How and which multicooker to choose? What characteristics to pay attention to?

A slow cooker is far from a new kitchen device, however, there is still a lot of controversy about the need to purchase it. Find out what such an electrical appliance can do, understand how to choose it correctly, and finally free yourself from kitchen "slavery".

Multicooker - modern multifunctional home appliance, which, without exaggeration, should be in every home today.

After all, with his help you can not only boil crumbly cereals or stew vegetables, but also fry, bake, deep-fry and steam.

Naturally, not every multicooker has so many wide functionality. We will tell you how to choose the best electrical appliance and not miscalculate.

The purpose of the multicooker

Note! The slow cooker is an improved version of the rice cooker, which once conquered all of Southeast Asia.

Naturally, the first models of this household appliance had a very small number of functions, however, by now their number has increased many times over.

What can a modern multicooker do?:

  • Cook cereals, broths and soups.
  • Cook jelly.
  • Cook pasta, dumplings and dumplings.
  • Stew vegetables, fish and meat.
  • Prepare steam meals.
  • Prepare pilaf.
  • Make casseroles and pastries.
  • Fry an omelet.
  • Prepare yogurt.

Also multicooker can simply reheat a cold dish, maintain its temperature for a set time and start cooking according to a pre-set timer.

But, despite all its advantages, even the most “advanced” multicookers are unable to completely replace a person.

It is worth noting! It is for this reason that many people deliberately refuse to purchase them.

It is not difficult to determine how much this electrical appliance is really needed. It is enough to honestly answer just three questions:

  • how well a person can cook;
  • how much time it takes him daily cooking;
  • I would like to diversify the usual menu.

If all three statements are true, then it's time to choose and buy the best multicooker.

With the tips below, this can be done quickly and easily.

Do not confuse household appliances such as a pressure cooker and a slow cooker..

Both of them help to prepare food, however, the slow cooker allows you to do this more varied and safer.

What should I pay attention to when choosing and buying?

If you carefully consider the multicooker and try to "disassemble" it into components, you can see that This household appliance consists of such elements as:

  • bowl;
  • frame;
  • lid;
  • heating element;
  • Control block.
In addition, a multicooker can come with a grate for steaming or deep-frying, a cup for yogurt, measuring containers, including a spoon and a spatula, a collection of recipes.

Which one is better for home? All these elements have different technical characteristics that directly affect the performance of the device.

Power

Multicooker power - this is an indicator of the rate of heating of its thicket. Respectively, the higher this number, the faster the appliance cooks.

At the same time, 450, 700 or 1500 W consume different amounts of light.

Therefore, if the speed of cooking is not a fundamental factor, then you can choose models with a power of 700-1000 watts.

bowl volume

Reference! To determine how much of a multicooker bowl is needed in a particular case, multiply the number of family members by 2.

For example, a family of two can buy a device with a volume of 4 liters.

And for two adults who are also raising two children, it is recommended to choose a slow cooker with a volume of 6-8 liters.

It should be noted that this calculation is relative, since it does not take into account small nuances.

After all, for example, if a married couple, while living without children, is used to often receiving guests, then a small volume of the bowl will definitely not be enough for them.

At the time of buying only the working volume of the bowl should be taken into account.

Cooking programs

It would seem that the wider the functionality of the multicooker, the better. However, this statement is not always true.

After all, first of all, increasing the number of cooking programs increases the cost such a household appliance.

And secondly, not all functionality is really needed by a person in real life.

Need to know! For this reason, it is worth highlighting only the main cooking programs that must be in a good multicooker:
  • "cooking" (cereals and soups);
  • “baking” (capable of replacing the “frying” function);
  • "quenching";
  • "pilaf";
  • "delayed start";
  • "heating".

By the way, a multicooker, which includes the functions of a yogurt maker and a bread machine, is only profitable to purchase if the owners really make these products themselves.

Otherwise, these features of the appliance will almost never be used.

Heating technology

Modern multicookers can be equipped with:

  • lower heating element;
  • induction heater;
  • 3D heater.

Let's talk about each in more detail. So, the heater located at the bottom of the bowl cooks food in “layers”.

Note! First, the products placed on the bottom are warmed up, then those that are located in the middle, and only after that the top ones.

Accordingly, it will be problematic to cook delicious pastries in such an electrical appliance.

The induction heater solves this problem, but, significantly increases the cost of equipment.

In its turn, 3D-heater acts on products both from the bottom, from the side and from above.

But only the most modern models are equipped with them.

Pot material

Saucepan, she is a multicooker bowl, can be made from:

  • become;
  • aluminum.
Keep in mind! In turn, both materials can be coated with ceramic coating or non-stick Teflon coating.

At the same time, it is worth overpaying a little for a pot with ceramic coating only if the preservation of the original aroma of the products (during cooking) and ease of maintenance of the appliance are in the foreground.

Non-stick coating is more capricious, because it tolerates contact only with wooden or silicone kitchen utensils, however, it also costs less.

Whatever the multicooker pan is made of, it must be supplemented with heat-resistant handles.

In this case, using the bowl will be much more convenient.

Lid features

The lid of the multicooker is a rather important part of this appliance, therefore she must:

  • be removable (in extreme cases, only the inside of the cover can be removable);
  • fit snugly (the quality of cooking depends on this);
  • be closed with a "lock";
  • open at 90?.
Note! Covers that lock into place with a key are very likely to fail.

Like multicookers, the lids of which are attached to the body with a thin piece of plastic.

Case Features

Multicooker body can be made of plastic or steel. Naturally, "steel" devices are more expensive than plastic ones, but they look more solid.

In turn, plastic cases do not affect the quality of cooking in any way.

They just look much more "modest" than other models.

Wherein it is better not to choose electrical appliances made of plastic that have a pungent odor or white color.

After all, a strong "aroma" indicates the poor quality of the material, and the snow-white shade in most cases quickly acquires a yellow, ugly color scheme.

Display and control panel

The multicooker display may represent yourself:

  • sensor;
  • mechanical panel.

The latter is most often chosen by older people who are more comfortable working with buttons and levers.

Important! The electronic display is more convenient during cleaning as it has virtually no holes. This means that dust or dirt does not clog into it.

Wherein the type of multicooker control is not so important, it is much more important what additional functions the display has.

So, it must have a contrasting backlight, fast response and a separate window for displaying the time.

Additional functions

Additional functions of the multicooker are a set of certain pleasant “bonuses” that can greatly facilitate a person’s life.

For example, an electrical appliance equipped with rubber foot padswill stand well on any surface.

BUT special plastic water trap will protect the lid and walls of the multicooker from the negative effects of hot water drops.

Accordingly, it is also recommended to pay attention to such “little things”.

For information! The most "advanced" modern multicookers can not only cook, but also play the role of a radio receiver.

True, how much this function is really needed, it is worth deciding on an individual basis.

Cord length

It would seem that the length of its cord can affect the quality of the multicooker.

The answer in this case is obvious: if a household appliance is taken from the bowels of the cabinet from time to time, then it will have to look for a new place in the kitchen each time.

Respectively, cord length similar "device" should allow you to install it both far from the outlet, and very close to it.

Guarantee period

Depending on the manufacturer, warranty period for the multicooker set in the range from 1 year to 3 years.

Naturally, it is better to choose those devices where the guarantee reaches its maximum value.

Availability of important spare parts

Remember! Multicookers, like other household appliances, cannot last forever, so from time to time they have to be repaired.

And if there is no desire to buy new kitchen "helpers" every 2-3 years, then it is better to immediately purchase multicookers of well-known brands.

Popular brands not only act as a guarantor of a certain quality, but also monitor the timely release of the necessary consumable spare parts.

Induction heating and 3D heater

What constitutes induction and 3D heating has already been described previously. All that is left to talk about is the advisability of choosing one or the other type of heater.

So, if you plan to constantly cook casseroles or pastries in a slow cooker, then it will be very difficult to do without a 3D type heater.

After all, other heating options will require constant monitoring by the owner of the device.

If the main taskassigned to the multicooker is cooking soups and cereals, then induction heating will perfectly cope with the task.

TOP-5 multicooker companies

Today on sale you can find multicookers of various companies.

Stay up to date! The following brands are most trusted by customers:
  • REDMOND.
    In the line of this brand, you can find both inexpensive electrical appliances, for example, Redmond RMC-M25, and universal models, for example, Redmond RMK-M452.
  • PHILIPS.
    Philips HD4731/03 is a successful symbiosis of attractive appearance, 19 main functions, 3D heater and average price.
    In turn, Philips HD2178 is a more expensive model that combines the functions of a multicooker and a pressure cooker.
  • Bosch.
    The Bosch MUC88B68 multicooker is a powerful induction appliance, the price of which varies between 20,000-30,000 rubles.
    Bosch MUC48W68 is a cheaper model, however, this did not stop manufacturers from equipping it with a 3D heater and 48 programs.
  • CUCKOO.
    Multicookers of the Cuckoo brand can both impress with their functionality and price, for example, like the Cuckoo CMC-HE1055F model, or please with compactness and affordability, as is the case with Cuckoo CR-0821FI.
  • POLARIS.
    Polaris offers its customers fairly inexpensive but functional multicookers.
    For example, Polaris PMC 0517AD has 3D heating and 16 automatic programs.
    And Polaris PMC 0554D captivates with its compact size and removable cover.

Conclusion

So, "ideal" multicooker should have:

  • bowl volume 6-8l;
  • power 700 - 1000 W;
  • 5-7 fundamental programs;
  • induction heater;
  • display with backlight function and the ability to display the cooking time;
  • the removable cover opening on 90?;
  • 2-3 year warranty.

Everything else can be safely classified as additional, and therefore, optional functions, without which you can really do without.

Useful video

From this video you will learn what to look for when choosing a multicooker:


Leave a reply

 

Kitchen

Construction

Electronics