Can we talk...Multicookers?

R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
This thing has landed on the precious real estate of my kitchen counters, taking up a huge amount of space, and I hate it. I don't understand why I need it or would want to go through the extra (yes extra) effort of using the thing. My other half bought this as a house Christmas present (without my input obviously) and now thinks we need to start using it.

I have refused. Not that I'm opposed to new technology or learning new ways. I've looked through the manual on how to use it, read through lots of the recipes, and I still am shaking my head asking "why?".

So last night we made a recipe.from the cookbook: Basque-style Chicken. After every bowl in the house was dirtied to hold all of the prepped ingredients, and to remove them from the cooker in the very small batches you have to sear/saute things in and the constant resetting of menu commands, we're eating the dish.

"So, it's pretty good isn't it?"

I said "it's fine, but I could have made this on top of the stove in my dutch oven in half the time with half the mess and the bacon would have edible".

Instead of all the small batches of sautéing, removing, repeat, remove, repeat, I could have just done it all at the same time, added the final ingredients, turned down the heat (one temperature adjustment), put on the lid and forgot about it.

Plus, the recipe was woefully inaccurate on cooking times, everything was saute for 30 seconds, remove. Bacon sautéed for 30 seconds is still raw bacon (and it was like rubber in the finished dish--I actually did not eat the bacon bits in my portion--for shame).

Every recipe I've looked at in the cookbook is like this. All this extra fuss, extra steps, doing what used to be 1 task in 3-6 or more different steps, for what? So some corporations can make lots of money selling us something that we don't need, that makes our food preparation harder, and we're gullible enough to go out and buy it because its shiny and new?

Am I missing something here?

 
IMHO you aren't missing anything

Though full disclosure I don't have one.

I've just bought a few of the miracle appliances and most have gone to Goodwill or the trash.

I don't even understand the need for a rice cooker. I gave mine away. Cooking rice on the stovetop is easy. I don't have room for something like that. When I was visiting my sister there was a big hoo-ha because the ricer/steamer go too close to the actual stove when someone cooked something and melted. Both of those things I find easy to do on the stove top, so again don't see the need -- and that huge thing would take up far too much RE in my tiny kitchen. Don't have a crockpot either.

One thing that made a comeback from the garage though, a small countertop oven, because I found it can go low enough to be used as a breadproofing oven. I love it now and use it for that, but it lives on a cart on the other side of the kitchen.

 
I have an an Instant Pot

I got it primarily to replace multiple other appliances. I have since given away my slow cooker and pressure cooker. I will probably give away my rice cooker as well since I have made good rice twice in the Instant Pot. In addition to rice, I have used it to hard cook eggs, cook potatoes for potato salad, make mashed potatoes and cook a butternut squash. Everything but the mashed potatoes turned out very well. I may have screwed up on the mash as others liked the recipe. I am planning on doing 2 soups soon, chickpea and rosemary, and split pea with ham. I will also eventually use it for yogurt and maybe cheese. I still do my braises using the cook top/oven.

 
Wellllllll, I think you just need to date it for a while to see if you can love it......

I have a "Ninja"- it is a multicooker. At first I sneered, danced around it, fussed, sneered again and rejected it.

Then I actually used it and liked it.

Huh.

Granted I have more counter space than you do. That certainly makes a difference. Now I use it a couple times a month. I don't use every pot and pan in the kitchen to prep for the multicooker use; I reject that kind of recipe. I have collected a few excellent cookbooks with good ideas and I found it is like anything else....you don't "get" it, you won't like it. You "get" it, you will use it as a helpful tool.

Make this in your cooker and see how you like it:

SLOW-COOKER CASSOULET 1 chicken fryer, cut up about 4 lbs
flour to dredge chicken in
½ lb bacon, cut in pieces
1 large onion, peeled and chopped, 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 heaping Tbsp parsley, chopped, 2 small bay leaves
1 tsp dry thyme, 1/2 tsp pepper
2-15 oz cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained
10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 lb Polish sausage or smoked sausage, sliced 1/2" thick
1/4 c dry white wine (I use dry Vermouth)
Cook bacon until crisp (I used to use a pan on the stove but now use the multicolor). Remove and set aside. Dredge chicken and brown a few pieces at a time in the bacon drippings with onions and garlic. I mop some of the drippings out with paper towels instead of trying to drain.
Place chicken, onions, garlic and bacon in the slow cooker and sprinkle evenly with parsley, bay leaves, and pepper. Add spinach. Spoon beans and sausage on top. Pour on the wine, cover and cook on LOW 6 hours. Serve with small new potatoes or mashed potatoes. Note: can cook in big pot on top of stove- simmer for two hours covered OR bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours covered in the oven.

Or this one- this recipe needs a little extra "oomph" and I know you have that. I have not played enough with it yet but the basic recipe is pretty good:

SLOW COOKER QUINOA, CHICKEN AND KALE SOUP(will serve 6)

2 lbs chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
¾ c dry quinoa
1 T each thyme, rosemary
8 c chicken broth + 1 heaping T Better than Boullion
1 can cannellini beans, drained
4 c packed Kale leaves
3 T chopped parsley
2 T lemon juice
finely shredded parmesan cheese to serve.

Brown chicken in oil then add onions, celery and garlic. Add quinoa, herbs and pour in chicken broth and Better than Boullion. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. Remove chicken , let rest 10 min, cut into pieces and return to soup. Add beans, kale, parsley and lemon juice. Cover and cook on HIGH another 20-30 min until kale is done. Top with parmesan cheese.

https://recipeswap.org/fun/wp-content/uploads/Finer_Kitchens/IMG_0704.jpg~original

 
Richard, are you talking about those crock pot things that you can take out the

cooking vessel and use it stove top to brown meats, poultry, and saute onions? I always thought they would be great, not to have to dirty an extra pot just to brown. I have held off buying one because I could not find anyone who had one of the new types.

As far as using up all those extra bowls for prep. I have three prep boards. The are a heavy plastic, white and square. I put my onions, carrots, celery or what ever on one of them. Another board can be used for those smaller items like evoo, spices, vinegar, which are put into small pyrex bowls. Many times, I just wipe it out if it was only spices, or vinegar. The rest go in the dishwasher. The prep boards are great because I can put all the veggies on it, then it goes in the refer all on one board.

I recently replaced by very old ones, and got three through Amazon. 2 square and one rectangular which can hold most all the wet and dry ingredients as I cook for 2 plus leftovers.

I also use my prep board for breakfast in the morning. I put everything on my board and carry it back to my computer so I can read the paper. Since I only drink a glass of tomato juice and eat a piece of in season fruit and maybe some cheese..I really have nothing that can mess up my computer. Love it for that.

http://www.wayfair.com/Cuisinart-Square-Prep-Board-BA-1111-CUI1939.html

 
Gave one to our kids and they LOVE it.

It is NOT a one trick pony--rice cooker, yogurt maker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, all in one lump.

 
Cathy am taking your advice and trying it out

I made a Moroccan Lentil Stew last night. I approached it as I would if I were cooking on the stovetop and didn't keep putting things in and taking them out (that part really bugged me in case you couldn't tell smileys/wink.gif. And again, I could have done it quicker on the stovetop since there just isn't that much heat going on for a nice saute (we have a Philips). Also, with a smaller area, it just took a lot longer to saute the veggies before adding the rest of the ingredients. Not a big deal, but still, why have the appliance if I can do it easier on stovetop? I'll keep at it.

However, I do realize that lentils cook very quickly and for something that would take a couple hours to simmer on stovetop, I can see some advantages there to reduce cooking time. So I will try a beef stew dish tonight and see how it goes. (I don't have the ingredients on hand to try your two dishes, so they'll have to keep for now).

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top