Are you one of those that like to try new recipes but don’t want to go through the hassle of cooking for a long time? If yes, you have a few useful kitchen appliances like air fryers, pressure cookers, slow cookers, and multi-cookers. A few people think that the mechanism of a slow cooker and multi-cooker is the same, and the primary difference is the amount of time they take to make the food. Not really. Multi-cooker has a different mechanism altogether. Let’s see everything you need to know about a multi-cooker.
What is a multi-cooker?
As the name suggests, a multi-cooker can cook multiple things. You can consider it as an all-in-one cooker. It can carry out the functions of a rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer, electric pot, pressure cooker, fryer, air fryer, yogurt maker, bread maker, and dehydrator. Investing in a multi-cooker means you don’t have to spend on all these appliances. All you have to do is change a few settings on the device to instantly stew, bake, roast, or even steam dishes.
How does a multi-cooker work?
A multi-cooker comes with various pre-programmed functions and settings. You have to buy the respective ingredients, prepare them according to the recipe you want to cook, pop the ingredients in the cooker, and choose the right program. For example, if you want to make dumplings, you need to use the steam option.
The device notifies you once the meal is ready. What if you aren’t around to turn the device off? It switches off automatically and goes into warm mode to keep the food hot. This warm mode can last up to 12 hours. That means if you gather the ingredients in the morning and put them in the multi-cooker before going to your office, it can prepare the meal and keep it hot when you arrive at night.
Although it takes time to get used to the recipe combinations, you can try newer recipes once you learn all the tricks. It’s a pretty useful appliance for those who live alone and don’t know a lot about cooking. They can follow the recipe instructions and allow the cooker to do the rest.
You can make more than 1000 different dishes using a multi-cooker. It uses less oil compared to other types of cookers. Thus, it’s a healthy option for those who want to cut down on their calories.
Most multi-cookers come with steaming racks inside cooking pots. They allow you to prepare your primary dish and also additional accompaniments, such as steamed veggies.
Benefits of using a multi-cooker
With so many features, it’s understandable why there’s a rising demand for multi-cookers. Here are a few benefits that will make you want to buy the device right away:
- It is a versatile appliance in your kitchen with tons of cooking options. This alone can replace a few appliances like a pressure cooker, electric pot, rice cooker, and fryer.
- It can keep your meals warm for as long as 12 hours. You don’t need to rush back home to cook a fresh meal at night. Mix the ingredients and set the cooker to its appropriate function. You can still enjoy a hot meal after coming home.
- It cooks food relatively quickly than other cooking appliances. You can cook various meals in a single day without wasting too much electricity.
- Apart from cooking meals, it can also help you make yogurt.
Slow cooker vs multi-cooker
There are many differences between a slow cooker and a multi-cooker. To start with, a slow cooker has only one purpose – to cook food slowly. It is suitable for cooking meals that usually take a long time to cook. There are no options to change its cooking method.
On the other hand, a multi-cooker can cook quickly and slowly. It has a slow-cooking mechanism but isn’t limited to that function only. You can also roast, bake, steam, and fry using this cooker.
Investing in a multi-cooker is always beneficial because of the wide range of features that you can enjoy. You can use your multi-cooker as a slow cooker if required, but you cannot use a slow cooker as a multi-cooker.
Having said that, you should compare the prices of different models from different brands of multi-cookers. Spend on the one that you think has the best capacity for your family.
