinged side, it is potentially a burn hazard. The lid on this one is fully detached and lifts like a normal pot lid so that you can tilt the lid any way you like when lifting. This type of lid means a different latch mechanism too and instead of clipping down opposite a hinge it instead is held in place by two clips on either side of the long axis. It’s nice and secure, and though the whole can be lifted by the lid when it’s latched this is very much not recommended. Finally, we have a programmable slow cooker that works like its supposed to work. It cooks properly, it transitions from cooking to warm like its supposed to, and the lid latches on nicely. This is our new “primary” slow cooker. We still will use the 7-qt. cooker when we want to cook something that fits better in it, but that will be only occasionally. Read more

I have tried all 3 cooking options (probe, programmable, and manual). All three are easy and efficient and meals come out done just right! I love Hamilton Beach products and have many of their small appliances. This slow cooker is a great addition to my kitchen. I bought it to replace two Crock Pot brand cookers, one of which was recalled for the handles breaking and the other was not recalled, but the handles and lid knob cracked and crumbled. Things that I dislike are - the rubber gasket on the lid does not allow the lid to set securely on the crock during cooking - the brackets to hold the lid on during transport do not swing out of the way when not in use - the instructions do not say if the rubber gasket is removable for cleaning and moisture and food particles get between it and the glass lid - the lid cannot be locked onto the crock unless it is in the cooker base and since the lid doesn't sit securely on the crock, the crock cannot be lifted out of the cooker with the lid on Read more