What is the difference between a double boiler and a multicooker? Comparison of device functions

Multicookers and steamers occupy a special place in the kitchen , because with their help you can easily and quickly prepare a wide variety of dishes.

And if the functionality of a double boiler is limited (food is cooked only by steaming), then in a multicooker you can not only cook, but also fry and bake various foods.

And, despite the seemingly, at first glance, advantages of a multicooker, a double boiler also has certain advantages for the sake of its “competitor”. So which device is better to choose for the kitchen?

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What is a double boiler and its technical features

It is worth noting! A steamer (from the English food steamer) is a household appliance for steaming food.

Devices come in electric and gas , but the former are in great demand because they are not tied to the stove.

The device consists of several containers: water is poured into the lower one, and food is placed in the upper one .

Cooking occurs through steam rising from water.

Cook in a gas device in the same way as in a regular saucepan (i.e., pour water and place the container on a gas or electric stove).

The gas model has a lower cost, is convenient and reliable to use, and also saves energy (when cooking on a gas stove).

Electric, on the contrary, can operate from any energy source, so it can be placed anywhere. And this is its main advantage over gas.

What cooking functions can it perform and what are its advantages over a multicooker?

Stay up to date! Electric steamers perform the following functions:

• Delayed start function - has the ability to program the device to turn on automatically. This feature is especially useful when there is no time to cook in the morning or you need to have a ready-made portion of dinner upon returning from work in the evening.
• Automatic control of steam temperature makes it possible to use the device even at the highest altitudes. Because the temperature of the generated steam does not depend on the level of atmospheric pressure.
• Maintains food temperature - the device keeps food warm for 14 hours, so there is no need to reheat it.
• Automatic cooking - the device independently sets the time required to boil food.
• Cleaning reminder - modern device models are equipped with a notification function (using an indicator) about the need to descale the device.
• Automatic shut-off function protects the device from overheating and damage.

At the same time, the device has the function of adding water during the cooking process.

Note! The advantages of a double boiler over a multicooker are as follows:

• Allows you to prepare tasty and healthy food while preserving all the necessary vitamins and microelements (since there is no possibility of frying and dishes are cooked exclusively by steaming). This is especially true for people leading a healthy lifestyle, diabetics, obesity or cardiovascular diseases.
• Allows you to cook several different dishes at the same time (due to the presence of several baskets). But at the same time, you need to remember that food that requires long cooking is placed in the lower basket, and quick cooking in the upper basket.
• It has a lower cost compared to a multicooker.

In addition, cooking in this device takes less time than in a multicooker.

What is the difference between multicookers and steamers?

Cooking method. This is the main difference between these units. A multicooker can bake, fry, grill, steam, cook, while a double boiler cooks dishes only with the help of steam. Functionality. The steamer can cook, defrost and reheat. A multicooker can replace a frying pan, a double boiler, an oven, a saucepan, a deep fryer, and a stove. Amount of food prepared. Included with a double boiler there may be several containers of different volumes, with a multicooker - only one bowl with a volume of 2.5-4.5 liters. This means that you can cook several dishes at the same time in a double boiler, and one in a multicooker. Cooking speed. In a multicooker, the cooking process often takes a lot of time, unlike a double boiler. But there are models of multicookers with a steaming function, which “steam” dishes in the same time as a double boiler. The usefulness of dishes. For many housewives, the usefulness of food is important. And the steamer has no rivals in this regard: all products are cooked by steam, preserving all the nutrients and vitamins. Price. Multicookers are more expensive; a simple model with average performance costs almost 3 times more than a double boiler with the same parameters. But there are steam cookers, the cost of which will leave all multicookers behind. The cost of devices depends on the cooking speed, number of functions, bowl volume and other criteria.

What is a multicooker and its technical features?

A multicooker is a multifunctional kitchen electrical appliance with program control , used for cooking food automatically.
The multicooker allows you to stew, fry, boil, bake and, of course, steam .

It is used as a deep fryer (for deep frying in a deep layer of vegetable oil) to maintain the temperature of dishes for a long time in automatic mode.

The multicooker consists of a plastic outer casing, inside of which there is a removable pan with a non-stick coating, an electric heating element and a module for controlling the cooking process.

The case is closed with a sealed lid, and on the surface of the case there is a control panel with a display.

Important! The multicooker combines the capabilities of several kitchen appliances: a steamer, a bread maker, a rice cooker, a kettle and a pressure cooker (suitable for preparing dishes from fish, meat, vegetables, as well as soups, casseroles, etc.).

What cooking functions can it perform and what are its advantages over a double boiler?

The multicooker has the following functions:

• Provides food preparation at a certain (specified) time .
• Maintains the temperature of dishes after cooking , keeping them warm for a long time.
• Used for heating.
• Allows you automatically prepare French fries (deep fried) and other delicious dishes.
• Performs the functions of sterilization, pasteurization and preservation .
• Has a mode for making jam, dough or fondue .
• Can be used to make yoghurts.
• It has a voice prompt function (i.e., it voices the user’s actions and gives further instructions).

For your information! There is also the additional ability to configure an individual mode for the user by setting temperature and time.

All data is saved in the device’s memory.

A multicooker has the following advantages over a double boiler :

• Allows you to cook food in different modes : frying, steaming, baking, etc.
• Replaces many kitchen electrical appliances (frying pan, saucepan, oven, grill, etc.), while the functions of a double boiler are very limited in this regard.
• The device is easier to clean compared to a steamer.

Otherwise, the cooking functions are largely similar: in both cases, everything happens in automatic mode (meaning the electric model of the device).

Important! In both cases, dishes are prepared quickly, with minimal user intervention (you only need to set the necessary parameters and place the food in the device).

The main differences between a double boiler and a multicooker

If the housewife is faced with the task of providing her family with proper and balanced nutrition, then a double boiler is the appliance that should be used in the kitchen.

If family members prefer a variety of foods: boiled, fried, steamed, and so on, then preference should be given to a multicooker. Thus, this technique partially performs the functions of a double boiler.

There are many differences between the two devices. They have different functionality, speed of cooking, volume of cooked food at one time. When choosing, take into account the usefulness of the prepared dish.

Cooking methods

This is the main distinguishing point. The steamer can only be used for steam cooking. Hence its name. In a multicooker you can fry, cook soups, porridges, steam food, bake, and so on. In other words, this device replaces pots, pans, deep fryers, ovens and other kitchen utensils.

Therefore, a multicooker is chosen by those in whose family each member has their own taste preferences in cooking. If a family prefers to eat healthy food, or a child is growing up in the family, then you cannot do without a steamer.

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Functionality

This term should include the capabilities of kitchen units.

Main functions of the steamer:

• steams;
• warms up;
• defrosts;
• Some models have a blender function.

A slow cooker is superior to a double boiler in terms of a wider variety of functions. As mentioned above, you can cook any dishes in it, regardless of the cooking technology. This device is equipped with different programs, the number of which exceeds 20 positions. Modern models, in addition to preparing hot dishes, can prepare yoghurts, creams, and various desserts.

Volume of food prepared

A steamer is a structure made of several baskets installed one above the other. Thus, it becomes possible to steam several dishes at once. Moreover, the volume of each basket is 2-3 liters for different models. In other words, by installing one basket, you can prepare one dish; by installing two or three, you can prepare several servings of one dish or several different dishes at once.

The multicooker has one bowl with a volume of 2-6 liters. You can only cook one dish in it. Whether this is a disadvantage, everyone decides for themselves. But the advantage is that the large volume of the bowl is enough to prepare food for a large number of people.

Cooking speed

This selection criterion today is not the least of the differences between a multicooker and a double boiler. It's all about our rhythm of life, where the speed of people moving has become the norm. Therefore, cooking speed is an important component.

Let’s say right away that a double boiler cooks faster. It can be called a pressure cooker. For example, cooking chicken breast will take 15 minutes, in a slow cooker about an hour. This testing was carried out using standard cooking modes and average indicators. But it should be noted that a multicooker with a double boiler function cooks chicken breast in the same 15 minutes if the desired mode is turned on.

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Ease of use

The design of the steamer includes a tray on which baskets with food are placed. If a dish is prepared from a large amount of vegetables and fatty meat, and three baskets are used at once, then large quantities of juices and fat are collected in the tray, the volume of which may be insufficient. As a result, the accumulated liquid will begin to flow out, which is fraught with contamination that will have to be cleaned and removed.

Tip: buy steamers with a large tray. The larger it is, the lower the risk of smudges.

If the purchased device turns out to have a small tray, then you will have to periodically drain the contents of the container under the baskets. And to do this you will have to remove them, put them aside, and then put them back in place. This is inconvenient and time consuming.

In this regard, a multicooker is more practical. It has one deep bowl in the form of a cauldron or pan, where juices and fat collect at the bottom of the dish. On the one hand, this is a plus, but on the other, there are certain points that relate to the inability to control what happens inside the bowl. For example, making soup. You will never know when to remove the foam.

Washing steamer baskets by hand is not the most fun process. The mesh surface requires cleaning of each hole, so it is better to wash the steamer in the dishwasher. The multicooker bowl is, in principle, a saucepan that can be removed and washed with detergent and a rag or sponge.

In many models of steamers, special holes are made with a tube into which water is added so that the dishes are cooked by steaming. European devices are equipped with a special sensor that monitors the amount of liquid. If it does not remain in the device, it automatically turns off. In this regard, the multicooker loses. You will have to control the cooking process yourself. And if you missed the presence of water, then the food inside the bowl will burn.

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Usefulness of the device

Cooking unhealthy foods in a double boiler will not work. All vitamins and minerals in the products will be in their natural form, and there will be no harm from such food. As for the multicooker, the steam cooking mode also features properly cooked food.

Thus, a multicooker is not only a multifunctional device, but also, when used correctly, can prepare healthy dishes for humans. And although the differences between the devices are obvious, in some positions they are similar to each other.

Comparison table of differences

What is the difference? Below are the comparative characteristics and functionality of each device:

What is the difference

Just by the names of household appliances you can learn about their main purpose. In a steamer you will cook food by steaming; a multibook has more functions and is a more versatile option.

Features of steamers

The equipment consists of several levels. The first one has a water container. When the steam boils, it enters the containers of the upper layers, in which the vegetables are previously placed. Here's how to steam food. The action doesn't end there - you will also run a number of commands:

• defrost food;
• reheat food;
• prepare dishes from different groups (there is a separate bowl for rice, egg cups, etc.);
• warm baby food;
• sterilize containers and baby bottles, pacifiers;
• cook several dishes at once;
• chop the vegetables (if the model has a mixer).

Sausages and multi-books make life easier, saving time and energy. And most importantly, you will find healthy, wholesome and nutritious food.

About multicookers

These models have advanced functionality. If in the first case you can only cook food by steaming, then here are the methods of cooking, frying, steaming, grilling. You can bake and stew. A multicooker is a symbiosis of a pressure cooker, oven, yogurt maker, bread and steamer.

Thanks to automatic cooking modes (up to 20), manual programs (up to 30), you can now cook many dishes of your choice without any user intervention.

Which is better for your health?

If you focus solely on health when choosing a suitable kitchen device , the best option would, of course, be a steamer .

What's better? A double boiler preserves the benefits of foods and allows you to cook several dishes at the same time (which is especially important when following a therapeutic or preventive diet).

The multicooker also has a steamer function, but in a limited mode (i.e., you can cook no more than one dish in one session).

Otherwise, a multicooker is a universal kitchen appliance (a home mini-cook) that allows you to enjoy all types of dishes , pampering yourself with something new every time.

Price

The price depends on the brand and additional features. Sausages are much cheaper than multicookers. Their starting price is 1500 rubles. Budget options for multivarkers cost from 2,500 rubles. This is a great start for new hostesses. The price list for premium products reaches 10,000 rubles for both types of kitchen appliances.

Both devices are great time-saving options. Plus, you'll always get healthy food without having to put any effort into preparing it. But it’s hard to say which is better – a steamer or a multi-toy. The choice depends on your financial capabilities, culinary preferences, and also on the number of people for whom the dishes will be prepared.