My Favorite Kitchen Helper: The Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Slow Cooker

By far, the Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget is the best, most convenient slow cooker I have ever used. A beautiful stainless steel finish and six-quart black crock give a sharp, modern look to an old kitchen standby, while a generous amount of features round out the Set 'n Forget to be the one appliance you will want to add to your kitchen this year. From cooking a nutritious dinner while away at work all day to contributing a hot, tasty dish to a potluck party, the versatility and convenience of this machine is astounding.

The Set 'n Forget features a meat probe that inserts directly into the meat through a special opening in the lid. It can be used for safe cooking of large cuts of meat or roasting whole chickens with the convenience of programming by weight of meat and temperature recommended for cooking. Temperature and cook time remaining shows up on the LED display. The manual includes a chart for just the right settings. This unit may also be used for timed cooking on high or low or by manual settings using temperature only. When programmed cooking is complete, the unit automatically switches to warm until meal time. The warming setting may also be used for keeping pre-cooked food at the perfect serving temperature when entertaining. The Stay or Go gasket seal lid locks securely for travel, and the included serving spoon clips right into the lid handle to make taking a hot dish to a special event easier than ever before.

After many rounds of testing, I find using the Set 'n Forget with its meat probe to be the best way to prepare a roast or whole chicken without guessing if the meat will be safe to feed to my family. Its large, clear display makes programming a breeze, and the beeping reminder when dinner is fully cooked and switches to "warm" helps take the guesswork out of a busy mom's lifestyle. If I am not home when cooking is complete, I have no need to worry, as the warming setting keeps dinner ready for us. My favorite feature? The locking lid, which makes my life easier when transporting a hot dish to my family get-togethers. The dishwasher-safe crock and lid are a close second. Okay, I have one more important reason I use this product so often: the use of a slow cooker is only a fraction of the cost and energy consumption versus a conventional range.

I have tested many other slow cookers, many of them more expensive and with fewer features, and none come anywhere close to the value offered by this model. I recommend this for every household, from students and newlyweds to the experienced cooks and empty nesters. The Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget can be found at retailers such as Walmart, Le Gourmet Chef, and Best Buy for $50 to $60.