Multicookers, perhaps known best by their trade name, One Pot, are the latest craze in kitchen appliances. They claim to take the place of several appliances in one - your slow cooker, your pressure cooker and your rice cooker, to name a few. It bakes, it fries, it steams your summer veggies and more, taking up less space on your counter and doing much of the cooking in a fraction of the time.
Anne BralyBut there are some drawbacks, as I and others have found. I do not have a multicooker, but my daughter does, and I've learned from her that not all meats cook as quickly as you might want. The slow-cooker setting on a multicooker is not the same as a traditional slow cooker, says Dan Zuccarello, executive food editor for the books division at America's Test Kitchen, which recently released its first cookbook about multicookers, "Multicooker Perfection." Cooks who want to hone their skills at One Pot cooking should make an investment in this book.
"A common misconception is that the low setting on a slow cooker means that it ultimately cooks at a much cooler temperature than the high setting," Zuccarello says. "While there are small temperature differences between settings, the low setting is more a reflection of the time it will take the slow cooker to reach the maximum cooking temperature. Ultimately a standard slow cooker will reach about the same temperature on either low or high (about 200 degrees) and therefore be able to cook most meals on either setting by simply adjusting the cooking time."
But this is not the case for a multicooker, which has a much more drastic temperature difference between low and high, the team at America's Test Kitchen discovered. "For most multicooker models we tested, the low setting reached a maximum temperature that was similar to a standard slow cooker, while the high setting reached above 212 degrees," Zuccarello says. "This meant the low setting on a multicooker was not interchangeable with the high setting."
And, he adds, they also found that Instant Pots, one of the most-popular brands of multicooker, reached about 17 degrees lower than others tested. "As a result, we always use the high setting for the Instant Pot, which puts the temperature within our suggested range of 195 F to 210 F degrees. We also found that the Instant Pot took longer to come up to pressure [for pressure cooking] than other models, and once it did, it cooked slightly hotter. Luckily, this makes a difference only for delicate foods like chicken breasts, and if you tweak cooking times, you can get good pressure-cooked food out of it."
Here are some additional tips Zuccarello offers:
» Most multicookers have two levels for pressure cooking: high and low. The exact amount of pressure - and therefore the temperature - for each level varies slightly from model to model. We use high pressure in most recipes since it is the most efficient, but we found low pressure produces slightly better results when cooking foods that need a gentler hand, like flan and cheesecake.
» Many multicookers, though not all, also have a high and a low setting for slow cooking. For most multicookers with this option, we found that the low setting worked better, since the aim is gentle cooking. The Instant Pot was the exception.
Everyone has heard stories about exploding pressure cookers and meals that ended up on the kitchen ceiling instead of on the dinner plates. Not so with multicookers. "These appliances have multiple safety features that allow any excess pressure to escape safely - and without creating a mess," Zuccarello says, adding that just to be on the safe side:
» Make sure the silicone gasket in the lid is in place and in good shape (soft and springy, not dry or cracked). Remove and clean the gasket after every use.
» Clean the vents and inspect the valves before and after every use. Make sure the valves aren't clogged, especially after cooking foaming, starchy foods such as rice or beans. If the valves seem sticky or hard to manipulate, consult your manual for cleaning instructions.
» Let steam escape away from you when removing the lid after cooking. The steam is extremely hot, so use a towel or oven mitts to protect your hands.
» Never fill the pot past the maximum fill line - two-thirds full for most recipes, except for foaming and expanding foods, in which case the pot should be only half full. And never force the cooker open before the pressure has been released.
Besides cooking food faster and with minimal monitoring, one of the best features about a multicooker is that you can saute, brown and simmer all in the same pot. There's no need to dirty another pan to brown ingredients before cooking. This recipe for braised short ribs is just one example in "Multicooker Perfection" of how a multicooker can do the cooking for you. You can choose to pressure-cook or slow-cook. If you don't have a multicooker, the recipe can be prepared in the same manner and cooked in a traditional slow cooker on the low setting for seven to eight hours or until tender.
Rustic Italian Braised Beef Short Ribs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
Salt and pepper
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
3 pounds bone-in English-style beef short ribs, 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick, 2 inches wide and 4-5 inches long, trimmed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Using highest saute or browning function, heat oil in multicooker until shimmering. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until onions are softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, oregano and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and water, scraping up any brown bits. Season short ribs with salt and pepper, and nestle them into the multicooker.
To pressure-cook: Lock the lid into place and close pressure-release valve. Select high pressure-cook function and cook for 60 minutes. Turn off the multicooker, and let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
To slow-cook: Lock the lid in place and open pressure-release valve. Select low slow-cook function, and cook until beef is tender and knife slips easily in and out of meat, 7-8 hours. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow-cook function and increase cooking time to 9-10 hours.) Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Transfer ribs to serving dish, and tent with foil while finishing the sauce.
Using the highest saute or browning function, cook sauce until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes. Turn off multicooker. Let sauce settle, then skim excess fat from surface using large spoon. Stir in basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 1 cup sauce over short ribs, and serve, passing remaining sauce separately. Serve with polenta, grits or pasta.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.