A programmable multicooker is a good fit if you switch between different types of dishes and want to spend less time keeping an eye on things once cooking has started. If you prepare dinner several hours in advance, a slow cooker suits a different routine; if your meals mainly consist of rice or steamed food, a specialist appliance may be all you need. In every case, compare the usable capacity, the steps your recipes require and the parts you’ll need to clean.
If you can only start cooking after work, look at programmes that control the heat and cooking time, as well as any steps you’ll need to do yourself. In an OpinionWay survey for Lustucru, conducted from 31 July to 1 August 2024 among 1,020 adults in France, 61% said they spent 30 minutes or less preparing dinner on a weekday evening. This figure reflects their preparation time, not their preference for a particular appliance.
A programmable slow cooker is suited to meals prepared several hours before serving. However, planning ahead doesn’t remove the need to store perishable ingredients correctly before cooking.
If you mainly cook rice with a steamed accompaniment, check whether a rice cooker can handle the dishes you usually make. If you want to steam several ingredients at once, look at the number of tiers and how long the water reservoir lasts.
Start with when you’ll be able to prepare the ingredients, then compare your recipes with the appliance’s functions, usable capacity and cleaning requirements.
| Criterion | What to check | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking time | Check what needs doing before you start and what you’ll need to do while the recipe is cooking. If you’re starting dinner when you get home, distinguish between pressure cooking and slow cooking; if you’re preparing a meal in advance, look at the timer and keep-warm function. | I don’t start dinner until I get home: I’m looking for recipes whose preparation and hands-on steps fit around my schedule. |
| Types of dishes | Check which settings are genuinely useful for your recipes: pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice or steaming. A rice cooker is designed for a more specific purpose; a multi-tier food steamer may mean preparing sauces or other parts of the meal separately. | If my menus change often, I want to compare the available settings. If I mainly cook rice or several steamed ingredients, those functions matter more to me. |
| Usable capacity | Compare the portions you want to make with the model’s fill lines and the limits for each recipe. UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a 6 L Cookeo bowl with a maximum cooking capacity of 4 L. | For leftovers or a family meal, I need to be able to cook enough portions without assuming that I can use all the stated capacity. |
| Cleaning | Check which parts can be removed and which are dishwasher-safe. Also count the bowls, baskets and lid components you’ll need to wash after making your usual recipes. | In the evening, I’d rather have an appliance whose parts are easy to clean after cooking my meal, without lots of extra handling. |
| Timer | Distinguish between a delayed start before cooking and keeping food warm after cooking. Check the manual and food storage guidance before leaving perishable ingredients in the bowl while you wait. | If my dinner time varies, I want to plan the cooking without treating the timer as a way to store food outside the fridge. |
Overfilling can spoil a recipe. UFC-Que Choisir notes, for example, that a 6 L Cookeo bowl can hold a maximum of 4 L for cooking.
Check the fill lines and restrictions in the manual for the model you choose, particularly for recipes containing rice, pulses or a lot of liquid.
A slow cooker is designed for a meal that cooks over several hours in advance, not for the same scenario as deciding what to have for dinner when you get home from work.
If you prepare the ingredients when you get home, compare recipes you can make in a multicooker with the settings you need.
Waiting for a programme to start doesn’t, by itself, keep perishable ingredients safe. ANSES also warns that the risk of microorganisms multiplying increases when cooked dishes are left at room temperature for more than two hours.
Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated until you’re ready to prepare them appropriately, and follow the appliance instructions for your intended use.
Depending on the recipe or appliance, you may still need to brown or stir ingredients, release the pressure or fill a water reservoir.
Before comparing the number of programmes, read through two or three recipes you plan to make during the week.
These examples relate to specific ranges and models, so check the features of the exact product you’re considering.
The brand’s range includes Cookeo pressure cookers and multicookers with programmes to suit different cooking routines.
Its slow cookers are designed for households that can plan ahead for a slow-cooked meal, rather than starting dinner only after work.
The Classic 2 RK103811 rice cooker and Convenient Series Deluxe VC502D10 food steamer illustrate two different uses.
The range includes multicookers that bring several cooking modes together in one appliance.
This selection includes multicookers for making a range of evening meals, plus a model to consider if rice is the mainstay of your meals. Compare each product with your recipes and schedule.
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If you want to make a variety of meals in one multicooker, check that its programmes suit the recipes you make in the evening. Compare the portions you need with the fill lines for this 5.7 L model, and follow its pressure-release instructions whenever you’re pressure cooking.
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It’s worth comparing this 8 L pressure cooker with the portions you regularly prepare, rather than looking only at the number of menus. Check the fill limits for your recipes and the instructions to follow if you want to schedule the start of cooking.
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Consider the 7.1 L capacity in relation to the number of portions and the recipes you plan to make. If your schedule calls for a delayed start or keeping food warm, confirm that the Rio XL has these functions before choosing it; check the fill lines too.
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This programmable cooker features two pressure levels, as stated in its name. If you want to plan your dinners, check the usable capacity for your recipe, whether it has a keep-warm function if that matters to you, and whether clear instructions are available in English.
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If your dinners mainly centre on rice, compare the Kyoto White’s settings with the ones you’ll actually use. Check how many portions it can make for your other dishes, and read the instructions for cleaning the bowl before choosing this 2 L model.
For a suitable recipe, a programme can control the heat and cooking time once it has started, as UFC-Que Choisir explains. You’ll still need to prepare the ingredients, stir if necessary and follow any steps in the instructions.
Compare your portions and recipes with the fill lines, not just the stated capacity in litres. For example, UFC-Que Choisir notes that a 6 L Cookeo bowl may have a maximum cooking capacity of 4 L.
Don’t treat the delayed-start function as a way to store perishable ingredients. Keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to prepare them appropriately, and check the model’s instructions for the recipe you have in mind.
Check the bowl, lid, basket and any other parts used in your recipes separately. An accessory being labelled ‘dishwasher-safe’ doesn’t mean you can put the entire appliance in the dishwasher.