How to Use a Multi Cooker

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

If you’ve purchased an instant pot for the first time, you’re probably excited about all of the exciting recipes to try. But whether you’re new or experienced with cooking, there are various things you’ll need to know before you cook with this appliance.

With so much versatility – including making yoghurt, rice, stew, beans, and meat – you can create the perfect meal in one pot. Read this blog to explore everything you need to about how to use a multi cooker and making the most of your new appliance.

Cooking For Better Health

A healthy diet should be everyone’s top priority, but we can often become so consumed in various ingredients that we’re left clueless. However, a multi cooker enables you to make healthier dinners in one pot. In particular, they provide a low-calorie option while retaining the food’s optimum nutritious value.

Furthermore, choose the ‘steam‘ function to lock in vitamins and minerals. This function uses steam to cook ingredients quickly and efficiently while keeping in up to 90% of vitamins. Alternative kitchen methods, such as boiling, can cause vitamins to dissolve as you cook. In addition, you really only need a small amount of oil to cook meat and other foods to their best, most nutritional value.

Using a Multi Cooker When You’re in a Rush

The beauty of this kitchen appliance is that they can cook dishes quickly for great tasting results at home. They can cook food quicker than a traditional oven and don’t take a lot of knowledge or set-up time. In fact, once you’ve grown to learn the various settings available, you can make dishes at home in minimal time.

Place all of your uncooked food within the multi cooker and use the pressure cooking function. It’ll then cook food evenly in a fraction of the time. What’s more, it will allow you to prepare your meal without needing to cook multiple dishes separately. As a result, you can cook chicken, potatoes, and vegetables at the same time in one pot.

Not only can multi cookers cook food quickly when used as a pressure cooker, but they can save you a lot of money on your bills, too. Although you can buy a pressure cooker separately, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy all the other features a multi cooker boasts.

Can You Use a Multi Cooker as a Slow Cooker?

In summary, the answer is yes. Most instant pots double as a slow cooker which allows you to experience the benefits of slow cooking.

Place all of your chosen ingredients into the pot to slow cook while you’re working or busy with other tasks. All you will need to do is set it to the ‘slow cook’ function and leave everything to cook. Best of all, you won’t have to monitor the food the entire time.

Once the food is evenly cooked, the multi cooker will keep warm everything inside. You can even adjust the cooking times and temperature. Slow cooking is a great option if you don’t often have time in the evenings. Simply prep everything in the morning and then you’ll only need to dish it up when dinner time comes around.

Using a Multi Cooker to Bake

Multi cookers are so versatile and easy to use. But did you know that you can also create delicious baked desserts with this device? In fact, multi cookers let you bake pastries, cakes, brownies, and more at home. Simply apply a non-stick spray or oil to the pot’s base. Place your mixture inside the pot, set the temperature, and place the lid on the top. Then, hit the ‘bake’ setting and the multi cooker will get to work.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rumyana Nankova (@rumy_nankova)

Are Multi Cookers Safe?

We’ve discussed that you can make various recipes at home with multi cookers, but are these kitchen appliances safe to use at home? Electric multi cookers are easy to use and safe to use—and they don’t require constant supervision and care. Some safety functions include a heat-resistant lid that doesn’t become hot on the exterior when you remove it to retrieve your dishes.

In addition, many multi cookers will only begin cooking once the lid is securely on. This safety mechanism may reduce any injuries from burning yourself on hot food or steam.

This is especially important when using the pressure cooker setting. This involves cooking foods at a high pressure which can be dangerous if it is not secure or if you remove it too soon. You can rest assured that multi cookers have multiple features to ensure your safety when in use.

Use a Multi Cooker for Different Functions

Use your all-in-one cooker to its full potential to make chicken, yoghurt, rice, stew, beans, and more dishes in the comfort of your own home. There are many different settings to utilise but these are just a few of the ways you can explore new meals.

Steaming

This might be one of the most well-used settings on a multi cooker. All you have to do is simply add water to the appliance, place a rack and your chosen food inside, and then switch on the appliance. Adjust the setting to the ‘steaming’ mode, and it’ll work to bring the liquid to a boil quickly. Bear in mind, the lid won’t lock on completely to prevent trapping all of the steam. However, it will be secure enough to ensure that your food cooks through and is kept warm. Set the cooking time to 15 minutes to make certain the vegetables are troughly cooked, without losing their nutritional value.

Frying

Frying is a great way to enjoy food, but this method of cooking contains a high amount of calories and isn’t suitable for making all recipes. Instead, opt for a multi cooker to cook with less oil and take off some cooking time.

Place meat, vegetables, cheese, and other foods into the multi cooker and hit the ‘fry’ button. Set the temperature to around 200 degrees, and place the lid on. The appliance will then alert you when it’s cooked your meals.

Boiling

This function cooks many different dishes, such as potatoes, oatmeal, white rice, and more. To make boiled potatoes in the multi cooker, place the chopped potatoes inside and add any herbs and spices. Close the lid and select the ‘steam‘ function. Then, set the timer to 30 minutes and press ‘start’. This method will create even potatoes that are easy and quick to cook. You can even make boiled eggs in a multi cooker by using this process, too.

Using a Multi Cooker to Keep Food Warm

If you’ve already prepared your food in a multi cooker, you might not want to switch on the oven or use the microwave to reheat your dishes. In which case, use the multi cooker for an easy solution. First, make sure there’s ample liquid in the multi cooker. Otherwise, your dishes will become dry and tasteless. If the dish itself doesn’t have liquid, use a couple of tablespoons of water or sauce.

If you want to reheat single dishes, use the insert pot for your chosen food. Otherwise, opt for stacking containers for more than one dish. In particular, use separators between the containers or put a hard item in-between to prevent them from falling on one another.

Use the ‘steam’ setting to reheat all foods. Allow five minutes for non-frozen food, whereas noodles will need 1–2 minutes. A multi cooker is an excellent way to keep warm any food you need to if you just add sauce because it won’t create dryness as a traditional oven or microwave might.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Цветина Гавазова (@tsvetinagavazova)

How to Clean a Multi-Function Cooker for the First Time

If this is your first time utilising an instant pot, you may require some assistance before getting started. Ensure that you remove all labels, except for the housing labels. For initial use, apply a warm, slightly damp cloth to the exterior – paying extra care to not get any electrical components wet.

Then, rinse the bowl under lukewarm water and dry with a soft paper towel. Although this is your first time using your multi cooker, you might be tempted to scrub at the pot to remove any residue or a plastic smell. But doing this can actually damage the non-stick coating.

To remove any unwanted smells before you cook food inside for the first time, place a lemon inside the pot with 1.5 litres of liquid. Make sure the inner sealing is properly fastened to prevent any debris and food from entering these elements before you start using any functions. Use the high steam feature and the multi cooker will use heat to eliminate any plastic odour.

Placement

Furthermore, don’t just place your multi cooker anywhere in the kitchen. Make sure the heat and steam can escape the valve without coming into contact with electrical components or the wall. This could contribute to mould build-up.

Once you’ve used your multi cooker several times, you’ll naturally become more comfortable with the settings. But you need to remain safe in your kitchen, so wait around 15 minutes before opening the steam valve to prevent burning yourself.

The Joy It Brings!

A multi cooker is the perfect kitchen appliance. It can slow cook, fry, bake, pressure cook, and so much more. And with a one-button operation, they’re simple to use and create dishes you’ll like – even if you’re a novice in the kitchen.

Always check the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations before you begin cooking to learn how to use a multi cooker. Many brands have specific functions and cleaning methods, so spend some time researching the best practices to use.

Do you use your kitchen appliance every day? Share your thoughts, along with some recommended recipes, in the comments.