Manufacturers of multicookers are trying to create a device that can perform the functions of several devices at once. The modes in a multicooker are becoming more varied and complex. An ordinary home multicooker can cook almost any dish: grill, pasta, boil food in the classic way or steam it like a double boiler. Cooking modes differ in complexity and functionality. Let's figure out how different programs and modes work in a typical multicooker.
Home use of the product
Manual modes
Such programs are a response to user requests. Those who are used to cooking according to their own recipes want the multicooker program to be able to set the heating temperature and cooking time manually.
The first to provide this opportunity was then followed by other manufacturers.
In multicookers of different brands, this cooking option may be called differently, and the basic characteristics will also differ. The minimum temperature that this mode allows you to set is about 30 degrees Celsius. It is convenient for making yoghurts and preparing yeast dough. The upper limit will be different for each manufacturer. The range is 100–200 degrees.
Manual cooking program names: multicook, manual, your mode, multichef and other options. It makes sense to experiment with manual cooking if the owner of the device has a good understanding of the process of preparing a dish and understands what and how to do it. If you have little experience, it is better to start by trusting the standard automatic modes, the results of which will be consistently successful.
Using manual mode without proper experience is fraught with unexpected consequences
Why do we need to know temperature conditions?
The choice of cooking method depends on many things: taste preferences, health, effort and cooking time. Having a multicooker at home minimizes the importance of the last two factors - the entire cooking process takes place autonomously, and your participation will only be needed at the stage of placing the prepared products into the bowl.
Cooking time doesn’t matter now, since while the porridge is simmering for 4 hours, you can easily go shopping or go on a visit, and the reliable protection system in the multicooker will prevent any troubles in your absence.
Automatic modes
There are several automatic modes that ensure high quality dishes.
"Warming" program. A fairly simple option that allows you to keep a ready-made dish warm while waiting for lunch or dinner. Some housewives use this mode to defrost or melt butter. In most multicooker models, heating turns on automatically after cooking.
The stewing mode at a given temperature in a multicooker is very similar to conventional cooking in an oven at low temperatures. Well suited for cooking porridges, jellied meats, broths, in a word, those dishes that require simmering. The finished product is aromatic and uniform in structure. The timer can be set from half an hour to twelve hours.
The baking or baking option is convenient for those who like to prepare biscuits and sweet pastries. Non-trivial options for using “baking” include using this program for frying vegetables or meat products.
Baking mode in a multicooker
The mode configured for cooking porridge may differ in name and temperature settings. This program is also suitable for pilaf, crumbly porridges, and porridges with milk. Cooking time varies from forty minutes to an hour.
Some models for pilaf have a special mode, in which the food is browned on the bottom and the rice turns out crumbly. In this mode you can bake potatoes or fry dumplings.
The “Krupa” or “Buckwheat” programs are intended for preparing crumbly, but not browned porridges. In this case, the liquid is thoroughly evaporated. It should be remembered that the multicooker will begin counting the cooking time after it has heated the internal contents of the bowl to operating temperature. Depending on the volume of the bowl and the power of the device, this will take an additional 10–20 minutes.
Preset program options
Double boiler. This program allows you to cook food using steam. The dishes are specific in taste, but more healthy than those prepared in the traditional way. To use this mode, you will need an additional plastic container on which to place the food. Water is poured into the bottom of the bowl, then a plastic stand with food is inserted. The mode works when the lid is closed.
Almost all multicookers have a frying mode. Some models combine frying with a baking program. The program allows you to fry meat, eggs and other foods. Manufacturers usually recommend using the lid-open mode to constantly monitor the process - just like in a frying pan.
The Pasta program allows you to prepare dough dishes such as dumplings, pasta, dumplings. Resourceful housewives note the similarity of this mode with modes like “Porridge” and use them if “Pasta” is not in the multicooker’s arsenal. Using this functionality is not possible with delayed start.
Options for dishes that can be prepared in a slow cooker
Another of the automatic modes – “express” – is used for quickly preparing simple dishes in a multicooker. The device quickly evaporates the liquid from the stored products and intensively fries at the end of the cycle. When using this program, classic navy pasta, fried potatoes and similar dishes are perfectly prepared.
Smoking program - not available in all multicookers, allows you to smoke meat, fish, sausages. To smoke, you need to place a small container with cherry or other wood chips in a special bowl and place the products on the grates. Two smoking options are available: hot and cold. Hot occurs at a temperature of about 125 degrees, cold - at 30. For cold, only products specially prepared by marinating are used. The process occurs more intensively than when using traditional technologies. When using this mode, you should take care of ventilation in the room, since either during the process or when opening the multicooker after cooking, the smell of smoking will enter the kitchen.
Pressure cooker - this option allows you to cook dishes by creating excess pressure in the multicooker pan. The disadvantage of such a program is the inability to add ingredients during the cooking process without an emergency release of pressure. This mode is convenient for preparing jellied meat or other dishes that require a long cooking time.
The delayed start function is not a pure cooking mode, but it has a great impact on convenience. The program allows you to postpone cooking for up to a day. However, the function is not available for baking and frying.
Sterilization and pasteurization. These programs can be distinguished as separate, although in some models they are presented under other names. Pasteurization involves heating to 70 degrees to preserve the freshness of products and get rid of unwanted microflora, which are killed during heat treatment. Sterilization is intended for processing dishes - children's or intended for canning. The process occurs at a temperature of about 100 degrees. In fact, this mode duplicates the “steamer”, since sterilization occurs under the influence of hot steam.
The “Dessert” mode is not present in all models; it is intended for preparing sweets such as candies and caramel.
Operating principle of the pressure cooker mode
Step-by-step recipe for making rice porridge with meat
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Choose meat for rice porridge according to what you like best. Pork meat is suitable for those who like fattier foods. If you are a supporter of light nutrition, it is better to choose chicken meat.
Cooking time – 1 hour 30 minutes.
Cooking time – 20 minutes.
Number of servings – 3-4.
Ingredients:
- Chicken meat – 1 kg.
- Salt – 1 tbsp.
- Garlic – 3-5 teeth.
- Seasonings for pilaf – 1 tsp.
- Rice groats – 3 tbsp.
- Purified water – 6 tbsp.
- Carrots – 1-2 pcs.
- Onions – 1-2 pcs.
Cooking process:
- You can add assorted meats to the porridge, for example, mix chicken and beef. In any case, it must be freshly frozen. After defrosting, wash the fillets and dry them with paper towels.
- Cut the chicken meat into medium-sized pieces. Peel the onions, carrots and garlic. Wash the root vegetables thoroughly.
- Chop the vegetables. Chop the carrots into strips and the onion into thin half rings.
- Wash the rice. Pour the required amount of rice into a sieve. Rinse it with warm water until the water becomes clear.
- Pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl. Turn on the “Baking” or “Frying” mode.
- Place the chicken fillet in the multicooker bowl and fry for 15 minutes. Then add carrots to the meat. Simmer the ingredients for 5 minutes and add the onion.
- While the food is simmering in the slow cooker, mix the pilaf seasonings in a glass of purified water (hot). Place the cereal and garlic cloves into the slow cooker. Pour in a mixture of water and seasonings. Pour in five glasses of hot purified water.
- Turn on the “Stew” or “Pilaf” mode. Cook the dish for 45 minutes and then serve hot.
Bon appetit!
Temperature in the multicooker under different modes and features of each program
Each manufacturer supplies the device with instructions that allow you to understand the basic parameters of use. The lowest temperatures are used when creating yoghurts and heating dishes, the highest temperatures are used when frying and deep-frying. 35–40 degrees ensures normal preparation of yogurt and preparation of yeast dough. At temperatures of 50-80 degrees, excellent drinks such as punch, tea, and mulled wine are obtained.
80-100 degrees is the most common range for most dishes. Porridges, soups, jams and other dishes that require simmering are perfectly cooked at these temperatures.
Temperatures over 100 degrees are used when cooking meat, baking, and roasting vegetables. If the device has a pressure cooker function, then various soups can be cooked at high temperatures.
The highest temperature – 170 degrees – is used for cooking meat in batter and french fries.
A simple and quick recipe for rice porridge with stew
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The recipe is suitable for those who love hearty and tasty food. You can use any kind of stew to make porridge - chicken, pork, beef. The main thing is that the meat delicacy is of high quality.
Cooking time – 50 minutes.
Cooking time – 15-20 minutes.
Number of servings – 4.
Ingredients:
- Rice – 300 gr.
- Stew - 1 jar.
- Onion – 1 pc.
- Carrots – 1 pc.
- Vegetable oil – 30 ml.
- Water – 600 ml.
- Salt - to taste.
- Ground black pepper - to taste.
Cooking process:
- Let's do the vegetables. First, let's clean them. Then rinse the carrots with water and grate them on a coarse grater. Finely chop the onion. Pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl. Select the “Frying” mode and place the vegetables in the oil. Stir them with a wooden spatula and fry for 5 minutes.
- Open the can of stew and place the ingredient in the multicooker bowl. Mash the stew into smaller pieces with a spatula and fry for about five minutes.
- Before putting the cereal in the multicooker, rinse it several times with warm tap water. Fry the rice along with the rest of the ingredients for about three minutes.
- While frying, bring water to a boil and then pour it into the bowl. Season the dish with salt and pepper. Mix the mass. Cover the multicooker with a lid and turn on the “Rice/Grains” mode. In 20 minutes the porridge will be ready.
- Place the hot, hearty porridge on plates. Serve with salad and any other appetizers.
Bon appetit!
Differences between modes in different models
Options for cooking programs are provided by manufacturers. Naturally, more expensive and multifunctional models have greater variability and a range of tasks to be solved.
Thus, Mulinex multicookers offer up to one hundred automatic operating programs; the Scarlett brand has about twenty of them. The same option can be called differently.
To clarify, when purchasing, be sure to look at the characteristics of the product, without getting carried away by the attractive names that manufacturers come up with for the simplest programs.
Cooking meat dishes
So, the options “Stew”, “Soup”, “Milk porridge” are almost the same. They involve cooking the dish at a temperature of about 90 degrees Celsius for a long time.
Some multicookers have a “Crust” program, which allows you to fry the prepared dish with a crispy crust. In some ways, this mode is reminiscent of frying, but, according to reviews from consumers who have used both, there is still a difference.
Manufacturers do not advertise the intricacies of a specific program; the user sees only general characteristics: temperature, cooking time, presence of excess pressure. If you do not cook for gourmets, then small differences in the taste of the finished dishes are insignificant.
Let's talk about safety
A multicooker is a universal device that can fry, bake, stew, and also boil. In other words, maintaining a liquid temperature above 100C is the direct purpose of a multicooker.
In addition, using a multicooker is much safer than boiling water in a saucepan on a gas stove.
- Firstly, the multicooker lid closes tightly, and many models have a child lock screen, which will protect others from getting burned.
- Secondly, the multicooker will beep when the selected time has elapsed.
- Thirdly, even if you forget that you set the water to boil, the multicooker is equipped with automatic overheating protection and when all the liquid boils away, it will turn off automatically.
The only condition that must be observed when boiling water in a multicooker is the water level in the bowl. For safe use, do not fill the multicooker bowl more than ¾ full. Otherwise, water in the active boiling stage may splash and get inside the multicooker, which will lead to its premature failure or shorten its service life in the future.
How to turn on the multicooker? How to use and operate a multicooker?
How to properly turn on a new multicooker? Remove the film or paper that is placed between the heater plate and the pan. Do I need to remove the film from a new multicooker with a display? Remove the protective polyethylene layer from the display and other elements of the multicooker. Next, wipe all the elements, rinse the removable bowl well and wipe dry.
Connect one end of the wire to the multicooker. Insert the opposite end of the wire (with the plug) into the outlet. To get comfortable with turning on multicookers, pour water into the removable bowl to the bottom line. Close the lid. How to properly close a multicooker? Close the multicooker lid until it clicks. This completes the first stage of turning on the multicooker.
How to set the simmering time in a multicooker to more than 1, 2, 3, 4...
Set the “Stewing/Simmering” menu button and press the “Cooking time” button. By clicking on it, stop at the time indicator that you need to cook and stew food.
When you have selected the required cooking time in the stewing mode, press the “Start” button. The indicator light on the start button will stop flashing.
If your multicooker has a simmering time limit , and your recipe requires more time, then set the maximum time, and then after the signal you can repeat setting the mode and time again and continue cooking the dish further .
I set the stewing time to 4 hours (tongue), 13 minutes passed. So it shows the time as 4 hours and not 3 hours 43 minutes. Why? In 13 minutes, this program did not have time to reach the required temperature for cooking the tongue. When the required temperature is reached, the time will begin to count down.
How to change the stewing time in a multicooker? You need to turn off the extinguishing mode, then select this program again and set the time you need and press Start or Start. Cooking in a slow cooker, is it necessary to grease before stewing ? No, no need to lubricate.
Stewing in a slow cooker - what does countdown mean? Countdown time is when the cooking time on the touch panel goes downwards, for example, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
What does 2n mean in a slow cooker when stewing? This means that the food will be prepared by this program for 2 hours. What does 1h30 m mean in a multicooker? This represents a time of 1 hour 30 minutes. How to understand that the extinguishing program is in progress? If the time on the display decreases every 30 minutes, then the extinguishing program is in progress.
At the end of the stewing mode in the multicooker, a sound signal sounds. The pan will automatically switch to heating mode. To exit (interrupt) the “Extinguishing” mode, press the “Heat/Off” button.
When stewing potatoes and meat in a Polaris multicooker, the dish is not ready in 2 hours... Your multicooker probably has low power. In this case, extend the cooking time by another 1 hour.
Is it possible, after stewing for an hour in a slow cooker, to extend the stewing by 30 minutes? You can extend the extinguishing mode! To do this, turn off this program with the Off button. and turn on the extinguishing function again for 30 minutes.
If I accidentally turned off the stew in the multicooker, how can I continue the program? If you accidentally turned off the extinguishing mode, you need to turn on the program again (from the very beginning).
Is it possible to steam potatoes using the stewing mode? In the stewing mode, it will not be possible to steam potatoes, since too little steam is produced. Use the specific “Steam/Steam” mode.
Is it possible to leave food in the slow cooker for another 2-3 hours after stewing? Yes, you can.
What happens if you put meat in a slow cooker and simmer for 5 hours?
You will get stew (homemade canned meat).
Is the stew mode in a multicooker suitable for stewing? Yes, it’s fine, the stew mode is an analogue of the Stewing mode.
The stewing mode in the multicooker has gone wrong. What to do? You need to click “Off” and then turn this mode back on.
What is 3n 30m in extinguishing mode ? It's 3 hours 30 minutes. What is the difference between stewing and steaming in a slow cooker? The difference between the stewing and steaming programs is in temperature (the temperature of the steaming mode is higher than stewing).
The principle of extinguishing or how it works
The whole secret of the wonderful and rich taste is that the degrees rise gradually, but do not reach a boil. With the lid tightly closed, all ingredients simmer for a long time in their own juice or separately added liquid.
The duration of the process depends on the ingredients included in the dish and the specifics of the recipe. After all, vegetables will require much less time than meat. When cooking jellied meat, consider the size of the pieces and the type of meat. If this is a tender part of the carcass of a young animal, then you will have to cook less.
You can cook jellied meat in the stewing mode
In all models in this mode it is possible to set the time and duration of the process (from 60 minutes to 12 hours). Some models are equipped with a MULTICOOK function that allows you to cook food at the desired degrees Celsius. Inexperienced chefs find it easier to use automated programs.
General characteristics of Redmond multicookers
When I was choosing a kitchen assistant for myself, the first thing I did was study what types of Redmond multicookers there are, what their capacity and functionality are. Considering these points, I realized that a standard device without additional functions, which has a metal case, is suitable for me.
Every person, before purchasing equipment, must decide what he will cook with it and in what quantities.
What should you pay attention to when choosing a Redmond multicooker?
- Bowl volume.
Depending on the model of the device, the volume of the bowl can be from 1.6 to 7 liters.
- Number of programs.
The capabilities of some Redmond multicooker models are simply amazing. Based on personal experience, I can say that many programs are not needed.
For example, if you have adult children, then you do not need to prepare baby food. If you do not eat yeast dough, then this function will be superfluous. Therefore, when choosing a multicooker, you should not be guided by the principle that the more programs, the better. Choose a device with the functions that you really need. It is worth noting that the more programs a multicooker has, the more expensive it is.
The main programs that should be in a Redmond multicooker:
- cooking porridge;
- steaming;
- stewing;
- automatic heating of food;
- bakery.
- Bowl cover.
The coating is:
- non-stick;
- ceramic.
Ceramic coating is considered the best. It does not scratch, is easy to clean and does not emit harmful chemicals.
- Case material.
The Redmond company produces multicookers with metal and plastic bodies. It is believed that a metal device is more reliable. But after looking at customer reviews, I concluded that plastic multicooker models are not much worse. The device is made from high-quality plastic that is difficult to break.
- Power.
The power of the device varies from 500 to 1500 W. A powerful appliance will cook a dish quickly, but in turn will consume a large amount of electricity. In addition, the more powerful the multicooker, the noisier the cooking process will be.
The best option is multicookers with a power of 600 to 1000 W. A multicooker with such power will quickly prepare any dish, using a minimal amount of electricity.
- Touch screen.
This display looks stylish and beautiful, but is not at all practical. The sensor should not be touched with wet hands; such a mechanism is difficult for older people to understand. Therefore, if you are not chasing the latest fashion trends, it is better to buy a multicooker with regular buttons.
- Price policy.
Many people are interested in the question: “What should be the price of a good multicooker?” Naturally, high-quality equipment will not be cheap. But you shouldn’t spend money on the most expensive unit.
You can find a middle ground by assessing the quality of all components of the multicooker. From my own experience, I can say that at an affordable price you can buy a high-quality device that will greet you from work with a hot dinner prepared.
Save time
Some people may find it much faster to cook on the stove than in a slow cooker. This may be true, but there are a few things to consider.
Firstly, food on the stove needs to be constantly monitored, but a multicooker handles the process on its own.
Secondly, this device can be programmed for a delayed start and get an excellent light dinner at a certain time. If you fill the bowl with water and cereal in the evening, in the morning, as soon as you wake up, a healthy breakfast will be waiting for you. Thus, you can load all the necessary products into the miracle pot and calmly go about your business, go for a walk with your child, and when you return, a ready-made lunch or dinner will be waiting for you.
Thirdly, a multicooker can cook several dishes at the same time. For example, in the second compartment you can stew vegetables in their own juice, and in the first compartment you can steam meatballs from lean meat. Here's a complete diet lunch for you.
