TOP 5 excellent inexpensive multicookers

One of the most affordable slow cookers on the market, the Saturn ST-MC9209 stands out not only for its low price, but also has an expanded set of modes and firmware with numerous preset cooking programs. The exterior design is not distinguished by the originality of the forms: with a traditional cylindrical silver-coloured case, the device looks similar to hundreds of standard models from other manufacturers. The manufacturer also offers this model with a red case. Cooking is carried out in a 5-liter ceramic-coated bowl, and the transparent hinged lid and body elements are made of frankly cheap plastic. Heat treatment is carried out by a heating element with a power of 860 watts, and the built-in thermostat allows you to maintain the selected thermal mode.

The device is controlled from the keypad, which is equipped with a simple 4-digit digital display. Since the device has 42 pre-installed programs, there are too many buttons on the panel, and the inscriptions on them are quite small. Therefore, it is not necessary to talk about comfort at work, especially for people with poor eyesight. The control panel allows you to select the cooking mode and programme, set the cooking time, adjust the heating temperature of the finished dish in the range of 63 – 83 °C (up to 24 hours) and set the start delay time from 10 minutes to 24 hours. In addition to many standard modes, the device can bake, steam and sterilize dishes. Among the interesting software features, we note the preparation of jelly, yogurt and jam cooking. And lovers of Italian cuisine will be pleased with pasta (pasta) cooking programs, lasagna and pizza baking. The slow cooker is equipped with 2 measuring spoons and a measuring bowl, a steaming container, a recipe book and a warranty card.

Under the Vitek trademark, owned by Golder Electronics, a wide range of inexpensive household appliances are manufactured in China. The Vitek VT-4281 multicooker is an entry-level multifunctional kitchen appliance equipped with 9 built-in cooking programs. The model is made in a low cylindrical stainless steel case. It is equipped with a hinged plastic lid with a built-in steam valve and a large transparent viewing window in the centre. If you hope, looking into it, to control the degree of cooking, then we are forced to disappoint you — apart from the glass surface misted by steam, there will be little to see. There are 2 hidden handles on the sides of the case for easy movement. Inside the device there is a bowl with a Teflon coating with a capacity of 4 liters, and under it there is a heating element with a capacity of 800 watts.

A touch-sensitive electronic control panel with a digital display is mounted on the front surface of the case. Under it there are 3 light indicators corresponding to dishes from "Fish", "Chicken" and "Meat", for which cooking modes are available: "Frying / Deep-frying", "Stewing" and "Languishing". In the section of cereal preparation programs, it is possible to cook rice, cook pilaf or make porridge. And in addition, the device allows you to cook steamed dishes, pastries and cook children's menu dishes: milk porridges and mixtures. The control panel settings make it possible to maintain the temperature of ready meals (up to 4 hours), and the start delay timer allows you to postpone the execution time of the programme. The user can also adjust the duration of processes in real time at his discretion. The model is equipped with a plastic measuring spoon and a glass, a metal grill for steaming and a book for 45 recipes.

The low-cost multivark Scarlett SC-MC410S25 from a large line of related equipment of the brand can be safely ranked among the successful and practical appliances that help in the kitchen with cooking. The model has a typical appearance, and its steel cylindrical body is made of its own Steel Tech steel brand. The base stand, the hinged lid with a steam valve and the frame of the control panel are made of white heat-resistant plastic. Inside the appliance there is a 5 L bowl with a two-layer non-stick coating, which is easy to clean manually or in the dishwasher. The inner wall of the bowl is equipped with hints implemented by a conditional scale of proportions of cereals and liquid, which will teach you how to cook various porridges correctly. A flat heating element has a power of 900 watts, and a built-in temperature limiter automatically blocks heating when working with an empty or not installed in the bowl. The model has a light weight of only 1.9 kg.

The rectangular frame of the push-button electronic control panel is located on the front side of the case. A small LED display with bright green numbers and symbols is easy to read both in daylight and at night. In the list of the most necessary 11 programs there are 9 main modes and programs of self-preparation of dishes, including frying, cooking, stewing, languishing, baking, cooking yogurt and steamed dishes, as well as 2 functional programs. The auto-heating function (60 °C), enabled by default, is automatically activated after the cooking time and works up to 24 hours. In the same way, you can delay the start of the programme for a day using the built-in timer or warm up a cooled dish. The model is equipped with a classic set of plastic accessories: a mixing spoon, a measuring bowl, a basket for a steamer. And for those who are dealing with such a technique for the first time, a colorful and well-structured recipe book will help.

The "smart" multicooker Redmond SkyCooker M225S with the function of remote control from a smartphone, belonging to a large group of kitchen appliances of the Smart Home series, turns routine cooking into an exciting and unencumbered activity. To communicate with the device from anywhere in the world, you need to install the R4S Gateway (Ready For Sky) application on your smartphone or tablet or use the Redmond SkyCenter 11S smart home control centre. After that, functional buttons and a recipe menu will appear on the display of your gadget, allowing you to remotely configure and start the slow cooker in operation. The model is made in a typical design for the brand's products with a silver steel cylindrical body, as well as a base and lid made of black plastic. On the back of the case there is a container for collecting condensate, which must be cleaned after each use of the device. The heater power of 860 watts is enough for the correct operation of 11 built-in automatic programs, as well as your own culinary experiments using the "Multi-cooker" option or the "Masterchef Lite" function.

As even novice cooks know, the bowl of a slow cooker cannot be filled with food and liquids to the top due to the increase in volume during heat treatment. Therefore, in a 5 liter aluminium bowl with Japanese Daikin non-stick coating, labels are stamped on the inner wall to control the loading capacity with a maximum value of 4 liters. Without focus on the usual functions of a slow cooker, we note the presence of an express cooking programme, the possibility of steaming, baking bakery products, as well as manually adjust the heat treatment by the newfangled su-view method. For better preservation of dishes in the refrigerator, they must be pasteurized and sterilized, which can be set by setting a high temperature for steam treatment. The integrated timer allows you to postpone the start of the programme for up to 24 hours, and the automatic heating function will maintain the optimal temperature of the dish for up to 12 hours. The device is supplemented with an auxiliary set of accessories from a flat spoon, a ladle, a measuring cup, a steaming container and a proven recipe book.

The multifunctional advanced multicooker Polaris PMC 0593AD of the Brilliant Collection line, despite belonging to the inexpensive segment of kitchen appliances, is a universal assistant to the home cook. This is a 2020 model in a matte steel case of spectacular black colour, which has excellent functionality and comfortable control. The relatively low power of the heater 770 W has almost no effect on the speed of heat treatment of dishes, but it gives a certain saving of electricity during operation. In the case there is a 5 liter bowl with a non-stick coating Biotore, which allows you to cook up to 10 servings of dishes at the same time. A steam release valve is installed in the lid, an opening button with a lock is mounted in the handle, and a receiver for collecting condensate is located on the body.

The electronic control panel with a digital display equipped with a red backlight has a concise format with 8 functional push-button switches and 12 light indicators of programs, each of which has received a letter decoding. The choice of programs is carried out using the "Menu" button, and additional settings of cooking time and temperature allow you to get many combinations of cooking modes and methods. The slow cooker is capable of cooking soups, milk porridges, crumbly cereals, pasta, cooking yoghurts, pastries and jams, as well as stewing, frying and steaming dishes.

Special attention in this model deserves the mode option "My Recipe Plus" (free mode), which allows you to set up your own programme with 3 separate cooking stages, in which you can set different time and temperature of heat treatment. At the end of the preset cooking programme, the device emits a beep and automatically activates the heating of the dish (up to 24 hours), which can be turned off in advance before the start of the process. The delayed start function (24 hours) allows you to finish cooking the dish by the appointed hour. The model is equipped with a gift book of recommended recipes and a set of accessories, including 2 spoons (flat and table), a measuring cup and a container for steaming.