Does the hole for the probe in this crockpot really not cause any problems while cooking? I was always under the impression any leaks/holes are bad

Look at other slow cookers, not many have what you'd call a tight-fitting lid. It's usually just a thin glass lid that can rattle a bit when cooking on Highl. I have an earlier HB Stay or Go non-programmable model with a hole, no probe, no problems. There's no stream of steam that escapes, nothing seems to come out of it, even cooking on High.

does that have a delay start feature

Sorry Kim, but you can't set this cooker to turn on later in the day. For the meals that I cook in this unit that's never been a problem--for example, a pot roast that requires a 6-hour cooking time on the low setting will still be perfect after 8 or 10 hours because there's simply no evaporation to allow the food to dry out. If you're making a casserole that only needs to "bake" for a couple hours, and you want to serve after an 8-hour workday, you'll need to use the timed feature on your regular oven. I'm not aware of any slow cookers that have a delayed start feature for that very reason; they simply don't allow food to dry out. So as long as you cook your food for the minimum required time, extending the length of cooking time for hours, even, is never a problem. This slow cooker will automatically switch to the warm setting after the cook time that you programmed has elapsed, or the probe registers that the food is cooked. I've used quite a few different slow cookers, and this one (and its' smaller cousin) are by far my favorites. If you spent 10 times the amount of money, this would still be the best slow cooker of all, in my opinion.

Can the interior pan be removed for easier cleaning, or for serving/

If your talking about the "ceramic crock" that you place your food in then yes, its removable. It is also microwave-safe and oven proof.

This slow cooker seems very good but Id really like one that has a delayed start. I'm getting conflicting answers when reading these.

I’ve had the 10 qt, 8 qt and 6 qt slow cookers from this manufacturer for years. I have never needed a “delayed start”. First and foremost you DO NOT WANT ANYTHING you plan to eat to sit in the pot without heat of some type. You’re leaving yourself and anyone who eats your food open to salmonella poisoning and that’s deadly. When I know I’m going to be too busy to put everything in the cooker in the morning, I put my ingredients in before bedtime and set the cooker to WARM. I reset the cooker for a couple hours of high heat, especially meats, root veggies like whole potatoes/turnip/large beets, to get a good thorough high heat to them. Before I get ready to go do whatever I need to do I reset the cooker on WARM and make sure the lid is locked in place. When I get home I immediately check the time display and carefully open the cooker to stir things up. My cooker lids all have a vent hole in the lids and a spoon sits in the handle for convenience. I have burned my hands from the stream vents so please be careful if you have the type with the spoon and it’s storage area inside the handle of the lids! I’ve found through experimenting that everything cooks thoroughly even at the warm setting if left long enough. Venison, Beef, Wild Turkey roasts are so tender they fall apart before you bother with a knife. Even the vegetarian dishes I’ve been making as well as soups don’t need anything more than WARM. Good luck with your cooking and experiment!!! That’s the secret of your success as a cook who will be the talk of their family and friends 😊

Brand	Hamilton Beach
Model Number	33869
Color	Silver
Product Dimensions	29.97 x 43.43 x 28.96 cm; 5.78 kg
Capacity	6 Quarts
Power / Wattage	325 watts
Voltage	120 Volts
Material	Stainless Steel
Auto Shutoff	Yes
Special Features	Programmable
Item Weight	5.78 Kilograms

Hamilton Beach 33869 Portable 6-Quart Set & Forget Digital Programmable Slow Cooker with Lid Lock, Defrost Setting, Temperature Probe, Silver

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