Top 10 Best Electric Multi-Cookers

We thought we put together all the best multi-cookers under one article for direct comparison. These are among the best multi-cookers in the market.

What is a Multi-Cooker

If you are new to the idea of a multi-cooker, you will be blown away by the number of features on any one of these. While no two multi-cookers are built the same, these are some of the common features that they share:

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Most multi-cookers have big capacity of up to 6 Litres, large enough to prepare food for the whole family. The more advanced models have pressure cooker function, multiple recipes and cooking programmes. These are the pot based version that come complete with on board computer allowing you to simply put in the ingredients, punch a few buttons and let it do its thing.

Another useful function, especially for the busy household is the ability to set a delay start time of up to 24 hours, and to keep your food warm for up to 10 hours after cooking, so that you can come back to a ready cooked and warm meal. You can even set how long you would like your food to cook in pressure cooker mode or slow cooker mode.

At the other end of the spectrum is your basic multi-cooker. At a fraction of the price of the pot version, these are wide but shallow electric pan still capable of holding huge volume of food. Typically, the pan based variety comes with a see through clear glass lid with steam vent and variable temperature controls.

While the pan shaped multi-cooker lets you saute, steam, fry, fondue, slow cook, boil, grill, bake, roast and steam, they lack the electronic cooking programmes and timer functions. That meant you will have to physically be there to turn on, control the temperature and cook your meal. When using the slow cooker function, you just have to set your own alarm and remember to turn it off manually.

We start with the pot based multi functional cooker followed by the pan based cooker. Here is a quick list, remember to use the links on this page to check the individual items on Amazon:

Pot-based – Programmable Cooking Modes and Timer

• Instant Pot IP-LUX60 6-in-1 Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker 6L – WITH PRESSURE COOKER
• Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker 6L – WITH PRESSURE COOKER
• Philips HD3095/87 Electric Multi-Cooker 5L – 10 COOKING FUNCTIONS
• Tefal Cook4Me Electric Multi-Cooker 6L – 50 PROGRAMMED RECIPES
• Redmond M4502E Multi-Cooker 5L – LOW POWER

BONUS: KitchenAid Multi-Cooker with Stir Tower

Pan-based – Cheaper with Manual Temperature Controls

• Morphy Richards 48615 Intellichef Multicooker – WITH ACCESSORIES
• JML Go Chef 8 in 1 Non-Stick Multi Cooker – MORE ACCESSORIES, MORE COOKING FEATURES
• Andrew James Multi Cooker with Glass Lid – LARGE CAPACITY
• VonShef Large Round Multi Cooker with Glass Lid – LARGE CAPACITY
• VonShef Square Medium Multi Cooker with Glass Lid – SMALL CAPACITY

Now for the details.

Pot-based Multi-Cooker

Instant Pot LUX60 6-in-1 Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker 6-Litres

With a 6 Litre stainless steel cooking pot, the Instant Pot has a large enough volume to cater to most mid-sized families, but it is really the timer that comes in to it’s own.

With the juggling of modern life, the ability to delay cooking time for up to 24 hours or keep your food warm for up to 10 hours, allows working mum’s the option of having a meal freshly cooked waiting as soon as one gets home in the afternoon or evening; or the treat of having warm porridge in the morning.

There’s also a range of presets that will allow you to simply bung in the ingredients and walk away for it to do it’s magic.

• Fully automatic 6-in-1 multi functional cooker (pressure cooker, saute/browning, slow cooker, rice co0ker, steamer and warmer)
• Power: 1000W Output
• Capacity: 6 Litres – BIG CAPACITY
• Delay Timer: up to 24 hours delay start
• Cooking Timer: manually set up to 2 hours of cooking time and automatically keep warm for up to 10 hours after cooking
• 10 Cooking Programmes with 3 temperature controls for saute or browning and slow cooking
• Includes 3 ply bottom stainless steel cooking pot safe for use on hob (except induction), stainless steel steam rack, instructions, recipe book and cooking time tables.

Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Electric Multi-Cooker 6-Litre

Here is the other Instant Pot, one up from the IP-LUX60 is the IP-DUO60 which has 7 instead of 6 cooking functions with the last one as we mentioned earlier, the yogurt maker. It also has more cooking programmes than compared to the IP-LUX60, 14 versus 10.

• Fully automatic 7-in-1 multi functional cooker (pressure cooker, saute/browning, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, warmer, yogurt maker)
• Power: 1000W Output
• Capacity: 6 Litres – 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.

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	✓	✓

Philips HD3095/87 Electric Multi-Cooker 5-Litres

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.

• Fully automatic multi functional cooker – 10 functions 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)
• 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
• Power: Smart heating technology and temperature control for optimal and evenly cooked results
• Capacity: 16-cup / 3 Litres 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

Tefal Cook4Me Electric Multi-Cooker 6-Litres

And then there’s the Tefal Cook4Me Electic Multi Cooker. This 6L ceramic-coated bowl multi-cooker comes with 50 pre-programmed savoury and sweet dishes with a maximum of 6 ingredients. It has a keep warm function for up to 90 minutes after cooking.

Slightly different in focus from the InstantPots, the Tefal Multi-cooker’s aim is literally in it’s name Cook4Me. It has to ability to cook a variety of dishes based on the ingredients that you have put in. The number of pre-programmed options also allow it to ‘suggest’ a dish based on the ingredients that you put in.

• Fully automatic multi functional cooker
• Power: 1200W Output
• Capacity: 6 Litres ceramic coated cooking bowl – BIG CAPACITY
• Delay Timer: up to 15 hours delay start
• Cooking Timer: automatically set cooking time and temperature with keep warm for up to 90 minutes after cooking
• 50 pre-programmed recipes for savourty and sweet dishes
• Easy to clean – the ceramic- coated bowl is non-stick, removable and dishwasher safe

Redmond M4502E Multi-Cooker 5-Litres

A fairly big 5 Litre multi-cooker with steam, fry, pasta, cook, stew, soup and cake function yet still boast a low power rating at 860Watt is the Redmond M4502E. With the Redmond, you get an LCD display and digital controls as seen on the Instant Pots and Tefal above. The controls let you select from the type of food to cook using one of the 34 programmes. This includes 16 automatic programs and 18 manual control options. Altogether, it is capable of creating dishes ranging from roasted dinners, curries, soups, rices, stewed vegetables, steamed dishes, mulled wine, oatmeal, vegetable dishes, pasta, hot pots, french fries, fried dishes, yoghurt, souffle, meat dishes, fondue and desserts with additional features for dough, bread and cheese.

• Multi-cooking options – steam, fry, pasta, cook, stew, soup and cake function
• Power: 860W Output – LOW POWER RATING
• Capacity: 5 Litres non-stick cooking bowl with 3D heating (bottom, sides and top) – BIG CAPACITY
• Delay Timer: none
• Variable temperature controls 40 to 160 degrees and 34 programmes (16 automatic and 18 manual controls)
• Cooking Timer: Automatic keep warm function for up to 24 hours.
• A recipe book containing 100 recipes is also included. Also included are the spoon, paddle, holder, measuring cup, steaming basket, deep frying basket and tongs.

BONUS: KitchenAid Multi-Cooker with Stir Tower

From the well known maker of durable mixers, here is KitchenAid’s take on the Multi-Cooker. Except, the unit has an optional Stir Tower, and you can see where the idea came from. While optional, you will most likely want the stir unit 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.

Pan-based Multi-Cooker

So these generally are the most common choices for one-pot multi-cookers. Let’s take a look at the pan-based multi-cookers. Where the pot-based multi-cookers, specialised in cooking soup or gravy based dishes and rice or porridge, these pan-based multi-cookers focus on the ability to bake, fry, roast and steam. The Morphy Richards Intellichef Multicooker is a direct comparison to the JML Go Chef while the VonShef and Andrews James versions are similar.

Morphy Richards 48615 Intellichef Multicooker

The Morphy Richards Intellichef 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

JML Go Chef 8 in 1 Non-Stick Multi Cooker

The JML 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

In a slightly different class, you have the Andrew James and the VonShef Multi-cookers. These are the shallower pan-like cookers that seem perfect for paella or risottos and cost only around half of less than those above.

They are generally capable of frying, stewing, grilling, baking and for roast dishes.

Andrew James Multi Cooker with Glass Lid

• Cooking features: frying, stewing, grilling, baking and for roast dishes.
• Toughened glass lid with handle and safety valve.
• Size: 42 cm diameter, depth 4.8 cm non-stick surface with cool touch handles  (approx. 6.65 Litres) – BIG CAPACITY
• Power: 1500 Watt 
• Adjustable removable thermostat
• Temperature range 100-240 degrees Celsius

VonShef Large Round Multi Cooker with Glass Lid

• Cooking features: frying, stewing, grilling, baking and for roast dishes.
• Toughened glass lid with handle and steam vent.
• Size: 42 cm diameter, depth 4.8 cm aluminium body, non-stick surface with cool touch handles (approx. 6.65 Litres) – BIG CAPACITY
• Power: 1500 Watt
• Adjustable removable thermostat
• Temperature range 100-240 degrees Celsius

Also available VonShef Medium Round (30cm diameter) Multi Cooker with Glass Lid

VonShef Square Medium Multi Cooker with Glass Lid

The only difference between the two VonShef multi cookers is that this baby version of the VonShef multi-cooker is a squarish shape that is just 30cm in diameter.

• Cooking features: frying, stewing, grilling, baking and for roast dishes.
• Toughened glass lid with handle and steam vent.
• Size: 30 cm diameter, depth 5 cm rounded square aluminium body, non-stick surface (approx. 3.53 litres) – SMALL CAPACITY
• Power: 1500 Watt
• Adjustable removable thermostat
• Temperature range 100-240 degrees Celsius

Depending on what you’d like to achieve with a multi-cooker, it is definitely capable of a wide range of different cooking styles. The pot based multi-cooker appears to complement these shallow ranges and it seems likely that between the two you would be able to do away with the entire hob and oven set-up – although it seems highly unlikely that that would happen.

In general, these pan based multi-cookers without the pressure cooker function tends to be cheaper than its pot based counterpart. And, the pot based multi-cooker are smarter with different programmes and timer function.

This post is based on the original articles also published here on this blog. You can find them in the following links:

• Best Pot-shaped Multi-cooker
• Best Pan-shaped Multi cooker

Have a look at the range of multi-cookers and let us know – which type would work best for you and why?