Amazon Basics 23-in-1 multi-cooker review

How easy is the Amazon Basics 23-in-1 multi-cooker to use?

We had no issues setting up this model and while the manual was nice to have, we didn't find ourselves relying on it much at all. Other than the gentle hiss of steam coming from the float valve, it hardly makes a sound while in use.

Releasing pressure was tricky as in theory you have to lean across the body of the appliance to flip the switch. This isn't ideal for safety, so we decided to use the end of a wooden spoon to maintain some distance. You could also try carefully rotating the multi-cooker 180-degrees so the switch is at the front, providing it's safe to do so.

The presets are somewhat restrictive as it's not possible to customise times or temperatures, including the eight-hour slow cook function – slightly frustrating if you want to turn your recipe around faster. There is, however, a manual setting that offers more flexibility.

Cooking results

We cooked our beef stew recipe on the manual setting for half an hour, and had good, if mixed, results: the meat was tender but the veg was too soft, which suggests we needed to cut thicker chunks to achieve a firmer bite. The gravy had separated so didn't look particularly appealing, but had a good flavour and consistency. Because the pot is quite deep and doesn't have handles, we also had some difficulty scraping the remnants of the stew out from the bottom.

Other than the restrictive eight-hour cooking time, slow cooking was straightforward and our chicken korma was a success, comprising succulent chicken, well developed spices and a thick curry sauce.

This multi-cooker is also fairly easy to keep clean, and the pot is dishwasher safe.

How sustainable is the Amazon Basics 23-in-1 multi-cooker?

The Amazon Basics 23-in-1 scored highly on efficiency, with a low wattage (1000W), plus it cost just 3.91p to run, making it the cheapest of the models we tested. This is based on a variable tariff of 31.8p/kWh.

Where it let us down was the non-recyclable packaging. There is a lot of plastic wrapping inside the box, namely around the cooking pot, cord, and extra attachments, which feels excessive.

Conclusion

Large households or frequent batch cookers can gain a lot from this multi-cooker, and its range of functions are both user-friendly and varied. The fact you can't customise times and temperatures for the presets is somewhat frustrating, but the manual setting is a good work-around for this.

It scored highly on value-for-money too, both for its price tag of under £100 and its cost to run. Add to this user-friendly credentials, and this is a really solid piece of kit that would make a welcome addition to any kitchen.

Amazon Basics 23-in-1 multi-cooker specifications

Wattage: 1000W
Dimensions (cm): 31 x 30 x 32
Presets: 15
Materials: stainless steel
Guarantee: one year

All costs-to-run calculations were done against the variable tariff at the time of testing (31.8p/kWh), which may have since changed – read more on the current energy price guarantee rates.