MultiCookers can perform almost all common cooking methods. Steaming, pressure cooking, baking, frying, boiling, roasting, slow cooking, searing, crisping, and dehydrating.
Like all such multipurpose devices, they are complex and expensive.
Do they represent good value for money? Yes if you use all the functions and do a lot of cooking.
Are the running costs lower than with my conventional Gas or Electric cooker? Again yes if you do a lot of cooking.
Are they convenient to use? Yes to a degree, sometimes the cleanup is more difficult than with a conventional pan or oven.
It was Shakespeare who said, “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
In other words, a bloke who can change a tyre, paint a ceiling, update his software and play darts and football for the local pub team is likely to be a better prospect than someone who can compose a masterpiece on the piano but can’t even ride a bike…so it is with multicookers, although they can do many things adequately, don’t expect the same perfect and speedy results as a unit that fulfills its single designed purpose 100%.
Gas or Electric?
There is a crisis in action right now, precipitated by Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine, Covid, Brexit, and many other factors worldwide, which is raising the prices of energy. So which will be cheaper? Given that pressure cooking is faster, should you invest in an electric model or a cooker top model ( conventional pressure cooker ). Although gas takes more energy to cook food, the current price of gas makes it the lowest cost, but for how long and do the other functions and convenience of the electric models make it a better choice?
Pressure cooking was a big thing back in the 1940s and 1950s with the wartime generation especially since food was rationed and not always the best quality. I still use my mother’s pressure cooker from time to time, on the hob top. Cooking with high-pressure steam makes it much quicker – so it’s cheaper on fuel, up to 50% sometimes, and the sealed vessel keeps all the flavour in. It breaks down tougher cuts of meat making a much tastier dish than frying or boiling which often made tough meat worse.
Below are the top three multicookers with all their dimensions and cooking modes to help you make a choice
We Found these to be the best Value Multi-cookers Available
Ninja Foodi Max 15 in 1
Rating 9/10 best features, accessories, price and guarantee Air Fryer AND Pressure Cooker
Available in Black or Silver read more
Instant Pot Pro Multi Use Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot have a lot of models, this is an excellent product and very versatile true multi-cooker read more
Read About Air Fryer Reviews on our site
Philips HD9252
The “Essentials” 9252 model serves 4 portions easily. Its the most popular model, clean, efficient, economical and fast. read more
Tefal EZ Fryer
The Tefal EZ fryer is well made, is selling very well and has all the right specifications but…
