Sunbeam SecretChef Electronic 5.5L Questions & Answers

Yes it gets really hot on the outsude

Thank You. I will return to store as I did have correct time for cooking.

thank you very much I appreciate it

I have absolutely no idea. You would have to call the manufacturer and they will give you service centre details. You could also Google 'Sunbeam Service Centres'.

Hi Loulou,
If your Slow cooker is turning on after 4 years of service, you're lucky. those small push buttons behind the pad can be bought from electronics parts store, however the led display part are often dedicated to the unit, there may have just been moisture on the panel, or it could be the main chip, there are some similar LED display on the market, to have those parts replaced by a technician will be costly labour wise, even though the parts will only cost you a couple of dollars. I have just got in touched with Sunbeam by phone and by email and they have replied to me that the HP Slow cookers are not repairable and they do not have or keep parts for it, I was very frustrated too as, I know I could fix it if I have the parts. If you can still use it, just use till it dies up, or sell those remaining good parts or the whole thing as a donor on e-stores or on to the bin for the land fill it had 4 years service after all. You might want to try another brand... As for my one it is still on my work bench waiting for my decision as I am still looking for parts or a donor.
FYI, the reply email sent by SUNBEAM :
"Hi Sparky,...I do apologise although as the HP5590 is not repairable, parts are not available.
Kind Regards
Sunbeam Representative"

Regards,
Sparky

Thank you for your reply and contacting Sunbeam, as I did try myself but could not access their website safely for some apparent reason. Not sure if they are aware of this. An error keeps coming up that it is not safe. Anyway, yes it is still working but I will probably end up purchasing another one but a different brand, as I love my slowcooker! Regards, Louise.

I am really sorry but it doesn't have an indicator to tell you what temperature it's at. It does reach boiling point though.

Hi Andrea, yes, the ceramic insert is safe to use in the oven as the material is oven safe, much like a casserole dish.

Yes, the slow cooker has a timer.
I find it useful that it has the timer because you can add the ingredients at any time and set it up so you have your meal ready by dinner time.

No, it doesn't have a timer. But, its certainly ok to leave it on for 6 - 8 hours.

Hi Julie58, I have not found that to be the case. You might want to return it and see if the replacement does the same.

Our first 5.5 L Sunbeam melted the power lead socket. It was replaced under warranty but the replacement unit gets so hot on the outside that it is dangerous to use. It discolored the laminex bench-top and melted a styro insulating plate. I am afraid if left unattended it could set the bench-top on fire.

No, never had this problem.

Hi Elicia, thanks for your question. I'm not certain as I have not had the same issue but I have noticed that when the slow cooker element gets very hot (i.e. when on High for 4 hours) the screen display does seem slightly compromised. I have had my slow cooker for 15 months and not had any issues with it so far, so I'd suggest taking it back to the place of purchase for a replacement/refund if they offer it or if it's still under warranty. I hope you get the issue sorted promptly :)

I have the same problem. Straight out of the box first time using it and all it did was heat up then switch off and read 1888 on the display.
Pretty disappointed with this purchase to say the lease.

Hi Vanessa. That's a shame! The bowls are ceramic and supposed to be resistant to everything except dropping it on the floor (basically). Have you contacted Sunbeam directly about this? I imagine their servicing centre would be able to offer you replacement parts if needed.

Yes ours did get hot enough you would burn yourself, but never so hot it would set fire too something, we treated it like a hot pot on an element.

Our unit always cooked to the set time and if we turned it off for whatever reason, you could turn it straight back on. The fault it developed was being hard to turn on, which got progressively worse. Hope that helps.

That sounds like a fault. I use mine to make bone broth and have it on for 24 hours and it doesn't turn off. After 12 hours, which is the maximum time, it switches to 'warm' as it should. I would take yours back to the store if I were you. I had an issue with my first one, which wasn't heating up at all but the replacement has been okay so far.

When it worked ours did simmer.

The first one I bought not long ago was a dud and didn't heat at all. The replacement I've had for a few weeks and gets really hot. So hot that it damaged my benchtop even with a thick wooden chopping board under it. I wasn't impressed. As hot as it gets, it takes ages to get it hot enough to bubble. Hours. Maybe three or four depending on how much I've filled it. Aside from that though, it does simmer and I've made spaghetti sauce over night, a curry, some soup and I've even made bone broth with it which I cooked for 48 hours straight. It does simmer but it's very very slow... which is what I wanted for making bone broth. I don't like hour hot it gets on the outside. It makes me really nervous.

Yes mine simmers for certain recipes - it gently bubbles away happily when on both low and high settings. I'd suggest that the simmering is relative to the recipe and the amount of liquid you are using.

Hi, I'm not sure how much a new cord would be, but would suggest you contact Sunbeam customer Service. They should be able to tell you where to purchase or maybe they could supply one. Hope you have success. Cheers.

This feels like a joke question but I'll take the bait.
It's one of the two standard IEC cables you will find anywhere. AKA "jug lead", AKA "kettle lead", AKA "IBM plug", AKA "3 pin to IEC C15". Costs about 50c wholesale, if you walk into any retailer and ask for one you'll probably pay from several dollars to tens of dollars for the standard 1.8m length, depending on how grubby they are.

If in doubt, take a picture of the socket on the device and refer to it in the store when buying a new one. The most visible difference between the common C13 and C15 types is the central groove running the length of the plug.