ost of us already have too many kitchen items, but there’s one appliance that might help you cut down on the things clogging up your counters and cupboards: the multi-cooker. In this article, we’re going to look at the durability of instant pots, energy efficiency, and three of our favorite appliances that manage to simplify cooking and make it more sustainable.
Table of Contents
What Is a Multi Cooker?
You've certainly spotted a multi-cooker in your culinary adventures, but you might not have recognized the full prowess of this quirky culinary wizard. Let’s break it down:
The Basics
Multi-cookers get their name from the fact that they encompass multiple cooking functions all into one appliance. Some even market themselves as an “all-in-one cooker machine” due to their versatility. The average multi-cooker will allow you to steam, sauté, and cook your rice all from one pot.
Design Features
How they manage to do so much is down to a very careful and energy-efficient design. The inner, removable bowl or pot where the cooking happens sits with an air gap between it and the rest of the appliance. That air gap acts as a thermal insulator, which helps ensure that the heating element doesn’t have to work nearly as hard to heat your food as a stovetop might.
Electric multi-cookers also have temperature sensors around the bowl to ensure even heating and control panels where you can set temperature, timing, etc., so that no detail gets missed.
Is A Multi Cooker More Efficient?
When you compare using an all-in-one multicooker to cooking on a regular stovetop, the answer is yes. Multi-cookers tend to be far more efficient. That’s partly because they save cooks the hassle of purchasing multiple pots or trying to keep multiple stoves going during a recipe.
An all-in-one pot cooker can literally do it all in one. It can also perform many stovetop cooking tasks with greater energy, water, and time efficiency:
Slow Cooking
Many recipes require food to be simmered at a steady heat over a long period so that all the good flavors can develop properly. The problem is seeing just how much time and electricity or gas gets wasted in the process. A kitchen multi-cooker changes all that.
The overall insulation of these appliances is much greater than a regular pot. Heat and steam are properly sealed in so that a very small amount is lost during cooking. The temperature sensors in a combination cooker track and determine whether to increase or reduce the power to the heating element as needed. Once the food has reached the adequate temperature for slow cooking, it only uses as much energy as is needed to maintain that heat.
This helps reduce energy usage and even saves time and effort of having to constantly monitor it yourself. Most find their slow cooking goes much quicker in an electric multi-cooker because there’s less heat loss. As a bonus, due to these sealing capabilities, and even cooking of a multi-cooker the concentration of flavor is maintained more effectively in the main vessel giving you a more flavorful meal.
Pressure Cooking
Though stove-top pressure cookers can sometimes reach higher pressures faster than electric multicookers and thus technically perform things faster, we’d still argue that an all-in-one cooker is the more efficient option. One of the reasons for this is that a multicooker can be set and left to do the pressure cooking autonomously without your oversight.
Most instant cookers have scheduling, and keep warm features that allow cooks to put all the ingredients they need in during the morning, for example, and come home in the evening to find it all perfectly (and safely) cooked. You don’t have to worry about unregulated heating elements or anything like that. It’s a hugely time-efficient option for anyone with a busy schedule.
Steaming
Steaming food in an all-in-one cooking pot requires much less water than a normal pot. That’s because the appliance lid usually has seals that can trap steam and heat more efficiently. This helps cut down on energy and water usage.
Sautéing
There’s a similar advantage for sautéing as steaming – because of the even heating on the bottom of the pan a multi-cooker requires much less oil and time to do the job than a stove-top pan would. It’s also useful when following recipes that specifically require some browning before slow cooking. An all-in-one cooking machine allows you to do everything in one place while providing even heating in between. You get to save on dirty dishes, time, and energy usage.
Are Multi Cookers Also Non-Toxic?
Multi-cookers are only non-toxic if the right materials are used to make them. Here’s what to look out for to ensure that no harsh chemicals are being leached into your food while using an all-in-one pot:
- Ditch the Teflon. Once regular non-stick surfaces hit certain temperatures, or scratch and degrade over time, they begin to break down and release toxic fumes.
- Don’t fall for a ceramic coating. As attractive as this option might sound, unfortunately many contain heavy metals, especially if brightly colored.
- Stick to PFAS-free labels. These indicate that the appliance was not built with harmful and forever chemicals such as teflon.
- Look for all-in-one pots made from stainless steel. This is largely considered one of the safest and most durable cooking materials. However, if you or someone in your household has Nickel or Chromium sensitivities this short informative video by Prudent Reviews does a great job in highlighting what to watch out for.
- Silicone seals are best. Silicone is quite inert meaning it doesn’t break down as quickly as plastic or rubber seals and risk leaching toxic chemicals during cooking.
The Durability of Multi Cookers
Durability varies greatly between different brands and models, but one of the best ways to understand what makes these appliances more durable is to look at a common favorite amongst customers and reviewers alike: The Instant Pot.
The New York Times, America’s Test Kitchen, and many others return to this brand every year due to the tried-and-true nature of their multi-cookers. What makes them stand out is that they’re versatile and robust enough to be used regularly but still have more modern technical features.
The trick, however, is that they’ve never gotten too complicated with their products. Many argue that overly fiddly or “smart” features get in the way of a good cooker and make them more difficult to repair.
Here are some of the key characteristics of an Instant Pot that make it so durable:
- The inner pot is made from stainless steel. This means it can safely handle high heat without getting damaged and be washed in the dishwasher, so there’s less chance of it getting scratched up from hand-scrubbing.
- There are no frills on the classic Instant Pot models, which means fewer things that can break or complicate your cooking.
- The appliance is designed and built to be used every day. The control panel is well protected from heat or pressure damage and simple to use. Smaller parts like the silicone seal aren’t just highly functional but they are durable and very easy and affordable to replace if they do wear down. If one thing breaks on the Instant Pot, you’re rarely forced to throw the whole thing out. Here’s a helpful guide on how to replace parts and which ones need more regular upkeep.
What Is the Most Eco-Friendly Way to Dispose of a Multi cooker?
Parts of a multi-cooker such as the aluminum pot will be fairly easy to recycle, but the rest of the appliance will likely need more specialized attention. You can use RecyclerFinder.com to check for appliance recyclers in your areas, or check local municipal sites for information. Earth 911 also has great resources, Home Depot offers some recycling programs, and the EPA now has a guide on locating Responsible Appliance Disposal partners.
3 Outstanding Eco-Friendly Multi cookers
When we compare slow cookers, multi cookers, etc., there are three things that we consider to be most important when it comes to sustainability:
- Energy efficiency
- Non-toxic materials
- Convenience
Each of the multicookers on this list passed that criteria with flying colors. Let’s take a closer look …
1. Multifunction Deep Electric Skillet by Green Pan
Why we chose this: If you’re looking for a non-stick multi-cooker that’s also non-toxic, The Original Green Pan makes a great option. Here’s why:
The diamond ceramic non-stick doesn’t break down or leach chemicals like many others do, making it safer and more durable than most non-stick options on the market. It’s also been thoroughly tested for ease of use and designed to be as convenient as a conventional nonstick pan.
The only downside is that even though the multifunction electric skillet has 10 functions (including working as a rice cooker), it can’t be used as a pressure cooker.
2. VitaClay Chef 7-in-1 Smart Organic Multi-Cooker
Why we chose this: This 7-in-one cooking pot is made from natural and organic, unglazed Zisha clay that isn’t just safer than chemical glazes but also helps enhance the flavors of your cooking and even preserve certain nutrients. The cooker is also very energy efficient and quick, with boiling coming together four times faster than traditional slow cookers
3. InstantPot 7 in 1 Stainless Steel Multi-Cooker
Why we chose this: This is one of our favorites due their great durability record we dove into earlier. But out of all their offerings, the one that stands out the most to us is their Instant Pot 7. Here’s why:
It is more affordable, and simpler to use while still providing all the most essential cooking modes a multicooker can offer.
It is even more attractive from a sustainability standpoint that some customers claim to have had theirs for 10 plus years, further speaking to how durable InstantPots really are.
This is also a great non-toxic option, thanks to its stainless-steel pot and inert materials used in its lid. Almost every part including the silicone gasket, valves, etc. are removable and easy to replace, which adds to the durability and eco-friendly aspect of this multi cooker. If the size is a little intimidating, fear not. This one comes in smaller versions too.
Conclusion
The right multi-cooker can see you through many years and many different cooking tasks, all from one pot. They make cooking easier, more energy efficient, and honestly, more fun. You get to just throw everything in a pot, and before you know it, you’ve got a tasty, sustainably-made meal right in front of you.
