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

Product Information

Slow cooker weights differ by brand, model, and capacity. The larger the slow cooker, the heavier it is — especially since inserts are usually stoneware or cast aluminum. 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.

This exercise also works when determining sizes for saucepans and other cookware or appliances that use capacity for measurement. 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.” Still, you’ll need to lift it when washing and storing. So, it makes sense to buy a slow cooker that you can lift and maneuver easily. Think about everyone that frequently eats under your roof, including family and friends. Are you often preparing meals for just yourself? Do you have five or more people to feed? Or are you the go-to chef in your neighborhood? 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.

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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. It’s always better to have too much capacity than not enough. This is especially true if you want to make large batches of food and divide them up for daily meals. 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

Once your food’s cooked to perfection, it’ll automatically be kept nice and warm until you’re ready to eat, so dinner will always be ready when you are. 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. 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? 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.The pot looks great, and its smaller 5.6L size makes it easy to carry around and place on kitchen surfaces even if you don’t have much space. However, if you’re looking for a slow cooker to make large meals in, you may be better off purchasing other larger models for the same price. 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. To make enough food for everyone in your home, you must have a large enough slow cooker to accommodate the required number of servings.

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. With a 5.6 litre capacity, the bowl is plenty big enough to cook meals for families and dinner parties, as well as batch cook to prep for the week ahead. 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. Mid-range sizes can handle most recipes for a small family. Look at models between 4 and 6 quarts, and you’ll get the best of both worlds. Storage Space All the recipes cooked under pressure also require time for this pressure to release, so in this case, it took about 10 minutes before I could open the lid, meaning the 10-minute soup actually took 25 minutes before it was ready. The soup itself was an ideal consistency – the pieces of onion were soft but not mushy.There’s one button for each programme or cooking function, one each for setting the delay timer (max four hours) and the keep-warm (for up to four hours), and up and down buttons plus buttons for adjusting the pressure or temperature. All of which are clearly marked with a big digital display. 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. 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.