Suggestion for the new Crafter block

What if instead of being able to block/unblock slots and putting items in where they don't stack (which has got to be a code nightmare!), the crafter instead works like this:

You have six total slots.  One slot is separated from the other 5, and this slot can have things put into it.  Basically, whatever is put into that top slot is what the Crafter will craft.  Then, the other 5 slots are just for storage, and when the crafter gets enough materials to create the block/item, then it will output it into a hopper.  You could even add a few more slots so that the Crafter can store the items it creates without needing a hopper for output!