Patent ID: 7485831

Claim:
A slow cooker for heating of food stuffs, the slow cooker comprising: a housing having a base and a side wall extending therefrom to define a heating cavity within the housing, the housing further having a housing rim at a first, free edge of the side wall defining an opening to the heating cavity; a heating element disposed within the housing sufficiently proximate the heating cavity to heat the heating cavity; a container having a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening for accessing the interior thereof, the interior being capable of retaining the food stuffs therein, the container being shaped and sized to fit within the heating cavity of the housing for heating thereof by the heating element; a lid sized and shaped to at least partially cover the opening of the container when placed on the container rim, the lid including a handle; and a utensil for manipulating the food stuffs, the utensil being removably engageable with the handle of the lid, wherein the handle has a slot therein sized to accept at least a portion of the utensil and the slot includes generally parallel side walls and at least one protrusion extending inwardly from each side wall to at least assist in retaining the utensil within the slot.