Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, or Rice Cooker – But Which One?

Most of us in Singapore don’t have the luxury of ample counter space! And hence, can’t afford to have 3 appliances sitting on the counter at once! Don’t forget other essential appliances like an electric kettle!

The good news is that many cooking appliances now do more than one job! Which unfortunately, also makes things more confusing than we would like!

Most of the time, their functions overlap too! But there is still a difference between using a rice cooker, pressure cooker and slow cooker! As we will break down below!

Rice Cookers

Let’s start with the obvious one. The simpler ones can cook rice in 15-20 minutes! More sophisticated models can take up to 40 minutes.

There’s usually an automatic keep warm function even with basic models. But basic models often lack temperature controls too.

Pros:

• Simple operation and cleaning
• Fast cooking
• Steaming dishes while cooking rice is possible with the right accessories
• Not expensive
• No supervision/ intervention required

Cons:

• No browning/ searing
• Basic models just have a two options (Cook and keep warm)

Slow Cookers

People who are busy for most of the day can fully appreciate the long cooking time of slow cookers (~2-10 hours)!

Because slow cookers only use low heat to cook. Of the 2-3 heat settings, the highest temperature is typically ~150°C. And the lowest around ~90°C.

Pros:

• Food cooked in a slow cooker can keep well (i.e. batch cooking)
• No supervision required
• Great tasting food
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Not suited to impatient or more spontaneous households (i.e. requires planning ahead)
• Usually bulky
• Does not brown/sear food

Pressure Cookers

You need a strong will to learn new recipes to make the most of these more expensive kitchen appliances.

However, they can drastically cut cooking time and you still get delicious flavors, similar to a slow cooker!

Pros:

• Time saver (e.g. Lamb shanks in an hour! Risotto in 20 minutes, etc)
• Does not mess up the kitchen
• Food nutrients preserved
• Very versatile
• Not super pricey

Cons:

• Not easy to clean
• Can potentially burn your hand with steam
• Food is not as delicious as with a slow cooker
• You can’t leave it on its own the whole day
• Intimidating for beginner cooks
• Some trial and error needed for new recipes

Multi Cookers

If you like the idea of a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, a multi cooker may be able to do both! Many can function as a rice cooker too.

And it’s possible to find a multi cooker with air frying and baking options!

Pros:

• Extremely versatile (multiple appliances in one)
• Pre-programmed menu options make it easy for novice cooks
• Can cook fast (pressure cook) or slow (slow cooker)
• Able to brown food (air frying/ baking)

Cons:

• Very expensive
• Bulky
• Many parts to clean
• Requires supervision
• Often not as good as the standalone appliance (e.g. bread maker or slow cooker)

Other Factors To Consider

1. Price

If you’re going to make your decision based on budget, you’ll only need to think twice before getting a multi cooker.

As the other appliances are more affordable (and similarly priced).

This is the average price range for each type of appliance in Singapore:

• Slow cooker – S$40-90
• Rice cooker – S$40-200 (There are the expensive IH rice cookers that cost S$400 too)
• Pressure cooker – S$60-260 (Including traditional stove top pressure cookers)
• Multi cooker – S$300-400

2. Size

It’s possible to find personal (1-2 pax) versions for each appliance type. But smaller appliances tend to have less functions too.

In general, electric pressure cookers and multi cookers tend to be much bulkier than rice cookers. Don’t forget the additional accessories that come with the multi cookers (e.g. extra pot, air fryer lid, etc)!

3. Ease Of Maintenance

All of them have their individual and shared problems in the long run:

• Non stick coating coming off (e.g. rice cookers)
• Ceramic pot/ glass lid is easy to break (e.g. slow cookers)
• Gasket wears out (e.g. pressure cookers and multi cookers)

4. Versatility

Here are the appliances according to what they are best at cooking:

• Best for stew, beans, and soup -> slow cooker
• Best for cooking big chunks of meat -> pressure cooker
• Best for steaming rice, grains, thin slices of meat, and vegetables -> rice cooker
• Best for saute/ frying/ baking (in addition to slow cooker and pressure cooker perks) -> multi cooker

This table shows some of the dishes you can make with these appliances:

Dishes	Rice Cooker	Slow Cooker	Pressure Cooker	Multi Cooker
Beef Stew	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pot Roast	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brisket	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pork Ribs	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bolognese Sauce	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Risotto	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Curry	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pulled Pork	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Caramel Custard	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chicken Rice	Yes	n/a	Yes	Yes
Cheesecake	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mac & Cheese	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Red Bean Soup	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brownies	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rice Pudding	n/a	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lentils	Yes*	Yes	n/a	Yes
Creamy Sauces (With Dairy Ingredients)	Yes	n/a	Yes	Yes
Rice	Yes	n/a	Yes	Yes
Couscous/ Quinoa	Yes	n/a	Yes	Yes
Pasta	Yes	n/a	n/a	n/a
Leafy Greens	Yes	n/a	n/a	n/a
Congee	Yes*	Yes	Yes	Yes
Porridge	Yes*	Yes	Yes	Yes
Seafood	n/a	n/a	Yes	Yes
Fried Chicken	n/a	n/a	n/a	Yes
Steak	n/a	n/a	n/a	Yes
Saute	n/a	n/a	n/a	Yes
Steel-Cut Oatmeal	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Note: Mind that the table above really depends on the specific appliance model* you get. Also, “n/a” does not mean it’s not impossible. It’s just not as convenient or does not yield great results.

5. Learning Curve

Of the lot, rice cookers and slow cookers are the easiest to learn and require no supervision.

For pressure cookers and multi cookers, you may need a few tries to get a new recipe (e.g. ratio of water to ingredients, cook time, etc) right.

And depending on what you cook, some intervention may be necessary (e.g. sauté).

Verdict

Here’s a little quiz to help you decide which appliance (Pressure cooker vs slow cooker vs rice cooker vs multi cooker) to go for!

1. Do you spend most of your time at work? Yes -> Slow cooker
2. Do you have a daily schedule that is predictable? Yes -> Slow cooker
3. Are you willing to plan ahead? Yes -> Slow cooker
4. Do you cook large batches of food at a time? Yes -> Slow cooker
5. Do you want to have rice and a main dish cooked in the same appliance? Yes -> Rice cooker
6. Do you eat rice every day? Yes -> Rice cooker
7. Are you a connoisseur of rice? Yes -> Rice cooker
8. Do you have limited counter space? Yes -> Rice cooker/ Multi cooker
9. Do you cook meat often? Yes -> Pressure cooker/ Slow cooker
10. Is cooking healthy a top priority for you? Yes -> Pressure cooker
11. Do you have time to spare in the kitchen? Yes -> Pressure cooker/ Multi cooker
12. Do you like to cook a variety of food and try new recipes? Yes -> Pressure cooker/ Multi cooker
13. Is your budget more than S$200? Yes -> Multi cooker
14. Do you bake occasionally but do not want to get an oven? Yes -> Multi cooker
15. Do you want to brown your food without a stove or oven? Yes -> Multi cooker

We think it’s safe to say that for most of us (with full time jobs and a family), the combination of a slow cooker and rice cooker is most ideal!

Related posts you might like:

• 11 Best Rice Cookers In Singapore
• 11 Best Mini Rice Cookers In Singapore
• 11 Best Slow Cookers In Singapore
• 9 Best Pressure Cookers In Singapore
• 7 Best Multi Cookers In Singapore