Top 5 Best Multi-Cookers

Samuel J Tan Home & Kitchen, Kitchen, Multi-cookers 0

These are not your standard slow cooker with low, medium, high and keep warm settings, multi-cookers are more than that. It offers multiple cooking options such as saute, slow cook, steam, boil, roast, simmer and more. Some models include pressure cooking, baking and yogurt making function.

Multi-cookers have smart cooking programmes so all you need is your favourite recipe in one pot; add your ingredients, pick your programme and away it goes. You only wish you have more than one so you can cook multiple dishes at the same time.

Table of Contents

Top 5 Best Multi-Cookers

Overview of our best multi-cookers:

KitchenAid Multi-Cooker with Stir Tower 4Qt – WITH STIRRER, 10 COOKING FUNCTIONS
Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker 6Qt – PRESSURE COOK, 7 COOKING FUNCTIONS
Philips HD3095/87 Electric Multi-Cooker 5L – 10 COOKING FUNCTIONS
Ninja MC750 3-in-1 Cooking System 6Qt – OVEN, 7 COOKING FUNCTIONS
Cuisinart MSC-800 Cook Central 4-in-1 Multi-Cooker 7Qt –BIGGER CAPACITY

Let’s look at five of the best multi-cookers in the market followed by some budget alternatives at the bottom of this article.

KitchenAid Multi-Cooker with Stir Tower 4Qt (Candy Apple, Stainless Steel, Onyx Black) – WITH STIRRER, 10 COOKING FUNCTIONS

A well known maker of durable mixers, KitchenAid takes on the Multi-Cooker design. We chose the unit with an optional Stir Tower, with a lift-up arm. You can see where the idea came from, take away the cooking pot and put a mixing bowl next to the arm and you have a mixer minus the mixing attachment. While optional, you will most likely want the stir unit accessory to complete the cooker and luck has it, most vendors are including this as a bundle.

The cooker boast even heat technology with over 10 different cooking programs using a simple 4 step modes. The ceramic coated pot does not have the biggest capacity, only 4-Quart, but this should be sufficient for most. The Stir Tower sits just next to the cooker with its stirring arm mounted and hidden away under the lid. It can be set to operate in 3 different constant speeds or 2 intermittent modes.

Over 10 cooking methods (risotto, rice, sear, saute, simmer, soup, yogurt, boil/steam, slow cook high and low, keep warm) with 4 step-by-step modes with instructions on screen.
Even heat technology with precise digital temperature control
4-Quart cooking pot with coating and pour spout
Delay cooking timer up to 12 hours. Digital keep warm up to 24 hours
Included: dual purpose steam basket and roasting rack
Soft grip handle with clear tempered glass lid

Also in the Range

Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker 6Qt – 7 COOKING FUNCTIONS, PRESSURE COOK

The hottest and best selling item in the Instant Pot’s range of programmable pressure cooker is the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1. This is the 6 Quarts version while the Instant Pot IP-DUO50 7-in-1 is the 5 Quarts version. The other line of Instant Pot is know as the LUX series, these are Instant Pot IP-LUX60 and Instant Pot IP-LUX50 with 6 Quarts and 5 Quarts capacity respectively. The best way to explain the differences between the DUO and LUX series is to look at the table of comparison below.

Here is a quick comparison table between the Instant Pot Lux and Instant Pot Duo

	Instant Pot Lux	Instant Pot Duo
Microprocessor controlled programs	✓	✓
Yoghurt maker		✓
Pressure cooking: high pressure (10.2~11.6 psi)	✓	✓
Pressure cooking: low pressure (5.8~7.2 psi)		✓
Slow cooker: 0.5~20 hours, at three temperatures	✓	✓
Sauté: up to 30 minutes at three temperatures	✓	✓
Automatic keep-warm: up to 10 hours	✓	✓
Built-in smart programs	10	14
Delayed cooking: up to 24 hours	✓	✓
10 safety mechanisms	✓	✓

As seen in the table above, the DUO is the higer model with more smart cooking programs, yogurt maker function, low as well as high pressure cooking function. With the Yogurt Maker function, this makes the Instant Pot IP-DUO a 7-in-1 multi-cooker while the Instant Pot IP-LUX is a 6-in-1 multi-cooker. It also has more cooking programmes than compared to the Instant Pot IP-LUX series, 14 versus 10. Here is a summary of some of its features

Fully automatic 7-in-1 multi functional cooker (pressure cooker, saute/browning, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, warmer, yogurt maker)
Power: 1000W Output
Capacity: 6Qt – BIG CAPACITY
Delay Timer: up to 24 hours delay start
Cooking Timer: up to 2 hrs (pressure cooker) or up to 20 hours (slow cooker) automatically keep warm for up to 10 hours after cooking
14 cooking programmes with 3 temperature setting for saute/browning and slow cooking.
Includes stainless steel cooking pot that can be used on the hob (except induction) or oven, stainless steel long handled steam rack, rice paddle, soup spoon, measuring cup, instructions, recipe book, cooking time tables and quick start guide.

Also in the Range

Instant Pot IP-LUX60 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W

Instant Pot IP-DUO50 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 5Qt/900W

Instant Pot IP-LUX50 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 5Qt/900W

Instant Pot IP-Smart Bluetooth-Enabled Multifunctional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W – CONNECTED

Philips HD3095/87 Electric Multi-Cooker 4.2Qt – 10 COOKING FUNCTIONS

The Philips Multi-cooker allows you to cook healthy homemade meals every day at the touch of a button. Use one of its 10 automatic preset programs to cook anything from yogurt to quinoa to ribs. The Multi-cooker uses a ceramic pot, smart heating technology and temperature control for optimal results every time. Philips uses a unique heating technology that introduces micro movements into the content it is heating removing the need to stir constantly.

The unique construction of the heating element allows for micro movements of the liquid inside the pot which means there is no need to stir constantly throughout the cooking process

Fully automatic multi functional cooker – 10 Programmes to steam, fry, simmer, saute, bake, boil, roast, bake, keep warm and steam to cook Rice/Quinoa, Risotto, Oatmeal, Stew/Soup, Slow Cook, Yogurt and more)
Power: Smart heating technology and temperature control for optimal and evenly cooked results
Capacity: 16-cup / 4 Litres (appox. 4.2 Qt) Nano ceramic non stick coated inner pot
Delay Time: up to 24 hours delay start, keep warm function up to 12 hours.
Easy to clean – the hard ceramic-coated bowl is non-stick, removable and dishwasher safe

Ninja MC750 3-in-1 Cooking System 6Qt – 7 COOKING FUNCTIONS

The Ninja 3-in-1 cooking system has Triple Fusion Heat to surround the food to make it cook faster and seal in the juices giving the meal a more flavourful result. The three cooking functions are Stovetop, slow cooker and oven. There are three separate settings in Stovetop mode that lets you Simmer (LOW), Saute (MEDIUM) or Sear (HIGH). The Slow Cooker also has three settings at low, high or buffet (WARM). The oven function has digital dial temperature control (250° to 425°) with up to 6 hour cooking timer. Use the oven function for steam-infused roasting and baking. So, you see, there are actually more than 3 cooking functions in this device and like the others on this list, it lets you simmer, saute, sear, slow cook, keep warm, roast and bake, a total of 7 different ways to cook.

Steam Infused Roasting: Bottom & Side Heat and super-heated steam cooks 30% Faster, with less fat vs. conventional ovens
The Stovetop function can be set to Low (simmer), Medium (saute), or High (sear)
SEARIOUS Slow Cooking: Sear using built-in stovetop before slow cooking with keep warm function up to 8 hours to lock in the flavour with this all in one appliance
Power: 1500Watt with Temperature dial for oven mode temperature controls from 250° to 425° with a 6 hour timer
Includes 25- recipe inspiration guide, removable roasting rack with easy grip handles.
Non-Stick Coating 6 Quarts Cooking Pot, easy to clean and unbreakable

Cuisinart MSC-800 Cook Central 4-in-1 Multi-Cooker 7Qt – BIG CAPACITY

Brown ingredients right in the unit – no stovetop required – and then switch to Slow Cook or Roast with the touch of a button for effortless combination cooking in the Cuisinart MSC-800. Preset function buttons with time and temperature controls make it simple to Slow Cook, Roast, Brown/Sauté or Steam.

4 programmes: – Slow Cook on high, low, simmer or warm for up to 24 hours Includes automatic Keep Warm feature. Roast at temperatures from 250°F to 450°F for up to 6 hours. Brown/Sauté and even sear, with temperatures up to 500°F. Steam for up to 90 minutes.
Cooking functions include slow cook, roast, brown, saute, steam, keep warm.
One touch lets you switch modes when recipe calls for combination cooking with extra-large blue backlit LCD display with easy-to-read time & temperature settings
Removable 7-quart nonstick cast aluminum cooking pot
Glass lid for clear view of ingredients while cooking. Both cooking pot and lid are dishwasher safe
Includes reversible roasting/steaming rack

Also in the Range

Cuisinart MSC-600 3-In-1 Cook Central 6Qt Multi-Cooker: Slow Cooker, Brown/Saute, Steamer
Cuisinart MSC-400 3-In-1 Cook Central 4Qt Multi-Cooker: Slow Cooker, Brown/Saute, Steamer

Budget Multi-Cooker (under $100)

If those in the list above a bit over your budget why not consider one of these budget multi cookers below:

Gourmia GP600 Smartpot 8-in-1 Programmable MultiFunction Pressure Cooker 6Qt– 1000 Watts 89.99 4.5stars96
Salton MC1353 8-in-1 Multi Cooker, 5-Liter 5stars2
Go Chef 8-in-1 Cooker, 5-Liter 4.5stars93
Squares 3RC-3010S TIM3 MACHIN3 Multi Cooker, 4Qt 4.4stars

Gourmia GP600 Smartpot 8-in-1 Programmable MultiFunction Pressure Cooker 6Qt – PRESSURE COOK

Goumia like other multi-cooker listed here is jammed packed with features and cooking functions. The 8-in-1 programmable cooker

Salton MC1353 8-in-1 Multi Cooker, 5-Litre

Salton Multi-cooker is capable of steaming, grilling, frying, slow-cooking, stir-frying, boiling, braising and cooking a fast-stew. It does this by allowing you to control the temperature in the range of 80 – 240 degrees Celsius.

Cooking features: steaming, grilling, frying, slow-cooking, stir-frying, boiling, braising and cooking a fast-stew.
Capacity: 5 Litres non-stick pot (not removable) with clear glass lid. – BIG CAPACITY
Power: 1500 Watt
Adjustable thermostat
Accessories: steaming rack, frying basket – ACCESSORIES

Go Chef 8-in-1 Cooker 5-Litre

GoChef is another multi-cooker that allows you to boil, salute, fry, fondue, slow-cook, steam, bake and roast all in one bowl. It comes with a low rack for roasting, a high rack for steaming and a basket for flash frying.

Cooking features: Roast, bake, sauté, steam, fry, fondue, slow cook, boil and steam
Capacity: 5 Litres non-stick pot (removable) – non-stick PTFE and PFOA-free cooking surface with clear glass lid. – BIG CAPACITY
Power: 1500 Watt
Adjustable thermostat and basic timer
Accessories: high rack, low rack, frying basket, recipe guide – MORE ACCESSORIES

3 Squares 3RC-3010S TIM3 MACHIN3 Multi Cooker, 4Qt

Sold as a big rice cooker with 20 cups cooked capacity, the 3 Squares TIM3 MACHIN3 uses Fuzzy Logic 2.0 monitors temperature above and below the cooking pot and makes adjustments automatically to cook rice up to 45% faster than other rice cookers. Apart from rice, it can also be used to steam, slow cook, quinoa, yogurt and oatmeal using its specialized single button functions

Cooking Feature: rice cooker (white, brown, quick), quinoa, yogurt, slow cooker (low medium, high), yugurt, oatmeal, steam and keep warm.
Capacity: 4 Quart
Programmable delay timer that sets up to 15 hours in advance to have rice or oatmeal ready when it’s needed
Accessories: steam tray, rice paddle and measuring cup