Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Review: What You Need to Know

What Are Some Key Advantages of Using a Slow Cooker?

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Slow cookers play a variety of roles in the home kitchen. The slow roasting action of these cookers is effective when it comes to tenderizing tougher cuts of meat. Slow cooking also gently brings out the flavor in many foods.

For most users, however, perhaps the single greatest benefit of using a slow cooker is the convenient, hands-off nature of this style of cooking. You can simply prepare and combine your ingredients in the slow cooker, program the appliance, and let it go to work cooking your next meal. Slow cookers, including the Hamilton Beach slow cooker model we evaluate and featured here, can be used to prepare everything from roasts, stews, and turkey chili to macaroni and cheese or your favorite buffalo chicken dip.

What Is a Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker?

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Hamilton Beach markets more than a dozen different slow cooker models that are suitable for entertaining at home or taking your food on the road. They range in size between 6 and 10 quarts and feature an array of time-saving features and amenities that simplify life for the home chef. For example, the Hamilton Beach slow cooker reviewed here — officially dubbed the Programmable Right Size Slow Cooker (Model 33642) — has a unique feature that allows home chefs to use the same appliance to cook either 2, 4, or 6-quart quantities, eliminating the need to keep slow cookers of different sizes on hand.

Are Hamilton Beach Slow Cookers Simple and Safe to Transport?

Hamilton Beach offers a series of slow cookers that are specially designed to be portable. Most of these portable slow cookers have sturdy gripped handles and lids that lock and seal tightly and securely to prevent spills. Hamilton Beach also sells an insulated slow cooker caddy, which is essentially a large, front-loading bag with straps that make it easy to enclose and carry an entire unit full of food.

Product Specs

Many slow cookers, including the programmable Hamilton Beach slow cooker reviewed here, have oval-shaped crocks that are able to accommodate a range of foods. Six-quart crocks, which are large enough to cook either a 6-pound chicken or a 4-pound roast, are one of the more common sizes.

What Temperature Ranges Are Available?

Most slow cookers have several temperature zones, including high, medium, and low. The Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker reviewed here automatically switches to a warm setting after foods have finished cooking. The warm setting keeps your food at the desired temperature until you're ready to eat it or can otherwise attend to the cooked dish. Having a programmable temperature setting that switches to warm at the end prevents food from becoming dry and overcooked. Some Hamilton Beach slow cookers also have temperature probes that help the cook actively determine when meat or poultry is done.

How Are Hamilton Beach Slow Cookers Constructed?

Most Hamilton Beach Slow cookers have a durable stainless steel base, a stoneware crock, and a tempered glass lid. These slow cookers are durably constructed and, should last for many years if cared for properly. They're also easy to maintain. The Hamilton Beach slow cooker reviewed here has a crock that can be hand-washed or put into a dishwasher. It is not safe for use on stovetops, however.

Pricing

The Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker reviewed here lands in the low-to-mid sector of a product category with models ranging from about $30 to $600. Higher-priced slow cookers tend to have larger capacities and additional amenities, such as alarms and multiple pre-programmable cooking modes.

How the Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Reviewed Here Compares

We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.

• All-Clad 7 Qt Gourmet Slow Cooker
• KitchenAid KSC6222SS Slow Cooker
• BELLA (13973) 5 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

PRICE: $$

This Hamilton Beach slow cooker is a convenient appliance that essentially functions as three cookers in one. You can use this appliance to cook 2, 4, or 6-quart quantities. Simply program in the number of quarts you're cooking and this cooker adjusts temperature settings accordingly. Once the food is done cooking, this model will automatically switch to a warm setting that keeps your food at the desired temperature. This mid-priced Hamilton Beach slow cooker also transports food easily, making it ideal for potluck dinners and other get-togethers. It's equipped with sturdy handles and a tight-fitting lid.

Price: $$$

This All-Clad slow cooker/browner unit combines two forms of cooking into one convenient appliance. It enables you to sear and brown meats and then immediately convert to slow-cooking mode. Our reviewers found that this unit is well-insulated and cooks foods thoroughly without creating hotspots. It tends to reach temperatures that are higher than some other slow cookers on the market. Its ​6.5-quart capacity is large for the category as well.

Price: $$$

Featuring a glass lid that can be opened on hinges from either side, this KitchenAid slow cooker is ideal for cooking various dishes and then keeping them warm on a buffet table or at potluck dinners. You can program this slow cooker for up to 24 hours of unattended cooking, allowing the home cook to focus on other tasks.

This slow cooker has a digital display and four different temperature settings: high, medium, low, and warm. Because the temperatures on this appliance don't get as high as some others on the market, this is a true slow cooker that gently cooks food. We liked that the cord can be conveniently and securely stowed in the bottom of the unit.

Price: $

This Bella programmable cooker is an affordable appliance that is ideal for those who are new to slow cooking, and thus it is a worthy inclusion for comparison in our Hamilton Beach slow cooker review. It can be programmed to cook for any time period from 30 minutes to 20 hours. Capable of warming and cooking stews, steel-cut oats, and everything in between, the Bella comes with an oval stoneware crock and a tempered glass lid. It can be set to one of 3 temperature settings: high, low, or warm. After food has finished cooking, this appliance automatically shifts into warming mode for up to 4 hours.

Conclusion

We gave the Hamilton Beach slow cooker reviewed here an overall rating of 4 stars on our 5-star scale. The Hamilton Beach units were also our top choice when considering entire lines from different makers, mainly because this respected appliance maker balances mid-level pricing with enough amenities to give home cooks a comfortable array of options. Multiple temperature zones and an automatic switch to warming mode at the conclusion of cooking were among our favorite features. We also greatly appreciated the ease with which Hamilton Beach slow cookers can be cleaned and maintained.