Multi-cookers are a form of kitchen appliance that bridge the divide between the array of appliances, pots, and pans expected of a fully-equipped kitchen and the little time most working folks have for cooking. Initially conceived as a hybrid of the rice cooker and the pressure cooker, the multi-cooker is the one appliance that can accommodate the widest range of recipes and culinary techniques – enabling busy chefs to put together ingredients for a complex stew before heading out of the house for the day, and to return to a home-cooked meal kept warm. For those who have discovered a love for hands-off cooking, we’ve put together a line-up of the nation’s most dependable multi-cookers for your perusal.
Image Credit: Breville
In southern Italy, rice is sautéed with butter, spices, or meat stock, and served in the form of risotto. While the recipe for this staple of Italian cuisine entails constant manual stirring – and attempting it in a conventional rice cooker would not be advisable, Breville’s BRC600 Multi ChefTM promises to make up to 20 cups of the notoriously difficult dish, using a removable non-stick cooking bowl and a dedicated risotto program setting for relative ease. When not used to prepare risotto, this multi cooker accommodates up to 3.7 litres of food for slow cooking, a stainless steel steaming tray is included as an accessory for vegetables or seafood, and the non-stick bowl can be used to sear meats or caramelise ingredients.
Image Credit: Milux
For chefs who partake in the perpetual debate on the benefits and disadvantages between steel and ceramic cookware, Milux provides the MMC-1500 – a multi-cooker for the camp of ceramic purists. Using a removable ceramic-coated inner pot, this multi-cooker provides a non-stick internal surface that heats up quickly and ensures that no chemicals from polymer coatings get leeched into food during long periods of cooking. While more suited to cooking meats and vegetables rather than rice, the accessories included allow for up to five litres of steaming, frying, grilling, roasting, or slow-cooking.
Pensonic PMC-1501 Multi Cooker
Image Credit: Pensonic
When opting for a steamed meal, non-steamed side-dishes rarely make it to the dining table simply because it entails firing up a second burner on the stovetop or doing extra cooking with additional appliances. The Pensonic PMC-1501 provides the option of searing meats in addition to steaming vegetables, using a steamer basket that fits over a removable non-stick inner pot.
Image Credit: Philips
While the other entries in this list are capable of at least one function in addition to steaming, the folks at Philips would argue that a multi-cooker isn’t deserving of the descriptor unless it cooks under pressure as well. Philips’ Viva Collection All-In-One Pressure Cooker is a contender for the one kitchen appliance to rule them all, as it is capable of preparing up to six litres of rice, roasts, stews, soups – and even yogurt, in less time and using less energy with the added effect of pressure on temperature.
Primada Speedy Intelligent Cooker
Image Credit: Primada
Pressure cookers sometimes present as overly-complicated pieces of equipment that require monitoring, but this pressure-aided multi-cooker – the PC-8310, otherwise known as the Primada Speedy Intelligent Cooker, seeks to take that concern off the table with an automated system regulating temperature and pressure according to collection of preloaded recipes. With a stainless steel inner pot capable of accommodating up to eight litres of food, and a 1200-watt power rating, the PC-8310 produces satisfying results under pressure using 40 percent less time and 45 percent less energy.
* Brand are listed alphabetically
