Crockpot Multi-Cooker| Programmable Slow Cooker, Saute, Roaster & Food Steamer | 5.6L (6-7 People) | Removable Bowl | Energy Efficient | Stainless Steel [CSC024]

Product Information

While there isn’t a huge amount of difference between electric pressure cookers, it’s worth noting that this one cooks incredibly well, is one of the easiest to programme, and simplest to clean. If you don’t use it frequently, have limited space, or only prepare meals for yourself, a 4-quart slow cooker is ideal. However, if you have lots of space, a large family, or like to entertain, a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker is the better choice. Let’s look at how a few popular slow cookers compare, by weight, in the following chart: Slow Cooker I liked the multiple options the cooker has to customise this dish – I could have extended the cooking time, pressure or temperature to customise the recipe, or used the delay timer so it would be ready later on. Again, it took about five minutes for pressure to build and the same to release. The chilli was rich and flavourful, with no burnt chunks of meat or dry beans. The sizes I’ve covered so far only indicate the capacity of each slow cooker. To understand the size of the entire appliance, you’ll need to look at the dimensions, which vary by brand.

For most households of four or more, I recommend a 6-quart slow cooker. The smallest I’d suggest is 4 quarts because slow cooking is a long process. It’s a waste of time to cook for six to eight hours and only get one or two meals out of it. Finally, I used the Express Multi-Cooker to make a Chocolate Volcano Pudding directly in the pot. This involved greasing it before pouring in the pudding mixture and topping with chocolate sauce. Small slow cookers are inadequate for large family meals. Large sizes aren’t ideal for creating small dishes because they use energy inefficiently. If you’re looking for the most versatile option, shoot for the middle.

My only niggle is that I’d like a pot durable enough to throw in the dishwasher every time without being concerned I might be shortening its lifespan. When cookers are this good and as easy to use, you might find yourself using your hob only at the weekend. Verdict The slow-cooking function means you have a huge amount of flexibility over how you cook and when food is ready, too. All this combined with a generous capacity makes it ideal for families, batch-cooking and busy households. Despite my best efforts to eat an extraordinary amount of festive food, I had a lot of leftover turkey to get through. Many turkey sandwiches later, I thought I’d try making a Christmas casserole by adding the remaining meat to the slow cooker alongside vegetables and a tin of tomato. The safety lid on the multi-cooker ensures all the pressure is released before the lid is lifted, so even if you try to lift the lid before it’s ready, it won’t budge, keeping you and any curious hands safe… She told me, “Six quarts is ideal for a household of four. Never buy less than four quarts. Most slow cooker meals are great for leftovers, so don’t get one that’s too small. Plus, it takes a while to cook in a slow cooker, so it’s more efficient and cost-effective to cook in larger batches.”

If you’re single and don’t often entertain large groups, consider a small slow cooker with a 3- to 4-quart capacity. However, if you have a family of four (or more), you’ll need at least 5 or 6 quarts. To make enough food for everyone in your home, you must have a large enough slow cooker to accommodate the required number of servings.The recipe online doesn’t give details on using any particular functions as it just says the cooking time is two hours, so I manually set the timer. Remember, it takes hours to cook meals in a slow cooker. You can always freeze the extra. However, if you don’t have extra space in your freezer, a smaller slow cooker may be better.

The preheat was also handy and is part of all the programmes, turning the display to say Heat before the countdown of actual cooking begins. We all know that cooking from scratch has a multitude of benefits, from knowing what goes into your meal (so no nasty surprises!) and making healthier choices to choosing the flavours you love. But many people associate scratch cooking with long, arduous sessions spent in the kitchen – the Multi Cooker takes away that time and the effort with its pre-programmed settings, so you can reap the benefits of both scratch cooking and fast food. Are you wondering how many servings you can get out of a 1-quart slow cooker? Will a 3-quart model suffice for a family of four?Imagine the water is soup or chili. If 4 quarts are not enough to feed your family, keep adding a quart at a time until you get to a volume that works. Sometimes, you know exactly what you want and how to cook it best. The Manual setting allows you to take control and programme the countdown timer to your desired cooking time, as well as choose between High and Low heat settings, so you can get the best results in a way that you already know works. This level of clarity may sound like a no-brainer, but given that multi-cooker buttons can go crazy with colours, symbols and toggling functions, the relative ease of setting a cooker can’t be underestimated during a busy morning.