Multicooker: benefits and harm to human health: cooking

Multifunctional kitchen appliances have long been very popular among consumers, but the harm of a multicooker has now been proven by scientists, despite the obvious benefits of using this device. What exactly does it consist of and is it possible to cook food in a slow cooker without risk to health? After all, many consumers are not ready to part with this universal device, which has already become an indispensable assistant in preparing delicious dishes.

The benefits of a multicooker

What is the use of a multicooker? What advantages does the device have? A multicooker is one of the most multifunctional appliances that is in demand. What attracts buyers to it?

Benefit:

Quick and easy to use - the appliance prepares meals independently. There is no need to add or stir food during cooking.
Easy to control - on the device itself, and in the instructions for using the multicooker, the cooking modes are described in detail. Just press a button and the dish begins to cook at the desired rhythm.
Functionality - the multicooker will cook almost any dish. Soup, porridge, pies, casseroles. She can bake apples and make yogurt.
Safe use - the device is hermetically sealed, which reduces the risk of burns and other damage.
Saves space - the device becomes a replacement for an oven, pressure cooker, bread maker, convection oven and electric frying pan. The device is portable and small in size.

The multicooker has a delayed start function, which allows cooked dishes to remain warm for a long time. The multicooker does not require special care. The inner cup, which can be removed, is subject to regular washing. Less often it is necessary to wipe and ventilate the lid, bottom, moisture collector and steam valve.

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What else is worth knowing?

In addition to the Teflon coating, users note several other negative aspects.

Valves. Any multicooker lid has a valve through which steam escapes. If they become clogged, the cooking process will be disrupted. Therefore, it is important to always monitor the condition of these parts of the device.
Silicone ring on the lid - it serves for sealing. The material from which the ring is made tends to absorb odor, and as practice shows, it is difficult to get rid of. Users have to come up with various options for getting rid of the smell of food: wash immediately after cooking, boil in water with lemon juice.

Steam outlet valve

Multicooker harm

What are the health risks of a multicooker? Food from a modern electrical appliance has the juiciness, aroma and taste of the oven, but is there any harm from such preparation? What are the disadvantages of a multicooker?

The multicooker requires careful handling of the Teflon coating of the bowl. The material is easily damaged, and therefore it is recommended to purchase devices made of silicone (scoop, spatula) so as not to accidentally damage the surface. When a Teflon bowl is used for more than five years and damage occurs on it, the risk of harmful substances escaping from the material increases.

The device can cook one recipe in one cycle, which can cause inconvenience. To prepare the next dish, you need to remove everything from the bowl or buy an additional container.

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To eliminate the shortcomings, manufacturers are improving their devices: minimizing the chemical composition of the bowl; stabilize the Teflon coating and reduce the maximum heating temperature inside the multicooker.

Temperature conditions and Teflon

But fans of the version about the dangers of Teflon forget several important points about the safety of Teflon bowls for multicookers:

The decomposition temperature of PFOA is about 250°C, Teflon itself can withstand up to 400°C.
The maximum temperature in the multicooker is 170°C. And such a luxurious quality of cooking, the softness of the finished dishes and the speed of cooking (for a pressure cooker) is achieved through a combination of pressure plus temperature - therefore, at low degrees the result is better, faster than with the highest heat on the stove.
In the oven of a gas stove, the temperature can reach 280°C.
On a gas burner, dishes can heat up to at least 600°C! at the end of the burner flame the temperature reaches 1500°C.

Of course, if cooking takes place in water (stewing, soups), then the heating process does not exceed 100°C, since boiling water limits the temperature increase.

If you use only oil when cooking (frying, frying), then heating can reach up to 240°C. Pure fat (without inclusions of water or microparticles of oilseeds) boils at 600°C.

For particularly vehement critics, here are the following facts:

Teflon does not interact with water or food under normal conditions; it is very stable and inert.
25% of pure Teflon in the body of the studied rats did not cause harm to their health; studies were carried out more than once - in 1960 and 1980, when Teflon had just begun to conquer the tableware market.
PFOA is removed from a living organism within 24 hours, from women up to 90%, from men – only 6%.

Is a slow cooker harmful to health? I think the conclusions are more than clear - cooking in a slow cooker is the safest in terms of preserving vitamins and preventing the appearance of carcinogenic substances due to combustion, frying and scalding of fats and other foods.

In addition, cooking in a multi-cooker oven allows you to minimize the amount of harmful fat or even cook without frying or using oils and fats at all.

Is Teflon harmful?

What is Teflon?
Teflon is a plastic substance that has rather rare physical and chemical properties. The compound is often used in everyday life as a coating for non-stick items, including bowls in a multicooker. What properties does Teflon coating have? Can it harm human health?

It is known that at high temperatures Teflon is capable of releasing carcinogenic substances. The temperature in the multicooker reaches 400 o C due to its sealed properties.

When heated, the coating releases a toxic substance (perfluorinated carboxylic acid), which leads to the development of malignant tumors.

Currently, multicooker manufacturers are working to reduce the harmful properties of Teflon. But if you buy inexpensive models, the bowl coating of which consists of budget ceramics, plastic and stainless steel, the health hazard increases.

Nutrients

The multicooker retains the maximum amount of nutrients if you use a relatively low cooking temperature. It is believed that a slow cooker, operating at 80 degrees Celsius, is valued by gourmets for its stated feature - providing health benefits.

In the absence of air, the multicooker will preserve vitamins and enzymes. Ultimately, no one is forcing you to purchase products equipped with non-stick pots. For fans of a healthy lifestyle, we recommend multicookers with clay and steel saucepans. The materials have been known for a long time and have shown their best side.

As for recipes, some multicooker models cook porridge wonderfully. In a world full of preservatives, genetically modified products, taste enhancers, it’s nice to find an outlet. Let's look at a couple of healthy slow cooker recipes.

Food from a slow cooker - benefit or harm?

Is there any harm from a multicooker to human health? It is known that food from a modern electrical appliance is healthier than food cooked on a gas stove. Children under three years of age are not recommended to cook in a slow cooker.

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It is advisable for adults to cook only quick meals in the device, so as not to cause the Teflon cup to overheat. You can cook in a slow cooker during pregnancy; thanks to the variety of dishes and the preservation of beneficial properties, the device will be a good helper in the kitchen.

Top 10 safest and highest quality manufacturers and models of multicookers

Which companies produce the healthiest devices?

REDMOND. THIS is one of the first companies that began to actively supply multicookers to the market. Recently, this brand released a device with two bowls.
Moulinex. Devices from this company are not only high quality, but also easy to use. Therefore, customers never wonder whether cooking in a multicooker from Mulinex is harmful.
Philips. Electrical appliances from the Dutch company are famous for their reliability and durability. Multicookers produced by this company also have a very long service life.
Polaris. This company quickly responds to user requests and also quickly makes adjustments to the devices it produces. Recent models have introduced the “Jellied” and “Baking” modes. They can also be used to cook food from open bags. Multicookers from Polaris are famous for their large number of programs and long service life.
Marta. This is a young, but already well-established company for the production of household appliances. For a relatively low price, the buyer receives a multicooker with a wide range of functions.
Supra. Models from this Japanese company belong to the budget segment, so they are extremely popular among buyers. They do not contain many modes and functions, which is largely justified by the relatively low cost. Some appliances have an additional “Multi-cook” option, which helps prepare complex dishes.
Vitek. This Russian manufacturer has established itself as a reliable supplier of high-quality equipment. Most Vitek multicookers have 25 cooking modes. Many of the programs are configured automatically. In the bowl you can prepare both simple soup and more complex dishes (there is even a “Stuffed cabbage rolls” mode in the settings).
Tefal. The French company has become famous for its high-quality kitchen electrical appliances. However, it began producing multicookers only in 2015. Tefal models have a viewing window, thanks to which you can monitor your cooking.
Scarlett. Another manufacturer of budget equipment. Despite the small number of programs, you can prepare many healthy dishes in the Scarlett multicooker.
Vitess. This is a little-known company that supplies cheap models to the market. The low cost is due to the cheap materials used in production. Some of the models may be defective. But Vitess quickly meets and changes the product. For just 2,000 rubles, the buyer receives a spacious Teflon-coated bowl.

How to reduce harm from operation

Is it possible to reduce the harmful effects that a multicooker brings in operation?
How to care for Teflon coating? There are rules that, if followed, reduce the danger of the device. How to use a multicooker correctly? Rules of use:

When handling the device, use only special cutlery that will not damage the coating when stirring or removing food.
Replace the Teflon inner bowl every five years.
When washing, use only soft sponges. Hard particles damage the Teflon surface of the bowl.
If the coating is damaged, it is not recommended to use the bowl.

It is recommended to buy multicookers no older than 2000. From that moment on, manufacturers began to pay attention to the safety of the bowl material. It is not advisable to purchase electrical appliances by hand and without documents.

Safety precautions during operation

During operation, certain rules of use should also be observed:

use only silicone or high-quality plastic spoons, ladles, and spatulas;
Wash the bowl and other components of the appliance with special products after each cooking.
do not use abrasive sponges and cleaning compounds not intended for washing non-stick surfaces;
It is best not to store cooked food in the multicooker bowl, but to transfer it to another container;
Do not use bowls with damaged coating.

Having examined the positive and negative aspects of multicookers, we can summarize that the benefit or harm depends to a large extent on the choice and operating conditions of the device by the users themselves.

How to choose the right multicooker

A multicooker is a widely used device these days. How to choose a kitchen appliance? What features might be useful?

Properties:

Power – high power ensures fast cooking.
The capacity of the bowl is an important indicator; it ranges from two to ten liters. The required volume is calculated based on the number of people in the family or the frequent arrival of guests; one and a half liters per person.
Multifunctionality - choose a multicooker that does not have too many programs. Why pay for something you won't need? Necessary functions: cooking popular cereals, baking, steaming, soup and multi-cook mode.
The presence of handles on the cup is an important criterion when choosing a multicooker. Some devices do not have holders, and instead they are offered with special tongs or potholders, which makes them inconvenient to use.
Lock - if there are children in the house, the “lock on when the cup is empty” function will be useful.

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