What is the best multi cooker?
A multi cooker is a benchtop kitchen appliance that can perform various cooking methods including pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cooking, steaming and air frying, just to name a few.
As cooker appliances continue to evolve, you’ll find that features sometimes overlap. For example, you may find some rice cookers can also have slow cooking programs, or that slow cookers can double as pressure cookers. This offers greater versatility and convenience and you can even set up your kitchen space for multiple appliances (a rice cooker for your sides and a slow cooker for your meats and vegetables). Depending on your schedule and cooking styles, there’s a cooker appliance to suit your needs. So let’s go through the differences between all types of multi cookers:
What can a Multi Cooker do?
This versatile appliance automates meal preparation and typically comes with a wide selection of programmed recipes to cook soups, risotto, curry, and even desserts!
Ideal for those who want to save kitchen space with an all-in-one appliance. The versatile multi cooker is an excellent choice for those who enjoy variety and switching up what’s on the menu.
Is it better to cook rice with a rice cooker?
Rice cookers are benchtop cookers that deliver perfectly cooked rice and grains. Unlike traditional methods of cooking rice (such as the absorption method), you don’t need to adjust the heat or periodically check on the cooking pot. You only need to add the specified amount of water and grain and this automated appliance will do the rest.
Ideal for those who incorporate a lot of rice and grains in their meals and want a reliable and consistent cooking method. Meal preppers can also benefit as rice is a great addition to a wide range of dishes to be saved for later.
What does a slow cooker do?
Slow cookers, also known as crock pots, are cooking appliances that use low heat to cook food over an extended period of time. These reliable kitchen companions can be left to cook unattended to make stews, soups, casseroles, and tender, melt-in-your-mouth meats.
Ideal for those who like to put together their favourite ingredients into one cooker and return to a ready-to-eat meal. This requires minimal to no attendance, so time-poor professionals and families can get on with their busy schedules. Additionally, foodies who enjoy the unique flavours and textures a slow cooker provides will love having a slow cooker in their kitchen.
What are the benefits of a pressure cooker?
Pressure cookers use steam pressure to rapidly cook food inside a sealed pot. These nifty kitchen appliances speed up the cooking process so you can enjoy a variety of dishes that would normally take a long time to prepare.
Ideal for those who don’t have much time to cook but want to enjoy a wide range of dishes to enjoy after a busy day. This time-saving appliance is a helpful kitchen companion for households that require flexibility as it doesn’t require extensive planning—you can pick up your favourite ingredients in the supermarket and whip something up when you get home.
Ninja Foodi
The Ninja Foodi provides endless meal options to ensure your daily menu of home-cooked meals never ceases to surprise. This comes with two cooking lids: the Pressure Lid for slow cooking and pressure cooking, and the Crisper Lid for air frying, grilling, and roasting. You can even cook a full meal using the reversible rack. This lets you cook your veggies underneath as your meat grills at the top. The Ninja Foodi is an all-in-one solution to elevate your home-cooked meals with minimal effort but without the stack of cookware to clean up afterwards.
KitchenAid Multi Cooker with Stir Tower
This KitchenAid Multi Cooker is a game-changer when it comes to preparing your favourite recipes. You can sear, saute, slow cook, steam, and even bake. And with the help of the Stir Tower, it’s like having your very own sous chef in your kitchen. This attachment provides you with an extra helping hand to assist you with mixing, flipping, and stirring for the perfect consistency every time; think creamy risottos and rich, hearty soups.
Six reasons it’s worth buying a multi cooker
The ability to set and forget
With a slow cooker, rice cooker, or multi cooker, you simply need to measure and add your favourite ingredients and select your cooking program. You can leave the cooker unattended as it automatically turns off or switches to Keep Warm mode when your food is ready. Pressure cookers or pressure cooking modes can’t be left unattended. However, these convenient cookers significantly shorten cooking times so your dish can be ready with minimal waiting times.
You can cook side dishes without taking up space in the oven or cooktop
Having a cooker means one less pot to occupy your cooktop. This means you can prepare your other dish components efficiently, resulting in stress-free cooking. Having a separate cooker also means you don’t have to juggle between multiple dishes when using the oven, so you don’t have to worry about different cooking times and temperatures.
A dedicated cooker offers precise and consistent results
Benchtop cookers are designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Thanks to sensors and timed programs, your appliance intelligently adjusts variables such as temperature and cooking times so you’ll always end up with consistent results.
Convenient one-touch functions and cooking programs
Take the guesswork out of cooking thanks to programmed recipes and one-touch cooking. Recipes with complicated instructions are a thing of the past with a cooker, and there are no more excuses for those who don’t know how to cook.
Keep Warm features and programmable timers
Change of plans? Dinner guests arriving late? Staying behind at work? Don’t worry, most multi-cookers feature a Keep Warm function or a timer feature, so your meals are ready when you are.
Prepare healthy, flavourful meals with your cooker
Lock in the flavours and nutritional value of your ingredients with your multicooker. Pressure cookers use intense pressure to lock in the flavour, while retaining vitamins and minerals, resulting in a mouthwatering meal that is also good for you. Slow cookers can turn cheaper, tougher cuts of meat into a melt-in-your-mouth experience so you can cut down on your supermarket budget. And rice cookers have convenient cooking options for healthy grains such as quinoa and brown rice to encourage a balanced diet.
How do I choose a multi cooker?
Multi cookers are multifunctional by design but not all are created equal. The one that is right for you depends on the method of cooking you’ll be utilising the most and your typical daily schedule.
- Meticulous meal planners - if you like to plan and prepare your ingredients in the morning and have a meal ready to eat when you get home from work, we recommend a slow cooker.
- On-the-fly home cooks - if you like to figure out what you’re cooking for dinner during your grocery shop, and want a quick and convenient way to prepare it, a pressure cooker is the way to go.
- Bakers and pastry chefs - a model with dough proofing, kneading, whisking, and baking can help you achieve the perfect results for cakes, turnovers, breads, and other baked goods.
- Meal preppers - a rice cooker can cook your grains to go with whatever you’re making in the oven or on the stove. This eliminates an extra pot on your stove that requires constant checking and stirring and prevents stress when you’re cooking batches.
- Passionate home chefs - if you enjoy experimenting with different techniques and methods, look for a multi cooker that can perform your preferred cooking styles. There are even models with specialised programs like sous-vide and air frying.
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