Slow down and slow cook

The calendar may have flipped over to a new page, but it is certainly still winter out there. The cold, sleet, and snow may be unavoidable aspects of the season, but there is another tradition that has been going on in full force for the last month and a half or so: cooking up a storm. The cooks among us may look forward to the start of a new year if only for the chance to give the stove a rest. However since we all still have to eat (and homemade meals will never be out of season), might as well make it as easy as possible.

The one-pot convenience of slow cooking is always an enticing proposition, but considering how hectic our kitchens have recently been, the concept is now more welcome than ever. Mirroring this desire, the DeLonghi Slow Cooker combines classic aesthetics with modern stainless-steel construction. Featuring touch-pad controls and an LCD display, the slow cooker, with its three heat settings, offers the easy reliability that only a slow cooker can provide.

The removable white ceramic 5-quart pot provides ample enough room to feed an entire family. Complete with a 10-hour countdown timer that keeps food warm for 2 hours after cooking is finished, the slow cooker is an excellent alternative to the end-of-year bustle so common in the kitchen.