Multicooker with steamer function - for healthy food enthusiasts

A multicooker with a steamer function is an excellent choice for those who support a healthy diet. This kitchen appliance will eliminate the need to stand at the stove for a long time and will become an indispensable assistant in preparing wholesome and healthy food. The uniqueness of the multicooker-steamer is its versatility. In addition to steaming dishes, this convenient pan can boil, fry, stew, bake, and make yogurt. You just need to use the recipe book, add the necessary ingredients, turn on the start, and then wait for the finished dish.

Features of the multicooker-steamer

Many of us have encountered the need to steam diet food. For this purpose, it was necessary to build unimaginable structures from several pans. Today, purchasing special kitchen appliances will eliminate the need for complex manipulations with pots. Steaming food in a multicooker-steamer is easier, simpler and more convenient.

Unlike a double boiler, which resembles a multi-tiered pyramid of a water container and several reservoirs for food, a multicooker is an electric pan that performs different functions: boiling, stewing, frying, steaming, baking, grilling and many others. Both devices prepare uniquely healthy food, do not require constant human presence, and are easy to use and maintain.

Main advantages:

• ideal for novice and experienced cooks, as the cooking process is quite simple: place the food in a container, close the lid, select a mode and press the start button;
• uniform heating of food during cooking;
• the device is an excellent alternative to a conventional saucepan, frying pan, oven, bread maker, microwave, gas or electric stove;
• in addition to steaming, the unit successfully performs many other actions;
• in terms of the amount of preserved vitamins it is not inferior to dishes from a steamer;
• capable of cooking in its own juice, without adding oil or fat; during steaming, the water boils away very slowly;
• The set includes a measuring cup, spatula, spoon;
• the presence of a convenient removable bowl with a non-stick coating;
• dishes that are cooked in a saucepan, if the mode is correctly selected and the recipe is followed, will not stick to the walls of the bowl;
• the delayed start function will allow you to prepare food at a certain time of the day;
• lightness, ease of care;
• economical consumption of electricity.

Flaws:

• small bowl size for steaming dishes;
• food takes longer to cook in a slow cooker than in a double boiler;
• will not be able to provide a set lunch, since he prepares only one dish at a time;
• costs more than a double boiler.

How to steam properly in a slow cooker

To avoid mistakes in using a kitchen appliance, you need to carefully study the instructions for use. Then cooking will be easy, and you will learn all the intricacies of using your multicooker. For example, using a steamer basket you can quickly boil eggs.

Food preparation

Proper preparation of food is very important for this cooking mode.

For broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus cabbage, the stems must be removed. The meat must be washed and dried. A small hole made in the eggshell will prevent them from cracking when cooked using steam. Other types of products can be cooked whole or cut into pieces.

Cooking time

The cooking time in the steamer mode is optimal for preserving the beneficial properties of the product. Below is a list of products indicating the maximum cooking time for each ingredient in minutes. The weight of the products is also indicated, but the actual quantity can be changed.

What to cook/maximum cooking time in minutes

Meat products and eggs:

• 0.5 kg manti - 40
• 0.5 kg meat dumplings, veal fillet - 30
• 0.250 kg lamb chops – 30
• 0.3 kg chicken drumsticks, veal cutlets, turkey - 30
• 0.5 kg chicken, pork, lamb (fillet) - 25
• 10 hard-boiled eggs - 20
• 0.5 kg chicken cutlets – 20
• 8-10 pcs. sausages in casing – 13

Fish, seafood:

• 1.5 kg lobster in casing – 35
• 0.4 kg tuna fillet – 30
• 1.0 kg mussels in shells - 25
• 0.3 kg trout fillet – 25
• 0.5 kg frozen squid – 25
• 0.5 kg frozen shrimp – 20
• 0.4 kg red sea bass fillet – 18
• 0.3 kg pollock fillet - 18

Vegetables fruits:

• 0.5 kg beets, corn on the cob - 60
• 0.5 kg asparagus, potatoes in skins - 40
• 0.5 kg of cabbage in slices - 30
• 0.5 kg cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi - 25
• 0.5 kg carrots, leeks, potatoes, whole mushrooms - 25
• 0.5 kg fennel, zucchini, cabbage - 20
• 0.5 kg apples or pears - 15
• 0.5 kg chopped mushrooms - 10
• 0.5 kg spinach, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli - 6
• 0.5 kg bell pepper - 4
• 0.5 kg of Chinese cabbage - 3

What can you steam in a slow cooker?

You can cook many foods using steam in a slow cooker. In addition to independent dishes made from dough and filling - manti, dumplings and dumplings, you can prepare side dishes for meat and fish, as well as sausages and eggs. A salad or vinaigrette with steamed vegetables will be very tasty and healthy. The meat will easily turn out juicy and the fish tender.

To make steamed dishes tasty, it is important to adhere to several rules:

1. When filling the multicooker with water, give preference to boiling water. The food will cook much faster.
2. To preserve the color and vitamins in green vegetables and foliage, cook them briefly.
3. Do not defrost food before loading it into the slow cooker. Steam will defrost them faster and without losing their beneficial properties.
4. Place the products in the steaming basket, keeping some distance between them. Otherwise, the steam will not be able to penetrate them, and they will remain damp. It can also damage your kitchen appliances.
5. There is no need to add salt to the multicooker bowl during cooking. To make the dish tasty, it is better to season the prepared foods with spices. Salt the finished dish after cooking.

Principle of operation

If you like steamed dishes, you will definitely need a multicooker with a steamer function. Each device has a container with small holes. The principle of operation is simple: fill the bowl with the required amount of water, place the container with the laid out products, and then turn on the “steaming” mode.

The duration of cooking depends entirely on the amount of water poured. Two multi-cups of liquid is enough to cook meals for half an hour. As the cooking time increases, the amount of water required increases. For example, 30-60 minutes of cooking requires at least five multi-cups of liquid.

The period for which the steaming function is set is from one minute to one hour. If the dish is not cooked during this period of time, add a new portion of water to the removable pan, simultaneously setting the time. If the liquid has completely evaporated, the multicooker stops cooking and automatically switches to heating mode. To start, it is recommended to refill the container and turn on the required program.

Products must be placed so that they do not touch each other. Thus, the steam envelops them unhindered, ensuring high-quality cooking. Vegetables can be added uncut, although after chopping large enough specimens, the cooking time is significantly reduced. Spices should be added to foods, not to water, and salt should be added to prepared foods. The uniqueness of a multicooker with a double boiler function is that there is no need to pre-defrost food. For example, if you put frozen vegetables or fish in a container, you don’t have to worry about the efficiency of cooking.

How to use the Timer option

The “Timer” option allows you to make cooking in a multicooker more versatile. Using it, it’s easy to independently program the cooking modes of your favorite dishes. The function is enabled as follows:

• First, preliminary preparation of the necessary ingredients is carried out.
• Then press the “Menu” button.
• Select the desired program (for example, “soup” mode).
• After this, the “timer” button is pressed. The first press displays the numbers “00:00” on the display.
• Press the “timer” button again, access to setting the time “hour: minutes” opens. One step 1 hour: 10 minutes.
• After setting the time, press the “start” button.

Read also: Air fryer: how to cook with it and how to choose

What foods can be cooked with steam?

The multicooker is ideal for cooking vegetables, meat, fish, dumplings, cereals, pies, buns, and gingerbreads. A book with a huge list of recipes will help you prepare delicious and maximally healthy food. To enhance and diversify the taste of culinary creations, use all kinds of spices and sauces. A multi-cooker-steamer is a unique device that is conducive to all kinds of experiments. Whatever you decide to steam in this miracle pan, the dish will certainly be healthy, tasty and interesting.

The difference between a steamer and a multicooker with a steamer function

Which device to choose depends on the individual preferences of all family members. For those who love healthy steamed dishes, a steamer is a good choice. However, it is worth considering that monotonous food prepared in this device may soon become boring. A slow cooker offers more options for making your meals more varied and nutritious.

A double boiler and a multicooker resemble peculiar pans that operate on mains power. Although both devices save the housewife’s time, they are designed differently and, accordingly, have some differences:

Are there any downsides?

Well, what about it? There are not so few of them, frankly speaking. But, in fairness, as for the cooking process itself, these disadvantages are noticeable only to those who deftly manage cooking on a regular stove. But for children or very young housewives, using a multicooker is just the thing.

But let’s return to our sheep, that is, the minuses:

• The biggest disadvantage is that a dish cooked in a slow cooker cannot be left in it, cooled and put in the refrigerator. It must be poured from the bowl. And this is still a pleasure. It’s not very easy to remove food, especially if it’s hot.
• Again, the multicooker consumes electricity, and quite a bit. If you already had an electric stove, then you have absolutely nothing to lose. And if you used gas, then what's the point? Gas will be cheaper.
• It is very inconvenient to wash it. The bowl is quite fragile, and if you damage or drop it, you will cost a pretty penny; it needs to be replaced urgently. In addition to the bowl, you need to wash the silicone ring, lid, and valve. And that’s all – I don’t really understand it. Of course, there are models with a removable lid, but still, it’s more hassle than washing smooth, metal pans.
• She looks, to put it mildly, uncomfortable in the kitchen. Some kind of mini-vacuum cleaner, not a saucepan. Even food does not look as appetizing in it as in ordinary dishes. And our visual perception is everything, as they say...
• If the process has already started, then it is no longer possible to influence the result. And by opening the lid to try, you only lengthen the cooking process, which means you add an extra watt or two of electricity consumption.
• Food cooks much faster on the stove than in a slow cooker! Twice - exactly. This is because the temperature there is low.
• Baking in a slow cooker does not have a golden brown crust, no matter how hard you try.
• The taste of the dishes is quite specific. And not everyone will like food from a slow cooker.
• Inability to prepare large amounts of food. That is, for a large family, this device is absolutely useless.
• Also, the downside is that it needs to be allocated a separate place in the kitchen. For ease of cooking, the multicooker should have a stationary place, since taking it out and hiding it is not very convenient. This is not your little blender.

These are the things, dear housewives.
Let's put it this way: if you have an antediluvian electric stove that takes a long time to heat up, takes a long time to cool down and “eats” electricity, then it makes sense for you to buy a multicooker. If things are different for you, then we would not advise you to get excited. Moreover, you haven’t read the next block yet... See also -
How to wash a multicooker outside and inside: basic care rules

Top 5 best multicooker manufacturers

1. The most famous manufacturer of these products is the company. Models of multicookers have a stylish design, a lot of basic and additional programs. The devices are convenient and easy to use, and have a wide price range.
2. Polaris multicookers are considered no less popular. Cooking food in such an appliance is a lot of fun. Consumers highly appreciated the functionality, compactness, reasonable prices and attractive design of multicookers.
3. Household appliances from the Japanese brand Panasonic are known all over the world. Multi-cookers from this company are distinguished by their reliability, robust housing, durability and strict design.
4. The range of Moulinex multicookers is extensive and varied. The distinctive characteristics of the product are functionality and stylish appearance. The company offers both small and fairly massive units.
5. Today, SUPRA multicookers mean reasonable prices, reliability and versatility. A special advantage is the convenient four-liter bowl.

The usefulness of dishes steamed in a slow cooker is undeniable. The products retain their original color, smell, shape, taste, beneficial vitamins and microelements. Regular consumption of such food will have a positive effect on health. Steaming does not require stirring, turning food, or using oil or fat. A multicooker with a steamer function is an ideal choice for those who support a healthy diet. Steamed food is not only healthy, but also delicious.

What volume should I choose?

If you have a large family, then take a larger bowl. And do not forget that the actual volume will be one and a half liters less than indicated. If the multicooker is 6-liter, then barely 4.5 liters of soup will come out; if it is 3-liter, then 2.

In addition, do not forget about additional functions. Let's say a deep fryer in a six-liter bowl is a stupid and unprofitable thing. Too much oil will be lost, and not enough food will fit.

And, a three-liter steamer will hold exactly 2-3 manti. And they will take a long time to prepare. So, before purchasing, it is advisable to determine for yourself which dishes will be cooked in it in the greatest variety.