Multi-cookers have witnessed a huge boom in popularity over recent years.
There are now more brands than ever producing their own versions of the handy kitchen appliance, making them ultimately more innovative, multi-functional and easy to use. Ideal for streamlining energy consumption and removing the stress from cooking, multi-cookers also offer a perfect solution to decluttering kitchens with a single machine being able to take on the tasks of so many countertop appliances.
Why buy a multicooker?
Regardless of your cooking skills, the main reasons for purchasing a multi-cooker are for simplicity, versatility and to utilise space in your kitchen. Today’s multi-cookers regularly offer a number of functions that’s well into double-digits, reducing the need for multiple appliances.
Whether that’s slow-cooking, searing, pressure cooking, air frying, rice cooking, breadmaking, making yoghurt, or many other functions, the best multi-cookers provide plenty of freedom while being easy to use and fairly affordable in most cases.
Which features should I look for when buying a multicooker?
When considering which multi-cooker is best for you, there are various factors to consider. One concern for many is cost, with such a wide range of multi-cookers available at different price points.
More expensive doesn’t always mean better, however. Some of the more expensive appliances have a great deal of functions, many of which will never be utilised for cooking minimalists – thus making them a colossal waste of money. Sure, some home cooks will be keen to experiment, but if you’re only keen on using the multicooker for fewer tasks, there’s no need to spend huge sums on it.
With that in mind, it’s worth deciding which functions you’re most keen on, as well as working out which other regularly used appliances you can replace. For many home cooks, slow-cooking, searing and pressure cooking will be enough, so opt for a model which excels in these desired cooking functions.
Whereas if you’re after an appliance with functions such as air frying, cooking rice and whipping up yoghurt, check that the multi-cooker performs those tasks before committing to buy. Bear in mind the multi-cookers with more functions will generally cost slightly more.
Cleaning and ease-of-use should also be taken into consideration. Today, many manufacturers aim to produce multicookers which are simple to use, with various pre-set temperatures and timings for various dishes and ingredients. Some work at the mere push of a button, others have myriad knobs and dials.
Ideally it’s worth investing in a multi-cooker with fewer knobs and dials, which will be easier to wipe clean, while many will also have dishwasher-safe components, which will make life much easier when it comes to the end of the process.
Which size multicooker should you buy?
Size depends entirely on your household or the amount of people you intend on cooking for. If you’re cooking for one to two people, then anything from 1.4L upwards should be just fine. For families of four to five, we’d suggest nothing smaller than 4L. If you cook for a crowd regularly or are seriously into batch cooking, then we’d suggest a 6-7L multi cooker.
Best multi cookers at a glance
- Best for retiring all other kitchen appliances: Ninjaâ¯Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker with Smart Cook System 7.5L OL750UK - £249.99, Ninja
- Best for cooking for groups, or for batch cooking: Instant Pot Pro Crisp Multi Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer - £249.99, Amazon
- Best for big meals on a low budget: Crockpot Express Pressure CSC051 5.6 Litre Multi Cooker - £99, John Lewis
- Best for hacking big family dinners: Sage Fast Slow Go - £169.95, Sage
- Best for one pan cooking: Cuisinart Cook In - £150.55, Amazon
- Best for every meal of the day: VonShef 42cm Multi Cooker - £49.99, Von Haus
- Best for making a Sunday roast: Amazon Basics 23 in 1 Multi-Purpose cooker - £74.99, Amazon
- Best for food processing as well as multi-cooking: Magimixâ¯Cook Expert - £1,660, Amazon
- Best for replacing your oven: Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ 4-in-1 Steam Combination Microwave Oven - £449, AO
How we tested the best multicookers
All of the featured multicookers were tested in a home kitchen, with various criteria taken into consideration. The key focuses were quality of the food produced, ease of use and cleaning, size and storage, functionality, instructions and value for money.
Shop the best multicookers below
Best air fryer deals: healthier, low-cost meals for the whole family
Best deep fat fryers for great tasting chips and fried food at home
Best salad spinners tried and tested
Best health grills for cooking breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
Best air fryers for cooking chips, meat, vegetables and more
Best food steamers for healthy and delicious dishes
Best built-in double ovens and how to choose for your kitchen
Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker with Smart Cook System 7.5L OL750UK
Best for: retiring all other kitchen appliances
A next generation multi-cooker from Ninja, the Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid multi-cooker takes home cooking to the next level. With 15 cooking functions in one machine, the multi-cooker has pressure cooking, air frying, slow cooking, grilling, baking, dehydrating, proving, searing, yoghurt and five combi-steam mode functions.
These combi-steam functions combine steam with convection cooking for fast cooking which doesn’t remove moisture from the dishes being prepared. As well as boasting the chance to roast a while chicken in under an hour with the steam roast function, the multicooker offers a steam air fry function, steam bread and steam bake options.
Moreover, the Ninjaâ¯Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker’s Smart Cook System takes guesswork out of homecooking, with a digital cooking probe included in the box, monitoring food’s temperature as it cooks – ultimately making it perfect for meat and fish dishes.
While the 7.5L model is fairly bulky, it’s ideal for cooking up to six portions, replacing a number of lesser kitchen gadgets - and all accessories dishwasher safe, so it’s easy to clean after use.
Buy now £249.99, Ninja
Instant Pot Pro Crisp Multi Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer
Best for: cooking for groups, or for batch cooking
Over the past 12 years, Instant Pot has garnered a cult following, becoming one of the biggest names in the constantly expanding multicooker market – and for good reason.
Launched in the UK during the summer of 2021, the Instant Pot Pro Crisp multi pressure cooker and air fryer is essentially an upgrade of the brand’s duo crisp and air fryer.
With a sleek new design and some new functions, it’s available in two sizes: 5.7 or 7.6 litres. While the Instant Pot Pro Crisp is at the more expensive end of the scale, it’s an absolute game-changer and will replace a number of (most likely inferior) kitchen gadgets.
On account of its seemingly endless uses, the larger version is fairly bulky and particularly heavy, but especially ideal for cooking for groups, or for batch cooking. The pressure cooker element of the multicooker also has a particularly progressive steam venting method - with just the flick of a switch needed to activate, and coming complete with a diffusing cover over the steam release to minimise splashes and prevent burns.
Moreover, the stainless steel pot can also be used on a hob and has silicone handles, which make it easy to pick up without risk of burning. It’s the small things that really do make a huge difference.
Buy now £249.99, Amazon
Crockpot Express Pressure CSC051 5.6 Litre Multi Cooker
Best for: big meals on a low budget
Priced at under £100, the Crockpot Express Pressure Multi Cooker offers excellent value for money. With 12 functions and a generous 5.6 litre capacity (easily capacious enough for a family of four), this multicooker’s settings are simply displayed on the front of the machine, easy to set up and programme at the touch of a button.
While there are various functions, the Crockpot Express Pressure Multi Cooker excels at pressure cooking (the clue is in the name), with the ability to sear before quickly and safely pressure cooking – perfect for tough cuts of meat, which generally require longer cooking times. Moreover, the components are dishwasher safe, making the multi-cooker easy to clean after use.
Buy now £99.00, John Lewis
Sage Fast Slow Go
Best for: hacking big family dinners
Like all Sage appliances, the Sage Fast Slow Go is an attractive multi-cooker. With 14 shortcuts packed into one multicooker, the machine has steam, sauté/sear, reduce, sous vide, pressure cook and slow cook functions alongside eight different pre-sets such as soup, stock, meat, stew, legumes, rice/grains, risotto and rice.
All of the buttons are also clearly laid out on the front of the appliance making it easy to use. Perhaps the main draw here, however, is the automatic steam release function when it comes to pressure cooking – at which the Sage Fast Slow Go excels – to make pressure cooking safer and less intimidating.
Elsewhere, the slow-cooker’s six litre capacity means you’ll be able to comfortably feed six people, though the hinged lid does make the cleaning process a little more fiddly than necessary.
Buy now £169.00, Sage
Cuisinart Cook In
Best for: one pan cooking
Cuisinart’s rectangular Cook In multicooker has searing, grilling, sautéing, steaming, simmering and slow-cooking functions. Given the pan shape, the appliance can be used for a variety of dishes, from seared steaks and full English breakfasts all cooked in one pan, through to slow-cooked dishes such as stews, casseroles and chillies.
It’s also worth noting that the multi-cooker is fairly compact for storing, but also has a reasonable capacity, making it an ideal size for family meals. Heating up in under 10 minutes, the Cuisinart Cook In has a temperature range of 90oC-220oC, which is easy to set, while interchangeable non-stick pans for grilling, cooking or steaming are also included. What’s more, the pans and glass lid are all dishwasher safe.
Buy now £150.55, Amazon
VonShef 42cm Multi Cooker
Best for: every meal of the day
A versatile pan-shaped multi-cooker from VonShef, this appliance makes light work of frying, sautéing, roasting, baking, stewing and boiling food at the touch of a dial. Thanks to a precise thermostat control with five heat settings (similar to oven dial settings), the multicooker can cook food at temperatures up to 220oC, ideal for cooking casseroles, full English breakfasts, rice, risotto, eggs, pancakes, stir fries and even pizza.
With a 42 centimetre diameter and five centimetre depth, the multi-cooker is generously sized but also extremely portable, with a lightweight design and detachable cord for convenient portability – ideal for camping, if you have an electrical hook-up.
Buy now £49.99, VonHaus
Amazon Basics 23 in 1 Multi-Purpose Electric Steamer, Pressure Cooker, 5.5 Litre
Best for: making a Sunday roast
From the Amazon Basics range, this multi-cooker is versatile with 15 pre-set options, ideal for cooking meat, poultry, vegetables, rice, beans, broth, curry, soup, multigrain, congee and chilli, with additional steaming, slow-cooking, pressure cooking and sautéing functions.
A manual mode can also be utilised for everyday cooking, with a 24-hour delay start, pressure indicator and automatic keep warm function. Meanwhile, the 5.5-litre capacity is spacious enough to cook a whole chicken without taking up too much counter space.
Buy now £74.99, Amazon
Magimix Cook Expert
Best for: food processing as well as multi-cooking
The Magimix Cook Expert is, by far, the most expensive multi-cooker on the list, but it’s worth noting that the machine is designed to replace multiple appliances. The sleekly designed multicooker’s functions include mixing, food processing, blending, two-layered steaming, slow-cooking, soup making, warming and proving.
Moreover, digital scales are also incorporated along with an auto-rinse programme for easy washing up after use. Designed to slice, grate, steam, sear, brown, simmer, stir, blend and knead effortlessly with strength and precision, the Magimix Cook Expert also has a ‘simmer and stir’ function for hands off cooking and a ‘smart induction’ feature. Magimix also promises their high end multi-cooker is built to last, too, offering a 30-year motor guarantee.
Buy now £1660.00, Amazon
Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ 4-in-1 Steam Combination Microwave Oven
Best for: replacing your oven
The new Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ 4-in-1 Steam Combination Microwave Oven differs from most conventional multi-cookers, but given its versatile functionality, it can be considered a multi-cooker.
Due to its size and price, however, it’s better suited to replacing ovens in small homes or holiday lets. Combining steam, microwave, grill and combination oven functionality, the Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ is ideal for preparing a great number of dishes, with technological advancements taking the hassle out of cooking.
In addition to the multi-function oven, the multi-cooker has steam technology to cook food quickly and efficiently, allowing for even heat distribution, enabling you to combine cooking functions and use them simultaneously. The Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ also has auto programmes to make mealtimes effortless and is relatively easy to clean.
Buy now £449.00, AO
Verdict
While many excellent multi-cookers are available, the sleek countertop versions with multiple functions are certainly the most useful, generally making life easier and helping to declutter your kitchen.
Given its outstanding versatility and range of functions, the Ninjaâ¯Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker leads the charge. Sure, it’s more expensive than some other options, but the seemingly endless possibilities, quality and hi-tech nature make it worth every penny.
