What is the difference between a multicooker and a double boiler?

A modern housewife cannot do without helpers in the kitchen. These include microwave ovens, blenders, toasters, pancake makers and other devices that make home life easier, allowing you to significantly save time and occupy yourself with more enjoyable things. Multicookers and steamers, which can now be seen in any kitchen, deserve special attention. Why are they so good? Is there a difference between them?

What is a multicooker

Such a universal device as a multicooker provides not only heating of dishes, but also their preparation. The functionality of a modern multicooker allows you to:

• cook;
• fry;
• bake;
• stew;
• steam it.

In addition, dishes can be prepared with a delayed start. The housewife can load the necessary products into the container in the evening and turn on the cooking mode overnight or at a certain time. This function is especially convenient for mothers with small children who need to be fed hot porridge in the morning. After the porridge is ready, the smart machine will start heating it, so by the morning you will have a ready-made hot dish.

What is a steamer

A steamer is an indispensable assistant in preparing steamed dishes. In other words, it cannot fry, stew or bake, but it allows you to cook many foods: meat, fish, vegetables, fruits. Its main advantage is the ability to cook several products at the same time, which can be placed in one or different bowls. Modern devices are equipped with a delayed start function and a food heating mode.

What is the difference between a multicooker and a double boiler?

In order to determine what is best for you, we will compare assistants by functionality, cooking modes, cooking time, power consumption and prices.

Functionality

As we have already noted, both devices are equipped with the function of delayed start and heating of already prepared dishes. In addition, the multicooker and steamer allow you to defrost food. But a multicooker can not only steam food, but also bake, boil, stew and even fry. With its help, you can easily prepare soup, cook any porridge, bake a pie and fry meat or fish. More expensive models have a “grill” or “yogurt” function. A significant advantage of a double boiler is that during cooking the vitamins in it are preserved in full. This is why products from a steamer are the most useful. This is a big counterweight in favor of this machine for those who care about their health and figure.

Available modes

Multicooker models on the market are equipped with many modes:

• milk porridge;
• pilaf;
• bakery;
• steaming;
• stewing;
• grill.

You don’t have to think about how much time it takes to prepare, for example, rice milk porridge; the multicooker itself will set a timer and signal when the dish is ready.

The steamer has only two modes:

• steaming;
• defrosting food.

You cannot cook porridge or soup in it. The range of products for this machine is minimal: meat, fish, seafood, vegetables and fruits.

Cooking time

In terms of speed of cooking, a multicooker is inferior to a double boiler. The first cooks dishes for much longer. However, the multicooker also has a function for steaming food; the time and speed are identical to the operation of a double boiler. For example, both assistants will spend the same amount of time defrosting vegetables, as well as cooking fish, chicken or meat.

Important!

A significant difference is the ability to cook several dishes at the same time in a double boiler, which saves valuable time. The multicooker only allows you to cook one at a time.

Power consumption

What matters is the power consumed by the devices under study. Steamers that use 3 or 4 bowls simultaneously consume 1200–1400 W. When operating one bowl, no more than 800 W are consumed. The power consumption of a multicooker is, on average, 1000–1200 W.

On a note!

When operating one steamer bowl, it consumes less than a multicooker. When working with two bowls - more.

Unit price

In terms of price range, steamers are much cheaper than multicookers. The average price of a modern device for steaming dishes is approximately 2000–2500 rubles. A machine with one bowl costs 1000–1500 rubles. A multicooker with limited functionality will cost you 3,000–3,500 rubles, and an assistant with functions such as “jam,” “grill,” or “yogurt” will cost more than 5,000 rubles.

Which is better: a slow cooker or a double boiler?

When choosing between a double boiler and a multicooker, the latter is preferred by consumers who prefer variety in their food.A double boiler is a valuable assistant for those who adhere to proper nutrition, diet, or want to consume foods that contain the maximum amount of vitamins and beneficial microelements.