"VitaClay ... may look like another high-tech appliance, but inside lurks an ancient Chinese secret—an unglazed zisha clay pot that retains vitamins and minerals. A preset timer can get dinner cooking, even no one is around... Standard recipes call for a 5- to 6-quart model. That said, you may not need 8 to 10 servings of stew. You probably want dinner tonight, with an additional serving for a friend, and maybe a leftover serving or two for the days ahead.... The cooking time can also be calibrated in 10-minute increments. That means better control for small batches...Plus, the VitaClay is a rice cooker as well as a slow cooker — two appliances in one. That’s a lot of functions for a small appliance."