PRODUCT REVIEW: Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

months ago i was contacted by csn stores to review one of the many products their website offers. let me start off by saying it was difficult to decide what i wanted to review because csn stores has a wide variety of shops to choose from.  seriously, you can buy just about anything and everything from swing sets, lcd tv stands, furniture to pet accessories, art & luggage!  i settled on a new slow cooker.  boring, i know, but come on, y 'all, i own three other slow cookers in various sizes...i cannot live without my slow cookers!

i ordered the hamilton beach six quart "set & forget" slow cooker.  it's from the "stay or go" line.  this is my second six quart slow cooker, but i love this one much more than my other programmable slow cooker.  why?  there are many cooking options.  three of them, in fact.  i can program the slow cooker to cook manually {you keep track of the temperature & time}, cook using a program {the slow cooker keeps track of temperature & time} OR cook using the thermometer probe {it will stop cooking when your meat has reached it's desired temperature}.  i also appreciate that the slow cooker will automatically adjust to 'keep warm' when it is finished cooking.

the thermometer probe is cool.  i cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker and it came out moist, juicy & the meat was falling off the bone {never mind the fact that i felt like buffalo bill when i had to skin the whole chicken prior to dropping it in the slow cooker}.  i love that the probe offers me further peace of mind when cooking larger portions of meat like roasts and such.

if you've never cooked with a slow cooker or if you are hesitant to buy one, do yourself a favor and take the leap, okay?  slow cookers help you save time {and even money!}.  you can prepare your meal in the morning and come home to a warm, fully cooked meal in the afternoon.  or, you can cook overnight.  i love using my slow cooker for large family gatherings, but - most importantly - it has been a lifesaver for our family in the afternoons especially on the days that i have class in the evenings {i'm a full-time graduate student in addition to being a wife & momma of two}.  by the way, the stoneware crock and lid are dishwasher safe.

i have not taken my slow cooker to any pot luck suppers yet, but i like that the lid seals to the crock with the help of two latches on either side of the slow cooker.  a serving spoon rests neatly in the slow cooker's lid.  the price of the slow cooker was just under $50.  while it may seem pricey to some, i believe that this slow cooker is worth the cost.  it would make a great wedding gift or a great holiday gift for a busy family in your life.  i'm very happy to have added the hamilton beach six quart "set & forget" slow cooker to my collection and i'm looking forward to cooking many boston butts {mmm, shredded bbq} in it this summer!

as for csn stores...what can i say, but WOW!  it was super easy to place an order on their website.  they follow up with emails letting you know the status of your order.  they also ship fast.  i wasn't expecting the slow cooker to arrive for nearly a week, but imagine my surprise when it showed up on my doorstep just a few days after placing my order.  definitely consider csn stores the next time you need to order something for your home or for a gift.  you won't be disappointed.


disclaimer: the slow cooker was my compensation for doing this review for csn stores. all opinions in this review are my own.