Gatherings Healthy

HEALTHY 2021 | choosing the kitchen cooker for you | 21
Choosing the Kitchen Cooker For You
New, efficient kitchen appliances continue to bring buzz to home cooks looking to prepare flavorful
meals with less hassle. However, it can be tricky to choose between cooking gadgets, as many
serve different purposes. Here’s a quick guide to slow cookers, air fyers, and pressure cookers and
how their distinct functions may make them the cooking device fit for your kitchen.
Slow Cooker
A slow cooker is an essential
appliance for any busy household.
Slow cookers cook foods at low
temperatures over longer periods,
making them perfect for unattended
home cooking. Whether you’re
LOW TEMP
LONG TIME
preparing a meal
overnight or want
to return home
from work with
dinner ready to enjoy, add all of
the ingredients to the device, then
let the slow cooker work its magic.
Make sure it’s filled half to two-thirds
full to guarantee that the foods cook
properly. Pay attention to layering
information in recipes; foods cooked
on the bottom of the slow cooker
will cook faster and retain more
moisture since they simmer in the
liquid. Lifting the lid to check your
meal’s progress may release too
much necessary heat. Instead, try
spinning it until the condensation
falls off, and then look inside to see
your progress.
Air Fryer
Air fryers give foods a crispy, crunchy
exterior without excessive amounts
of oil. They circulate dry heat around
a perforated basket containing the
food, allowing the heat to intensify
and quickly reach the ingredients.
Some air fryer recipes suggest
tossing the foods with about a
tablespoon of oil before air frying,
but others believe that a bit of butter
or oil is only needed to maximize
flavor, making air fryers a healthy
preparation option. Air fryers can
“fry” foods and are also excellent
for roasting and baking. With the
circulating heat,
DRY HEAT
QUICK
air fryers require a
watchful eye, as food
can quickly burn. Its
smaller size also allows for easy
transportation – perfect for those in
need of an efficient cooking gadget
on the go.
PRESSURE COOKER
Pressure cookers use steam pressure
to cook foods. The high-pressure
steam increases both the water’s
USES STEAM
SHORT TIME
boiling point and
the pressure,
forcing liquid into
foods that help
them cook. Pressure cookers are
best for preparing large quantities
in a short amount of time; use them
to tenderize and add caramelization
to tough meats and roasts while
cooking beans, rice or vegetables.
It may be tricky to know how long
to cook the food, but manufacturers
often provide guides for cooking
times and how fast or slow to release
the pressure. This device requires
waiting time before cooking to reach
the proper temperature, but the
cooking time is much less than that of
a slow cooker – generally taking less
than an hour to produce a large meal.
For those looking to create elaborate
meals more quickly, the pressure
cooker may be the tool for you.
Though they present unique characteristics, these cooking devices are all extremely effective at
helping home cooks prepare flavorful meals more easily.