Multicooker in a slow cooker: what is it, how to use

Homemade food is the most delicious. Who would refuse aromatic borscht for lunch or berry cheesecake for tea? To cook deliciously for yourself and your loved ones, you don’t have to attend cooking classes or be a cooking guru. It is enough to choose the right technique and learn how to use it. Among the most useful and convenient kitchen devices for preparing various dishes is a multicooker with a multicooker function.

The article will tell you how to use such a device and how such a multicooker differs from conventional models with automatic control.

Multicooker function in a multicooker: what is it and how to use the mode

Multicooker is a function that turns a standard multicooker into a bread maker, steamer and grill. With its help, housewives prepare dishes, setting the cooking time and temperature independently. It’s easy to adjust the parameters, and the dish won’t burn or spoil - you don’t need to monitor the food during the cooking process.

Using such a multicooker is no different from the standard cooking process:

put food in a cooking bowl;
select the multicook option on the panel;
set the cooking time and temperature.

The process of use is similar to cooking on a regular gas or electric stove. It is recommended to start with simple dishes and gradually move on to more complex ones. The multicooker is convenient because time and temperature are adjustable to minutes, seconds and degrees.

Attention! In most devices, the temperature step is 5°C, and the temperature range varies from 5°C to 160°C. The temperature is changed both at the beginning and during the cooking process, if required by the recipe of the dish.

Characteristics of several popular models

Multicooker "Polaris" 0517:

Temperature range from +40C to +160C in 10° increments.
Time setting from 5 minutes to 12 hours. The adjustment step is 5 minutes.

Multicooker "Redmond" M90:

Temperature: 35-170C in 5° increments.
Time: 5 minutes to 12 hours. The step is 1 minute if the cooking time is set to less than one hour, and 5 minutes if the cooking time is set to more than one hour.

Multicooker "Panasonic" MHS181:

The temperature varies from +40C to +130C. Step 30°, that is, only four positions: 40, 70, 100 and 130 degrees.
The time range depends on the cooking temperature setting. If the dish is cooked at a temperature of 100-130C, then it will be ready within 2 hours. If the temperature is set to +70C, then the cooking time is set in the range from 0.5 to 2 hours. If the temperature does not exceed +40C, then you can cook in a slow cooker for 1 to 8 hours.

Thus, different models and brands of multicookers allow you to choose a good device specifically for yourself, taking into account the functionality of the multicooker.

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The difference between a multicooker and an automatic mode

Multicook is often called manual mode. Unlike automatic, it expands the functionality of the device and allows you to prepare a larger number of dishes. For example, preparing milk porridges automatically is not always easy - you have to open the lid of the multicooker and stir them manually. In order not to damage the multicooker or disrupt the cooking mode, it is recommended to select the appropriate time and set the temperature in advance.

Or another example - the cooking time for beef is about 2 hours, while most multicookers have a time limit of 70-100 minutes. With the multicook function there are no such restrictions; you can easily set the required time and be completely sure that the beef will turn out juicy and cooked.

Attention! The automatic mode is suitable for standard dishes - omelettes, rice, buckwheat, steaming cutlets. If you need to set the cooking parameters yourself, then it is better to use a multicooker.

Multicook capabilities

Modern multicookers are characterized by increased functionality, which increases the possibilities of preparing dishes. For example, Polaris multicookers have a “Multicook+” mode in their functionality.

This is the ability to combine mode settings manually, setting a certain sequence of operations. In essence, this is the activation of several cooking modes for one dish. Eg:

Heating of products placed in the device to +120C for 20 minutes.
Maintain the temperature for half an hour.
Temperature drop to +90C in 5 minutes.
Fixing the temperature for the entire remaining time - 1.5 hours.

Why the multi-cook function will greatly simplify cooking

With its help, housewives not only cook soups or porridges, but also bake bread, cook compotes, and prepare desserts. The multicook replaces the hob and oven at the same time.

Here is a list of some dishes for which you do not need to buy special utensils and spend a lot of time; just load the ingredients into the bowl and choose the cooking time and temperature yourself:

turkey azu;
lagman;
honey cake;
cheesecake with bananas or strawberries;
boiled pork in foil or sleeve;
honey glazed pork neck;
squash and mushroom caviar;
berry yogurt.

A multi-cooker with a multi-cooker replaces a yogurt maker, a bread maker, or a pressure cooker. It is not necessary to load the kitchen with different household appliances - it is enough to purchase one device. You can also heat food in it - this is convenient if you don’t have a microwave.

Who is the multi-cooker suitable for?

For those who like to experiment and cook different dishes - stewed, simmered, baked masterpieces. The device is ideal for preparing fish, vegetable, meat and mushroom dishes.

A multicooker is convenient because during cooking you can “forget” about it and go about your business. Food will not burn; most models have a non-stick coating. This mode of use is suitable for those who are often busy with household chores (cleaning, homework with children) and those who simply do not want to spend the whole evening at the stove (spending time for themselves and their loved ones).

The device is also convenient because it allows you to enjoy fresh and hot food, even if the ingredients were loaded into the bowl several hours ago. Example: the housewife prepared and loaded rice with mushrooms into the multicooker in the morning and set it to turn on automatically after 2 hours. When her children come home from school, the rice will be ready. The guys will have a healthy and nutritious lunch.

Multi-cuisine recipes

Each multi-kitchen comes with a book with recipes that are designed taking into account the features of this model. However, most of them are suitable for both conventional multicookers and air fryers.

Borsch

A traditional dish of Russian cuisine scares off many housewives due to the complexity and length of preparation. Using a multi-kitchen, you can do it in 1.5 hours, and most of the time the borscht will cook without requiring your attention.

Calorie content - 112 kcal/100 g.

Ingredients:

400 g beef;
500 g potatoes;
250 g cabbage;
200 g beets;
100 g carrots;
1 medium sized onion;
80 g tomato paste;
2–3 cloves of garlic;
2 liters of water;
salt, spices, herbs - to taste.

Preparation:

Prepare food - rinse meat, wash and peel vegetables.
Shred the cabbage. Cut beets and carrots into strips, onions into half rings, potatoes into cubes. Divide the meat into portions.
Place everything in a multi-kitchen bowl and fill with water. Add tomato paste and spices, salt.
Set the “Soup” program. Set the cooking time (1.5 hours) and press the “Start” button.
When the multikitchen turns off, add finely chopped garlic and herbs to the borscht.

Stuffed cabbage rolls in sour cream sauce

According to this recipe, cabbage rolls always turn out tasty, aromatic and very tender. Heat treatment takes 60 minutes. 100 g of the finished dish contains 173 calories.

Ingredients:

400 g homemade minced lean pork or beef;
300 g 15% change;
200 g white cabbage;
one onion;
100 g rice;
egg;
30 g butter;
20 g white wheat flour;
300 ml water;
several cloves of garlic;
salt and spices - to taste.

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Preparation:

Separate the cabbage into leaves and immerse them in boiling water for 5-10 minutes (depending on how hard they are). Then beat off or cut off the hard veins.
Prepare the minced meat - mince the meat along with onions and garlic.
Make the filling - mix the minced meat with rice, egg, salt and spices.
Prepare the sauce - stir sour cream, flour and water until smooth in a separate bowl.
Form cabbage rolls, placing a little filling on each sheet.
Grease the multi-kitchen bowl with unmelted butter and place the cabbage rolls there, then pour the sauce over them.
Cook in the “Stew” mode for at least 1 hour.

Lula kebab

An alternative to cutlets is a juicy kebab with a golden brown crust. Prepares quickly - in just 20 minutes. But the energy value of this dish is quite high - 261 calories per 100 g.

Ingredients:

280 g pork neck;
small onion;
1–2 cloves of garlic;
a pinch of finely chopped parsley and the same amount of chopped dill;
dessert spoon of olive oil;
dessert spoon of wine vinegar (3%);
salt, spices.

Preparation:

Scroll the meat through a meat grinder or grind in a blender along with the onion and garlic.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the minced meat and mix thoroughly, then put in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Form kebabs - divide the minced meat into 4 parts, roll each of them into a tight ball, put it on a skewer and distribute it over it, giving it an oblong shape. It is important that there are no voids filled with air inside the minced meat, otherwise the kebabs will fall apart.
Place a wire rack in the multi-kitchen bowl, place skewers with meat on it, and place the air fryer lid on top.
Turn on the device for 20 minutes and cook lula kebab at a temperature of 180 °C.

Roast with potatoes

Soft, juicy stew with steamed potatoes is a tasty and healthy meal for lunch or dinner. Both dishes are cooked at the same time in one container. From the moment the multikitchen is turned on until it is served, exactly 1 hour will pass. Calorie content - 140 kcal/100 g.

Ingredients:

320 g beef without bones, veins and films;
300 g potatoes;
100 g carrots;
large onion;
30 g fresh ginger root;
a tablespoon of vegetable oil;
200 ml water;
salt, spices, aromatic herbs.

Preparation:

Wash the vegetables and remove the peel. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 2 or 4 pieces (depending on how large they are). Chop the carrots and onions into large strips.
Cut the beef into one and a half centimeter pieces.
Place vegetables (except potatoes) and meat in a multi-kitchen bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, stir so that the oil and salt are distributed evenly.
Place a steamer container on the bowl. Place potatoes in it.
Cook for 1 hour on the “Stew” program.

The most popular models of multicookers with the multicooker function

To choose a suitable multicooker with a multicooker program, it is recommended to study the ratings of popular models.

REDMOND RMK-M271

Volume 5 l, power 830 W, ceramic bowl, body made of metal and plastic. There are 16 automatic and 16 manual programs, including bread, steaming, boiling, frying, baking. There are options for delayed start and keep warm, as well as masterchef light. Wide functionality allows you to make homemade cheese and yogurt in a multicooker. bake cheesecakes, make jams and soufflés. REDMOND RMK-M271 is perfect for a large family. The average cost is 5,000 rubles.

Scarlett SC-MC410S21

Bowl volume 5 l, power 900 W, electronic control. There are delayed start and keep warm functions. The device is compact, white in color, which is great for small kitchens. Pasta, cheesecakes, cream soup, and pastries are prepared in a slow cooker. The set includes a container for preparing healthy and dietary steamed dishes. Price about 3,700 rubles.

Polaris PMC 0541D

Compact device with 5 l bowl, power 700 W, electronic control. There is a delayed start and keeping the dish warm. Using the multicook function, housewives prepare pilaf, deep-fried dishes, bake bread and make yogurt. Among the advantages of the model are the speed of cooking, laconic design and a convenient control panel. Price about 4,000 rubles.

ENDEVER VITA-80

Power 880 W, volume 5 l, body made of plastic and metal. Programs: multicook, frying, milk porridge, baking, stewing, pilaf and yogurt. A budget multicooker with a nice design is suitable for simple and complex dishes. Weighs 2 kg, so it is easy to take with you to the country. The average cost is 2,500 rubles.

Zigmund & Shtain MC-D50

5 l bowl with ceramic coating, power 860 W. The model is stylish, the body is made of black plastic with metal inserts. Accessible control panel, the device is suitable for baking, preparing cereals and yoghurts. Cost about 7,000 rubles.

VITEK VT-4271 CM

Power 900 W, bowl volume 5 liters. Non-stick coating, touch control. The budget model is suitable for stewing, baking, and boiling. It is convenient to cook soups for a large family and make vegetable side dishes, as well as steam meat and fish.

The set includes a plastic tray, measuring cup, ladle, and cup. Users love the colorful and simple recipe book, which contains delicious and healthy recipes for first and second courses, baked goods, desserts, and snacks. Cost about 3,000 rubles.

Leran MCR 5064 PR

Bowl 6 l, power 1000 W. Among the advantages, note the large volume, fast cooking time and wide functionality: multi-cook, pasta, cereals, deep frying, dough, steaming. Leran MCR 5064 PR will replace the oven, bread maker and pressure cooker. There is a 3D heating function, with which the dish always remains warm and fragrant. Price about 5,500 rubles.

Comparison with other kitchen gadgets

Externally, the multi-kitchen is very similar to other gadgets - a multi-cooker and a convection oven. And no wonder, because these are her closest “relatives”, from whom she took a little bit of everything. For example, what it has in common with a multicooker is the presence of a round heating element and a removable metal bowl. True, in most models the heating element can rise upward, which allows you to place kettles and pans on it. And from the air fryer, the multikitchen got a “head”, that is, a lid-nozzle with a fan and an upper heating element. For Redmond models it is removable, but he prefers to make it stationary.

What is the difference between a multicooker and a multikitchen?

The essence of a multicooker is reflected in its name - it is a device in which you can cook cereals, vegetables, meat, and pasta. You can also cook dishes that require frying or baking if the manufacturer has provided the appropriate mode, but they will never turn out the same as on the stove or in the oven (for example, fried potatoes will be a little moist inside). It's all about the lack of top heating - only the bottom and walls of the bowl are heated - as well as the insufficiently high temperature (most multicookers are designed to operate at 40–120 °C).

As for the multi-kitchen, you can use it to do anything - including bake pizza or nut cookies, prepare crispy chicken wings, fry potato pancakes, and grill fish. In addition, the cooking process should not take place in a bowl - it is allowed to use ordinary kitchen utensils: frying pans, pots and even metal kettles. And in a multi-kitchen you can always adjust the temperature at which a dish will be cooked, while most multi-cookers can only work according to preset programs.

A multi-kitchen is a device that combines all the functions of a multi-cooker, as well as a grill, oven and stove. As a rule, it is sold complete with a frying pan. There are also “smart” multi-kitchens that can be controlled from a smartphone from a distance.

What is better - a multi-cooker or a multi-kitchen?

The answer to this question depends on the diet and taste preferences of the family, as well as on the conditions under which the device will be used.

When and where is a multicooker useful?	Who needs a multi-kitchen and why?
A multicooker is an excellent addition to other kitchen gadgets: an electric oven or air fryer (for baking), an electric kettle or coffee machine (for making drinks), an electric deep fryer and a pancake maker (for frying). For a short period of time, you can get by with just a multicooker, but this will involve some inconvenience.	The multi-kitchen can completely replace the stove - if you raise the heating element, you can put any heat-resistant cookware on it (pot, frying pan, stewpan, kettle and even a Turk). The main condition is that the diameter of the bottom should not exceed the diameter of the heating element. If the set includes an air fryer lid, you can also prepare a variety of baked goods in the multi-kitchen, and “grill” sausages, meat and vegetables. This is how it differs from its competitor - the multicooker.
Buying this device is worth it for those who:	This gadget will be useful:
· often prepares soups, borscht and broths;	· in a country house where there is no room for a large amount of equipment or where the owners come only from time to time;
· loves stewed vegetables and meat;	· in a work cabin or in a student dormitory;
· prefers to cook by steaming;	· in a city apartment during renovation;
· makes homemade fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, yogurt);	· in a studio apartment or other housing with a small kitchen.
· has the ability to use other devices for boiling water, frying, baking.

There is one more nuance - the price. You can buy a multicooker from a little-known brand for only 2000–2500 rubles, while the cheapest multikitchen will cost 7500–9000.

If a person is short on money and does not plan to regularly cook pancakes, bake pizza or brew coffee in a Turkish oven, a multi-cooker with a “Multi-cook” mode (allows you to set the desired temperature and time) and a “Frying” function (allows you to cook with the lid open) is quite suitable for him. . If you have the “Baking” mode, you can bake buns, sponge cakes, cupcakes, or make a casserole. The only problem will be a pale top of the pastry, but it can be browned by turning the cake upside down for 3-5 minutes.

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Air fryer and multi-kitchen - what to choose?

To make the right decision, you need to compare the capabilities of both devices and identify your needs.

When does it make sense to buy an air fryer?	Under what conditions should you choose a multi-kitchen?
Despite the word “grill”, which is present in the name and is associated with baked meat, this gadget is suitable for preparing first courses, cereals, and baked goods. Essentially, this is an imitation of an oven - everything that is inside the convection oven is blown with hot air.	The multi-kitchen, depending on the price tag and modification, can be equipped with an air fryer lid. In this case, it copes perfectly with all the functions of a free-standing convection oven, but has one significant drawback - due to the fact that the bowl is made of metal, its transparency is zero. This means that it will be difficult for the housewife or owner to control the cooking process without opening the lid.
Meat, fish, vegetables, mushrooms, dough - everything that is cooked without adding water - can be placed directly into a glass bowl. If you need to boil or stew food, you will need a ceramic pot or a heat-resistant glass pan. An important point is that cooking the broth in an air fryer takes too much time, so the meat for the soup is first fried in a frying pan until half cooked, and the water is boiled in a kettle. You can also pour ready-made hot broth over vegetables and cereals.	However, a multi-kitchen also has its advantages - for example, to cook broth for soup or fry meat for a roast, you don’t need a stove. Since all multikitchens (with rare exceptions) are equipped with a 3D heating function, there is no need to cook porridge in a pot using an air fryer - it will turn out stewed, even if it was cooked in a bowl under a regular lid.
Buying an air fryer is worth it for those who:	We can conclude that multi-kitchen is suitable for those who:
· loves porridge - here it turns out crumbly and well-cooked;	· wants to cook a variety of dishes without cluttering the kitchen with many appliances;
· prefers baked goods and meat with an appetizing crispy crust;	· willing to pay more to get additional features (the price for air fryers starts from 2500–3000 rubles, but it is impossible to find a multi-kitchen with an air fryer lid in the budget segment - its minimum cost is 12,000–13,000 rubles).
· has other devices in the kitchen - for example, a thermopot or a kettle for boiling water and a stove for cooking broths and compotes;	· does not need an air fryer with a large bowl (the volume of the bowl in a multi-kitchen is only 5 liters, but a free-standing air fryer can have 12 or 18 liters).
· enjoys home canning - an air fryer with a large bowl is convenient for sterilizing jars (both empty and already filled with food).