Baking program
Bakery- it works at a temperature of 118 - 122 degrees, the temperature is not adjustable, the program is designed for 50 minutes, there is no way to decrease or increase it unless you press the “Cancel” button. Biscuits, cakes, pies with batter, and pizza are more successful in this program.

The program is ideal, the signature dish at home is charlotte with apples, from the same charlotte dough you can make any other pie with fruits and berries. Just a great dessert for kids.

Steaming- 115-120 degrees, cooking time is adjustable from 5 minutes to 1 hour.

Frying– temperature is adjustable from 100 to 160 degrees, time is adjustable from 10 minutes to 1 hour. You can fry with the lid open. Quite a powerful program, start with a low temperature, and then increase until the best result, otherwise there is a risk that everything will burn. Fried potatoes, ideal in a slow cooker.

Paste 118-120 degrees, time from 8 minutes to 20 minutes. You can prepare sauces, gravies, pasta.

Groats- 110 degrees, time 25 minutes, nothing is adjustable. An ideal program indeed. I had problems with the first cartoon with this program, everything was browned in it, but then it turned out to be a perfectly crumbly porridge.

Milk porridge- 95 degrees, from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Sometimes 30 minutes is not enough, for corn grits you need all 50 minutes, you have to add it later. And so the program is ideal, you can cook any milk porridge.

Extinguishing- 93 degrees, from 2 to 8 hours. The program is unsuccessful, it takes a very long time to cook, so I often replace it with the “multi-cook” program, with the time set (40 minutes) and the temperature at 110 degrees), so it’s faster to simmer.

Soup- 93 degrees, from 1 hour to 8 hours. I don’t know what kind of soup can be cooked for so long, but I don’t have enough patience, the temperature is low, I replace this program with a multi-cooker with a time setting (30 minutes) and a temperature of 140 degrees.

Yogurt– temperature 38-40 degrees, constantly maintains it. I watched the multicooker in this mode for some time. Every about 20-30 minutes, the multi automatically turns on and warms up, then sleeps and turns on again, and so on for the whole 8 hours. How to make yogurt is written here.

Multicook– temperature from 40 degrees to 160, time from 5 minutes to 12 hours, my favorite program in which you can cook anything, from soups to baked goods.

Pizza– time from 20 minutes to 50 minutes. A terrible program, pizza comes out on it, in general, the crust burns on this program. And eat it as if it were a cracker. I do not recommend it for raw pizza; it is better to make the pizza in the baking mode for 40 minutes. I don’t know the temperature, but it’s definitely above 120.

Oatmeal(for quick oatmeal preparation, 10-30 minutes),

Dessert(for making jams, preserves, caramel, sweets, marmalade, etc., cooking time is 1-4 hours, adjustable).

Baking, time from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. The program helps bake vegetables, meat, mushrooms, etc.

Crust, time from 1-2 hours, adjustable. Helps create a crust on any dish. That is, it cooks until golden brown.

Beans, time 1-4 hours, adjustable, intended for cooking legumes: peas, beans, lentils, etc.
There is also a heating program and a separate button that helps keep the dish warm.

Cooking temperatures in the “Multi-cook” mode

So, you decided that you should buy a multicooker, and now you already have it in your kitchen.
I wrote earlier about how to make a decision to buy it (or, conversely, refuse).

How did you decide to start using it - by searching for recipes on the Internet?

You will find that there are many types and models of multicookers, recipes often correspond to a specific model, and how much these recipes can be trusted is also unknown...

I will tell you a secret, a terrible secret that only those who write recipe books that come with the devices know!

Here it is, the secret (are you ready?):

There are no special recipes for a multicooker.

Any recipe can be adapted to be cooked in a slow cooker.

Moreover, all recipes “especially for multicookers” from books and the Internet are divided into two unequal parts.
Most of the recipes are illiterate from the point of view of culinary technology and often result in a dish that does not correspond to the name at all.
The minority are recipes that are based on the real capabilities of the device, are competent and produce a high-quality dish as a result.

In order to cook well and tasty in a slow cooker, you need:
- be able to cook in a regular saucepan/frying pan, on a regular stove/oven;
- find out all the information about the technical parameters and all modes of a particular model;
- forget everything that you have so far read on the Internet about the wonders of a multicooker (“tastier than...”, “cooks it yourself...”, “put everything together and left...”) because this is a bluff;
- roll up your sleeves, stock up on time and patience, master a new device in order to get the maximum benefit from it.

Let's get started?

First of all, find a suitable location for your slow cooker.
As a matter of fact, you should have thought about this before the purchase, and not after.

My experience is that if an appliance is intended for constant use, it should be positioned so that it is always accessible - not in the pantry, not in the closet, but on the kitchen counter.

In addition, you must have an outlet for connecting the device, to which you have constant access, since the device will need to be regularly unplugged from the network (this is a design feature of most multicookers from all brands).

And finally, the multicooker should be positioned so that the steam valve is not under a wall cabinet. The steam from the valve is at high temperature and pressure, when it hits the kitchen cabinet, it turns into condensation and will cause significant damage to your furniture over time.

So, the device is standing and connected to the network.

You opened the instructions, and there... Nothing is clear!

In any case, the instructions for my multicooker give a minimum of information, which at first reading seems like gobbledygook.
As for the recipe book that comes with the device, it doesn’t so much answer questions as provoke new ones.

Put the papers aside for now, let's figure out for ourselves what the multicooker can do using the example of the Philips HD3039 model.

The multicooker model Philips HD3039 is very typical and differs little from multicookers produced by other companies; the difference may only lie in the name of the modes.

The multicooker has simple controls (a big plus) and has the bonus of 3D heating.

A simple control panel makes the price more affordable, and the device is more reliable and durable in operation.

3D heating means that the bottom, walls and lid are heated. The wall and lid heaters are not very strong, but, nevertheless, the heating is more uniform. However, a multicooker, even with 3D heating, does not produce a baked crust on top due to the weakness of the upper spiral, so the usual baking (as in an oven) will not work in a pan.

In order to find out how this or that mode works, I stocked up on a bottle of the cheapest vegetable oil and a cooking thermometer.
In all multicookers, there are buttons for automatic modes on the left, so let’s start on this side.

1. Heating mode.
I poured water, turned it on for 20 minutes, opened it and measured the water temperature.

60 degrees C is exactly the temperature at which it is usually recommended to store ready-made dishes before serving. The mode turns on automatically upon completion of any program and runs for 2 hours.

Is it good or bad?

Let me remind you that multicookers in their other reincarnation were rice cookers. A temperature of 60 degrees C prevents the development of pathogenic bacteria and does not impair the quality of finished rice or other cereals.

However, the multicooker is an excellent thermos, so if you do not open it immediately after the end of the program, the temperature inside the pan will drop gradually and slowly and will remain above 60C for quite a long time.

This should be taken into account when setting the cooking time or leaving the device in automatic mode if you are cooking fish, meat or vegetables.
Their presence for such a long time under heating conditions (even gentle ones) leads to a deterioration in the quality of the finished dish, because the cooking process continues!

2. Rice/buckwheat mode (and any other cereals that require long cooking).
This is the main mode for which the device was created.

Automatic mode. The device stops working at the moment when all the water boils away and the temperature inside the pan rises.
The multicooker perfectly cooks fluffy rice and buckwheat (which is mistakenly considered a quickly boiled grain).

At first glance, everything is very simple and really “he fell asleep and went for a walk.”

But in fact, you should understand that each type of cereal requires its own amount of water so that the porridge comes out both ready and crumbly.
For example, for red, black and brown rice, you need to take 20% more water than indicated in the instructions in the program. Let's say, pour water into 4 measuring cups of cereal to the 5 mark, not 4, as for buckwheat and white rice.

3. Spaghetti.
There is nothing at all in the instructions about this mode. The name doesn't say anything. The program runs until all the liquid has boiled away (you can only learn about this from the recipe book that comes with the multicooker).

It was not possible to find out what is the difference between this program and the “rice/buckwheat” program, although I tried to compare the results when using the “rice” and “spaghetti” programs.

I took the same amount of paste, added the same amount of water, both programs worked for the same amount of time until completion, the result was also the same: the paste was ready, but due to the small amount of water it stuck together in a lump and was covered with a sticky shell of starch. I had to rinse it, after which, of course, the taste of the paste deteriorated sharply.

Conclusion: there is no point in using the program. If necessary, the same thing can be prepared using the “rice/buckwheat” program.

4. Boiling.
Everything is clear here: active heating, vigorous boiling. The default running time of the program is 10 minutes, but you can set the time in the range from 5 to 30 minutes. The countdown timer starts after the water boils, so the program time is the actual boiling time.

However, if you need to quickly bring the liquid to a boil during cooking, this can be done in the fry or steam mode.

Conclusion: the program has practical application only if there is no kettle in the house or there is a need to boil something for a specific specified time.

5. Steamer.
Everything is clear too. The ability to choose between vegetables, fish and meat actually means choosing the cooking time.
The same mode can be used for cooking in a water bath.

In the “steamer” mode, vegetables, fish and meat are prepared, as well as various steam souffles (forms for them need to be purchased additionally).

6. Frying.
I checked by pouring oil and measuring the temperature after 20 minutes of warming up.
Oil heating temperature is 160C with an open pan, 180C with a closed pan.

Considering the small bottom area, high walls and relatively low heating temperature, I think it is correct to use the mode only for frying a small amount of vegetables (the so-called “frying” for soup) or frying spices and/or cereals in oil before adding water.

However, this mode is convenient to use for deep frying - the oil will not heat up above the set value and, therefore, will not burn.
Fans of French fries and other joys of the unhealthy diet condemned by doctors can buy a special wire basket and fry whatever they want.

7. Baking.
I checked by pouring oil and letting the program run for 20 minutes.
The program time is fixed - 45 minutes. Temperature in the range of 130-160C.

It’s a stretch to call the process baking. The main heating comes only from the bottom, while the pan is hermetically sealed and there is almost no evaporation of moisture.
However, we all know that protein coagulation occurs with any heating, be it the dry heat of an oven or the moist heat of a steam bath.

You can “bake” the pie in a regular microwave oven or in a frying pan over a fire. The question is - what kind of pie will it be...

However, if we are talking about the fact that there is no oven, but you still want some kind of dessert, then it is quite possible to use a slow cooker for this purpose.
“Muffins” and “cakes” made from dough containing cottage cheese and/or a large number of eggs are especially good in it, since the temperature for such “baking” is precisely in the range of 160 - 180C.

8. Braising.
In this mode, the multicooker maintains a heating temperature of approximately 100 degrees C. The duration of the program is controlled by a timer, the minimum program time is 1 hour, the maximum is 8 hours.

However, the broth turns out to be quite cloudy, because the boil is vigorous and the pan is tightly closed.

The situation is better with pureed soups, since the vegetables should still be completely boiled in them.

When stewing meat, the sauce should be added in very small quantities, since the evaporation of liquid is minimal and a large amount of sauce will make the meat boiled rather than stewed.

For the same reason - a tightly closed lid and little evaporation of water - stewed vegetables turn out to be too watery.
To evaporate excess water after opening the lid, you need to keep them in the “frying” mode for another 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly. Total - 1 hour 20 minutes, in my opinion - too long for cooking vegetables.

Stewing fish for an hour is generally nonsense.

And don’t forget that you won’t be able to simply leave the pan to simmer vegetables or meat and leave the house, because at the end of the program the multicooker will switch to the heating mode, which I wrote about above.

In order to “fight” the device’s automatic transition to heating mode, you can buy an additional socket-clock and program it so that the device is disconnected from the network immediately after the program ends from the network at a given time.

9. Warm up.
Active heating, time can be set from 8 to 25 minutes.

As I wrote above, a multicooker has the properties of a good thermos.
If you put a bowl of food in the refrigerator in the evening (so that everything cools together), in the morning you move it into the multicooker and program a delayed start, then the food will not spoil and will be hot at the right time.

But I don’t know who needs it today.
A microwave oven will heat up a dish in a few minutes, while a slow cooker will work for 30 minutes, using 10 times more electricity...

Even if we assume that you need to heat up food for an elderly person or a small child, who are afraid to let near the stove, the question remains - how will they then be able to get food out of a hot pan?!

My conclusion: the mode has no practical use.

That's probably all about the multicooker modes.

Next time I will talk about specific dishes prepared in a slow cooker and how to adapt any dish to cooking in it.

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 using this device confidently exceeds a couple of thousand (according to special sites).

However, the ability to create and develop various new recipes for a multicooker is directly related to only one of its main properties - versatility. Or rather, multi-mode.

It is this 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, to be honest, 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 imagination.

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

1. Multicook

Typically, “multi-cook” is the only manual control mode for a multi-cooker. With its help, 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 placed in the device.

It often turns out that, for example, a meat stew that is stewed turns out raw - in such a situation, the “multi-cook” will help you quickly bring it to readiness (you can raise 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 standby mode. The bowl heats up to approximately 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 (heating) butter.

3. Baking

Another “gentle” mode. The temperature set is not very high (within 140-170 degrees), however, with prolonged exposure to the space of the multicooker bowl, this works as a plus - the baked goods are baked very evenly and under no circumstances burns.

The only problem is moisture removal. Therefore, experienced cooks recommend periodically checking your sponge cake (or anything else) during the cooking process by opening the lid.

4. Braising

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

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

5. Frying

In this mode, the multicooker turns into a deep frying pan, located 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 “set” on one side.

By the way, this mode is often used when the lid of the device is open - this way the frying effect is manifested even better, without the feeling of “cooked 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 you place food, and pour water into the bottom. The water boils and pours hot steam over everything, which then comes out 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 does not release all the steam, and an area of ​​excess pressure is created inside - thereby cooking food faster, but less “gently”. It is used for dishes that require more active thermal effects. For example, for meat or manti, dumplings.

7. Side dish

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 aims to gradually evaporate moisture (part of which, of course, is absorbed into the product). When there is no liquid left in the multicooker bowl, the device automatically turns on the heating mode.

By the way, for some reason many people use the “side dish” mode for preparing porridge. This is a mistake, since porridge, of course, does not require complete “removal” of the liquid. In this case, water (or milk) must be added periodically.

A “multi-cooker” (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, would be better suited.

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

:: You may be interested in other culinary publications.

A slow cooker is a thing. If you haven't bought it yet, I recommend it. If you bought it, then under the cut there may be some useful information for you:

From the description of model 0517:
Multicook:
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 steps of 10 C.
Soup:

Temperature 93 C
Braising:
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 steps of 10 C.
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 1 minute increments.
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.
Steaming:
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.
Cereals:

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 in the "Multi-cook" mode
35°C Recommended for preparing dough and vinegar
40°C Recommended for making yoghurts
45°C Recommended for sourdough
50°C Recommended for fermentation
55°C Recommended for making fudge
60°C Recommended for making green tea or baby food
65°C Recommended for cooking meat in vacuum packaging
70°C Recommended for making punch
75°C Recommended for making white tea
80°C Recommended for making mulled wine
85°C Recommended for preparing cottage cheese or dishes that require a long cooking time
90°C Recommended for making red tea
95°C Recommended for pasteurization
100°C Recommended for making meringue or jam
105°C Recommended for preparing jellied meat
110°C Recommended for sterilization
115°C Recommended for making sugar syrup
120°C Recommended for making crackers
125°C Recommended for cooking stews
130°C Recommended for preparing casseroles
135°С Recommended for frying ready-made dishes to give them a crispy crust
140°С Recommended for smoking
145°C Recommended for baking vegetables or fish in foil
150C Recommended for baking meat in foil
155°C Recommended for making French fries

There is a sign on the Internet from another MV - it shows the temperature for some modes.
IN steamed arch: 115 - 120 degrees
Frying: 100 - 160 degrees
Paste: 118 - 120 degrees
Cereal: 110 degrees
Pilaf: 120 - 125 degrees
Milk porridge: 90 degrees
Braising: 90 degrees
Soup: 90 degrees
Baking 118 - 122 degrees

Updated 09/21/2017

Multicookers are versatile devices that have many different functions. They know how to boil, fry and stew food, as well as steam. Each process has a specific program, and each of these programs has a specific temperature. More on this below...

Baking mode. When this mode is activated, the system sets the temperature in the range of 118-122 degrees (this value may differ slightly in different models). In this case, the user will not be able to set his own temperature parameter. In this mode, it is set by the program, and it can no longer be changed during the cooking process. This mode with this temperature is perfect for cooking pies, pizza and various sponge cakes. Do you want to make a delicious charlotte with apples? Choose the baking mode – that’s what it’s designed for.

Steam cooking is the second program. Don't confuse it with a steamer. There are many differences between a multicooker and a double boiler, and it makes no sense to compare these devices. The steam mode operates at a temperature of 115-120 degrees. Depending on the type of dish, the cooking process lasts from 10 to 60 minutes. This mode is suitable for preparing dietary food, steamed cutlets, for example.

Frying. In this mode, the heating temperature is 100-160 degrees. Unlike other modes, this one works when the lid is open. This program is powerful, so you need to handle it carefully. It is better to start frying at low temperatures and increase it as it cooks. Otherwise, the dish may simply burn.

Pasta – The program operates at a temperature of 116-120 degrees and can last 8-20 minutes. Suitable for making sauces and gravies.

Special mode for cereals – 110 degrees. It does not allow you to adjust any parameters, but the program itself is correct. With its help you can make the perfect crumbly porridge.

Milk porridge – program with heating up to 95 degrees. Usually the mode works for 30 minutes, but for some porridges this is not enough. You can simply reactivate the mode or add minutes if the functionality supports it.

Braising – 95 degrees. This function assumes operation from 2 to 8 hours. Judging by the reviews, this program is not the best, because... works for a long time. Its excellent analogue is “multi-cook” - this is a similar mode that copes with the carcass much faster.

Soup – a program for cooking soup, which assumes a temperature of 95 degrees. It works for 8 hours. You should already be convinced that a multicooker is not for quick cooking.

Yogurt – works at a low temperature of 38-40 degrees. In fact, the device only maintains this parameter and activates or deactivates heating every 20-30 minutes. Preparation of yogurt is described in the recipe book included with the multicooker.

“Multi-cook” mode at a temperature of 40-160 degrees with the ability to adjust. This is a universal program that allows you to cook anything: baked goods, soups, stews, etc.

Dessert– for making caramel, sweets and other sweets. Temperature can be adjusted according to recipe.