A multi-cooker is one of the most versatile and convenient kitchen appliances available today. These all-in-one cookers can pressure cook, slow cook, sear/sauté, steam, bake, air fry, cook rice, make yogurt, and more, making them an invaluable tool for beginner and experienced home cooks alike.
With so many models on the market sporting different features and capacities, it can be tricky to select the right multi-cooker for your needs. This comprehensive guide breaks down the key factors to consider when shopping for and using a multi-cooker, from capacity and settings to safety and maintenance. Follow these essential tips to choose and utilize a multi-cooker like a pro.
Introduction to Multi-Cookers
What is a Multi-Cooker?
A multi-cooker, often referred to as a multicooker, is a versatile electric cooking appliance that combines the functions of several different kitchen devices into one convenient countertop appliance.
Multi-cookers utilize different cooking methods and integrated technology to perform a wide range of cooking techniques in a single self-contained unit. This eliminates the need for multiple standalone appliances like pressure cookers, slow cookers, rice cookers, yogurt makers, steamers, sauté pans, and more.
In addition to saving space in the kitchen, multi-cookers make cooking faster, easier, and more energy efficient. Their combination of induction heating, digital programming, sensors, and precision temperature control gives home cooks exceptional flexibility.
Benefits and Uses
Here are some of the great benefits multi-cookers offer, making them valuable for all skill levels:
- Convenience – One appliance with up to 10+ functions means less clutter and easier cooking
- Efficiency – Faster cook times use up to 70% less energy than conventional ovens
- Consistency – Smart programs and sensors ensure perfect results every time
- Safety – Advanced safety mechanisms provide peace of mind
- Versatility – Endless recipes and techniques from pressure cooking to cake baking
- Value – Quality construction and bundles of features offer great return on investment
You can use a multi-cooker for almost any cooking task:
- Entire meals with meats, vegetables, grains, and more
- Side dishes like rice, beans, potatoes, yogurt
- Breakfast foods like oatmeal, eggs, overnight oats
- Baked goods from bread to cakes, macarons to cheesecakes
- Preserved foods through steam canning, hot water bath canning
- Homemade stock, broth, soup in bulk batches
- Meal prepping ingredients to use throughout the week
- Specialty diets like gluten-free, Paleo, vegan
And the list goes on! With the right guidance, the possibilities are endless with a quality multi-cooker.
Types of Multi-Cookers
There are three main types of multi-cookers available:
Electric Pressure Cookers
The original multi-cooker, these specialize in pressure cooking plus have other settings like slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, and more. Cuisinart, Instant Pot, and Ninja Foodi are top brands.
Air Fryer Ovens
Offering air frying and convection baking/roasting capabilities powered by heating elements and a fan, these ovens usually pressure cook too. Popular models are the Ninja Foodi, Instant Vortex Air Fryer Oven series, and Cosori Smart Air Fryer.
Traditional Slow Cookers with Extra Functions
Slow cookers like those from Crockpot now have added features like browning/sauté modes and sometimes pressure settings too. Great for mostly slow cooking with bonus functions.
Multi-cookers come in many shapes and sizes to suit different kitchen needs. Use the following tips to select the best multicooker for your cooking requirements.
Tip 1: Consider Size and Capacity
One of the most important factors in choosing a multi-cooker is selecting the appropriate capacity. Consider the following based on your typical cooking:
Number of People You Cook For
- What is the size of your household? Do you regularly feed just yourself/one other person or a family of four or more?
- Do you frequently cook for guests or make large batches for meal prepping/leftovers?
- Determine routine serving sizes – a smaller multi-cooker handles 1-4 portions while larger ones cook 4-8+ servings per batch.
Available Sizes
Use your expected serving quantity to guide what interior capacity you need:
- 3-4 quart multi-cookers – Great for individuals, couples, and small families cooking 1-4 servings per meal. Provides adequate room for experimenting with recipes too. Leading models are the 3 quart Instant Pot Duo Mini and 4 quart Instant Pot Duo.
- 5-6 quart multi-cookers – The most popular size, perfect for feeding most families with kids or cooking for the occasional gathering with friends. Many top sellers like the Instant Pot Duo Plus fall into this mid-range capacity.
- 7-8 quart multi-cookers – Ideal for large families, frequent entertaining, and making big batches of soup, chili, oatmeal and more for leftovers. High-volume models like the Instant Pot Pro Plus and Ninja OL701 are great choices.
- 10+ quart multi-cookers – Caution is urged when selecting very large capacity models, as they can cook almost dangerously large volumes of food. Great for demanding high-volume meal prep, giant batches of stock, enormous cuts of meat, or feeding a crowd.
Larger Capacity Considerations
Be thoughtful when choosing a very high capacity multi-cooker:
- Cooking times often increase for larger quantities of ingredients. Be prepared for dishes to take longer.
- Avoid filling large cookers too full. Overstuffing can hinder cooking efficacy and may pose safety risks.
- Heat and pressure distribution varies more the emptier a spacious cooker is, potentially hindering results.
- When preparing family meals, a 7-8 quart model likely suffices over a 10+ quart version to avoid overcooking.
- Not all recipes scale up well. Stick to recipes developed for your cooker size.
Tip 2: Determine Necessary Programming & Settings
Today’s multi-cookers offer impressive arrays of pre-programmed cooking modes. Consider what functions are most essential for your needs:
Common Cooking Modes
- Pressure Cooking – The core function, utilizes steam and pressure. Excellent for speedy meals with meat, beans dried grains, and more. Can be scary for beginners but offers unmatched reduction in cook times.
- Slow Cooking – Low and slow cooking for soups, stews, roasts. Retains moisture extremely well over long cooks.
- Sautéing/Browning/Frying – Built-in heat element lets you sear meats, fry veggies, and simmer sauces. Great for getting started before pressure or slow cooking.
- Steaming – Gentle moist cooking perfect for veggies, seafood, eggs, and delicate foods. Use special steamer baskets.
- Yogurt Making – Controlled low heating and holding at incubation temps makes homemade yogurt a cinch.
- Rice Cooking – Special programs cook white and brown rice flawlessly. Skip the stove-top headaches!
Additional Settings to Look For
- Air Frying – Hot air provides crispy texture without loads of oil for fries, wings, etc.
- Baking/Roasting – Convection power bakes everything from cakes to casseroles.
- Sous Vide – Ultra precise temp control for foolproof meat, veggies, eggs.
- Steam Canning – Built-in canning programs make preserving jams, pickles safe and easy.
- Sterilize – Perfect for baby bottles, jars, and containers
- Poultry, Meat, Bean, Grain, Soup, Dessert Programs – Specialized cooking presets for extra simplicity
Manual vs Digital Controls
Basic slow cooker-style multi-cookers feature simple knobs for Low/High settings and timers. These are very user-friendly for set-it-and-forget-it ease.
Full function electric pressure cookers boast digital control panels with buttons/dials to select temperatures, pressure levels, durations, warming, delayed start, and more. These offer exceptional precision and customization but have a learning curve. Many models have corresponding apps to control settings from phones/tablets too.
Weigh programming needs vs simplicity when deciding between basic and advanced interfaces.
Tip 3: Mind Interior Cooking Space
Filling any multi-cooker properly ensures ingredients cook thoroughly and safely.
Following Manufacturer Guidance
- Always adhere to appliance manuals on max fill levels for different functions. Overfilling poses many risks.
- Look for interior fill lines on cooker pots – never go above these markers.
- Newer models have digital alerts if overstuffed and automatically alter pressure, time for safety.
Overfilling Dangers
Potential perils of overpacking a multi-cooker include:
- Ingredients boiling over, making a mess
- Uneven cooking with uncooked centers
- Food burning on the bottom before rest is done
- Dangerous pressure buildup
- Permanent damage to the appliance
- Risk of explosion causing injuries
Heeding fill lines eliminates these worries!
Ingredients, Liquid, and Headspace
- Carefully layer meats, veggies, and grains per recipe to allow proper cooking.
- Add enough thin cooking liquid like broth, water, or sauce to generate steam and moisture.
- Do not pack the cooker too tightly. Allow adequate headspace for food to move during cooking.
- For manual pressure release, keep 2-3 cups headspace so contents don’t spew out.
- Use a cooking rack/trivet for foods like large cuts of meat to elevate above liquids.
Err on the side of less material and shorter cooks until you understand your cooker’s capacity. Components like beans and grains swell drastically when cooked!
Tip 4: Learn Pressure Release Methods
Multi-cookers utilize different pressure release techniques to ensure foods finish cooking gently and safely. Mastering these is key!
Sealing vs Venting the Steam
- Sealed – Keeps all steam and pressure inside pot to fully cook foods. Used for pressure programs.
- Venting – Lets steam gradually release through valves on lid. Used when pressure cooking completes or for non-pressurized modes like slow cooking.
Many models automatically seal or vent based on settings selected. Some require you to manually switch release valves between positions.
Quick Release vs Natural Release
These releasing methods are used after pressure cooking completes:
- Quick Release – Manually venting pressure immediately by turning/flipping a release handle or valve to let steam escape rapidly. Results in quick serving readiness. Can cause excess moisture loss.
- Natural Release – Allowing pressure to naturally subside over 5-20+ minutes through residual heat without manually venting. Continues gently cooking the contents without moisture reduction. Ensures very soft textures. Promotes extra safety since no steam rushes out. Follow recipe guidance on the ideal release method.
Release Tips to Prevent Issues
- Avoid opening the lid until all pressure is released or the lock indicator drops to prevent accidents.
- Don’t let hot steam blast your hands, face, or cabinets when quickly releasing. Use oven mitts and direct steam away from anything heat sensitive.
- Let very starchy foods like oatmeal, grits, congee, risotto, and pasta naturally release fully to avoid spewing food upwards.
- Vent sufficiently after cooking foamy foods like beans or stocks so the foam doesn’t clog valves.
- Adjust to lower pressure settings for heavier simmering recipes to prevent boil eruptions when releasing.
Releasing steam properly takes some practice but soon becomes second nature for pressure cooking. Have patience with yourself while learning!
Tip 5: Utilize Safety Features
Modern multi-cookers offer great convenience because brands have engineered excellent safety mechanisms and warnings into these appliances over earlier generations.
Importance of Safety
As the name implies, pressure cookers utilize pressurized steam to achieve faster cooking so operate at higher heat/force than typical appliances. Multi-cookers also seal tightly while active. This makes safety paramount, especially for beginners unfamiliar with these machines!
Have confidence knowing reputable brands sell very safe appliances compliant with strict quality controls and testing against failures.
Common Safety Mechanisms
Protection measures built into quality multi-cookers include:
- The primary safety valve releases excess pressure automatically if too high.
- Backup pressure limiters prevent excess pressure buildup.
- Anti-block shields keep valves venting freely.
- Lid safety locks prevent opening while pressurized.
- Electrical fuse/thermal protectors prevent overheating.
- Overflow prevention through lid position sensors, bowl capacity detection
- Pressure and temperature regulation
- Error/fault notifications – displays alert codes if detecting problems
- Overheat auto-shutoff protection
- Leaky lid warnings and auto-locking
- Tip-over protection with appliances shutting off if knocked over
Advanced models even have wifi connectivity to monitor cooker status from your smartphone!
What to Do in Case of Problems
While highly uncommon with new quality cookers, it’s wise to be prepared in case of unlikely multi-cooker troubles:
- Burn/scald hazard – Seek medical help immediately
- Pressure release problems – Press the cancel/power button, and unplug carefully. Contact support if unable to resolve error notifications.
- Power failures – Do not attempt to open the cooker. As power is restored, the cooker will automatically depressurize safely before unlocking. Wait patiently!
- Smoke/leaking/strange sounds – Unplug carefully keeping face clear. Have the appliance inspected/replaced if normal functioning is compromised. Do not attempt fixing yourself!
Know what emergency steps to take just in case, and always supervise children using cookers.
Tip 6: Care and Maintenance
Caring properly for a multi-cooker prevents problems down the road plus helps it function like new for years of reliable use.
Cleaning Frequency and Areas
- Empty cooker contents immediately after cooking, then unplug before cleaning
- Hand wash the lid, inner pot, racks, steamer baskets, and other removable parts after each use with hot soapy water.
- Never submerge the base that houses controls in water or cleaning solutions! Simply wipe with a moist cloth.
- Allow parts to air dry completely before storage
- Regularly inspect seals in lids, valves, and rims. Wipe away any food debris for a tight seal.
- Descale hard water deposits by filling the pot with water and distilled white vinegar then running a steam cycle
- For especially stuck-on residue, non-abrasive cleaners and soft brushes remove gunk
- Polish the exterior body and interface with a dry microfiber towel to prevent fingerprints and dust buildup
- Check the user manual for specialty manufacturer cleaning recommendations
Proper Cleaning Techniques
- Always hand wash removable components. Never clean in dishwasher! Extreme heat and detergent will degrade materials.
- Check that valves fully reseal after cleaning. Test with a cooking pot filled with water that should not leak steam.
- Avoid abrasive scouring pads/cleaners that scratch surfaces. Use soft cloths instead.
- Ensure no food bits remain lodged near gaskets, valves, hinges causing air leaks
- Rinse thoroughly after descaling agents like vinegar or citric acid
- Unclog steam nozzles/openings carefully using flossers, toothpicks, and paperclips. Don’t damage openings!
Storing and Replacing Parts
- Store cooker with lid ajar or valves open so no lingering odors develop
- Replace detachable power cords, gaskets, seals, valves, and other components according to manual guidance to maintain functionality
- Do not tamper with or attempt to repair electrical components yourself! Refer service to professionals.
- Double check gasket seals, overflow vent shield for lint buildup, kinks
- Test that pressure relief valves move freely
- Ensure digital displays/buttons function normally before use
- Replace damaged components for safety
Regularly and properly caring for a multi-cooker keeps all systems running optimally for reliability and longevity.
Conclusion
Multi-cookers are invaluable for accelerating cooking processes, unlocking new techniques, saving time and energy in the kitchen. Their “set it and forget it” operation makes homemade meals totally approachable for busy folks without losing flavor or nutrition.
Choosing the model that best matches your household’s size and cooking routines makes enjoying this appliance even more seamless. Learning core functions from releasing pressure properly to minding interior capacity takes some initial practice. But soon a multi-cooker becomes second nature to create fantastic homemade fare!