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

Every housewife wants to get an assistant in the kitchen, who will help her out with cooking. Here then the problem arises with what is better - a double boiler or a slow cooker? In this article, we will consider the differences between these devices, their advantages and disadvantages. This will help you decide and choose what is right for your needs.

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What's the Difference?

Double boiler and slow cooker: what is the difference? This question baffles many, because outwardly they are barely distinguishable. Their only purpose is cooking. But if you dig deeper, you can understand how substantially these devices differ from each other.

The differences are manifested in:

• method of preparation;
• functionality;
• cooking speed;
• the amount of food cooked;
• the usefulness of dishes;
• the cost of the device itself.

Now that it’s obvious that there are differences and they are significant, we’ll consider them in more detail so that you can more easily understand whether a double boiler or a slow cooker - what to choose.

Cooking method

The first and most significant difference, of course, is the cooking method:

1. From the name of the double boiler it becomes clear that she is steaming and only so.
2. In a multicooker, it all depends on the functionality provided by the manufacturer. She can cook, fry, bake, grill, as well as steam.

Therefore, if you like variety and are not ready to eat exclusively “healthy” food, the choice of which is better - a double boiler or a slow cooker is obvious. Option 2

Functional

This is the second difference that can be deduced from the first:

1. By virtue of their characteristics, steam cookers have such a set of functions as: steaming, defrosting, heating. Some of them have the so-called “blender” function, namely they grind products. And this is where the possibilities of the double boiler end.
2. A slow cooker, even if you don’t go into details, replaces: a double boiler, pan, pan, oven, stove and much more. Among the main modes there are such as: stewing, steaming and even baking. And this is only a small part of what it can.

Important! To carelessly cook real culinary masterpieces, when choosing which is better - a double boiler or a slow cooker, you should give preference in favor of a more functional device.

Food quantity

Such a criterion as the amount of food that can be cooked at one time is very important. And here, oddly enough, the slow cooker is inferior to the double boiler.

The thing is that the first is equipped with just one bowl, the volume of which can vary from 2.5 to 4.5 liters. The second one is available from one to three baskets for cooking, which means that up to three dishes can be cooked simultaneously in it.

Cooking speed

A lot also depends on this criterion, because how many times a situation arose when you need to quickly cook something. Many sources claim that a double boiler cooks faster than a slow cooker. But the functional steaming program in the second device helps to get rid of this drawback.

The usefulness of cooked food

For many, the usefulness of cooked food comes first. Therefore, when you are considering a question, a double boiler or a slow cooker - what to choose, this criterion will help you.

Rivals in the double boiler in this regard simply can not be. Everyone knows that steamed food preserves all the vitamins and beneficial properties.However, if your family has gourmets, and you need to cook not only healthy food, your choice is a multicooker that has the function of steaming.

Important! Thus, we can conclude that both devices are able to prepare healthy diet food, but only a slow cooker can provide you with “harmful” food.

In our separate review you can find out how to steam without a double boiler.

Cost

This criterion largely depends on the functionality of a device. But if we take, as an example, a double boiler and a slow cooker with average indicators, then everything is quite simple: the second ones are more expensive by about 3 times.

Important! Do not forget that the price varies from the number of functions and many other criteria that manufacturers enter into the technical characteristics of their devices. And the brand itself is also of great importance - for it, too, you often have to “pay extra”.

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Other selection criteria

In addition to the main criteria that were listed above, there are additional ones. They are also worth attention, if you still could not decide whether a double boiler or a slow cooker - what to choose?

Pay attention to such features of the device of the model you like:

1. The heating element of a double boiler resembles the one in electric kettle. This device does not just boil water, it evaporates it, which means that over time you will have problems with scale.

Important! If your water is hard, you will have to filter it more than once before preparing food on it.

2. The crock-pot simply does not get into a similar situation, since in the process of cooking water never boils. This does not happen due to the structural features of the device.

Important! If a situation of this type arises, then this is no longer the norm and this needs to be fixed. Watch your device!

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Operation and maintenance

These two aspects, which are important when using, means - and when choosing too. If we consider such a question as a double boiler and a slow cooker - what is the difference, then both devices are quite convenient and easy to operate. The names of programs for convenience are often displayed.

Also provided features such as:

1. Delayed start: start cooking at the time you appoint, even if you are not there.
2. Defrosting.
3. Maintaining heat is a kind of heating dishes.
4. Overheat protection or auto power off.

Caring for the devices is diverse and here the steam boiler has an advantage - it is collapsible and all its removable parts are easy to clean in a dishwasher.

Important! The multicooker bowl is also not difficult to wash. The difficulty in maintenance is cleaning the sealing gum and the cover of the device. They are most polluted and not collapsible. Therefore, when choosing it is worth considering this factor, too.

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Advantages and disadvantages

And the last thing to remember when choosing a double boiler or a slow cooker - which is better, the advantages and disadvantages of each device. Let's consider them in more detail.

Double boiler - pluses:

1. Speed ​​and convenience of cooking.
2. The ability to cook several dishes at once.
3. Food prepared in this way retains its usefulness.
4. Ideal for women on a diet - even nutritionists advise cooking in a double boiler.
5. Children under five years old will be very useful food prepared in this device.

Important! If you decide to opt for a double boiler, select the best model using our rated double boiler.

Disadvantages:

1. You need to get used to the double boiler, cooking in such conditions at first causes difficulties.
2. Caring for a double boiler has its own nuances. The ribbed surface is not always washed well, which causes inconvenience.

Important! From the foregoing, we can conclude that the double boiler is ideal for those who are on a diet or just love healthy food, as well as families with small children.

Slow cooker - pluses:

1. The presence of a variety of cooking modes.
2. Many additional features, such as heating an already prepared meal.
3. The ability to cook a variety of dishes - from soups to pastries. Follow the link and find out the mostthe best multicooker breakfast recipes.

Important! With the multifunctional multicooker you can cook various dishes. Want to choose the best model for this device? There is an article on our portal of useful tips for you."Review of multicookers of the most popular models". 

Disadvantages:

1. Cooking takes longer than it would if cooking on the stove.
2. It is necessary to monitor the cooking process.
3. The ability to cook only one dish per 1 cycle of work.

Important! Such a device will be useful to those housewives who have a lot of time to cook, but do not want to cook near the stove.

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Stock footage

Now that we have considered all the features of these devices, you can safely answer for yourself which is better - a double boiler or a slow cooker. Based on our advice and guided by what you need, you will find the most suitable option for you.