Jeff "King of the Castle"
Many people get along just fine without a multi-cooker. They either cook by themselves, dine at restaurants, or just order ready-made food at home. However, a multi-cooker can save you a lot of time and money while you are doing more enjoyable things at home.
According to one popular appliance repair company, a modern multi-cooker is a very reliable device that doesn’t require much maintenance. However, it is not an all-mighty magician that will cook everything by itself either; the result will still depend on your culinary abilities.
In general, a multi-cooker is your second kitchen self, an extension of your culinary talents and skills.
Who Needs a Multi-Cooker?
Students in the dormitory will benefit from a multi-cooker. It will be similarly useful for busy housewives who cannot afford to buy ready-made food regularly. Then go the elderly, who find it hard to go to restaurants and cafés and who cannot afford food delivery.
The last, but not the least, category of beneficiaries – are adherents of a healthy diet, for whom a multi-cooker is nothing short of a godsend.
If you still doubt the utility of this kitchen gadget, here are 3 compelling arguments in its favor:
- it cooks a lot of meals without your participation;
- It has a delayed start function, enabling you to prepare the ingredients in your free time and let the device do its cooking magic later;
- If you are on a diet or are simply tired of fatty and fried foods, there is no better way to prepare low-fat or steamed meals.
Let’s explore these and other similar points in more detail.
How Does a Multi-Cooker Work?
You add stuff, select the program for the machine to cook a particular meal, and you are free. Of course, you have the right to intervene in the process: add some ingredients, spices, etc.
You can also smell and taste the food the multi-cooker cooks. The advantage is that mashed potatoes, porridge, and vegetables will not burn without you, and the soup will not boil away.
In general, it can cook everything that you can, plus everything else that you don’t know how to cook. Common meals include porridge, omelet, vegetable stew, mashed potatoes, casserole, stew, soups, yogurt, cutlets, pizza, and fish (fried or steamed). It’s easier to say what it cannot do (barbecue, for example) than the other way around.
Multi-Cooker Programs
The name of a particular program corresponds either to the name of the dish or to the cooking process. For example, “soup”, “porridge”, “stew”, “baking” or “(to) stew”, “(to) bake”, “(to) steam”, “(to) cook”, “(to) heat”, etc.
The settings for each program (time and temperature) contain particular instructions for the multi-cooker. If you are an experienced cook and want to customize the default program yourself, use the “multi-cook” option, which is available in almost every modern multi-cooker. In addition, there are devices with a memory function (they remember the recipes you like).
Warm-Up and Delay Timer
If you need to prepare dishes at a certain time, for example, when guests arrive, the multi-cooker will be your best helper. The delay timer is a magic button that turns on the machine at your command. Just put in the components, set the program, set the turn-on time, and relax or do whatever else you need to.
Everything will be ready when the guests arrive. And if guests are late, use the “warm up” button. The machine will go into standby mode, and the dishes will remain hot.
Summary
While not everyone may see the immediate need for a multi-cooker in their kitchen, its versatility and time-saving capabilities make it a valuable addition to any household.
Whether you’re a busy student, a working parent, or simply someone looking to simplify meal preparation, a multi-cooker will offer you convenience and efficiency without sacrificing the taste or nutrition of your meals.
