Customer Reviews

Cooker & Steamer

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this cooker after buying the Hamilton Beach stow and go slow cooker - 5 quart. I returned the 5 quart because I really didn't like the meals that it produced and it was way too big. I bought this tiny cooker in all honesty to make my irish oatmeal. Which I might add it does beautifully.

I do a lot of Indian cooking...on a whim I decided to split my rogan josh recipe and put 1/2 in the cooker and 1/2 on the stovetop. I must tell you that my husband and I were blown away by the cooker's results. The flavors permeated the meat and the texture was spot on. This is an amazing little appliance. I've had it for about a year and only used it for Oatmeal up until this past Sunday. I can tell you its sturdy, reliable and perfect for singles and couples.

We were so tired of making too much stuff in the crockpot and having to freeze it. We are only 2 people and the 2-1/2 quart crock full of food was several meals. This makes one dinner each and leftovers for one to two lunches. Perfect. Works great, comes with a band to keep the lid on tight if you want to transport it...like for snackfests at a party where you're bringing the sauces or the little sausages in bbq sauce or the chili for the hotdogs. The controls are great. You can put it on a separate timer if you want, or just put it on and turn it to warm when it's done. Has a black rubber gasket on the lid so it seals properly onto the rim. Great that it takes so little space in the cupboard and is small enough to store leftovers in a busy fridge. Highly recommend it for a small wedding gift would make a nice set with some china white appetizer dishes...they'll use it even after they've graduated to the 6 quart family sized monster. After using it for a few weeks I sent one to my mom, who loves it.

This is the best small slow cooker,I could find. It is the only one with high,low, & warm settings, in a oval shape. Works great, highly recomend this slow cooker.

I tried 2 of these slow cookers. Both failed to keep the food at a safe temp when on the "Keep Warm" setting. "Hot foods needs to stay above 140F. To test, fill pot with water. Heat for 8 hours, then, test the temperature quickly. My 1st slow cooker temperature tested at 132F, the 2nd at 129F when on "Keep Warm".

Several times I cooked cereal overnight. My husband turned the pot to "Keep Warm", after taking out his cereal. Several hours later, my portion seemed barely warm. I later tested the temperature as per slow cooker cookbook instructions. Surprised at the low temp reading, I attempted to contact the manufacture to ask what the temperature should be at when on the "Keep Warm" setting. I left a phone message, but got no call back. They never answered this question. My experience with Hamilton Beach was frustrating. On the positive side, Amazon promptly issued a second shipping label for the 2nd pot just like they had for the first one.

The instruction booklet under "Tips for Slow Cooking", advise, "The crock should be at least half-filled for best results. If only half-filled, check for doneness 1 to 2 hours earlier than recipe." "If cooking soups or stew, leave a 2 -inch (5cm) space between the top of the crock and the food so that the recipe can come to a simmer."

Other things to note:
1) The crock, filled to the brim only holds 6 cups. You can't cook that much volume in it.
2) The crock, with the suggested 2-inch space between the top and food, only leaves 2 ¼ cup food volume. I know. I measured it.
Dimensions: 11 ¼" W x 8 ¼" D x 8 ¼" H. Oval shape. It fits nicely in small spaces.
Base: White color. Seems somewhat tinny. Has white plastic control with choices of "Keep Warm", "Low", & "High" settings.
Crock: White pottery type which seems to be good quality. Not rated for oven use.
Lid: Clear glass with rubber like gasket & white plastic knob handle. Gasket helpful.
Lid latch: White stretchy band that fits over lid and fastens in groves on the underside of the handles. It works well to keeps the lid snuggly in place and to prevent food spilling during transport.

Hamilton Beach, the manufacture, assured me that they sell many, many slow cookers and it is most unusual to have 2 with this same issue. Maybe that is because most folks don't check their slow cooker temps. Maybe only these tiny ones have this problem.

This is a cute slow cooker. It is easy to store or keep on the counter top. All things considered, I don't know if I will risk purchasing a third pot hoping for one that has a safe "Keep warm" setting.

My overall rating:
4.5 Stars for construction
3.5 Stars for being practical and useful.
0 Stars for food safety on "Keep Warm".
5 Stars for Low & High temperature settings. They are within normal range.
3 Stars for Hamilton Beach customer service.

For the price this is a wonderful little cooker. I had bought the "Not Your Mothers Slow Cooker for Two", and decided to get this little 1.5 quart oval cooker as my first crock pot. I live by myself and didn't want to make huge portions, but didn't want to invest a ton of $$$ if I wound up not using the pot often.

I use it at least 2-3 a week for about a month now, and I love it!

Construction:

The machine is well built for the money, although I do believe in "you get what you pay for". The crock insert does have a couple pin-holes in the glaze around the top, and cosmetic imperfections on the outside (hidden when in the slow cooker). This doesn't effect how it cooks however so I did not take off any stars. The heating element itself is a tad larger than the insert, meaning the insert can shift around a bit. I have noticed if you don't center the insert inside, you can create a hotspot. I have only noticed this when cooking oatmeal however, and its only minor. The warm setting and indicator light are nice additions. The inidcator light can be a little difficult to see for tall people. Its very easy to clean and takes up little space. I have not burned anything, and the lid has a rubber ring which is really nice.

Cooking:

I have cooked terriffic irish oatmeal. This size is perfect for 2 chicken breasts or two 1" pork chops or 1lb of pork tenderloin. Definately the oval shap is way better than the round for getting meat to fit well. I have used this machine for even lasanga and BBQ pulled pork and it came out terrific. This is a great size for 1-2 people. I am investing however in a 3.5qt cooker for soups and chili's. This is a great starter pot for single people. As far as cooking times go, this unit seems to be done on the early side of the recommended ranges, however I never felt like it was overdone. Although I have not tried it yet, this is a great size for warming dips, appetizers and cooking risotto/side dishes.

I love this little slow cooker! It's perfect for a meal for two, even though I usually cook more than I need so I'll have leftovers. It's also great for hot sauces and dips and the three temp settings are an added bonus you don't find on many slow cookers.

I needed a replacement small slow cooker and decided on this one. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of it and the fact that it has Low, High AND the Keep Warm setting. The glass lid has a heavy-duty rubber gasket all the way around it. I have not seen this kind of quality in any of the larger slow cookers. The crock is removable for washing.

So far, I have used it for meatballs, two stuffed peppers, a small meat loaf and all came out perfectly. It is ideal for one or two people. You could even do a small batch of soup or a small pork loin and a can of kraut.

I loved this so much that I ordered another one for a Christmas gift!

This is a very nice slow cooker for one or two people meal. Have used it at least twice a week since receiving it.
I like the oval pot because it holds a little larger size piece of meat than a round pot.

I am not sure why this product is labeled a cooker & steamer. The slow cooker works fine but I bought this item because I thought you could somehow steam stuff in there...

I bought this to make whole-grain porridge and it works perfectly. One cup of combined whole grains (like steel-cut oats, barley, quinoa, rice) plus four cups of water, cooked overnight (10 hours) on the low setting makes a full pot of perfect porridge, ready to eat.

PROS
Small, but not too small.
Easy to clean removable ceramic liner - bright white.
Oval shape fits into my cupboard better
Rubber gasket on the lid keeps even more liquid from escaping during cooking.
Three heat settings, not just one. Warm is very convenient if the food is going to sit for a while, for instance if several people eat breakfast at different times.
Does NOT get too hot on low setting
Came with a thick rubber band for securing the lid during storage or transport. Great idea, easy to use.

CONS
Like all crock pots, the aluminum rim at the top gets quite hot. There are printed warnings on the pot about this.

I am very pleased with this purchase.