Tefal Multicook, 8-in-1 Multicooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steam, Keep Warm, Browning, Dishwasher Safe Bowl, 8 programmes, 5 Litres, Stainless Steel, 600W, RK302E15

Been using this for years now. Still in a very good quality. With multiple functions, it just helps me to cook easier and very easy to use to. Easy to clean and in good size.

Tefal 8-in-1 Multicooker. Bought this while on offer at around £36 to replace a ten year old 'traditional' rice cooker which was suffering from peeling non-stick. I needed something with a fairly large capacity, as I often cook as much as 1kg of rice in one go and this fits the bill nicely. I only bought it as a rice cooker and don't intend to use it as anything else. It should be noted that despite this 8-in-1 being described as a multi-cooker, it doesn't pressure cook, it's basically a rice cooker/steamer/slow cooker, so 3-in-1 would be more appropriate.So, how does it compare to my old rice cooker? Well, I have to say that I was a bit put out to find that the standard rice cooking program takes around 45 minutes compared to my old one, which usually took about 15-20 minutes depending on the quantity. To be fair, it does offer a 'quick rice' function which presumably works in roughly the same way as a standard rice cooker, but I've been using the longer method recommended by Tefal. Given that I usually cooked the rice a good twenty minutes ahead of time so that it could 'fluff up' before we ate, there's probably not much in it and the 8-in-1 does it all for you with a nifty 14 minute countdown timer for the fluffing up.I'm really impressed with the lack of spitting and rattling while the rice is cooking; it just quietly gets on with the job with no mess and no fuss. The cooker itself has a handle on top, making it easy to move over to a serving location after removing the 'kettle lead' style power cable. The lid is fixed and hinged, popping up with the press of a button and easily closing back down again between servings. There's even a clip-on thingy on the side for storing the serving spoon, everything seems well thought out for easy use and one handed operation. The sides are well insulated and cool to touch both during and after cooking, much better than my old one which got scalding hot. I've been very pleased with how long the cooked rice stays warm for, easily remaining hot enough to eat as much as an hour after cooking with the lid kept shut.My only criticism is the quantity guide for the rice/water ratio. In my view, it suggests adding too much water. I've only cooked various types of white rice, but using the quantities suggested, the rice is too sticky so I've gone back to using the table from my old cooker, which is spot-on for both smaller and larger batches of rice.I don't expect this cooker to last anywhere near as long as my old one, but it does a great job with no crust on the bottom and has plenty of functional advantages, as outlined above.

I had been thinking of getting just a simple rice cooker for some time (as I am getting into making Sushi rice) and extended my search to something that could do much more and THIS IS AWESOME. It does away with my old Gordon Bleu slow cooker as it is perfect for doing caseroles, stews etc as well as doing rice. In fact I havent tried all the setting/ types of cooking yet.... you can even do puddings in it!Here are a couple of tips if you choose to buy one,,,, and I recommend you do!>RICE FOR JUST 2 people: add a cup and a half of water to the one (full to the brim) cup of rice as the volume of rice for 2 is quite small it needs a bit more than the 1 to 1 ratio for larger volumes.>Remember to add salt and thoroughly rinse your rice first (this refers to Basmati rice) The total cooking time was about 30 mins and it was ultra fluffy and MORE tasty than if you had just boiled it.>Dont use metal utensils as they will scratch the non stick surface.>It puffs out a bit of steam as it cooks through the valve in the lid so make sure if you sit in on a counter top you dont have it directly under a cupboard/door (so you dont cause steam damage).I have yet to make sushi rice and Thai sticky rice but there are loads of YouTube videos if you want tips to get it just right and authenticRemember all multi/rice cookers vary a little in their cooking times so you may find (espcially with rice) a little trial and error with the water to rice ratio so you get it just the way you like it.The little book it comes with is quite helpful although brief: it does not stipulate basmati, sushi or Thai sticky rice, these just come under the heading "white rice" so you may want to do a little homework (I use youtube) to get it just right.I love this cooker. It is versatile, not too big (ours is a very small kitchen) and its rather stylish, in fact it looks way more expensive than it actually is.It is very well made and good value for money.10/10