I discovered last night that the stoneware insert of my slow cooker cracked all the way through on its bottom. Now I need a new one so that I can make the pork roast I purchased before that unhappy discovery. So I thought I would ask you all for recommendations with your real world experience while I go through reviews for the millions of slow cookers out there. What brand have you had good success with? Does anyone have the one with nesting 2, 4 and 6 quart inserts? Does anyone have one of the really large ones like you see at barbecues with 50 people?
The one that just died was a Hamilton Beach Set n' Forget Programmable 6 quart slow cooker. I never used any of the cooking features other than the manual settings, though I guess I could with the next one. I do have to travel with it when it is full, so the clips for the lid are pretty much a must.
I use it most often for 2-3 pound roasts with veggies (potatoes, carrots, onion), but the 6 quart didn't hold enough so I also do a second batch of just veggies in the oven at the same time. I also do slightly smaller batches of pulled bbq chicken or just a roast with a slow cooker sauce. I have a smaller Hamilton Beach 2 or 4 quart slow cooker that I use when making hot dips (not sure on the actual size because my mom gave me her old one) as well.