The Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker is a great all-rounder of a slow cooker, perfect for transporting and bringing to events or potlucks and featuring high-quality convenience features usually seen on more expensive models. This makes it a great choice of slow cooker if value-for-money is what matters most to you, which is why it took the top spot in our best slow cooker rankings. Reliable manufacturing from the popular Hamilton Beach brand ensures that you won’t be let down on quality, but if bulk is a problem for you then this six-quart slow cooker might not be the choice for you.
Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker: Features
- Features 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 hour cook times
- Design features a digital LED touchpad control
- No indicating light to tell you if your slow cooker is on
The Hamilton Beach range offers some of the most popular slow cookers on the market, and we love this one for its great size and portability. Usually priced around the $40 mark, which is about average for a slow cooker of its size and capabilities, we’ve seen this model on sale from time to time so it’s worth keeping an eye out.
The Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker features 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 hour cook times and the standard ‘High, Low, Warm’ cook settings. The design features a digital LED touchpad control which, unlike some dial slow cookers, will let you set a timer and select a cook setting. Like some of the higher-end slow cookers we’ve seen, the keep-warm setting automatically switches on when your timer finishes. This means you can come home to a warm, fresh cooked meal and not have to worry about overcooking your food if you’re held up or out of the house.
One complaint we’ve seen is that there’s no indicating light to tell you if your slow cooker is on, and whilst this slow cooker doesn’t seem to have a problem with overheating it’s definitely worth keeping this in mind and away from pets and children whilst cooking and cooling down.
The six quart capacity is standard for slow cookers and will cater to large families with space for a 6lb chicken or 4lb roast. It also allows for bulk-cooking and catering for parties and holidays. A real all-rounder!
We’ve seen a lot of round slow cookers knocking about, so we were pleased to see that this one is oval shaped, with a width of 15.25-inches, length of 15-inches and height of 8.9-inches. If you're after a smaller model, check out the Crock-Pot SCR300 3-Quart Manual. The durable stoneware crock pot is perfect for laying a chicken or long cut of meat, like ribs, flat to allow even cooking. The pot is also removable which is convenient for washing, and this and the glass lid can easily go in your dishwasher for maximum convenience at all stages of the cooking process.
One of the best features of this slow cooker, which really sets it apart from others in the game, is the clip-tight lid which is perfect for transporting your food to potlucks or gatherings. The high-quality ceramic bowl will also retain heat meaning you can move your dish around whilst keeping it warm. There’s full-grip handles for easy carrying and the metal lid clips on either side of the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker. This allows you to secure the lid onto your pot without risk of slipping or spillage in the car or on the go, meaning your cobbler, casserole or chilli will arrive with you in pristine condition.
How long are the cords on the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker? Well, Hamilton Beach doesn’t list the cord length of this model on their website, but we found that it was around 2 ft long - which might not be enough for you. If your heart is set on this slow cooker though, there’s nothing to stop you from using an extension cord. It also weighs 12 pounds, which is a lot compared to some of the other models we looked at such as the Calphalon Digital Sauté, which had nearly the same capacity at almost half the weight. Due to this, as with all larger slow cookers you might find storage a bit more tricky.
A word of warning, you’re not to use the transport clamps whilst storing, meaning the clamps will stick out and add more bulk when stowing your Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker away. Check out the Crock-Pot 2.5-Quart Mini Casserole, our favourite petite slow cooker for college dorms and smaller apartments, if this is a concern for you.
Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker: Cooking experience
- No stove and oven safe
- Will cater to large groups with space for a 6lb chicken or 4lb roast
- Glass lid
Unlike the Crock-Pot SCR450-HX 4.5-Quart Round, the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker doesn’t come with any recipes, but there’s plenty on the Hamilton Beach website which you can filter by meal type, occasion, ingredients and the specific appliance you’re using. We saw some delicious-looking recipes for Pumpkin Dump Cake, Queso Dip and Chilli Mac and Cheese, so if you need any more reassurance that this slow cooker does it all be sure to check out the Hamilton Beach recipe hub.
Hamilton Beach hasn’t said that the stoneware crock pot is stove and oven safe, which means this slow cooker is lacking the flavour advantage of the mighty Calphalon Digital Sauté, which lets you prep certain ingredients such as onion and cuts of meat before inserting the pot into the slow cooker. However, the hefty price difference between these two products may justify this, and you can easily sauté and sear your ingredients in a separate pan before putting them in the slow cooker if flavour is a big priority to you.
The size of this slow cooker is a real advantage as it gives you huge flexibility with what you can cook, and how much of it! As we said, it will cater to large groups with space for a 6lb chicken or 4lb roast, perfect for generous portions or big gatherings!
We like the glass lid of this slow cooker, which lets you look at your food and monitor it as it cooks. However, some have reported that the rubber seal on this lid can absorb odors. There has also been complaints of large gaps between the rubber seal on the lid and the pot itself, greatly increases cooking time and isn’t ideal for heat efficiency. Despite a lot of uncertainty regarding this, you can use the lid clamps whilst cooking to increase pressure and create a stronger seal. The steam and vent holes will ensure that this doesn’t damage your cooker, despite what you might read online. This means that you can keep in heat and juices, ensuring juicy meat and no toughness or dry casseroles.
If you do have any problems with the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker it is covered by a limited 1 year warranty to US customers. This does not cover glass, filters or wear from normal use however. For a better warranty, check out the Black+Decker SCD4007 7-Quart Digital.
Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker: Verdict
This Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker proves you don’t need to compromise on price to get quality. Sure, it’s a bit bulky and perhaps not the most stylish or modern model on the market, but it’s a tried and tested favorite for a reason. We especially loved the clip-tight lid and easy-grip handles which ensure you can take your culinary creations with you on the go without worrying about spills or mishaps. An all-round great choice for only $40.
