If dining out less means you find yourself at least occasionally responsible for cooking meals and feeding the family, your next item of cooking gear should be the Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Programmable Set n’ Forget, Wirecutter’s top-rated slow cooker, at a mere $50.
Tested for its feature set, capacity and durability as a function of price, the model earns top marks against pricier competitors, and can help you easily make any of these winter recipes. Except for the short ribs, all require less than 20 minutes of prep before you can “set it and forget it” — a cooking method so fun you might also forget the joys of eating out five times a week.
