Is it worth buying a multicooker? Today, this device, which facilitates the process of cooking, is becoming increasingly popular in Russia and the post-Soviet space. And this is not surprising: cooking in a slow cooker is understandable to both a child and a pensioner, and once a year a bachelor approaching the stove. But at the same time, with the help of this "smart pan" you can cook really tasty and, what is important, healthy dishes. Reviews about multicookers are mostly positive - the fact that dishes in a multicooker turn out to be very tasty and healthy and do not require much effort in the cooking process delights how ordinary people as well as professionals. Indeed, a good multicooker is a kind of magic pot, into which you just need to load your favorite products and press the button, and it will do the rest by itself.
What can be cooked in a slow cooker? Yes, almost everything! With this appliance, you can cook first and second courses, desserts, pastries, snacks, cereals, casseroles, sauces, jams ... In a word, dishes in a slow cooker can be very diverse. Multicookers owe their versatility to the built-in processor, which provides various cooking options. There are different program cooking modes, the recipes for the multicooker collected in this section will help you to master them masterfully. Having thoroughly figured out how to cook in a slow cooker, with its help you can delight your eaters with delicious and healthy delicacies every day, and for this you don’t have to spin at the stove all day!
Multicooker - harm or benefit? Research and experience show that the usefulness of the multicooker cannot be questioned. Food cooked in an airtight container retains much more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than traditionally cooked food. The dishes in it do not burn, which means that there are no carcinogens in them. Pseudo-scientific articles and videos that prove the harm of multicookers are unfair and prepared by order of those who are not profitable from the growth in sales of this electrical appliance. This is all slander: dishes in a slow cooker are prepared without being accompanied by electromagnetic radiation, in complete tightness and with a minimum amount of oil, which means that they are more healthy and dietary.
What is the best multicooker to buy? First, you need to pay attention to the power of the device - the more powerful it is, the better. Secondly, you need to choose the optimal bowl volume for you - a multicooker with a large bowl (pot) is suitable for a large family, a small one for a family of three. Thirdly, it is important to check what modes the model is equipped with. In general, it is best to consult with a sales assistant in a shopping center - he will tell you how to choose a slow cooker in your situation.
Multifunctionality, ease of use, usefulness of dishes, saving time and products - these are just a few of the reasons for the popularity of the "miracle pot". If you already have a multicooker, you will find recipes for it on our website. And if you don’t have it, maybe you should think about buying such an indispensable assistant in the kitchen?
Multicooker - how to cook in it
So many flattering words have already been said and more will be said about the little helper in the kitchen - the slow cooker. If you are reading this article for review, as you are planning to purchase this miracle of engineering, then we will try to tell you about all the intricacies and advantages of using this device. So, how to cook in a slow cooker? Exactly the same as in a simple pan, only easier. The unit of any brand has several embedded programs adapted to the menu of the average Russian. That is, the device itself will regulate the temperature regime, respectively, of the dish that you plan to cook. All that is required of you is to put the products in the multicooker bowl. This must be done at a time, which undoubtedly saves you time and effort that you can spend on your loved ones or your favorite hobby.
How to cook soup in a slow cooker? Approximately as in the Russian oven. By the way, the result will be similar. Products folded at the same time, including meat, languish for several hours. As a result, you get a very tender, dietary dish. If you can’t imagine the first dish without a fried onion, then before you add the main ingredients for cooking, you need to fry the onions and carrots (including everything that you like), all in the same slow cooker in the “ frying" or "baking" (the mode depends on the model). Then add everything and simmer, according to the recipe.
Porridge
How to cook porridge in a slow cooker? Very, very simple. Fold the washed cereal into a bowl, fill in the liquid required by the recipe and turn on the mode, according to the recipe. Some units are equipped with a delay start, which will allow you to have healthy, hot breakfasts without much hassle.
Pilaf
How to cook pilaf in a slow cooker? Easily. Special if you cook it with chicken meat or seafood. The appropriate mode will help you with this. The only thing to consider is the size meat pieces if you are using meats that take longer to cook. In some cases, it will have to be prepared in advance.
Vegetable stew
How to cook stewed cabbage, potatoes or vegetable sauté in a slow cooker? Insanely simple. Fold vegetables in layers, turn on the "baking" mode if you want the bottom layer of carrots and onions to fry, if not, then the "stewing" mode for an hour and a half. The meat can be put on the bottom or added already cooked on top. In this case, smoked ribs or sausages, stew or ham are perfect.
For a couple
How to cook in a slow cooker for a couple? Elementary, just put the products in the basket, pour a glass of water on the bottom of the bowl (more if it takes a long time to cook the dish), place the basket in the bowl and the necessary time.
Bakery
How to cook biscuits, casseroles in a slow cooker? Exactly the same as in the oven, only the likelihood that the result will be excellent is much higher. You can easily bake your favorite charlotte or apple cake in the “miracle oven”.
Ham
How to bake a ham in a slow cooker? Prepare, according to your recipe, a piece of meat, put it in a bowl and turn on the “baking” mode for a couple of hours (more if you have a large piece). Believe me, this is the simplest and most delicious analogue of sausage for breakfast.
Create. Everything will work out for you.
Finally, I also bought a multicooker, a miracle of technology that is very popular among women, for my kitchen. For a long time I read reviews on the Internet, went shopping for household appliances, I thought whether I needed it or not. Still, curiosity took over. Here she is, brand new and shiny, in my kitchen. My multicooker or, as I affectionately call it, “multya”.
I note right away that it is compact, does not take up much space, and is ideal for both large home dining rooms and the “Khrushchev” kitchen. And cooking with her is a pleasure! Fast, tasty, no fuss or hassle. Threw all the ingredients for the dish. Selected the desired mode. She closed the lid. The timer counted down the time and signaled that everything was ready. In a word, an indispensable thing not only for housewives, but also for business ladies who always do not have enough time to cook.
Why is it useful to cook in a slow cooker?
There are many reasons. And the most important of them is time saving. No need to stand over the stove, worry about how something would not burn, run away, spill out. Everything is as easy as shelling pears, because the machine has already programmed modes for certain dishes. It remains only to select and press the button, and the multicooker will independently cook and turn off or switch to the heating mode. And this, by the way, is also a convenient option! Now all models of multicookers are equipped with a delayed start function. That is, I need to cook food by a certain moment, then I set this mode on the multicooker and choose the right time. Voila! The porridge is ready by 7 am, and at 6 pm hot rich soup is waiting for me at home.
Another reason I love the slow cooker is the ability to cook dishes in a variety of modes. That is, this is cooking, stewing, deep-frying, frying or double boiler. For me, as a lover of culinary experiments, this is a real find. I often cook meat for my beloved kids. Almost every day I try something new, find interesting combinations of products and enjoy the taste of my favorite food.
The next advantage of the multicooker is that it prepares not only tasty, but also healthy dishes. Highly recommend to adherents proper nutrition buy a multicooker! When cooking food in it, I use sunflower oil in it to a minimum. And if you have a unit with a bowl of ceramic coating, then you can not add oil at all.
During the use of this miracle machine (almost two months), I have my own “favorites” in the recipes for the multicooker. I will share some of the most successful of them with you.
Successful recipes in a slow cooker, tested on your family
Ruddy croutons
For the basis of many snacks, I use egg croutons, which are easy to cook in a slow cooker.
For this you will need:
- 4 slices of loaf or white bread;
- 1 egg;
- 30 g butter;
- 1 st. l. milk;
- salt and various spices to taste.
I beat the egg with a whisk or fork, pour in the milk, salt and pepper everything. For lovers of spices, you can add various spices such as turmeric, curry, garlic and others. Next, I melt the butter in the multicooker bowl, dip the slices of bread in a mixture of eggs and milk and fry for 15 minutes in the “Frying” mode, and sometimes I use the “Baking” mode. In the middle of cooking, about the eighth minute after the start, our croutons need to be turned over so that they become rosy and beautiful. The croutons are best served hot.
mushroom caviar
This is one of my favorite snacks, as they say, for any occasion.
To prepare caviar, I use the following ingredients:
- dried mushrooms (you can take fresh champignons);
- onion
- oil for frying;
- salt, pepper to taste.
Pre-mushrooms, if they are dried, soak in water, then boil for 5 minutes. After that, I pass the mushrooms through a meat grinder or grind in a blender. I pour oil into the multicooker bowl, turn on the “Baking” mode for 30 minutes and fry the chopped onion for about 2-3 minutes. I add mushrooms to the bowl with onions, mix, salt and pepper the mass, close the lid and wait for the end of the program. Mushroom caviar is ready! This dish is served both hot and cold. It is delicious in any form.
Cheese soup with meatballs
This soup is hearty, tasty and, most importantly, easy to prepare.
For cheese soup we need:
- 500 g minced meat (from any meat);
- 4 potatoes;
- 2 onions;
- 1 small carrot;
- 100 g of processed cheese;
- greens, spices, salt, bay leaf.
I fry the grated carrots and finely chopped onions in the multicooker bowl for 5 minutes in the “Frying” mode in any oil. Next, I add potatoes (I prefer cubes), meatballs and processed cheese. I pour boiling water into the bowl to the maximum mark, put salt, spices, close the lid of the multicooker and turn on the “Soup” mode. A couple of minutes before readiness, open the lid and add greens to taste. I let the soup brew for another 20 minutes, after which you can eat. Bon appetit!
Pea soup puree with smoked meats
Puree soups are my weakness, they are rich, unusual. Especially tasty is the soup-puree of peas with the addition of bacon.
For such a soup you will need the following products:
- 1 glass of peas;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 large onion;
- 300 g bacon or other smoked meat product;
- salt, spices to taste.
Peas are better to take fast food if you use a regular one, then it needs to be soaked in water overnight. I rub the carrots on a grater, and chop the onion very finely. Then I cut the bacon into cubes and, together with carrots and onions, fry in a slow cooker until golden brown in the “Frying” mode. I add peas, salt, pepper, spices to taste to the bowl, fill it with water and turn on the “Stew / Stew” mode for 1.5 hours. After the soup is cooked, I grind it with a mixer and let it brew for another 10 minutes. fragrant dish ready!
Ragout with sauerkraut
I used to be very suspicious of stewed vegetables. I don't know why, but I didn't like this kind of food. Until recently. And all because I tried stew with sauerkraut, and just fell in love with this dish.
In order to cook stew with sauerkraut, you need:
- 500 g chicken fillet;
- 3 onions;
- 2 carrots;
- 5 potatoes;
- 200 g sauerkraut;
- salt, spices to taste.
I cut the chicken fillet into small pieces, sprinkle with spices, fry in a bowl for 15 minutes in oil. There I add onion cut into half rings and grated carrots, fry in the “Frying” mode for 6-7 minutes. Next, I spread the potatoes on top in thin circles, salt, pepper, and put the squeezed out from excess moisture on top. sauerkraut. I close the slow cooker and turn on the “Stew / Stew” mode for 1 hour. Done, ready to serve! The peculiarity of this dish is that the cabbage adds some piquancy, spiciness and acidity, which makes the taste of the stew especially bright.
Chicken chop in a slow cooker
Chicken is the most light meat for digestion. I especially like the chicken chop.
For this hearty and delicious dish required:
- chicken fillet;
- mustard;
- semolina;
- salt, spices.
I cut the fillet into small pieces, beat off and marinate for 20 minutes in mustard and spices. I pour oil into the multicooker bowl and turn on the “Frying” mode. I dip the pieces of meat in semolina on both sides and spread them in a bowl. Grill the meat for 15 minutes on each side. Chops are soft, fragrant and tasty.
A wonderful drink - thick, warming, tasty and easy to prepare.
For hot chocolate, I take:
- a liter package of milk (milk is better to take fatter);
- 2 chocolate bars;
- 2 tbsp. l. starch.
I prefer dark chocolate with 75% cocoa, but a milk bar will do. I break the chocolate into small pieces, pour it with milk (I leave about half a glass of milk, it will be needed a little later). I close the multicooker and set the “Porridge” mode. I pour starch into the remaining milk. After 10 minutes, the chocolate will completely melt, I mix this mass and pour milk and starch into it in a thin stream, while not forgetting to stir constantly. As soon as the mixture begins to thicken, I turn off the slow cooker, pour the chocolate into mugs and treat the guests.
The most delicate mannik
Mannik, though simple to prepare, but tasty and hearty pie. In addition, the products for its preparation are available and always at hand.
A slow cooker for many is the same “magic pot” that cooks at the behest of the owner. Indeed, simple commands and settings are enough to get a tasty result. But is this device really that unique? Are there any restrictions on what you can do in your slow cooker, or not? This is what needs to be sorted out.
The creators of the device have tried to do everything to ensure that the device has a sufficient number of modes, each of which will make it possible to cook a dish of a certain type. And it's up to the developers to add a lot of additional features. Finally, users test whether it is possible to recreate dishes from the stove or oven in the slow cooker and conduct their own experiments.
Each multicooker comes with a recipe book. Some models have more than a hundred of them. You can focus on this Talmud, and even better - diversify your horizons delicious tips from various thematic sites and forums.
One thing is clear - this unit does everything to be as useful as possible thanks to:
- its versatility (the ability to stew, steam, fry, bake);
- ability to save beneficial features, vitamins and minerals in products;
- reliability of use (food will not burn and will not run out, and at the end of cooking it will simply go into heating);
- saving time and products;
- mobility and compactness.
All these and other points are confirmed by the practical talents of the device.
How to cook eggs in a slow cooker
Let's start with breakfast (although boiled eggs can be both an independent dish and a constituent element of other food delights). Traditionally, this was suggested to be cooked on the stove, but the creators of the unit offer three ways to do it.
delicious soups
Of course, you can cook in a slow cooker not only eggs, but also many other products. Soups cooked under pressure are surprisingly tender and tasty - they retain all the nutrients. We can say that they even languish a little - this distinguishes them favorably from those cooked on the stove. There are a couple of secrets in these recipes.
By the way, with the "Soup" function, you can cook dumplings in a slow cooker.
healthy vegetables
Any product cooked in this technique will retain all its useful properties. Especially if it's cooked. for a couple in a multicooker. However, for each ingredient, it is better to set the time manually (similar to the traditional method). It is best to pre-cut it into large pieces. But you should be prepared for the fact that vegetables will differ from those cooked in the traditional way: for example, steamed potatoes are more sticky and stick to your hands when cut into salads.
Thus, you can cook beets in a slow cooker: the vegetable is cleaned, washed under running water and placed on a special steamer basket. There must be at least a liter of water in the container below it. Now it is enough to turn on “Steaming” for 40 minutes - at the end of the process, you can be sure that all the useful vitamins and elements remain in the product, and do not go into the water.
Special recipe for condensed milk
Soups, vegetables and boiled eggs are not limited to the capabilities of the unit. Many users go further, offering to cook condensed milk in a slow cooker. The recipe will be next.
- From the ingredients you will need 2 multi glasses of sugar, 5 multi glasses of milk and a little soda (on the tip of a knife).
- Sugar is first poured into the container, after which milk is poured (fresh, with 3.2% fat content). Baking soda is added to keep it from curdling while cooking.
- Cooking modes the found recipes mention different ones: if you put “Steaming”, you can choose 60 minutes. In the case of the "Extinguishing" command, the time will be 2.5 hours. The whole secret is that the excess liquid must be boiled out.
- There is another important detail in how to cook condensed milk: you should not increase portions on your own. Nevertheless, there is milk here that will boil and there is a risk that if it is in excess, it will simply begin to crawl out of all the slots of the device (which can ruin the equipment).
If you follow the prescribed rules, the result will be a tasty and fragrant condensed milk, which is many times more useful than store-bought counterparts.
Frying under control and without
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to fry in a slow cooker is positive: you can and should do it. The fried diet is varied - from cabbage as a filling for pies to cutlets. In any case, the dish will not burn, it will cook faster and will be much healthier than traditional.
Heating occurs to the set temperature and the required time will be maintained (for meat - at least half an hour). There is another advantage - a minimum amount of oil is required, which means burning and splashing.
Users name only one drawback - the lack of crispy golden brown, because the temperature of the container will not rise above the set mark. And the time for this process will have to be spent more, unlike the usual method.
The nuances of baking
Another sought-after talent of the device is a complete replacement of the oven. In addition to the usual desserts, is it possible to bake fish and meat in a slow cooker? Of course, but it's better to do it in models with multi-cook (multi-chef) settings. This advantage will allow you to set the optimal cooking time for the product.
The baking mode is also good because during its process you can open the lid and check the readiness of the baked dish. But it is better to do this for meat and fish: for example, in biscuits it is better to do without it, because the cake can “fall off”.
Many users may have encountered the problem " pale top at the pies. Everything is solved by banal baking: at the end of the process, the dish is turned over and the multicooker is turned on again in the “Baking” mode for no more than 10 minutes.
In models with 3D heating, there are no such difficulties.
Is it allowed to use Silicone forms in a multicooker? Without a doubt, only they should be of high quality material. Before placing the contents in it, the form should be well greased with olive oil or vegetable oil(so that nothing burns or sticks to it). The bowl itself is also lubricated. If we are talking about soufflés or desserts, then they are steamed in special trays.
Is it possible to bake using foil? Of course, but there are certain rules to follow.
In this way, you can cook everything - from meat to fish. delicious recipe the latter can be found here.
- Any fish in a slow cooker can be baked in foil. If it is large, then 1 piece will be enough, smaller ones can take 2 or more fish.
- The foil is folded into a rectangle proportional to the size of the source. In the middle of it we put the main “heroine”, sprinkle with spices, grease with mayonnaise or sour cream.
- You can put vegetables and onions on top. Grease again with mayonnaise and cover with slices of cheese.
- It remains only to fold the boat out of foil. Everything fits into the container and turns on "Baking" mode for half an hour.
- In this scenario, the very bottom of the device will also remain clean (it does not even have to be washed).
How to defrost food
That's not all - a slow cooker can help thaw foods from the freezer. You can speed up the process by placing an "ice" on the steamer basket and turning on steam cooking mode. It takes 8-12 minutes for the piece to become soft. Each product - meat, vegetables or poultry - will be defrosted depending on the degree of icing, but it is better for the user to periodically check under the lid so that they are not cooked: the power of the devices is different.
So, to the question of what can be done in a slow cooker, we answer with confidence: “That's it!” It is better to start with recipes from the book attached to the model, and then boldly experiment and move to new culinary horizons.
