For more variety in your weeknight cooking with less supervision, choose a programmable multicooker with modes to suit your recipes and a usable capacity that matches your portions. A slow cooker is best for slow-cooked dishes, while a versatile rice cooker suits meals where rice takes centre stage. A cooking food processor is a good choice if you also want help preparing ingredients. In every case, check the specific model’s filling limits, programming options, keep-warm function and cleaning instructions.
Your choice mainly depends on what you want the appliance to take care of: cooking several types of dish, slow cooking, or preparing ingredients as well.
If you alternate between rice, dishes with sauces, steamed vegetables and slow-cooked meals, but don’t need automatic chopping, compare the cooking modes, usable capacity and any steps that still need your attention.
A compact slow cooker is worth considering if slow cooking matters more to you than browning or pressure cooking. Crock-Pot, for example, lists its 2.4 L CSC046X slow cooker for one to two people. Check that the capacity suits your recipes.
If you’d like to automate tasks such as chopping, mixing or kneading, look at a cooking food processor and its accessories. Make sure you have enough room to store and clean them, too.
Start with the recipes you make most often, then check how the advertised features fit your portions and the way the cooking actually works.
| What to consider | What to check | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking methods | Look for the modes your recipes need, such as slow cooking, steaming, browning or pressure cooking. Check each feature on the model you’re considering rather than assuming it applies to every appliance in that category. | I make a mix of rice dishes and meals with sauces: a multicooker may offer the modes I need. If I mainly make slow-cooked dishes, a slow cooker may be enough; if rice is the main event, I’ll look at a versatile rice cooker. |
| Food preparation | Distinguish between programmes that control heat and cooking time, and functions for chopping, mixing or kneading. Check the steps involved in a recipe you make regularly. | I mainly want to start cooking and get on with something else, or I also want a cooking food processor to prepare the ingredients. |
| Portions | Compare the advertised capacity, fill markings and portion sizes given for your recipes. UFC-Que Choisir points out that you can’t use the full capacity of a multicooker bowl. | For soup or ingredients that expand, I need to be able to make enough portions without exceeding the recommended limit. |
| Planning ahead | Check the difference between a cooking timer, a delay-start function and a keep-warm function. Confirm which features are available, how they work and what the manual says about the food you’re cooking. | If I start a meal before going out or eat at different times, I need to know exactly what I can programme the appliance to do. |
| Cleaning and storage | Check the cleaning instructions for the bowl, lid, seals and each accessory. Measure the space available for the appliance and its separate parts. | An appliance used several evenings a week needs to fit in my kitchen and suit the amount of time I can spend cleaning it. |
You can’t always fill the bowl to its full capacity. UFC-Que Choisir notes that you need to leave room to prevent spills.
Compare the fill markings and portion sizes for your usual recipes, especially liquid dishes or ingredients that expand.
According to UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocol, multicooker programmes control things such as heat and cooking time. You may still need to add, brown or stir the ingredients yourself.
Check the steps for a typical recipe before choosing the modes and accessories you need.
A cooking food processor’s preparation functions are most useful if you’ll actually use them as well as the cooking functions.
If your ingredients are already prepared, start by comparing the cooking modes on a multicooker, slow cooker or rice cooker.
A cooking food processor may also need space for its bowls and accessories.
Programming, keep-warm functions and cleaning instructions can vary by model and sometimes by component.
Check the manual for the exact model to confirm each feature and find out how to clean every part.
These examples help you compare different types of appliance. The features mentioned apply to the models listed, not necessarily to every product from each brand.
The brand offers Cookeo appliances for cooking, as well as Companion models for food preparation and cooking.
The Easy Cook+ RK732100 is a useful comparison if rice features heavily in your meals.
Its slow cookers are worth considering if your meals mainly rely on slow cooking.
The Cook Expert combines food preparation and cooking for households that want to bring both tasks together in one appliance.
These models are worth considering if you’re looking for a programmable multicooker to add variety to weeknight meals. For each one, compare the listed features and capacity with your recipes, then check the manual for filling limits and cleaning instructions.
Image unavailableWorth a look if you make different types of meal and want a multicooker with a generous advertised capacity. The product title lists 12 pre-set menus, pressure, slow and steam cooking, as well as a rice-cooker function. Check the manual for the permitted fill level for your recipes and the bowl’s cleaning instructions.
Image unavailableCompare this model if you’re looking for a programmable cooking appliance that also comes with an air fryer lid. The product title lists pressure cooking and built-in scales. Check how much space you’ll need for the lid and accessories, as well as the filling limits and cleaning instructions in the manual.
Image unavailableConsider this model if you want to programme different cooking methods and use voice prompts. The product title lists nine menus, two pressure settings and 24-hour programming. Check the language of the instructions, the portions you can make and the filling limits for your usual dishes.
Image unavailableThis 5.7 L multicooker is worth comparing if you want to make a variety of weeknight meals. If you plan to start cooking before you get home, check the manual to see whether it has a delay-start function and how to use it. Also check the pressure-cooking fill limits and how to clean the seal.
Image unavailableIts advertised 7.1 L capacity may suit a household that makes several portions at once. Check the permitted fill level and the appliance’s dimensions to see if it’s right for your recipes. If delay start or keeping food warm is important to your routine, check the manual for details.
Not necessarily. UFC-Que Choisir points out that you need to leave room in a multicooker to prevent spills. Check the fill markings and the limits in the manual for your chosen recipe, rather than assuming the bowl’s total capacity is the amount you can cook.
Yes, if you mainly make slow-cooked dishes. If you also want to brown, steam or pressure cook food, compare the cooking modes on the specific multicookers you’re considering before choosing.
No. Don’t assume an appliance has one just because of the type it is. A cooking timer and a delay-start function are two different things. Check the manual for the model you’re considering to confirm whether it has both and how they work, particularly for the food you plan to cook.
Not necessarily. Cooking programmes don’t mean the appliance stirs the food. If your recipe needs regular stirring or you’d also like to automate food preparation, check the functions and accessories on the model you’re considering and compare it with a cooking food processor.