When cold weather comes calling, dinner turns to hearty, comforting meals packed with vegetables and protein - warmth by the spoonful.
It’s one thing to talk about delicious winter warmers, though... To create them on a daily basis? That’s something else.
Thanks to modern innovation, small cooking appliances have come a long way. Slow cookers, pressure cookers, and all-round multi cookers have provided us with convenient cooking options for years... but which option is better, and why?
Option: | Key Benefit/s | Ideal for: | |
|---|---|---|---|
Slow cook for maximum flavour | People with a bit more time | ||
All-purpose cooking | Families, people who want the versatility of multiple appliances | ||
Saves cooking time and energy use while retaining most food nutrients |
What are the advantages of using a pressure cooker?
A pressure cooker uses pressure and steam heat to quickly cook your food. With your ingredients sealed inside, the cooker temperature increases to boiling point, resulting in a much faster cooking time. The increased pressure also pushes moisture into food, helping to tenderise tougher cuts of meat.
Aside from cutting down your cooking time, pressure cookers tenderise cheaper ingredients, such as tougher cuts of meat, transforming them into tender, flavoursome meals.
Most electric pressure cookers these days offer smart features and functions, such as programmable timers and menus, that make cooking simple and convenient. Simmer and sautéing to programmable timers and menus, p
With more and more people choosing to eat organically, it only makes sense we prepare our foods in a way we don’t lose a significant portion of their nutritional value. Pressure cooking tends to preserve more nutrients that other cooking methods and reduces the need for seasoning your food, making it a healthy cooking option. Meat stays juicy, vegetables remain vibrant in colour, and overall flavours intensify.
Slow cookers transfer heat from their base (usually created by bottom heating elements) up towards the internal crock pot. The heat then spreads to the sides (some electric slow cookers feature side or wrap around heating elements). The temperature remains consistent and ensures the food cooks evenly.
Simply pop all your ingredients into the appliance before you leave for work, and then be welcomed home by the beautiful aroma of perfectly cooked stew or curry. It’s even recommended not to lift the lid during cooking as it enables the heat to escape. This is why most slow cookers come supplied with glass lids.
Slow cookers usually have three heat settings. A high, a medium, and a low setting. And although there are three settings to choose from, the chance of burning your food is very low thanks to its consistent temperature. Cooking at a lower temperature ensures that not only is the meat thoroughly cooked and nutritious, but also extracts maximum flavour, even from cheaper cuts, as the meat is tenderised in the cooker liquid.
The bones/meat should be first brought to a boil for a period to ensure harmful bacteria is removed. If you are creating a soup or broth, the meat should be covered with water. Otherwise, you may find that the contents will burn or dry out during cooking.
Most slow cookers come supplied with a standard electrical plug and lead, so all you need is a standard 10A powerpoint. Thanks to the compact design and portability of these machines, you can pretty much use them anywhere. They don’t radiate heat like stovetops and ovens do, giving you added comfort when cooking during the hotter months.
Multi cookers help replace multiple appliances around your kitchen by combining different cooking methods. A slow cooker can only slow cook, a rice maker can only create rice dishes, and a yoghurt maker, well, you get the picture. With the help of a multi-cooker, both large-crowd entertaining and small family dinners can be taken care of with ease.
Besides replacing a lot of your kitchen’s bulky mess, multi-cookers provide an array of benefits that help turn these little guys into culinary masters.
Owning a multi-cooker means welcoming complete versatility into your home. From pressure cooking and slow cooking to yoghurt making and rice creating, multi-cookers can do it all! Multi-cookers include a broad range of features that make it even easier to prepare delicious meals. From keep warm options to fully programmable menus, these handy little machines help turn you into a master chef.
Like pressure cookers, multi-cookers give you the ability to cut cooking times in half (excluding the use of the slow cook option). By combining steam and pressure, tough cuts of beef can be tenderised in 20 minutes, while complete homemade dishes can be made in as little has half an hour- say goodbye to ready-made frozen meals!
Multi-cookers are a healthier cooking option compared to conventional cooking methods. Foods generally retain a higher level of minerals and vitamins when cooked this way, with less added fats and oils needed.
