Tested and Reviewed: The Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Slow Cooker Lives Up to Its Name

Design-wise, it strikes a sweet spot between form and function. The matte, soft-touch finish and rounded silhouette give it a high-end feel, while the LED interface and gold trim elevate it beyond your standard countertop appliance. Right out of the box, this is what won Vincent over. “The black color was gorgeous, exactly what I expected just looking at the box. It was also packed tightly and there was no sign of damage!” The 4-quart capacity also felt compact enough for his apartment kitchen but large enough to feed a group (it’s ideal for four to five servings). Bonus: The removable stoneware insert lifts right out of the base for easy serving—just bring it straight to the table—and when dinner’s over, both the pot and lid can go right into the dishwasher.

Ease of Use: Set and Forget

First and foremost, this slow cooker offers four straightforward presets: low for either 8 or 10 hours, high for 4 or 6 and a warm mode that automatically kicks in when the cook time ends (keeps your dish at an ideal serving temperature without drying it out). Plus, there are no knobs, dials or toggles—just a single Mode button and a Start/Stop option. As Vincent put it, “Getting the appliance turned on and set was super simple and easy, super easy touch interface anyone can figure out.”

He put it to the test with a creamy Tuscan pasta—chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and plenty of sauce. It was set to cook for 2.5 hours on high, and by the time it was done, his dish “was ready and piping hot, and it definitely cooked evenly throughout.” This is thanks to the 300-watt heating system works in tandem with a ceramic-coated insert to ensure even heat distribution from all sides, while the tempered glass lid lets you peek at your food without releasing moisture or flavor. Once the cook time wraps, the unit automatically transitions to warm mode—so your food stays ready, even if you’re not.

The biggest unexpected win? “It was super quiet and super simple to use! I liked how we were able to literally just ‘plug and play’ with this appliance. Just set it and forget it, since there are preprogrammed times per mode.”

The Drawbacks: Design ≠ Durability

While the design earned a perfect 20/20 from Vincent, build quality was where it lost points. “The lid doesn’t fit properly, and it moves around a lot when it is on top. The actual pot also doesn’t fit the casing, so mixing things was a hassle…it made the entire pot move around.” It’s also worth mentioning that it posed a bit of a safety issue: “Trying to hold the pot without getting burnt to ensure the pot wasn’t going to move or slide around too much was annoying.”

Given its affordable price point, he feels it’s ideal for someone just getting into cooking. “This would make a great gift for someone going to college or a first home gift,” he said.