Multivark selection guide

The slow cooker is a sort of “smart pot” with a heating element, a microprocessor and a temperature sensor. In this article we will talk about how to choose a multicooker for the house, what details you need to pay attention to when buying, present useful video plots and give some useful links to comparative reviews.

Why do we need a slow cooker if there is a stove?

It is clear that, say, in the kitchen of a student dormitory or cottage, the multicooker is an excellent substitute for a stove, microwave, and oven. And what if you have all the kitchen appliances, do you need a slow cooker in this case?

• Indeed, the slow cooker is not the first thing in a full kitchen. The food in it is cooked more slowly, and some dishes are cooked in it almost the same as on the stove / oven: with frequent control, stirring, changing temperatures, adding water / oil. To taste, many of the dishes from the multicooker are the same as those prepared in the usual way, and only a few recipes succeed significantly better (omelets, stews, fish, cereals, cereals). In addition, despite the advertised “simplicity of cooking”, at first it will be difficult to learn how to improvise and adapt programs for yourself.

There are several reasons to buy a slow cooker:

• First, it allows you to cook most dishes without your control. All you have to do is cut the products, put them together and select the desired program. For example, you can stew stew and go for a walk with the children, without fear that the vegetables will burn. Moreover, even if you linger on a walk, the stew will remain hot and fresh thanks to the auto heating function.
• Secondly, the delayed start function, which most models have, will allow you not to waste time on preparing breakfast in the morning. All you need is to fill and start the cup in the evening.
• Thirdly, if you adhere to proper nutrition, then the slow cooker will be able to diversify your menu with dishes cooked in steam or in its own juice without a drop of fat.

12 tips for the buyer

Tip 1. The multi-cooker-pressure cooker is better than just a multi-cooker or ordinary pressure cooker.

The ordinary multi-cooker cooks food at normal pressure and therefore the products in it slowly languish. The pressure cooker at the expense of increased pressure heats the water to 100 degrees and therefore cooks food faster. For example, if the soup in a slow cooker is cooked in 2 hours, then in a pressure cooker - in just half an hour.

• It would seem, why do we need a slow cooker when there is a pressure cooker? The fact is that not all dishes can be cooked with increased pressure. In addition, a conventional multicooker has more functions; it preserves the beneficial properties of food better and makes it safer (the walls do not heat up).

Therefore, in order to have the opportunity to choose between languor and fast cooking, you should buy a slow cooker with a pressure cooker function.

Tip 2. The more power the multicooker, the faster its bowl will heat up.

The power consumption of different models varies from 450 to 1500 W, depending on the volume of the bowl and the capabilities of the manufacturer. With "other things being equal", you should choose the one that has more power.

• For a small bowl with a volume of 2-3 liters, 700–800 W will suffice, for an average bowl, 800–1000 W will suffice, and the capacity of a large multi-cooker with a volume of more than 6 liters should be 1000–1500 W.

Tip 3. The optimal volume of the bowl, you can determine based on the calculation of 1.5-2 liters per person

The volume of the bowl is one of the main parameters for the selection of the multicooker. You can choose a device with a volume of 2 to 10 liters.

• In most cases, for a single-pair person, a small slow cooker for 2.5-3 liters will do. For a family / team of 3-4 people, there will be enough 4-5 l bowl. For a large family of 5 or more members need a bowl of 6 liters or more.

Of course, you need to take into account your culinary habits, lifestyle. For example, it is worth buying a bowl more than the “norm” if you often invite guests or prepare for the future.

• Attention! Choosing a multicooker, you need to focus on the working, and not the total volume of the bowl, which is often indicated on the box.

Tip 4. Do not overpay for an abundance of unnecessary programs. The main thing is that the multicooker has manual modes

Most multivarks can have from 6 to 18 programs, but there are also those that have up to 100 modes. The more programs the multicooker has, the more expensive it is. Before you buy, think about which programs you need and which ones will be rarely used. Here is a list of 7 most needed, in our opinion, basic programs:

• Cooking cereals - it is better to change the settings of this mode for yourself, so that the porridge will turn out the way you like, for example, viscous or crumbly.
• Cooking rice, buckwheat and other cereals.
• Extinguishing - the most popular and universal program that prepares like a furnace at low temperature. Due to this, in the “stewing” mode you can cook porridges, and soups, and stews, and aspic, and meat and vegetables.
• Bakery products - A useful mode that allows you not only to bake, but also to fry (with the lid open).
• Frying - the “frying” mode with the lid open is needed for many recipes, however, the Baking program can replace it with the lid open.

• "Pilaf" - pilaf can be cooked in the “Rice” program if you pre-fry the zirvac yourself. However, the program "Pilaf" is good because it provides not only cooking, but also automated roasting at the last stage of cooking. With this program, you can cook not only pilaf, but also many other dishes where you need both cooking and frying, for example, pasta in a naval manner or fried dumplings.
• Multi pair - This is a user mode that allows you to independently set the temperature and cooking time. It is noticeably easier to use the slow cooker, prepare it according to the recipes found on the Internet and improvise with this option. Some multicookers can remember several of your settings at once.

The smaller the temperature and time steps of the Multipovar mode settings and the larger the range of temperature and cooking time, the more culinary opportunities you will have.

Also for many Russian users there will be useful programs: “Soup”, “Jam”, “Steamer”, “Breadmaker” (complete with multivarka-bread machine two bowls), “Yogurt”.

• And here is a list of additional programs that are not needed every day and not for everyone: “Fondue”, “Smoking”, “Pasta”, “Fryer”, “Curd”, “Game”, “Baby Food”, “Pizza”, “Popcorn” ”,“ Risotto ”,“ Sote ”,“ Halva ”.

Tip 5. The bowl should have handles.

So that you can easily get a hot bowl from the multicooker, it is necessary that, firstly, the cover of the multicooker should open not less than 90 degrees. Secondly, that the bowl had convenient heat-resistant handles.

• Many multicookers have bowls without handles.You can get it only with special metal tongs (supplied or purchased separately) or silicone tacks, which will have to be kept at hand. In addition, pulling the bowl with tongs / tacks is less convenient, and therefore not safe, than simply lifting it by the handles like a saucepan.

Tip 6. Ceramic coating bowl safer than Teflon

The bowls of most multicookers are made of aluminum and coated with a non-stick coating:

• Teflon;
• Ceramic.

In fact, it is impossible to call the material of the non-stick coating an important criterion for the selection of the multicooker, since the bowl is a consumable element of the device and, moreover, both types of coating are approximately equally short-lived.

• Teflon coating is easy to clean and has excellent non-stick properties. However, it is quickly scratched, and as soon as scratches appear on the coating, it becomes toxic. Even with very careful handling teflon bowl is no more than 2-3 years. By the way, the plastic spatula, with which most multivarks are completed, is not suitable for Teflon coating. It is best to use silicone spatulas and spoons.

• Ceramic coating is good because it is less afraid of scratches and washing with a brush, but it also wears out quickly. In addition, the ceramic bowl is afraid of falls from a height, it can not be washed in the dishwasher and, of course, it increases the cost of the slow cooker. But, even when ceramics deteriorates, only its non-stick properties deteriorate, but it does not bring any harm.

If you try, you can find a multicooker with a bowl of durable stainless steel. For example, the German manufacturer Steba (pictured) offers two bowls at once - coated with teflon and stainless steel.

See also the material: 12 tips on choosing a bread machine for home.

Tip 7. It is desirable that automatic temperature maintenance can be turned off.

Almost all modern multicookers have the function of keeping food hot, which turns on automatically as soon as food is cooked. However, not every model allows you to cancel this option without pulling the cord out of the socket.

• Imagine that you want to make stewed compote in the morning to come and refresh yourself with a cool drink in the evening. If no one is at home, and no one turns off the power from the device when the compote is cooked, it will remain hot by your arrival. Therefore, it is worthwhile to give preference to the multicooker, which allows you to turn off the automatic heating before cooking.

Tip 8. The lid is an important part of the multicooker that needs to be examined with addiction.

First, make sure that the inner lid is removable so that you can easily remove it and wash it off from accumulated grease and dirt. Most modern multicookers provide such an opportunity, but, nevertheless, models without removable covers are still found. It is good if the multicooker lid is removed completely.

Secondly, before purchasing, make sure that the cover has no gaps, and the sealing rubber fits snugly, lies flat and has no defects.

Thirdly, look at the place of attachment of the cover to the case. The plastic of the part holding the hinge axis must be thick and strong.

Fourth, pay attention to how the lid closes. It is better if it is locked by a locking method, and not by a key (in the photo), which rests only on a pair of pins. Unfortunately, such pins eventually pop out of the holes due to plastic deformation from constant contact with steam or just break. For many models of Redmond, Polaris, Ourson and Moulinex multi-cookers, such a breakdown often occurs, but not all service centers regard it as a warranty case.

Below is a video of how to fix a broken cover retainer using the Redmond multicooker as an example.

Mechanical locks like, for example, this classic Panasonic SR-TMH18 multicooker easily gets dirty, but they are much more durable:

Fifth, as already noted, the lid should be tilted by 90 degrees, and preferably more.

Tip 9. Want to save? Get a multicooker with a plastic case

The case of the multicooker can be made of plastic or stainless steel. The case material does not affect the quality of dishes and the functionality of the equipment, so if you want to save money, feel free to take a plastic multicooker. True plastic plastic discord and if we buy a model of this material, then quality.

• White plastic turns yellow over time;
• Quality plastic should not smell;
• Choosing a multicooker with a plastic case, try to shake the cover and the body itself back and forth. A good plastic multicooker does not squeak or crack under such movements.

Stainless steel is stronger, less prone to scratches, looks beautiful, but noticeably weights and increases the cost of the device.

Tip 10. Multivarki must have a water trap.

Not every multicooker has a condensate collector, although it is really necessary. Thanks to this simple detail, during cooking, the outer walls of the case and the rim of the cover are not covered with moisture.

Tip 11. Rubber feet are another mandatory requirement for the device.

Rubber feet or small pads are the simplest details that allow the slow cooker to stand firmly on the tabletop and not slip. Unfortunately, some models have plastic legs as in the photo below.

See also the material: Mixer Guide

Tip 12. The display and control panel should be very comfortable.

Whatever the form of the multicooker, it is desirable that the display and control panel be placed on top or on a slope so that you do not have to bend down to start the program.

• The display should be a contrast and preferably with a backlight so that you can start the device in the dark.
• Be sure to try clicking on the buttons of vending models in the store. They should be sensitive and pleasant to work.

Well, when the display shows such useful information as:

• Assigned time and / or cooking temperature;
• Running program;
• Auto Heater on;
• The time remaining before cooking (often shown only towards the end of the appliance).

A timer that shows how much time is left before cooking, many even expensive models turn on only shortly before the end of work. So, for example, the Panasonic SR-MHS181WTQ multivarking timer switches on just 5 minutes before the end, which is very inconvenient:

• Duration of cooking;
• The time remaining before the start when you delay the launch.

And a couple more words about advanced features.

• If you have children, it is not superfluous to purchase a device with an inclusion lock when the bowl is empty.
• Want to save on electricity and quickly heat up the bowl? Choose a model with induction heating, which consumes 2 times less energy. However, induction multicookers are much more expensive (about 20 tr).
• Some multicookers are equipped with a 3D heating function, due to which products in the bowl heat up evenly from three sides (bottom, sides and top) and faster (about 30%), but energy consumption does not increase. Particularly relevant 3-D heating for baking mode. Keep in mind that the presence of this option increases the cost of the device for 1500-2000 rubles.

Modern models of multicookers have the ability to control via Wifi.

And finally, we offer to watch the video plot “Test purchase” on how to choose a multicooker for the house.

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