Needing to lose some weight, I am looking at ways to simplify food prep, hopefully to get some tasty meals ready to go when I need them without much bother.
These "multicooker" combining, pressure cooker, slow cooker and hot air cookers into one such as the ninja foodie look like it would make life very easy for food prep. Has anyone bought one and found they are still using it a few months later or does it just become another gadget that other things in the kitchen can be used for just as easily, ie saucepans and ovens.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ninja-Multi-Cooker-OP500UK-Electric-Pressure/dp/B07YF9Y74S
I was totally expecting a link to this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/i2edpe/best_cooking_show_ever/
No idea on your question, sorry. But my solution to "tasty meals on the go with no bother" was to batch cook and freeze. Rinse and repeat for a couple of weeks and you've got a stockpile of homecooked microwave ready-meals.
+1 what Cougar says. I use largest saucepan to quickly cook big batches of best damn vegan chilli and/or Amy’s kitchen (my own clone recipe) lentil and veg stews, ragus etc then freeze in takeaway containers. All low fat, all cooked within an hr.
That and eat lots of healthy bowls which require little to zero cooking.
Home made slaw, fresh nuts, alfalfa, fresh fruit, etc.
I use a slow cooker yet very rarely. It normally is used for storage! A fryer never. I could see the use for an air fryer to help sate my chips craving, but tbh on weight loss diet would prefer to limit self to a portion of takeaway full fat chips once or twice max per month rather than be tempted by an at-home option.
There are 10 indispensable things that I use all of the time in the kitchen
- Large chopping knife (and a steel to keep edge)
- Big wooden chopping board
- Large granite pestle and mortar
- Hand-blender
- Large stainless steel saucepan with lid
- Stainless steel colander
- silicone spoon/spatula combo
- weighing scales
- measuring jug
- veg peeler
Anything else tends to wind up dusty at the back of a cupboard
There are 10 indispensable things that I use all of the time in the kitchen
– Large chopping knife (and a steel to keep edge)
– Big wooden chopping board
One of the first times my girlfriend used my kitchen I heard her use my nice knives clacking against the glass "chopping board" I use as a heatproof surface. I about set the land speed record, she didn't get a third chop in.
Anything else tends to wind up dusty at the back of a cupboard
A mezzaluna might be a worthy addition to your arsenal? Takes up no space and is brilliant for fresh herbs.
There's a load of videos by a channel called Pro Home Cooks on YouTube where he makes stuff using something similar. Not used one but I think they look pretty handy.
I don't have a slow cooker or pressure cooker or air fryer and I can see the uses for all of them.
I can't see that Ninja thing speeding up food prep, at least not the "prep" part of it. And TBH for me that's the main time constraint, once you've got the thing in the oven or stewing on the stove it's no longer an issue as you can get on with other things while it's cooking.
I'd make a slight modification to Malvern Rider's otherwise excellent list - my hand blender has a food processor bowl attachment (with spinning blade), I use that all the time to blitz garlic+ginger for curries, tomatoes, etc.
We have an instant pot which is similar but without the air fryer bit. We use it a lot - both as a slow cooker and as a pressure cooker. We cook with beans and chickpeas a lot and buy those dried, the pressure cooker means we don't have to remember to soak them - just bang them in the instant pot for a bit and they come out ready to cook with.
Along with the coffee machine they're the 2 machines which are always on the kitchen counter top. My sister has a larger one in storage (she's currently living with my other sister who already has a full kitchen) which I'll be loaning as soon as I feel safe visiting them.
So i recently got something similar - instapot duo crisp...pressure cooker and air fryer.
Caveat here - i ruddy LURVE a kitchen gadget!
However, i think it’s brill...
Never really used a pressure cooker before, but honestly it’s soo fast. Can make amazing one-pot dishes (with rice etc) in about 12 minutes.
The air fryer is brill too - yesterday i made Chinese pork belly with Steamed bao buns..all in the instapot.
Cook the belly in 30 min in the instapot.. switch to air fry lid to crisp up.. then steam bao buns using steamer function!
I recently roasted a whole chicken in 40 min... sooo tasty.
Not sure its great for weight loss...but it’s a great way to cook healthy i guess
DrP
Ps...i really do love a kitchen gadget!
Not sure its great for weight loss
Exactly what I thought. Buying gadgets won't help you lose weight.
However my BiL has one of those fancy devices and rates it highly.
