When I first received this product, I knew I could use it for things I was using my slow cooker for such as stews and soups. However, I wanted to use this one product for one particular task that has always been such a struggle for me and that is sautéing onions. Sautéed onions add the most delicious flavored dishes, but it takes so long and you have to stand over a hot stove, stirring for 20 minutes. With this it is a breeze! I just add in the chopped onions and oil and turn on the stir function and I can walk away and let it do it thing. that alone is worth it. the only drawback is this is quite large and takes up a lot of room on my counter and so I typically store it in my garage and then bring it out as needed. When the weather cools down, I will certainly be using this for soups and stews as well. ￼