MULTI-COOKERS have transformed home cooking by speeding up cooking times, reducing energy consumption and saving on washing up.
The range of functions multi-cookers offer has expanded hugely in recent years, from slow and pressure cooking to air-frying, searing and more.
There are a number of benefits to an all-in-one multi cooker, not least optimising cupboard and surface space by combining several appliances in one.
They also tend to be more economical than a conventional oven and are a gateway to becoming a more confident, experimental cook.
As well as offering a variety of functions, many multi-cookers have shortcut programs for your favourite meals, such as a beautifully roasted chicken, giving great results at the touch of a button.
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The range of multi-cookers on the market has boomed. With their popularity and prices, sizes and capabilities hugely varied, we’ve tested some of the best in the market to help you make the right choice to transform your cooking.
Best multi-cookers at a glance
- Best overall multi cooker: Ninja OL750UK Foodi MAX
- Runner-up multi cooker: Sage the Fast Slow GO
- Best value multi cooker: Russell Hobbs Good to Go
- Best multi cooker for couples: Instant Pot Duo 3 Mini
- Best multi cooker for useability: Ninja Foodi OP100UK
Ninja OL750UK Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker
Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker £249.99
Pros: 15 functions, large capacity, probe for accurate cooking
Cons: Large footprint
Rating: 5/5
Ninja’s Foodi MAX is not the simplest multi-cooker to get to grips with, but it more than repays your efforts.
With 15 functions including air-fry, roast, steam, grill and pressure cooking it is exceptionally versatile and can tackle all your kitchen needs.
I was particularly impressed by the combi-steam modes; I steam-roasted a chicken and the result was a perfectly cooked, exceptionally moist chicken.
The recipe booklet included is helpful in getting to grips with the multi-cooker’s functions and includes helpful hints to tailor a meal to your preferences. One such hint is switching the function to air fry for the last 10-minutes to crisp up your steam-roasted potatoes.
It is the most expensive multi-cooker we’ve tested but you do get more for your money, including an integrated probe that monitors the temperature of your dinner as it cooks.
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The only downside I could find is that it is quite large and heavy, although that is probably to be expected given its capabilities. Other than that, it’s easy to clean, the display screen and controls are simple to navigate and the capacity is generous. All-in-all it is a great product that will change the way you cook.
Functions: Pressure, sear/saute, steam, slow cook, yoghurt, air-fry, bake, grill, dehydrate, prove, steam air-fry, steam, steam roast, steam bake, steam bread; Capacity: 7.5l; Weight: 11.7kg; Size: 36 x 35 x 36cm
Sage the Fast Slow GO
Sage the Fast Slow GO, £169.95
Pros: Useful shortcuts, sleek design
Cons: No air-fry function
Rating: 4.5/5
Sage’s Fast Slow Go multi-cooker has a sleek stainless-steel design, 14 functions and shortcuts that can be used to prepare everything from risotto to yoghurt.
Cooking functions include pressure cooking, slow cooking, sauté, steam and sous vide.
The control panel is well-designed and easy to navigate, with useful picture icons to help you get acquainted with the breadth of functions.
I made a bolognese with the slow cooking function, having first sautéed onions and mince.
It was great to be able to use the multi-cooker to prepare the meal from start to finish and both functions worked perfectly. The seal on the lid is really effective and no liquid was lost while slow cooking.
I also used the pressure cooker function to prepare a chicken and rice dish. Getting to grips with the pressure cooker was not as simple, but once I’d figured everything out it worked really well and I loved that the steam could be released via a button on the control panel, rather than requiring me to open the valve manually.
The shortcut functions are wide-ranging and allow you to adapt as you cook. For example, you can hit the reduce button if your bolognese is looking a little watery.
The functionality of the Fast Slow Go also includes a delayed start option and a keep-warm setting, useful if your meal is ready before you are.
The 6l capacity is generous and suitable for family or batch cooking. The cooking pot is easy to remove and clean and even the lid is dishwasher safe!
Functions: Soup, stock, meat, stew, steam, sauté, legumes, rice/grains, risotto, yoghurt, reduce, slow cook, pressure cook and sous vide Capacity: 6l; Material: brushed stainless steel; Size: 31.3 x 34.7 x 33.3 cm
Instant Pot Duo 3 Mini 3L Multi Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot Duo 3 Mini 3L Multi Pressure Cooker, £75
Pros: Compact, lightweight, smart programs
Cons: Limited capacity
Rating: 4/5
This mini multi-cooker from Instant Pot is a great option if you’re only looking to prepare one or two portions and are short of kitchen space.
While the capacity is limited by the 3l pot, the Instant Pot's capabilities are not.
It has 11 smart programs including slow cook, pressure cook, rice cook and sauté which can set you on your way to a delicious meal at the touch of a button.
I tried a number of functions including rice, slow cook and sauté, all of which were really simple to use and yielded delicious results.
I found navigating the pressure cook function slightly trickier than the other modes, but after watching an online tutorial I got to grips with it, bringing great results.
It is too small to cook large cuts of meat, but if you'll mostly be cooking smaller cuts, vegetables and grains it's very good. I cooked a dish of quinoa with sweet potatoes and butternut squash using the pressure function and it worked really well.
The control panel is really simple and allows you to adapt timings and temperatures easily. The Instant Pot also gives the option to delay cooking and it has a keep warm setting, giving extra flexibility to your meal planning.
As an added bonus the pot is also dishwasher safe.
Functions: Pressure cook, saute, steam, slow cook, rice cook, warmer, and yoghurt maker; Capacity: 3l; Weight: 3.9 kg; Size: 28.5 x 25.5 x 29cm
Ninja Foodi OP100UK 4.7l Multi-Cooker – Black
Ninja Foodi OP100UK 4.7 Litre Multi-Cooker, £179
Pros: Tendercrisp function, simple to use
Cons: Two lids take up more room
Rating: 4/5
The Ninja Foodi 4.7l multi-cooker has six cooking functions facilitated by its two-lid design.
The pressure lid allows you to pressure cook, steam, slow cook and sauté while the crisping lid gives the added functions of air crisp and bake/roast.
Ninja recommends combining functions, for example by using the pressure cooker to cook a chicken before crisping the skin using the air crisp function. I tried this and the result was a succulent chicken with a perfect crispy skin.
The air-fryer function also worked really well in isolation, cooking chips and fish fingers in a fraction of the time of a conventional oven.
The controls of the Ninja are simple and intuitive, whether you're preparing something simple or testing its capabilities with a more challenging recipe.
The recipes included in the instruction manual are simply laid out and a great way to get to grips with this multi-cooker's functionality.
At 4.7l it is not the largest multi-cooker we’ve tested, but it's easily big enough to roast a chicken, cook a joint of meat, prepare a stew or casserole.
The two-lid design does take up more cupboard space, but far less than having a separate air fryer and pressure cooker.
Functions: Pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sear/saute, air crisp, bake/roast Capacity: 4.7l; Size: 32 x 35 x 38cm
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Tefal SpheriCook Multicooker 5l
Tefal SpheriCook Multicooker 5l, £109.99
Pros: Even cooking, good for batches
Cons: Difficult to brown larger cuts, no pressure cook or air-fry function
Rating: 3.5/5
The SpheriCook Multicooker has a spherical bowl design which Tefal says allows for 360° heat circulation that ensures even cooking.
This does seem to be really effective when cooking rice, casseroles, stews and soups. The rice I prepared was perfectly fluffy and a sausage casserole cooked evenly.
However, I found that the bowl design did make browning the sausages difficult, although this wouldn’t be a problem with smaller pieces of meat or vegetables.
The cooking functions of the SpheriCook include slow cook, stew, brown, steam and roast, with additional functions listed beneath these headings.
It has a 5l capacity suitable for family or batch cooking.
Tefal says the SpheriCook Multicooker also has intelligent sensor technology that automatically adjusts the cooking time and temperature.
Again, this seems to be at its most effective when cooking rice and grain-based dishes, which is where the SpheriCook excelled.
Another added function of the SpheriCook is the ‘my recipe’ button, which allows you to create shortcuts for preparing your favourite meals.
Functions: slow cook, roast, stew, brown, steam; Capacity: 5l
Russell Hobbs Good to Go Multi-Cooker
Russell Hobbs Good To Go Multi-Cooker, £55.99
Pros: Large capacity, simple to use, great value
Cons: No pressure cook or air-fry function
Rating: 3.5/5
The Russell Hobbs Good to Go Multi-Cooker can be used to roast, sous vide, steam, cook rice, sear, slow cook and boil.
It has a quirky design that sees the cooking pot plugged into a small control panel.
It means the pot can simply be unplugged from the panel and placed in the centre of the table for serving, while also allowing for a compact design relative to the generous capacity.
I used the sear and slow cook functions which were really effective. The cooking pot heats up quickly and the pasta and vegetable dish was evenly cooked through.
I also tried the roast function to cook a piece of fish which worked really well.
The control panel is simple to use and allows you to set an exact cooking time which can then be adjusted during the cooking period.
The multi-cooker automatically switches to the keep warm setting for up to four hours at the end of your cooking time.
The cast aluminium pot feels really solid and is designed to be able to withstand wear and tear and even dishwasher use.
Functions: Sear, Roast, Sous Vide, Slow Cook, Steam, Rice, Boil and Keep Warm; Height: 29.6cm
How we tested these multi-cookers
I used all multi-cookers to prepare two meals using multiple functions. I considered the cooking of the dish, ease of use, capacity, size and design as well as general functionality.
Where to buy multi-cookers
- AO
- Argos
- Ninja
- Russell Hobbs
- Tefal
- Sage
