Oh, it probably wouldn't be used for much else for me. They're not sophisticated enough to have a pre-cook setting and if you leave anything in there like noodles, go to work and come back, it's likely to be mush. But it might be nice to set up a soup or stew, go do a chore like exercise or shovelling snow and come back to a hot meal. Maybe if I get one, I'll try braising some meat or something. My own version of zhajiangmian or something similar that I can put on not hot noodles.