Good, even heat. First time I turned it on, it released a mild plasticky smell, but the food was perfect! I think it was packing dust, burning off on the outside of the unit. 

The liner is super easy to remove and clean, and the handles are surprisingly strong. The clips that lock the lid on need to be helped onto their hooks, but that's easy enough to do. Wish the cord was a bit longer - my kitchen doesn't have a lot of power near the countertops, so I need to juggle where things sit when I use this.