Is a multicooker worth buying?

A multicooker is an electric pressure cooker with extra programmes bolted on. Judging it as 'nine appliances in one' is the wrong frame; judge it as a pressure cooker with a slow cook mode, because that is what you will actually use and it is a genuinely useful machine on those terms.

Step by step

1. Judge the pressure function first, because it is the reason to buy.Electric pressure cooking is where a multicooker is excellent: a tough stew in 40 minutes rather than three hours, dried chickpeas from raw in under an hour with no soaking, stock in two hours instead of six, risotto with no stirring. If none of that appeals, the machine has nothing else that justifies the worktop space.
2. Set expectations for the slow cook function.It works, but it is a different shape of vessel from a slow cooker — taller and narrower, with the heat at the base rather than round the sides — so it heats less gently and can catch at the bottom. Many people find it runs cooler than a dedicated slow cooker on low. Usable, not equal.
3. Set expectations for the sauté function.The base heats far less powerfully than a hob ring and the pot is deep, so browning meat takes longer, in smaller batches, and never gets a real crust. It is convenient because it happens in the same pot, but browning in a frying pan and transferring gives a better dish.
4. Treat the remaining programmes as marketing.Rice, yoghurt, steam, cake, egg and warm are mostly pre-set combinations of pressure, temperature and time. They are not additional hardware. Rice is genuinely good; the rest are conveniences you could dial in yourself.
5. Check the practical details before buying.Capacity — a 5.7 litre model suits a family, a 3 litre one is limited by the fill line to smaller quantities than it looks. A stainless inner pot rather than a coated one, so browning does not strip the coating. A removable sealing ring and lid that can be washed, because the ring absorbs smells. And a physical size that fits under your wall units with the lid open.
6. Weigh it against what you already own.If you have a hob pressure cooker you already have the good function, faster to come up to pressure and with better browning. If you have a slow cooker and never use it, a multicooker will not change that. The strong case is someone with neither, limited space, and a habit of cooking cheap tough cuts and pulses.

Alternatives

• Hob-top pressure cooker: Cheaper, faster to reach pressure, browns properly on a real hob ring, and lasts decades with a new gasket occasionally. No timer, no unattended operation and no keep-warm.
• Dedicated slow cooker: Cheaper again, gentler heat all round the pot, and better at long unattended braises. It does nothing quickly and cannot brown.
• Heavy lidded casserole: No electronics, works on hob and in the oven, browns well and lasts a lifetime. Requires you to be in the house.

Questions people ask