If you are just cooking for one or two people I would get this one- it's simple and durable.
If you need something larger then look here.
You don't need bells and whistles like timers and so on- crock pots are very forgiving with regard to cook times.
Just a simple crock pot.
If you aren't going to cook large meals (and have leftovers), I don't suggest you get a 6Q. If you only put a little bit in, and cook it, there's a really good chance it will overcook. I used to have this problem, and there are other people who've posted with the same issue.
I suggest you get a 3Q. It's small enough to give you two+ portions, and it's a good size for potluck dishes, if you ever do that sort of thing. I have a 3Q and it's what I use when I'm cooking for 2. It's the size I most often take to potlucks. I have a 1.5Q, 3Q, 5Q and 6Q that I use often, so I've tried different recipes in all of these.
This is the one I have. Whatever you get, make sure it has a warm setting.
It's almost as if the eBay item had a differently-sized crock from the pot it fits in. Or, perhaps, in your country the crock was metric whilst the pot was Imperial, or vice versa.
Don't blow off the Crock-Pot brand; it's fine and popular. But perhaps find a way to get one new, from someplace.
I've studied different brands recently because I wanted a second, smaller one. I bought THIS one for about USD 50 in the USA. But since you want a manual one, there's THIS which is selling for USD 20 in the States. Larger sizes for manual on/off/warm ones are of course more expensive but not radically so.
As another bachelor. Here are a couple recipes for you. Enjoy
Sweet Potato Pot Roast 2-3 meals
Heat up a skillet on the stove with some olive oil. Put the chuck on the skillet and brown the outside of the roast. Set aside.
coarsely chop up the veggies. Quarter the sweet potatoes and throw the veggies in the crockpot first. Add spices and the broth put the roast on top of the veggies. Set to low and cook for 8-10 hours, 4-5 hours on high. Remove chuck and veggies pour the juices into a sauce pan and add 2 tablespoons of coconut flour or almond meal. heat for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Will thicken more as it cools.
Spice Rubbed Chicken From Everyday Paleo 2-3 meals
Crockpot curry ~3-4 meals
*2-3 lbs of meat (beef or pork stew meat, chicken breast cut into ~1" cubes) * 2 cans of unsweetend coconut milk * 1 package of red curry paste * Veggies; I have used Yellow/Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatos, Onion, cabbage, pumpkin, bamboo shoots, Jalapenos (de-seeded and de-veined) * Fruit if desired. I have used pineapple, and mango. * Turmeric powder, red curry powder, ground cayenne pepper (this is basically what is in the curry paste and these are completely optional. * coconut oil
Same as the pot roast above sear the meat in a pan in coconut oil. This time the meat will be added to the crockpot first.
Add the curry paste and stir it in with the meat hopefully covering the meat completely. Add the first can of coconut milk.
Chop and add the veggies (not the fruit) on top of the meat.
Add the spices if you desire finally add the next can of coconut milk.
Set the crockpot to low for 8-9 hours. or on high for 4-5 hours.
If you are going to be adding a fruit (or even pre roasted pumpkin) add it in the last 30-60 minutes of cook time. This will keep the fruit whole so it wont fall apart in the crockpot.
Beef Rib with peppers and sweet potatoes ~2 meals
Chop up veggies and add to crockpot with broth and BBQ sauce. Slice ribs into independent ribs and add on top of veggies, top with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beef falls off the bone. On high for 4-5 hours although the beef wont be as tender this way.
I have only made the beef ribs once and was kind of taken back at how little it made. I think next time I will put in more veggies. I couldn't live without my crockpot. I work from 8-5 on weekdays which is why most of my recipes go for 8-10 hours I get up about a half an hour early and throw stuff in the crockpot start it before I get in the shower and then I get ready and go to work. Come home around 5:00 with dinner already done. I use this small 3 qt. crockpot and almost every time I make something in it I end up with 2-4 meals. If you get bigger than a 3 qt crockpot feel free to scale up these recipes.