Superb BASE of stew. What I mean, is that its a great basic stew. After reading everyone else's reviews here, I did add between 45-60 min extra of cook time. I never thought a stew could be finished at an hour and half, but I guess that's up to your preference. I like it tender, so I didn't add the potatoes and carrots until I knew that the meat already began to become very tender. I cooked the veggies until tender, tasted, and found the base to be very bland. Nothing that a few spices couldn't change though! :) I added two cloves of garlic (grated on a cheese grater), season salt, garlic powder, italian seasoning, and to add some heat, I added a dash of chili powder, and ground crush red peppers (grounded them myself). DELICIOUS. I have never had a stew better. I do like my vegetables though, and I did find the stew to be a little too simple with the ingredients, so I added peas and corn to make it chunkier and heartier. Next time I will probably add green beans and corn instead. I'm