I was reviewing a post from last week (you know the one, “I’m Comin’ Out!”), when I realized that I hadn’t shared with you what kind of slow cooker I have.
First let me show you what I bought:
This, my dear friends, is the Hamilton Beach 6 Quart Stay or Go slow cooker. I bought mine at WalMart on sale two years ago at the end of summer. It was on sale for $19.99. What a great deal.
Now, I don’t go to WalMart often, but I happened to see this ad for the sale, and realized I was dumb for not having purchased one sooner. We all know how valuable they are. So, I made a special trip for it. Totally worth it’s weight in gold.
The thing I really like about this (well, there’s more than one thing):
-The part you cook in is removable which means you can wash it in the dishwasher if you want.
-There are clamps on the sides, so you can cook up some lil’ smokies (don’t even GET me started on how much I love those) and then close the clamps, take it to the potluck, and then of course there’s an insert area on the front so you can write on a piece of paper what you brought and everyone will know!
-There’s handles that are far enough away so you don’t burn your hands when you pick the whole thing up.
-It’s got a sassy finish.
-They include about 15 pre-made tags for the front that you can slide in like “BBQ Beans” “Chili” (you get the idea). Such a great idea.
-There’s a spoon that goes with it, and a spoon rest on the top of the lid.
What HAVEN’T they thought of? Seriously! This is a total bang for your buck, and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. The next recipe I’m making is some white bean stew Paul found in this month’s Martha Stewart Living magazine. (I get a subscription, he was reading it over coffee in the morning last Sunday) (I think the recipe I linked to is correct, if not, I’ll repost later).
Anyway, I’ve got one simple piece of advice for you if you’re in the market for a slow cooker: Don’t buy it at a garage sale or estate sale, unless it’s still in the box and doesn’t have any soot like stains on the bottom. If you absolutely can’t help yourself, and see a good one at a garage or estate sale, plug it in, see if it works. If it does, then ask yourself this question: “does the cost of a new one versus this cost warrant the possibility that this used one is old and might start a kitchen fire while I’m asleep or at work, and burn my house down?” if the answer is no, then buy a new one. It’s only $20-$30.
Great idea this. It is always difficult to thin of varied things to cook especially for a hungry family and some of the ideas here and elsewhere on your site have given me some great ideas so thak you!
Hi Valarie, thanks for the comment! I’m glad to help in any way that I can, and if you have any questions or are looking for suggestions of a specific kind, please let me know! -Siiri