I absolutely love this cooker. We made a roast and it was so nice to be able to sear the roast and vegetables before cooking in the same cooker plus all the flavoring from the sear was still on the bottom of the cooker giving it a little extra flavor. Also made my chili in it and it turned out great. We love this cooker. We can do it all in one pot which saves with clean up and I don't have a dishwasher so that's a definite plus in my book.