Kenwood kCook Review | Trusted Reviews

What’s the Kenwood kCook?

Half tabletop steamer, half meals processor and a compact cooker besides, the kCook is a part of a brand new technology of multi-purpose machines that promise to do every part however wipe down the surfaces after dinner. Three equipment – a processing blade, stirring paddle and a steaming basket – imply you may simply go from chopping meals to cooking it whereas variable controls help you set the frequency of stirring, cooking time and temperature inside levels of a preset program or function it manually.

Better of all, every part besides the bottom unit, even the steel bowl, is dishwasher-safe, though its helpful one-pot cooking additionally means there’ll be barely any washing up anyway. Nice for casseroles, risottos, soups, bolognese, curry, chilli and ratatouille, some recipes are included however there’s additionally an app with greater than 200 recipe concepts that will probably be up to date over time.

SEE ALSO: Finest Sluggish Cookers

Kenwood kCook – Design

Trying a bit of like a sized-down strain cooker, the kCook takes up minimal area on the worktop and is sufficiently small to retailer in a cabinet, neatly stacking with simply the blade, stirrer and equipment (it comes with a measuring beaker, spatula and cleansing brush) to 1 aspect. The lid twists simply onto its bowl, locking the entire unit into place, which is nice should you overlook it’s nonetheless in operation and attempt to take away the bowl from the bottom. A filler cap can be taken out of the lid, in order that liquids may be added whereas it’s mixing or mixing.

It has three preset applications – One Pot, Sauces/Soups and Steaming – that may be altered to swimsuit the meals or dish you’re cooking, with the One Pot comprising as much as 4 levels that may have their time, temperature and stirring toggled. The temperature may be set to both 65°C, 92°C or 100°C whereas the timer may be set for as much as three hours, with two hours most for some levels. Because of this it can be used as a gradual cooker, plus when it’s completed it’ll go right into a maintain heat mode for half-hour.

Kenwood kCook – What’s it like to make use of?

A number of features has resulted in a number of buttons, so whereas the kCook isn’t arduous to make use of and every button is called, understanding what order to push them in requires a little bit of instruction learning. We began through the use of the Steaming program to prepare dinner asparagus. Filling the bowl as much as the marked steam line, we inserted the basket, added the greens and set the timer to 10 minutes. This system is fastened at 100°C and doesn’t begin the timer countdown till it’s reached temperature, which is a intelligent function. Nonetheless, it does take some time to warmth up, so meals that solely wanted 10 minutes to prepare dinner ended up taking nearer to fifteen, which means it’s a good suggestion to plan the remainder of a meal upfront should you’re utilizing this function. By the tip of this system, the asparagus was delicate and will in all probability have cooked with a lowered time.

Steaming over, we determined to make chilli con carne. We began by placing the processing blade within the bowl and utilizing it to cut an onion briefly pulses. It did this rapidly with a constant, even chop. Swapping the blade for the stirring paddle, we chosen the One Pot program and altered every of the three cooking levels to swimsuit, choosing stage 1 as an intermittent stir on 100°C, the second stage with a continuing stir and the third stage the identical stir however with a 92°C setting. Including a bit of oil to the onion, we began this system and secured the lid. The onion turned translucent quickly, so we might then add the minced meat, exchange the lid and depart it to prepare dinner. When the lid was eliminated, it paused this system, so we might additionally verify on the meat’s progress.

On the finish of every stage, the machine beeps to let you understand it’s completed and goes into maintain heat mode. Ignore it and it’ll beep each minute to remind you. We began the following stage after including liquid and the ultimate stage after including the kidney beans. The ensuing chilli was scrumptious and having the lid on meant it hadn’t dried out. Even higher, the kidney beans, part of the dish that may generally change into dry, had been delicate and engaging. Clear up was easy as every part might go within the dishwasher.

Ought to I purchase the Kenwood kCook?

For anybody who likes the thought of home-cooked meals however has been disillusioned by fixed stirring, pan-watching and a mountain of washing up, that is the machine for you. It’s insanely handy, even chopping your substances in seconds. It could be helpful if the kCook had a sauté operate as the best temperature on supply will solely prepare dinner meals, not brown it, however the meals it makes are so satisfying, it’s a minor niggle.

Verdict

It’s a bit expensive, however welcome the kCook into your kitchen and it’s possible you’ll surprise the way you ever lived with out it.