I finally found a Hamilton Beach slow cooker w/ auto shift.

[vacerator]

Julia Childs father

never liked cassoulet` much anyhow. Must have been the beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. Or you can take Beano.
The rest of the dish is heavenly in the French country tradition of shecrutery.
Pork, poultry, or rabbit, a nice boudane or andouie sausage, onion, carrots, a bit of garlic, wine. I even add celery, or fennel bulb.
If it were any better, it would be coque` au' vin. Of course you can add cogniac to the former too if you like.
Top it with nice fresh bread crumb when it's done, and under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp them up.
Upon serving, breaking the crust with a spoon, and the delicious broth beneath softens them. Peasanty yes, but I like it too.
In a city founded by the French, not one good French restaurant around. Sad. I had to have my first rabbit stew to find out I liked it in Montreal.

 

[paulg]

A tip

Mable Hoffman's "Crockery Cookery" cookbook (1975) discusses this crock-pot and others with some detail.
It is a 176 page soft-bound cookbook with an orange Rival Crock Pot on the cover.

 

[appnut]

I believe I have that "Crockery Cookery"

It's kind of fallen apart over the years.  It was a stocking stuffer to accompany the crock pot of that same color I got as a Christmas present 1975.  College roomates had several recipes in that book they came to love.

 

[polkanut]

Here's a couple of pics taken this morning with the "new to me" Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker in action with a pot of beef stew.  I think I'm going to bake a pan of "Johnny Cake" to go with it for tonight's supper.

 

Correction to Reply #17:  the pattern on the cooker is called "Herb Garden".

[this post was last edited: 11/6/2016-08:35]

 

[polkanut]

From October, 1976

 



[this post was last edited: 9/2/2020-06:39]

 

[sudsmaster]

Seems like the latest cooking rage is all "Instapot" and similar devices. Basically electric self-contained pressure cookers with a variety of specialized options.

 

I got my 6 qt Instapot about a year ago, and have been using it to make brown rice, and also soup bone stock - chicken or beef. It works quite well for both, and is something of a relief from the hours I used to cook bone broth on the gas cooktop.  One of these days I'll have to thaw out a chunk of pork butt and make some pulled pork in the Instapot with that. If it will fit! In the past I've done that with a big oval slow cooker.

 

 

 

[petek]

Haven't tried it but I think you can cook from frozen in the IP, of course it will take longer.
I use mine a lot for quick soups and cooking potatoes and carrots. rather than boiling them.. Just put a couple of cups of water in.. then pile all your 1/4 chunked potatoes on a steam rack or basket above the water... and cook under pressure for 8 minutes, quick release, done.. No hovering around the stove to check if they're done.

 

[appnut]

I've had my IP for a year now and love it. I made my first stock on Friday, from last Christmas' turkey carcas that was at the bottom of the chest freezer double sealed in freezer bags. If you can fit the frozen state pork butt in the pot it can work I suppose. But in frozen state you cannot sear it easily I'm sure. I've discovered making pulled pork by cooking the pork butt in my convection oven at 300F for like 4 or 5 hours. The internal tempo goal is 190 to 200F. Have done it 3 times and it was perfect. From what I researched, the perfect pulled pork needs this internal temp of 190 to 200. I discovered this by simply wanting to convection roast the pork butt and this was one of the approaches discovered. I also use the IP to make brown rice, but I use the ot in a pot cooking method. Also use my IP weekly to make about 2 quarts of plain Greek yogurt. I serve it over frozen blueberries as my nightly sweet treat. Sometimes use the yogurt as a dipping sauce for sliced apples. Got some bacon ends & pieces Friday and will us that as part of my components for making IP Boston Baked Beans in conjunction with our first real cold front on Tuesday. And make a beef vegetable, barley soup tomorrow too. I love my IP.

 

[perc-o-prince]

IP from frozen

I throw a frozen corned beef in the IP- 40 min high pressure, quick release. Then I add the potatoes (halved if too big), big chunks of carrots, and 1/4ered cabbage and pop it on for 8min high pressure, natural release.

 

Making beef stew in the IP for dinner tonight!

 

Rich (suds), I too appreciate the ease and speed of making stock in the IP! Not to mention it draws out every morsel of flavor from the bones! I'll never make it on the stovetop or in the slow-cooker again! My poor slow-cooker... I haven't used it once since getting the IP. It used to be my go-to for stock and corned beef among other things. 

 

Chuck

 

[rp2813]

I don't own an instant pot, but do have a few stove-top pressure cookers in sizes varying from 4 to 10 quarts.

 

I won't make turkey or chicken stock any other way than in a pressure cooker.  The end product is superior in every way to plain old simmering all day.

 

I was surprised to read in the OP that the "Auto Shift" bumps down to low after 1 3/4 hours, although that makes perfect sense to me.  I wonder if my Farberware slow cooker has an issue.  It bumps down after about 20 minutes, which seems way too soon and entirely ineffective.

 

[sudsmaster]

By slow cooker, do we mean crock pot?

 

[petek]

Crock Pot is the registered brand name of that manufacturer for their brand of slow cookers.. like Kleenex and facial tissue

 

[sudsmaster]

OK, wasn't sure.

I have a semi-automatic Hamilton Beach I got about 18 years ago. Worked great, but haven't used it for many years now. Might have to pull it out of the lower cabinet to do some pork butt. Which won't fit in the IP.

 

[rll70sman]

Vintage Hamilton Beach slow cooker

Tim, I have that same slow cooker except that it is a Sears Countercraft in harvest gold. It was made in September 1977 by Hamilton Beach. I have never come across another manufacturer of vintage slow cookers that had the auto-shift feature. It is handy when recipes call for high heat to begin with and then lower heat after a while. Just like many vintage small kitchen appliances from that era, you should get many years of reliable service from it.