A lot has already been said about the multicooker as a progressive kitchen appliance. More, perhaps, was said only about recipes for it - after all, at the moment the number of dishes regularly prepared with the help of this device confidently exceeds a couple of thousand (according to special sites).

Nevertheless, the possibility of creating and developing various new recipes for a multicooker is directly related to only one of its main properties - multifunctionality. Or rather, multi-mode.

It is it that allows you to approach the issue of such “technological” cooking creatively, generating the nuances of a particular recipe depending on the task assigned to the device - temperature, time and, in fact, the mode.

At the moment, even budget multicookers, presented, for example, on the website - http://ek.ua/m746.htm are full of a wide variety of automatic and manual modes. And, what to dissemble, not everyone manages to deal with them. As a rule, housewives adapt to 1-2 modes and cook their favorite dishes exclusively “on them”, thereby actually limiting themselves in the freedom of culinary fantasy.

Of course, only the most ardent fans of the device use 100% of the capabilities of the multicooker, but we will try to expand your “regime horizons” at least a little and tell you what characterizes certain settings of this amazing device.

1. Multicook

Usually "multicooker" is the only manual control mode for a multicooker. With its help, a uniform heating of the bowl is set (without any "conditional" shutdowns), and the temperature and time are controlled directly by you. This is very convenient, since only the chef himself can judge the properties of the products put into the device.

It often happens that, for example, meat stew on “stewing” turns out to be raw - in such a situation, the “multi-cook” will help you quickly bring it to readiness (you can increase the temperature and set a short time, 5-10 minutes).

2. Heating

One of the basic modes, which, as a rule, turns on already in the standby mode. The bowl heats up to about 60-75 degrees, and the device maintains it until another mode is turned on or until you turn off the multicooker itself.

The main purpose of this mode is to maintain the temperature of an already prepared dish, however, some use heating even for emergency defrosting or melting (melting) of butter.

3. Baking

Another "sparing" mode. A not very high temperature is set (within 140-170 degrees), however, with prolonged exposure in the space of the multicooker bowl, this works in a “plus” - the pastries are baked very evenly and under no circumstances burn.

The only problem is moisture removal. Therefore, experienced chefs recommend periodically checking your biscuit (or something else) during the cooking process by opening the lid.

4. Extinguishing

This mode is often used for broths, soups, stews, hams and other dishes that require a long time to maintain the temperature “just above the boiling point”.

This is the "longest" multicooker mode. Sometimes it allows you to set the cooking time yourself, and otherwise it “sets” at least 90-100 minutes.

5. Frying

In this mode, the multicooker turns into a deep frying pan, which is as if on an electric stove.

The device actively heats the walls of the bowl to maximum temperatures (above 200 degrees), so that the product immediately begins to "seize" on one side.

By the way, this mode is often used with the lid of the device open - this way the effect of frying is even better, without the feeling of “boiled food”.

6. Steam

Often this mode is divided into two fundamentally different modes.

The first is an ordinary double boiler: you install a special grate in the bowl, on which food is laid out, and pour water on the bottom. Water boils and douses everything with hot steam, which then exits through a special valve.

It is suitable, for example, for fish fillets or vegetables.

The second is a "pressure cooker". In this mode, the valve releases far from all the steam, and an area of ​​\u200b\u200boverpressure is created inside - thereby food is cooked faster, but less “gentle”. It is used for dishes that require a more active thermal effect. For example, for meat or manti, dumplings.

7. Garnish

Sometimes it is called differently - "buckwheat". But this mode is specifically for side dishes from various cereals (rice, pearl barley) or legumes.

Its trick is that it is aimed at the gradual evaporation of moisture (part of which, of course, is absorbed into the product). When there is no liquid left in the multicooker bowl, the device automatically switches on the heating mode.

By the way, for some reason, many people use the “garnish” mode for making cereals. This is a mistake, since porridge, of course, does not require complete "removal" of the liquid. In this case, water (or milk) has to be added periodically.

A “multi-cooker” is better suited (approximately 40 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees) or a special “porridge” mode, which is equipped with many modern multi-cookers, including those presented in the E-katalog online store.

Of course, these are far from all the modes available when working with modern multicookers. However, as experienced users say, various "innovative settings" are just small changes made to the standard modes. Therefore, you can always set everything up manually - just do not forget to read the instructions!

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As a rule, the number of modes or built-in cooking programs that are provided by manufacturers in a multicooker can vary from 5-6 to 20 or more. Thanks to the design of the device, within certain limits, the user can independently control the cooking process by changing the time and set temperature.

In almost any multicooker, there are a number of basic and additional modes. In particular, the first type includes such multicooker modes as Cooking, Stewing, Frying / Baking, Rice / Buckwheat, Pilaf and Yoghurt.

The Cooking mode in a multicooker provides for heating the contents of the bowl to the boiling temperature and then maintaining it for a specified time. This mode is intended for cooking dishes of a liquid consistency: broths, soups (heated to boiling point) and milk porridges from small cereals (semolina, millet). To bookmark products, variations of the Cooking mode in a multicooker are possible with one or more stops during the cooking process.

Some modern multicookers also have a Pasta Cooking mode, in which the liquid is heated to the boiling temperature, followed by a signal and a pause when the user puts the necessary products into the boiling medium. After the bookmark and pressing the button on the multicooker panel, the liquid is brought to a boil again and the boiling temperature is maintained for the specified time. This multicooker mode is used not only for cooking pasta, but also dumplings, dumplings, khinkali and many other products, the recipes for which require laying in boiling water.

In the Quenching mode, the multicooker heats up to the boiling point, after which the products are simmered for a long time at slightly lower temperatures. This mode is suitable for cooking stewed vegetables or meat, and also allows you to make homemade baked milk or boil clear jellied meat.

The so-called Frying / Baking mode in a multicooker provides for heating the appliance to a predetermined temperature, which is maintained for a specified time. We can say that this program is similar to the Cooking mode in a slow cooker, but with the difference that the first one is characterized by a higher temperature, designed for thermal processing of food products without a large amount of liquid. You can fry in a slow cooker with both open and closed lids.

Coarse-grained cereals, which absorb a lot of liquid during cooking, are recommended to cook on the Rice / Buckwheat mode in a slow cooker. This is not only rice and buckwheat, but also peas, beans and some others. This program heats to a boil with excess power while maintaining the boil until the water evaporates and is absorbed by the food.

A combination of the Rice and Baking programs is the Pilaf mode in the multicooker, at the beginning of which it is necessary to maintain a strong boil, and after its completion, an additional baking step takes place. The latter is characterized by an increase in temperature, due to which the contents are intensively roasted for five to ten minutes.

The Yoghurt mode in the slow cooker is great for making homemade yogurt, curdled milk and other fermented milk products. This program provides for a weak and long-term (up to eight hours) temperature effect on food raw materials.

In addition to the basic multicooker modes, it is also possible to use some additional programs, thanks to which users can not only cook, but also reheat food. In addition, these useful electrical appliances are equipped with a Cooking Delay function.

For example, the additional Steam Cooking mode in the multicooker can be combined with any Cooking or Simmering program (provided that the food itself contains a sufficient amount of liquid and the temperature is not higher than 100 ° C). To use this mode, the set of accessories of the device has a special grate inserted into the main bowl, on which products are placed on top. So you can cook vegetables, meat, meatballs, steamed fish, as well as boil eggs in a steam bowl.

The Keep warm mode in the multicooker turns on automatically after working out some programs and ensures that the finished dish is kept hot for several hours. However, this mode is used only for those products whose quality does not deteriorate from prolonged heating (buckwheat, rice, soups, cereals). By the way, to prevent the development of harmful bacteria in food, the temperature should be maintained at least 60 ° C. Meanwhile, the heating of the cold product takes place in the Reheat mode when the temperature is 50-60 °C.

As an addition to the embedded modes, the multicooker may also have a manual control program, which has the marketing name Multicook. Thanks to this mode, the user can independently create their own cooking programs by setting the time, temperature and other parameters. However, the specific features of the Multi-Cook mode vary from model to model, and are both quite wide and extremely limited.

Manufacturers of multicookers are trying to create a device that can perform the functions of several devices at once. The modes in the multicooker are becoming more diverse and more complex. An ordinary home multicooker is able to cook almost any dish: grill, pasta, boil food in the classic way or steam it like a double boiler. Cooking modes differ in complexity and functionality. Let's figure out how various programs and modes work in a typical multicooker.

Home use of the product

Manual modes

Such programs are a response to user requests. Those who are used to cooking according to their recipes want the multicooker program to be able to set the heating temperature and cooking time manually.

The manufacturer Redmond was the first to provide such an opportunity, then other manufacturers pulled themselves up.

In multicookers of different brands, this cooking option can be called differently, and the basic characteristics will also differ. The minimum temperature that this mode allows you to set is about 30 degrees Celsius. It is convenient for making yogurt, preparing yeast dough. The upper limit will be different for each manufacturer. The range is 100-200 degrees.

The names of the manual cooking program: multi-cook, manual, your mode, multi-chef and other options. Experimenting with the manual cooking option makes sense if the owner of the device has a good understanding of the cooking process and understands what and how to do. If there is little experience, it is better to start trusting the standard automatic modes, the results of which will be consistently successful.

Using manual mode without proper experience is fraught with unexpected consequences

Automatic modes

There are several automatic modes that provide high quality dishes.

Heating program. A fairly simple option that allows you to keep a ready-made dish warm in anticipation of lunch or dinner. Some housewives use this mode to defrost or melt butter. In most models of multicookers, heating turns on automatically after cooking.

The mode in the slow cooker is very similar to the usual cooking in the oven at low temperatures. Well suited for cooking cereals, jellied meats, broths, in a word, those dishes where languishing is required. The finished product is fragrant and uniform in structure. The timer is set from half an hour to twelve hours.

The option of baking or baking is convenient for those who like to cook biscuits and sweet muffins. Non-trivial options for using "baking" include the use of this program for frying vegetables or meat products.

Multicooker baking mode

The mode set up for cooking cereals may differ in name and temperature settings. This program is also suitable for pilaf, crumbly cereals, cereals with milk. Cooking time varies from forty minutes to an hour.

In some models for pilaf, a special mode is provided, in which the food is browned from below, and the rice is crumbly. In this mode, you can bake potatoes or fry dumplings.

The programs "Grout" or "Buckwheat" are intended for the preparation of crumbly, but not toasted cereals. The liquid in this case evaporates thoroughly. It should be remembered that the multicooker will start counting the cooking time after it has heated the inside of the bowl to the operating temperature. Depending on the volume of the bowl and the power of the appliance, this will take an additional 10-20 minutes.

Preset program options

Double boiler. This program allows you to cook food using steam. Dishes are specific in taste, but more healthy than those prepared in the traditional way. To use this mode, you will need an additional plastic container on which food is placed. Water is poured onto the bottom of the bowl, then a plastic stand with products is inserted. The mode works with the lid closed.

Almost all multicookers have a frying mode. In some models, frying is combined with a baking program. The program allows you to fry meat, eggs and other products. Typically, manufacturers recommend using the open lid mode to constantly control the process - like in a frying pan.

The Pasta program allows you to cook pasta dishes such as dumplings, pasta, dumplings. Resourceful housewives note the similarity of this mode with modes such as "Porridge" and use them if "Paste" is not in the arsenal of the multicooker. Using this functionality is not possible with delayed start.

Variants of dishes that can be prepared in a slow cooker

Another of the automatic modes - "express" - is used for quick cooking in a slow cooker of simple dishes. The appliance quickly evaporates the liquid from the stored products and fries intensively at the end of the cycle. Classic navy pasta, fried potatoes and similar dishes are perfectly prepared with this program.

Smoking program - not available in all multicookers, allows you to smoke meat, fish, sausages. For smoking, it is required to place a small container with cherry or other wood chips in a special bowl, place products on the grates. Two smoking options are available: hot and cold. Hot takes place at a temperature of about 125 degrees, cold - at 30. For cold, only specially prepared marinated products are used. The process is more intensive than with traditional technologies. When using this mode, you should take care of the ventilation in the room, because either during the process or when you open the multicooker after cooking, the smell of smoking will enter the kitchen.

Pressure cooker - this option allows you to cook dishes by creating excess pressure in the multicooker pan. The disadvantage of such a program is the inability to add ingredients during cooking without emergency pressure relief. In this mode, it is convenient to cook jellied meat or other dishes that require long cooking.

The delayed start function is not a pure cooking mode, but it has a big impact on convenience. The program allows you to postpone cooking for up to a day. However, the function is not available for baking and frying.

Sterilization and pasteurization. These programs can be identified as separate, although in some models they are presented under other names. Pasteurization involves heating up to 70 degrees to preserve the freshness of products and get rid of unwanted microflora that dies during heat treatment. Sterilization is intended for the treatment of dishes - children's or intended for canning. The process takes place at a temperature of about 100 degrees. In fact, this mode duplicates the "steamer", since sterilization occurs under the influence of hot steam.

The "Dessert" mode is not present in all models, it is intended for the preparation of sweets, such as sweets and caramel.

The principle of operation of the pressure cooker mode

The temperature in the multicooker in different modes and the features of each program

Each manufacturer provides the device with instructions that allow you to understand the basic parameters of use. The lowest temperatures are used when creating yoghurts and heating dishes, the highest - when frying and deep-frying. 35-40 degrees ensure the normal preparation of yogurt, the preparation of yeast dough. At temperatures of 50-80 degrees, excellent drinks such as punch, tea, mulled wine are obtained.

80-100 degrees is the most common range for most dishes. Cereals, soups, jams and other dishes that require languishing are perfectly cooked at such temperatures.

Temperatures over 100 degrees are used in cooking meat, baking, and roasting vegetables. If the appliance has a pressure cooker function, then various soups can also be cooked at high temperatures.

The highest temperature - 170 degrees - is used for cooking meat in batter, french fries.

Differences between modes in different models

Options for cooking programs are laid down by manufacturers. Naturally, more expensive and multifunctional models have greater variability and a range of tasks to be solved.

So, Mulinex multicookers offer up to a hundred automatic work programs, the Scarlett brand has about twenty of them. The same variant can be called differently.

To clarify, when buying, you must definitely look at the characteristics of the product, without getting carried away by the attractive names that manufacturers come up with for the simplest programs.

Cooking meat dishes

So, the options “Stew”, “Soup”, “Milk porridge” turn out to be almost the same. They involve cooking the dish at a temperature of about 90 degrees Celsius for a long time.

In some multicookers, there is a “Crust” program that allows you to fry the prepared dish with a crispy crust. In some ways, this mode resembles frying, but, according to reviews of consumers who have used both, there is still a difference.

Manufacturers do not advertise the intricacies of a particular program, the user sees only general characteristics: temperature, cooking time, the presence of excess pressure. If you cook not for gourmets, then small differences in the taste of finished dishes are insignificant.

Conclusion

When choosing a multicooker for the home, you need to understand what it is for. This is not only a decoration of the kitchen, but also a real assistant in the daily cooking. More budget models have fewer modes and functions, are made of cheaper materials, but their consumer qualities are often in no way inferior to the products of leading brands. It is worth considering whether it is necessary to overpay for the “grill” or “deep-frying” functions if the multicooker is purchased mainly for making baby cereals.

A slow cooker is considered as a device ready to give out any dishes like a self-assembly tablecloth. Therefore, housewives are very upset when milk porridge begins to climb out of all the slots of the device. The search for the perfect recipe and regimen begins. One of the questions that torments housewives is what temperature is in the slow cooker?

Main Modes

Immediately make a reservation that it is not possible to adjust the temperature for all dishes. Models of devices are endowed with a certain number of modes. We list which programs in the multicooker can be found:

1. Baking. The maximum temperature in this mode reaches 120 gr. The cooking time is 50 to 60 minutes. Temperature control is not provided. The "baking" program allows you to make pizza, bake pies with various fillings.

2. Frying. This mode is quite powerful and gives temperatures up to 160 gr. The minimum figure is 100 gr. In the proposed range, it can be adjusted. To prevent the dish from burning, increase the temperature gradually. You can cook with the lid open and closed. With this program you can make excellent fried potatoes.

3. Steaming. The temperature is not higher than 120 gr. The mode allows you to independently set the cooking period. It can be from 5 min. up to 1 hour.

4. Groats. Usually in 25-30 minutes. you can get a delicious crumbly porridge. The mode is programmed for a temperature of 110 gr. Time, as a rule, in this mode is not regulated.

5. Pasta. This program is not available in all models of multicookers. It allows you to quickly and efficiently produce a variety of sauces and gravies. On average, the process takes about 10-20 minutes.

6. Extinguishing. The mode that is the most difficult to adapt to. The device heats up no higher than 100 gr. It takes 2 to 8 hours to prepare. Due to the long cooking period, many housewives replace this function with another one.

7. Milk porridge. It turns out tender, normal density and fragrant porridge. Approximately 30 minutes are allotted for it. This period may not be enough if you cook corn grits. We'll have to add milk and add time.

8. Yogurt. Prepared at a low temperature not higher than 40 gr. within standard 8 hours. It automatically turns off when necessary, then again continues heating.

9. Soup. The multicooker only heats up to 100 gr. and offers to cook liquid dishes up to 8 hours in time. Mode unpopular with housewives, because the temperature is very low.

10. Pizza. A complex function that needs to be approached. Raw pizza does not work, the base, as a rule, burns.

Can the temperature be adjusted?

Yes, if your model is equipped with the "Multi-cook" function. It allows you to independently set the desired temperature and time. With this feature, you can cook any dish from the cookbook. The temperature range is from 40 to 160 gr. The maximum cooking time is 12 hours, the minimum is 5 minutes.

If you want your multicooker to cope with any task, then when buying it, pay attention to the functions and number of programs. If there is no “Milk porridge” mode, then it is unlikely that you will be able to cook a delicious breakfast for your child.

From the description of model 0517:

Multicook:

The default cooking time is 5 minutes. The time is adjustable from 5 minutes to 12 hours in 5 minute increments.

The temperature is adjustable from 40 C to 160 C in 10 C increments.

Temperature 93 C

Extinguishing:

The default cooking time is 2 hours. The time is adjustable from 1 hour to 8 hours in 30 minute increments.

Temperature 93 C

Bakery:

Cooking time 50 minutes.

Temperature 118 C - 122 C

Frying:

The temperature is adjustable from 100 C to 160 C in 10 C increments.

baking:

The default cooking time is 30 minutes. The time is adjustable from 10 minutes to 1 hour in 5 minute increments.

Temperature 145 C

Crust:

The default cooking time is 1 hour 30 minutes. The time is adjustable from 1 hour to 2 hours in 5 minute increments.

Temperature 145 C

Paste:

The default cooking time is 8 minutes. Time is adjustable from 8 min. up to 20 minutes in increments of 1 minute.

Temperature 118 to 120 C.

Yogurt:

The default cooking time is 8 hours. The time is adjustable from 6 hours to 12 hours in 5 minute increments.

Temperature 38 to 42 C.

Oatmeal:

The default cooking time is 5 minutes. The time is adjustable from 5 minutes to 1 hour in 5 minute increments.

Temperature 118 to 120 C.

Dessert:

The default cooking time is 1 hour. The time is adjustable from 5 minutes to 1 hour in 5 minute increments.

Temperature 100 C.

Steam cooking:

The default cooking time is 5 minutes. The time is adjustable from 5 minutes to 1 hour in 1 minute increments.

Temperature 115 to 120 C.

Beans:

The default cooking time is 1 hour. The time is adjustable from 1 hour to 4 hours in 10 minute increments.

Temperature 93 C.

Milk porridge:

The default cooking time is 10 minutes. The time is adjustable from 10 to 30 minutes in 5 minute increments.

Temperature 95 C.

Groats:

Temperature 100 C.

Heating:

The default cooking time is 25 minutes.

Temperature 100 C.

Pizza:

The default cooking time is 25 minutes. The time is adjustable from 20 to 50 minutes in 5 minute increments.

Temperature 100 to 160 C.

Delayed start 24 hours. - not in all modes.

Cooking temperatures on the "Multicook"

The Internet has plate from another MV- there is given the temperature for some modes.

Steam cooking: 115 - 120 degrees

frying: 100 - 160 degrees

Paste: 118 - 120 degrees

Groats: 110 degrees

Pilaf: 120 - 125 degrees

Milk porridge: 90 degrees

Extinguishing: 90 degrees

Soup: 90 degrees

Bakery 118 - 122 degrees