The Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker 33163TC is similar to the original Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker 33163, but it comes with a handy insulated travel case that keeps your meal warm (and your pot safe) while you transport it to a tailgating party, pot-luck supper or other gathering. The unit's claim to fame is its unique clip-tight gasket lid, which attaches to the pot with specially designed wire side clips that hold the lid in place atop the slow cooker to help prevent messy leaks or spills during transport.

This unit comes with a white oval base, a removable 6-quart capacity white stoneware crock, a glass lid with a rubber gasket and a plastic stirring/serving spoon. There is a control knob located on the front of the unit, with settings for High, Low, Warm and Off. Hamilton Beach also includes a handy indicator light -- a simple enough feature -- but one that makes it easy to see from across the room whether the unit is working.

We tested the unit by cooking a large batch of chili using the low heat setting. Since this setting is designed for all-day cooking, it simmers foods gently so the flavors have time to meld and the meats emerge nice and tender. We loved the convenience of this unit. Just add your ingredients, cover and set the dial control switch to either low or high, depending on when you need the meal to be ready. Using the low setting, meals are ready in about 6-8 hours. The high setting cooks foods in about half the time. A third setting -- Keep Warm -- is useful for retaining an ideal serving temperature after foods have been thoroughly cooked.

Another innovative feature on this unit is the nameplate on the front of the unit, which lets you insert one of the preprinted recipe name cards (Meat Balls, Jambalaya, Hot Wings, etc.) or create your own custom label to identify the contents of the pot for your guests. We also loved the convenient spoon rest slot on the lid, which is not only handy for transport and storage, but it also provides a place to put the messy serving spoon, rather than on your counter.


Pros: Oval housing, 6-quart capacity, locking spoon rest lid, insulated travel case, indicator light
Cons: None

Warranty
1 year, limited