I love this machine.  It has totally changed the way I cook and freed up a lot of time.  It is too heavy to transport by hand, but I still love the locking capability because I can stand to carry it to my car and then I trust that I will not spill everything en route to the event or party.

Advice: between the black bowl and the metal crockpot, there is a cardboard "cushion" for packaging.  It's hard to see, so I used my crockpot for a full 8 hours with it in there.... The smell was strange so I was taking it apart and found the cardboard.  This could have started a fire!!! Beware and make sure to remove ALL packaging before use.