6 Reasons To Love The New Slow Cooker

Tefal MultiCook Advanced 45-in-1 review


WHAT IS THE TEFAL MULTICOOK ADVANCED 45-IN-1?
Taking the premise of a slow cooker and combining it with a host of functions
And smart design, the 45-in-1 is more of a intelligent kitchen gadget than its
unassuming exterior reveals.
It includes a micro-computerised chip that helps it to recognise different
Components, and a micro pressure valve to help lock flavours.
It also cooks in a patented spherical pot, which is made with a multi-layered
Aluminium core for better heat distribution and consistent results. This
Means it can tackle everything from cooking rice, porridge and stews to
Making yogurt, soup and desserts.
Thoughtful features aside, it is simply among the best-value multi-cookers
Around, boasting 45 manual and automatic programme combinations (17 and
With a price of 89.99, this works out to around #2 per
programme.
Tefal MultiCook Advanced 45-in-1 two
TEFAL MULTICOOK ADVANCED 45-IN-1 -- DESIGN AND FEATURES
Depth-wise, the 45-in-1 is pretty big -- around the size of a typical
breadmaker. However, it is not as tall, so could easily slot under wall cabinets.
It is light, too, featuring an ingenious carry handle, so moving it around is a
breeze.
While the mainly white-plastic exterior is less than appealing, the top of this
Machine is where all the action occurs.
Here, you'll find a silver control pad with eight buttons: one to change it on; a
Menu button to scroll through auto programmes (Baking, Soup, Steam, Stew,

Pilaf/Risotto, Pasta, Bread climbing and Reheat); three buttons for toggling


Tefal MultiCook Advanced 45-in-1 9
Above this is a lid release, which you press to show a cauldron-like cooking
pot. It's clearly marked cup measurements (these correspond to the
Measuring cup that is included) and a capacity of up to 20 portions.
Two strands have also been included, which make scooping out or stirring
Soup and rice easier, plus there's a steam basket that fits along with the main
cooking bowl. Handily, the interior lid can be removed for cleaning, as can the
valve. The bowl, inner lid, cup and spoons are all dishwasher-safe.
TEFAL MULTICOOK ADVANCED 45-IN-1 -- WHAT'S IT LIKE TO USE?
There are not a huge amount of recipes included with the machine, but there is
Enough to have an idea of its capabilities. We started by making One Pot Penne
Bolognese, adding oil, garlic, onion and minced beef to the bowl and
Selecting Crust/Fry for Vegetables.

Eight minutes with the lid closed.
The mince and onions were well browned, but not dry or overcooked. Next,
We added pasata, red wine, water and pasta to the bowl before cooking on the
Stew setting for Meat for half an hour. The resulting pasta dish was delicious,
With soft penne and plenty of rich sauce.

We then decided to try the Raspberry and Blueberry Sponge. Removing the
Bowl we lined it with greased baking parchment and layered this with fruit.
Mixing the sponge batter separately, we poured this over the fruit before
Replacing the bowl at the machine. Choosing the Dessert function at 140C, we
Baked it for 30 minutes.
At this point a skewer came out slightly moist still, so we baked for a few
More minutes prior to removing the bowl and turning the cake out. The
Finished cake was golden brown with a layer of company stewed fruit and a fluffy
Sponge below, although its rounded shape was a bit unconventional.
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We steamed some asparagus using the steaming basket with water in
The bowl and the Steam programme for veggies. This ran for 35 minutes,
Which could have been reduced because the steamed asparagus was a little
overcooked.

mushrooms. Adding them into the bowl in the suggested equivalent cup
Proportions, we picked the automatic Pilaf/Risotto function.
Since the machine adapts the time to the ingredients in the bowl, it didn't
Display the cooking duration.
Took about 45 minutes.
While the rice was well cooked, the grains were fluffy Instead of creamy and
There was little in the means of sauce. At the bottom of the bowl, some of those
Rice had crisped and browned -- ideal for paella, but not risotto.
Clean-up was easy, however, since all of the pieces are dishwasher-safe.
Washing the bowl and accessories by hand was also straightforward.

SHOULD I BUY THE TEFAL MULTICOOK ADVANCED 45-IN-1?
Slow-cooking fans and time-poor families alike will find many reasons to
Love the 45-in-1. Reheat, Delay Start and Keep Warm functions mean it's
Everything a slow cooker should be and more. Additionally, it includes other
Programmes that a keen cook will be happy to experiment with -- such as
yogurt.
While one or two functions require a little trial-and-error for the desired
Results, and a time estimate on the rice programme would have been
Welcome, for the most part this system performed very well.
VERDICT
A great-value buy with plenty of features. If you're looking to make more of
Your meal times then the Tefal MultiCook Advanced 45-in-1 multi-cooker is a
smart upgrade.