Capacity
The rated volume of the working capacity of the multicooker. The larger it is, the more food can be cooked in the device at a time. The standard indicator for modern multicookers is
4-5 L, this is enough for use in an average family of 3 — 4 people. A device with a
smaller volume is useful for cooking for 1-2 people — you will not have to overpay for unnecessary capacity. If you have to cook for a large family, it makes sense to pay attention to
more capacious models.
Power
The rated power of a multicooker determines the speed at which it heats up when cooking. Manufacturers usually choose a power level that ensures efficient heating of the working capacity for its intended purpose. However, models of the same size and similar features can vary in terms of power. It's important to consider that a more powerful multicooker is generally more advanced and efficient, allowing for additional features like frying or baking. On the downside, higher power consumption is typically associated with higher costs.
Speaking about energy consumption, it is worth saying that it is relatively small in household multicookers —
from 750 to 1000 W for most models. Devices
with more than 1000 W are rare, relatively low power options are more common —
500 – 750 W and even
less than 500 W.
Number of programs
The total number of cooking programs provided in the device.
The greater this number — the more extensive the possibilities of the multicooker, the wider the choice of the user. However, note that a specific set of modes may be different, this point in each case should be clarified separately. See "Programs" for details on specific modes. As for specific values, the most modest models nowadays have
up to 10 programs, devices for
10 — 20 programs and even
more are quite popular, and in the most multifunctional solutions this number can be
more than 35.
Programmes
Automatic cooking programs for the desired dish.
A wide variety of programs are found in modern multicookers:
porridge / soup,
oatmeal,
sauté,
pilaf,
meat,
poultry,
fish,
rice / buckwheat,
milk porridge , baby food,
pasta / pasta, scrambled eggs,
dumplings,
vegetables,
legumes,
fondue,
bread,
jam / jam,
yogurt,
cottage cheese,
dessert,
aspic,
pizza,
sauce. Here are the features of each of these modes:
- Porridge/Soup. The program for cooking soups and thin porridges uses rather intensive cooking in a large amount of liquid.
- Oatmeal. Program for making oatmeal. Features of this mode in different models may vary; it also does not hurt to cl
...arify what kind of porridge it is designed for - in milk or in water. However, in any case, cooking oatmeal involves quickly heating to a high temperature, then cooking on a “slow fire” and infusing under the lid for several minutes after turning off the heat.
— Saute. The classic sauté is made by briefly sautéing in fat, usually vegetables, but other ingredients such as meat or fish are also possible. However, in multicookers, the method of cooking this dish may differ from the traditional one.
- Pilaf. Classic pilaf is cooked over low heat in a cast-iron cauldron, ducklings or other similar thick-walled dishes; the program simulates the heating characteristic of such cooking.
- Meat. Various programs for cooking meat. Most often we are talking about frying and / or baking, but other processing methods are possible; these details should be clarified separately.
- Poultry. Program for cooking chicken, turkey, goose and fowl. First, poultry is intensively fried until golden brown, then the heating intensity is automatically reduced, transferring the multi cooker to the extinguishing mode. The poultry cooking program allows you to get a well-done, juicy, tasty and aromatic dish.
- Fish. Various programs for cooking fish. Usually this mode is closest to baking, there are practically no other options.
- Rice / Buckwheat. In this case, it means a program for making crumbly cereals, primarily from rice or buckwheat (hence the name). The device works in this mode as long as there is "excess" water in the working tank; when all the water has evaporated, the heating is turned off.
- Milk porridge. Cooking cereals with milk requires caution: even with a slight increase in temperature, the product may burn. Accordingly, a special program for this provides for "delicate" heating.
- Baby food. Cooking mode for young children. It is often a type of steam cooking (see the relevant paragraph) - it is this method that is considered the healthiest and safest.
— Macaroni / Pasta. When cooking, it is advisable to pour pasta or pasta with hot water and stir occasionally in order to avoid sticking together; they cook relatively quickly. Programs for cooking, as a rule, take into account these features.
- Omelette. A program that allows you to cook the so-called melange - a mixture of squirrel and yolk. Heating in the multicooker bowl is supplied immediately from all sides, which provides the omelet with a delicious golden crust.
- Dumplings. Special mode for cooking dumplings. During cooking, it is highly desirable to stir the dumplings so that they do not stick together; this is taken into account in the program. In addition, some multicookers can also cook dumplings by frying / baking, according to specific recipes.
- Vegetables. This program allows you to cook both stews and whole vegetables. Its main feature is the use of moderate temperature - vegetables are slowly heated, as when stewing. In this mode, you can cook potatoes, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cabbage, etc. Also, the program can be used to prepare both simple side dishes and complex dishes or soup dressings.
- Beans. A feature of legumes (peas, beans, chickpeas, etc.) is that they can take quite a long time to cook, which is reflected in specialized programs.
— Fondue. Most often, cheese fondue is prepared in multicookers. When using this program, the cheese mass melts at a fairly high temperature - about 110 ° C. So that the melt does not thicken, after melting the cheese, the temperature decreases slightly - somewhere up to 100 ° C. There are also chocolate and caramel melts. But chocolate, cheese, and caramel have different melting points, which is why a cheese fondue slow cooker will most likely not be able to cook chocolate or caramel melts.
- Bread. The presence of this program allows you to use the multicooker also as a bread machine. As a rule, this is a special baking mode, designed specifically for bread. However, unlike a full-fledged bread machine, in this case, the dough for bread usually has to be kneaded by hand.
- Jam / Jam. The preparation of some types of jams and jams requires boiling for several hours - so that the product is “boiled down” and excess moisture evaporates from it. The temperature should also not be too high. All this requires a separate program with the appropriate parameters.
- Yogurt. For the preparation of yogurt, it is necessary to maintain a low temperature in containers with sourdough for the optimal functioning of lactic acid bacteria - about 38-40 ° C.
- Cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is made from sour milk or kefir, and the process requires gentle heating in order for the curd mass to separate from the whey. Traditionally, a water bath was used for such heating, modern multicookers can simulate it using the appropriate program.
- Dessert. Program for cooking a wide range of sweets - from jam and marmalade to pudding and bird's milk. It assumes the use of many temperature regimes with alternating heating and holding. Those. heating is switched on and off, which allows you to protect the ingredients from burning. It is often necessary for the user to independently set the optimum temperature, although it is also usually possible to use the standard "universal" temperature mode, which is set by default.
- Aspic. Programs for jelly are also distinguished by a low degree of heating and a long duration - in order for the product to solidify normally, it must be “boiled”.
- Pizza. Pizza is a type of pastry, so the temperature for its preparation must be quite high. In fact, such a program turns the multicooker into an oven.
- Sauce. Program for cooking dishes of the sauce group. Its characteristic feature is the use of multi-stage heating. At first, the slow cooker provides intense heat, which is ideal for quickly frying ingredients, then the heat weakens, making it possible to stew broth-filled or other liquid-filled frying.
This list is not exhaustive, modern devices may also provide other modes of operation - for example, for making pies, barbecue, etc.
