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Buying Guide
Slow, Pressure & Multi Cooker Buying Guide

Slow, Pressure &
Multicooker Buying Guide

Slow Cookers, Pressure Cookers and Multicookers are all appliances that can remove much of the hassle of kitchen tasks Discover benchtop cookers from top brands like Breville, Russell Hobbs, Crock Pot and more.

Slow Cookers, Pressure Cookers and Multicookers are all appliances that can remove much of the hassle of kitchen tasks. Discover benchtop cookers from top brands like Breville, Russell Hobbs, Crock Pot and more.

Offering different approaches to cooking the same delicious meals, Slow Cookers, Pressure Cookers and Multi Cookers are a meal time game changer. Save time, energy and fuss in the kitchen with hands-off convenience, simplicity and ease. Read on to find the best Benchtop Cooker for you.

Slow Cooker

A slow cooker is the best option for dishes that require long periods of simmering or baking. Using low temperatures to gradually cook stews, soups and pot roasts among other foods, it can be left on while you go about your day.

Pressure Cooker

What is a pressure cooker? Well, it is made up of a special airtight cooking pot that uses steam to prepare foods in super quick time. Putting a liquid such as water, wine or broth in the pot traps the vapour inside, which raises the temperature and pressure for speed cooking.

Multi Cooker

Providing you with a little bit of everything, multicookers combine several functions into one. They can include features of a slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, fryer and more, making them ideal if you are low on space.

“New auto settings on slow cookers can change temperature in the middle of the cooking time, taking a recipe from a boil to a simmer, for a totally hands-off process.” says Tracy Ellis, The Good Guys Buyer – Portable Appliances.

Size and weight

With slow cookers and multicookers you should be able to judge size and weight pretty easily, picking the right model that will fit your household’s needs. However, pressure cookers may need slightly more thought as the size can affect the cooking in several ways. Firstly, larger models can take longer to heat up and they will require more liquid to create the desired outcome. There must also be enough space to fit the food, the liquid and room left over to allow steam to build up. Generally between 6 and 8 litres of capacity is enough for a typical four-person family, although both smaller and larger options are available.

Cooking options and settings

Slow cookers, multicookers and pressure cookers perform similar functions, but there are variations.

These settings are common to slow cookers and multicookers:
- Slow cook
- Fry
- Steam
- Grill
- Stir Fry
- Braise

Pressure cookers can only be used for tasks that require steam, such as boiling braising and simmering. There are usually three settings on a pressure cooker: low, medium and high.
Measured in pounds per square inch (psi), pressure at the top end will be around 15 psi, while 3 psi is typical for low settings.

Energy consumption

While slow cookers and multicookers are convenient and can be left on even when not in the house, this means their energy consumption is higher. Pressure cookers, on the other hand, are designed to cook foods very quickly, so don’t use as much energy.

Lifestyle image of a kitchen bench with a Russell Hobbs slow cooker on it next to prepared dishes.

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