5.0 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. Digital display and timer to 10 hours cooking time. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.
Weight of pot: 2.8kg
Comments
Good points: Deep circular pot is ideal for layered dishes and tends to keep dishes more moist than wider pots. Clear digital display counts down the set time. Easy to set time and temp. Press controls make it easy to wipe clean. Lowest energy usage and low moisture loss. Very good beef stew results, beef and veg well cooked and flavoursome. Chicken and veg cooked well in hotpot. Cooks for 10 hours and will keep warm for 2 hours.
Drawbacks: Celery and lentils still a little firm in soup.
6.5 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator.
Weight of pot: 3.4kg.
Comments
Good points: Generous sized pot. Lentils cooked in soup and flavoursome. Beef tender in stew and veg well cooked.
Drawbacks: On indicator could be brighter. Shallow pot handles are hard to grip with oven mitts. Instructions are poorly laid out and lacking in detail. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.
3.8 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and hold. On and cook indicators. Timer to 9 hours. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.
Weight of pot: 2.4kg.
Comments
Good points: A good selection of recipes is included in the instructions. Clear and concise instruction booklet. Low energy. Lentils well cooked in soup. Cooks for a maximum of 8 hours and then switches to keep warm.
Drawbacks: Boils vigorously even on a low setting and spits from under the lid which rattles during cooking. Beef overcooked in stew and liquid reduced. Chicken dry and chewy in hotpot.
5.2 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator.
Weight of pot: 2.9kg.
Comments
Good points:Very good beef stew results, meat and vegetables tender and tasty.
Drawbacks:The on indicator could be brighter. Shallow lug handles on the pot are hard to grip with oven mitts. Chicken a little dry in hotpot and overcooked. Lentils still firm in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.
5.2 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator.
Weight of pot: 2.9kg.
Comments
Good points:Very good beef stew results, meat and vegetables tender and tasty.
Drawbacks:The on indicator could be brighter. Shallow lug handles on the pot are hard to grip with oven mitts. Chicken a little dry in hotpot and overcooked. Lentils still firm in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.
5.0 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.
Weight of pot: 2.9kg
Comments
Good points: Large control knob is easy to grip. Tender chicken in hotpot and lentils well cooked in soup.
Drawbacks: Lug handles on pot are shallow and hard to grip with oven mitts. We would have expected a more comprehensive recipe book. Veg and beef a little overcooked in stew. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.
4.5 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe lid.
Weight of pot: 2.5kg
Comments
Good points: Beef stew maintained its flavour and tenderness despite moisture loss. Lentils well cooked.
Drawbacks: The on indicator could be brighter. Surface shows finger-marks easily. Water spits out from under the lid. High moisture loss. Hotpoint slightly burned around the edges. Chicken very dry and veg overcooked in hotpot. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.
5.6 litre stoneware pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator and digital display. Timer. Dishwasher safe pot and lid. Can be used on direct heat
Weight of pot 2.7kg.
Comments
Good points: Clear digital display which counts down the set time. On indicator is bright and clear. Pot can be used on hob and in oven. Good recipe booklet.
Drawbacks: Ceramic lid means you have to lift it to view the contents. Meat a little overcooked in stew and chicken dry in hotpot. Lentils still firm in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.
4.5 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.
Weight of pot 3.7kg.
Comments
Good points: The loop handles on the lid and pot are textured and easy to grip. Black exterior is easy to clean. Low moisture loss. Chicken moist and tender in hotpot.
Drawbacks: veg a little hard in beef stew and beef still chewy. Veg still firm in hotpot and lentils still hard in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.
5.5 litre glass pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe pot and lid. Weight of pot: 1.9kg.
Comments
Good points: Glass pot means you can easily view contents.
Drawbacks: the glass bowl has no handles which makes it hard to grip with oven mitts. It tends to steam the meat and maintains too much liquid, leaving recipes watery. Veg overcooked in hotpot and chicken chewy. Lentils still firm in soup.No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.