A great option for busy cooks

This past year I went back to school and found myself insanely busy. Four days a week I'd have an 8-3 workday, and then classes from 4:30-7. Simply put, not much time to cook unless I wanted to let my husband do it all (read: note happening). I knew a slow cooker would be my best bet, and the Hamilton Beach 33966 was clearly the best option as far as price, quality, and ease of use.

Set-up

The 33966 has a very sturdy stainless steel base with convenient handles for easy moving. The stoneware insert is removable for easy cleanup afterwards. The glass lid fits snugly and has an opening for the meat probe, should you choose to use it.

Usage

The 33966 offers a number of cooking options. The first is the programmable option. For example, you can program it to cook on low for 6 hours, after which it will switch to the "warm" setting to keep your food ready. It has a timer readout so you can see just how much time is left before dinner is ready. Take note, the 33966 will shut off after 14 hours of cooking. This was not an issue for me. The second mode is the probe option. Attached the probe, stick it in your meat, and set the temperature that you want the meat to cook to. Finally, there is the plain manual mode: turn the cooker on to "low" or "high" and let it cook.

Not-so-slow cooking?
This slow cooker also came in handy when I just wanted to run errands and come home to dinner. Many of the meals that I cook can be done in half the time using all "high" cooking instead of a long, "low" cook. Note that I only did this for vegetarian meals.

Safety
Even though slow cookers have been around for years, I was still a bit wary about setting it up and leaving for the day. The first time I used it I stayed at home and monitored. Everything was fine, so the next week I left it. Later I discovered that the instruction manual was left between the crock and the base (so that's where it went...). Its pages were a bit browned, but nothing to be concerned about -- and dinner tasted great.

The final word
I have had absolutely no trouble with this slow cooker, and it has helped me continue to eat healthily instead of turning to takeout.