Best multi cookers

The best multi cookers are an all-in-one cooking savour that can quickly turn out (almost) any meal you want. 

Multi cooker is a term slapped onto all sorts of cooking appliances these days. However, the best models can do everything an air fryer can, while also cooking in other ways, such as pressure cooking, slow cooking and more.

We've tested the most popular brands, such as: Ninja multi cookers (including the Ninja Speedi and Ninja 15-in-1), Russell Hobbs, Tefal and more. Everything we tested got the job done. But some were a pain to use, and took so long to cook they left our stomachs rumbling – even then, the results weren't that appetising. 

The best multi cookers we reviewed turned out crispy chips and succulent roasted meat, all while being easy to use and quick to cook. Two impressed on all counts and got our Best Buy recommendation. As we buy every product we test, you can trust our expert reviews.

The best multi cookers

Only logged-in Which? members can view the multi cooker test results below. 

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The multi cookers we tested

All the multi cookers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best multi cookers from our tests.

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendation below.

Crockpot 5.6L Digital multi cooker CSC024

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 27 x 43 x 30cm

Measured weight 5.2kg

Functions Slow cook, brown/sauté, roast, bake, steam

Need to know 92cm power cord; 5.6-litre capacity; accessories include glass lid with steam vent, two-way roasting rack, quick start guide and recipe booklet; keep warm function; accessories are dishwasher-safe; two-year guarantee

Drew&Cole CleverChef 14-in-1 15L multi cooker

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 25 x 30 x 37cm

Measured weight 4.0kg

Functions Slow cook (low and high), brown/sauté, steam, stew, roast, bake, fish, poach, bread rise, yoghurt, rice, DIY mode (manually set temperature and time)

Need to know 92cm power cord; 5 litre capacity; accessories include steam tray quick start guide, no recipe book included but free recipe app available on mobile devices, and recipes available at Drew&Cole; delay timer and keep warm function; two-year guarantee; accessories are dishwasher-safe; one-year guarantee

Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer multi cooker

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 36 x 35 x 35cm

Measured weight 6.1kg (7.4kg with air fryer lid on)

Functions Air fry, roast, bake, grill, dehydrate, pressure cook, sauté, slow cook, steam, sous-vide 

Need to know 120cm power cord; 5.7-litre capacity; accessories include pressure cooking and air frying lid, air fryer basket and base, grill/dehydrating tray, multi-purpose rack, EU plug and quick start guide, no recipe book included but available on mobile phone app and at Instant Pot; delay timer and keep warm function; accessories are dishwasher-safe; one-year guarantee

JML Go Chef 8-in-1 multi cooker

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 26 x 34 x 41cm

Measured weight 4.5kg

Functions Roast, bake, sauté, steam, slow cook, boil, fondue, fry 

Need to know 87cm power cord; 5-litre capacity; accessories include glass lid, pouring lip on inner bowl, low and high racks, frying basket with handle and recipe book; hand-wash only; one-year guarantee

Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1 multi cooker OL750UK

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 36 x 35 x 36cm

Measured weight 11.7kg

Functions Pressure cook, steam meals, steam air fry, steam roast, steam bake, steam bread, air fry, grill, bake, dehydrate, prove, sear/sauté, steam, slow cook, yoghurt 

Need to know 82cm power cord; 7.5-litre capacity; accessories include smart lid, temperature probe, cook & crisp basket, two-tier reversible rack, quick start guide and recipe booklet; keep warm function; accessories are dishwasher-safe; one-year guarantee, two-year if you register product with Ninja

Up your cooking game — best air fryers, best pressure cookers, best slow cookers 

Ninja Foodi MAX 9-in-1 multi cooker OP500UK

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 35 x 42 x 38cm

Measured weight 9.5kg (10.7kg with pressure cooking lid)

Functions Air crisp, pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sear/sauté, grill, bake/roast, dehydrate, yoghurt  

Need to know 81cm power cord; 7.5-litre capacity; accessories include pressure cooking and air frying lid, two-tier reversible rack, cook & crisp basket, quick start guide and recipe book; keep warm function; accessories are dishwasher-safe; one-year guarantee, two-year if you register product with Ninja

See how other Ninja favourites did in our tests — best air fryers, best frying pans, best knife sets, best electric grills

Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker ON400UK

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 32 x 35 x 35cm

Measured weight 7.2kg

Functions Speedi meals, steam air fry, steam bake, steam, grill, air fry, bake/roast, slow cook, dehydrate, sear/sauté 

Need to know 81cm power cord; 5.7-litre capacity; accessories include cook & crisp tray and recipe book; keep warm function; accessories are dishwasher-safe; one-year guarantee, two-year if you register product with Ninja

Find out what happened when we pitted a multi cooker with air fryer against a toastie maker, microwave toaster maker, Crimpit and more to discover what makes the ultimate cheese toastie. 

Russell Hobbs Good to Go 6.5L Electric multi cooker

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 24 x 47 x 31cm

Measured weight 3.3kg

Functions Roast, sear, sous-vide, slow cook, rice, steam, boil

Need to know 83cm power cord; 6.5-litre capacity; accessories include glass lid, steaming rack, roasting rack, no recipe cook but instructions include cooking time and temperature suggestions for some ingredients; keep warm function; dishwasher-safe; two-year guarantee

Tefal Cook4me Touch CY912840 smart multi cooker with extra crisp lid

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 24 x 47 x 31cm

Measured weight 6.6kg (8.7kg with extra crisp lid)

Functions Pressure cook, steam, stir fry, stew, manual mode (plus air fry, roast, grill, bake, manual mode with extra crisp lid)

Need to know 93cm power cord; 6-litre capacity; accessories include steam basket, quick start guide and 250 built-in recipes; touchscreen controls; multi cooker can connect to wi-fi to add your own recipes to the appliance; delay timer, reheat and keep warm functions; accessories are dishwasher-safe; two-year guarantee

Tefal Turbo Cuisine & Fry CY778840 multi pressure cooker

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Dimensions (HxWxD) 39 x 37 x 33cm

Measured weight 7.4kg (8.2kg with extra crisp lid)

Functions Stew, steam, stir fry, bake, soup, sous-vide, rice, yoghurt, oatmeal, adjustable chef mode (plus air fry, roast, grill, bake, manual mode with extra crisp lid)

Need to know 95cm power cord; 7.6-litre capacity; accessories include grill seal, measuring cup, spatula, and recipe book; delay timer and keep warm functions; accessories are dishwasher-safe; two-year guarantee

How we tested multi cookers

We chose the multi cookers from the most searched-for brands and popular UK retailers, and paid for every product we tested.

Cooking and running costs

• We followed the exact instructions or recipes provided. If there weren't any, we followed the packet instructions.
• We rated each multi cooker on the overall cooking experience, how long it took to cook (including any preheat time), and how the food looked and tasted afterwards.
• We also measured how much it cost to run each multi cooker while cooking.  

Ease of use

• A panel of testers followed the instruction and recipe booklets provided to operate each multi cooker, rating each on instruction clarity, and usefulness of any recipes and cooking suggestions.
• Each multi cooker was also assessed on how easy it was to operate, program and view food while cooking and how clear it was that food was done or needed turning.

Washing

Each multi cooker was hand-washed after each test, and rated on how easy it was to scrub clean.

What is a multi cooker?

A multi cooker uses automated cooking programs to cook various types of food. 

However you may see some pressure cookers labelled as multi pressure cookers, or air fryers that also have other cooking functions, such as fry, roast and grill. Some multi cookers are more like slow cookers, with a less powerful heating element built into the base.

For the purposes of our tests, we asked Which? members which programs they would most use on a multi cooker and from this defined a multi cooker as: an appliance with at least five different modes of cooking; one of these needs to be air frying or roasting/baking; and at least one other function from pressure cooking, slow cooking or steaming.

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Can you cook anything in a multi cooker?

In theory, yes, as long as your multi cooker has the correct program (you probably don't want to 'grill' rice or 'stew' a cake).

Our tests found some key differences in how some multi cookers performed however.

• Instructions and recipes make a big difference to your cooking experience Some multi cookers give step-by-step guidance and tables with cooking programs and settings for various ingredients. Others throw you in the deep end, leaving you to guess the best mode to cook your dinner with.
• Multi cookers that can air-fry give better results for roasting and baking They gave crispier and more even results, usually in less time than multi cookers that couldn't air fry.
• Steam-bake programs made the best cake They gave a crisp crust while being much more moist inside
• Chips cook roughly in the same amount of time, no matter the multi cooker Air fried chips were the best, but across them there was a noticeable difference in quality between different multi cookers we tested. 
• Roasted chicken results varied a lot Some looked pale and sweaty after cooking for the instructed time. You could probably get better results with longer cooking, but the best multi cookers delivered crispy-skinned chicken in less than an hour.
• Be aware of pre-heat times They are usually not included in the quoted cooking time in recipes, but can be 10 minutes or more if you're pressure cooking or steaming with the multi cooker. We factored preheat times when rating how fast each multi cooker delivered.
• Generally you get what you pay for You don't necessarily need to spend top dollar, but multi cookers we tested priced at more than £100 performed better overall.

Are multi cookers energy efficient?

Yes, multi cookers offer a more energy efficient way to cook your food. They have smaller capacities than ovens though, so if you're cooking a banquet, you may be better sticking with the traditional oven.

We found that larger multi cookers cost a bit more per use to run than smaller ones, but obviously you can cook more food in one go. Once you break the running costs down to cost per gram of food, there’s not a big difference in energy costs between different multi cookers.

However there is a difference when comparing multi cookers to other methods of cooking:

• Chips costs about 6p on average to cook 320g in a multi cooker, the same as an air fryer. The same amount in an electric oven costs 19p, and 16p in a halogen oven.
• Cake costs 9p on average in a multi cooker, though the cost range was wide with the cheapest being 4p and most expensive 14p. A typical air fryer will cost about 5p to bake the cake, while an electric oven would cost 16p and a halogen oven 20p.
• Roast chicken in a multi cooker costs 15p on average to cook a 1.3kg chicken, similar to an air fryer at 13p, but much less than an electric or halogen oven at 26p. While pressure cooking a chicken is the cheapest method, costing you around 7p, you don't get the crispy skin you can get air frying or roasting in a brilliant multi cooker.

Effective ways to make your home more energy efficient. 10 ways to save on energy bills