HAMILTON BEACH 5 QUART MEAL MAKER~~Makes A Great Meal

While browsing a kitchen outlet store, I purchased the Hamilton Beach 5 Qt Meal Maker as a wedding gift for a friend of mine. It was a difficult decision only because I didn't know if she had one or not. I absolutely loved the look of this appliance and at $30.00, I felt it was a great gift.

When she opened it, she said it was perfect and just what she needed. I was glad that I chose it.

It was a few weeks later that I found out how well it worked, when she invited my husband and I over for dinner one night.

Let me tell you about the appliance first...

Features
5 qt. capacity
Oval stoneware is removable, dishwasher safe, and stainproof
Glass lid, dishwasher safe
Portable
Easy grip handles
4 settings; Off, keep warm, Medium, High
Even heating all around
Recipes included

The Meal Maker is designed to put all of your food into it and leave it to cook slowly, allowing you to do other things. I certainly love that concept and so does my friend.

For dinner that night, she fixed an awesome pot roast with plenty of potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery. Everything was so tender and juicy and so flavorful. She said it was so easy to prepare. She followed a recipe in the booklet that came with it. She told me she modified it a bit, but it was pretty close. She said it all cooked for about 2-2 1/2 hours on the Medium setting, then she switched it over to Keep Warm. She didn't even have to worry with it. No checking it to see if it was sticking or needed turning, or boiling dry..nothing. However, the glass lid is see-through, allowing you to keep an eye on it as you need to.

My friend turned the meal maker off, removed the stoneware and brought it straight to the table. It made a beautiful presentation. The roast practically melted in my mouth. There was no need for a knife, barely a fork. It was amazing.

The clean-up was just as wonderful. Once we had finished our meal, she put the leftovers in the refrigerator. There was minimal food left in the stoneware, but it came out pretty easy. She then removed it from the unit and placed it in the dishwasher along with the other dishes. She turned the dishwasher on and we proceeded to go enjoy a movie.

Later on, we went to the kitchen for snacks and drinks and she opened up the dishwasher that had completed its job. The stoneware came out perfect. We were both amazed. We had thought that the food would stick much worse than it did and require more hands-on power to remove it, but it didn't.

She has now had this appliance for 8 months and uses it several times a week. She loves it and continues to thank me for choosing it for her.

She has used it for almost everything. She frequently makes pot roast, chicken (whole or cut up pieces), pork loins, ham, cornish hens, stews, chili, soups, as well as vegetables like corn on the cob and potatoes. Very little liquid is needed for most foods. Meat generally cooks in its own juices, retaining all of that flavor and moisture, creating tender meat.

After 8 months, the meal maker still looks new. It's such a pretty item that she keeps it sitting on her counter. The oval shape along with the pretty flowers on the outside, really make her kitchen pretty. Also, it is always there to use. It doesn't take up much room. The cord isn't too long, so you do have to be close to an outlet to cook with it. However, once it has heated up, you can unplug it and take it with you and it will stay warm for a good while, provided that you keep the lid in place. It is great to take to pot luck dinners or parties. It would also be great for a small apartment, dorm, or camper.

I can easily recommend this. It makes a great gift.

Thanks for reading.