Someone told me they got a Ninja Foodi for Christmas. It’s supposed to do all of these functions - Indoor Grill, Air Fryer, Slow Cooker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Saute, Sear and a whole lot more.
I love cooking gadgets. I love looking at them, watching them on youtube, reading about them and wondering about what they could make. It doesn’t stop me that I don’t cook. I still love looking at them.
I’ve even collected a few kitchen gadgets over the years that I may or may not have used.
What are some of your favorite cooking gadgets, whether you have them or not?
My two favourite cooking gadgets are my Wok, and my Bamboo Steamer. I eat a lot of fresh veggies, and pasta so being able to cook them quickly while keeping all the nutrients inside, makes me happy. I don’t eat bacon or fry chips so something like an air fryer would be wasted on me! I would quite like to try a slow cooker perhaps, but I’m not sure I eat enough to justify one.
What does your multiple function cooker do? Is it like an instant pot?
Or more like a rice cooker? I own a rice cooker like this one. It’s still sitting in the box.
I like watching the pressure cooker part of the instant pot but think I would be too afraid to use it. I’ve had people tell me that it’s not as scary as it looks.
I have several rice cookers. I used to eat rice or pasta every day, and I made both in a simple rice cooker like this one that got used so much that the heating element gave out on a couple of them.
Slow cookers are relatively inexpensive compared to those multi-ccokers, so it would be much less expensive if you know you only wanted the one function.
True, and also on the multi function one…I’d be concerned if one bit didn’t work, would that affect the whole machine and nothing would work? Or could you continue to use it, bar that one function? (Clearly I know nothing about these things! )
It depends on which function went out, but I’m thinking that if the heating element went out, most of it is useless. But maybe if the pressure cooker part didn’t pressurize, the dehydrator or yogurt functions might still work. I think the heating element would be the most important part that would be integral to the entire thing.
I wouldn’t be without my rice cooker, it does so much more than just cook rice.
I also have an air fryer which is relatively new, fryer is the wrong word it is basically a fan forced mini oven but very useful (I haven’t used my main oven for many, many years)
There is also a steamer but unless there is a lot to steam my rice cooker does that job just fine
I wouldn’t be without my slow cooker. It is the smallest you can get (try Wilko, Asda) and I always use liners so the pot stays clean. You could always freeze left over portions, as I do. Ingredients in, switch on, and leave it for the day.
Or even in Argos. This is the size. Wilko doesn’t do the small size any more, so try Asda. You cal always do click and collect if none on display.
Edited. Asda out of stock. You can also try Robert Dyas or Lakeland (£10 more expensive in the latter) if you have stores near you. Or Amazon. There’s is the same price.
Yep, same here. I cooked my rice, steamed my fresh vegetables and defrosted my pot stickers all in the same pot at the same time. Saved time and dishes.
I have one too (Microwave/Convection/grill), have never used the grill and rarely the convection oven because I prefer the air fryer but it does get used. Definitely wouldn’t be without a microwave either.
I really want a slow cooker as well. I’ve been reading recipes for small slow cookers for years. I hesitate because I’ve never seen anyone cook in them except on videos, so I feel intimidated.
Gosh, there really is nothing to it! It has a removable crock pot (I had broken mine a short while ago, something fell out of a top cupboard, smashing into it. Hence getting the replacement from Asda.)
There is nothing there to intimidate you, honestly. As I said, I use the liners. I do pork, cider and apple. Beef. And chicken.
That counts. Just coincidentally, I was watching Top Chef Masters tonight. 4 of the top chefs in the world had the challenge of cooking in a microwave in a dorm room. All of them didn’t know how to work it, but one of them was saved by the defrost function because his meat had gotten frozen by mistake.
Thanks for the encouragement! It’s my goal to cook something in a slow cooker some day. It’s a literal goal that I have written down on my goals list from a while back.
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