Review: 5 multi-tasking kitchen appliances - Magimix, Tefal, Braun, Hitachi and Fissler

We rounded up the most impressive, multi-tasking appliances from our vast collection of reviews to find you the best ones that give you more bang for buck for your precious kitchen counter and storage space. 

1. MAGIMIX LE PATISSIER

What I liked

- It’s fast. It sliced its way through starchy potatoes and watery cucumbers readily, and shredded both hard root vegetables and leafier greens like cabbage equally well. I couldn’t seem to put food in it fast enough!

- There are two chute sizes – a small one that’s just right for carrots, and a wider one for halved onions and potatoes – so I didn’t need to waste time with extra cutting.

- My smoothies took just a quarter of the time it usually takes in my regular blender. Thanks to the Blendermix attachment, I got a smooth mix without having to scrape down and stir in the sides. It crushed ice well too.

- It whipped egg whites to stiff peaks in less than half the time it takes with a handheld mixer, and even heavier bread doughs were ready in a jiffy.

- I loved that the whole assortment of blades could be neatly packed away in the small accessories box provided.

- Two recipes books come with it, one of which also contains the manual. I appreciated that the recipes told me exactly which bowl and attachments to use. Even the blades are clearly labelled.

What could be better

- Just two small quibbles about the food-processing function: I couldn’t get onions chopped as finely as with my own food processor, and the potato slices made for slightly thicker chips than I’m used to.

- The whisk attachment didn’t mix meringue so well. I noticed some sugar sticking to the bottom of the windmill-looking whisk, and I struggled to scrape them in fully. In the end, I had to carefully scoop out the rest of the meringue from the sides of the bowl, avoiding the granular bits in the centre.

- Each bowl and attachment needs to be placed over the central protruding shaft and locked into place before you can start a task. I had no problems with processing food but I ran into diffi culties when it came to baking. When I placed ingredients in the mixing bowl before fixing it onto the machine, I found it tricky to fit the bowl and dough blade properly over the shaft, without some of the dry ingredients “jumping” up and spilling.

Verdict

A reliable workhorse for most cooking and baking needs.

Magimix Le Patissier is available at Robinsons The Heeren, Robinsons Jem, and Tott.

2. TEFAL PRO RICE COOKER RK8055

The appliance

Unlike most rice cookers with a flat base, the 1.8-litre Tefal Pro Rice Cooker has a curved one, designed for heat to flow in a circular motion rather than from the bottom up, for more even cooking. There are four rice functions – white, brown, glutinous and Japanese – and each can be adjusted to your preferred rice texture, from soft to crispy. Aside from rice, there are 12 cooking functions, from common ones like Steam, Slow Cook, and Porridge, to more unusual functions like Clay Pot, Baking/Dessert, Small Quantity and DIY.

What I liked

- The Pro performed admirably in delivering fluffy grains of white rice. It also cooked brown rice, Japanese rice and glutinous rice equally well.

- The one-pot cooking  Clay Pot function. Although I missed the thick crust that cooking in a claypot gives, the thin, crispy edge around the rice was rather nice. Thanks to the non-stick pot, I did not have to scrub any sticky bits out.

- You can set the cooking temperature at between 40 and 160 deg C, and the timer from fi ve minutes to nine hours. It works great for making perfect soft-boiled eggs – 35 minutes at 60 deg C.

- Allows for simple baking, and my basic chocolate cake turned out well. 

- Skipping presoaks — I used the Porridge function for tau suan, and the beans came out perfectly al dente after 30min. I could skip the usual hours of presoaking the beans.

- The Pro comes with a minimalist display. By default, only the rice functions are shown; the other modes come up only when you hit the Menu button.

What could be better

- The rice functions lack a countdown timer, which is useful when you have a hungry family waiting for dinner.

Verdict

A reliable and versatile rice cooker that whips up desserts, stir-fries and one-pot meals equally well.

Tefal Pro Rice Cooker RK8055, $499, is available at major department and electrical stores.

3. BRAUN IDENTITYCOLLECTION JUG BLENDER JB 5050 BK

The appliance

It comes with a 900W motor, two speed settings and a pulse mode. 

What I liked

- The powerful motor produced smoothies with a super smooth consistency – no pulpy fruit chunks and only a few icy bits. Even the lowest setting was very powerful.

- It produced a really fine mix when it came to rempah. 

- It crushed ice quickly with the pulse function. But it didn’t do a very thorough job, and there were ice crystals left behind.

Verdict

A powerful but noisy machine that gives the smoothest blends and finest mixes. 

Braun Identitycollection Jug Blender JB 5050 BK, $169, from major electrical and department stores

4. HITACHI SUPERHEATED STEAM MICROWAVE OVEN MRO-NBL5000E

The appliance

The Hitachi Superheated Steam Microwave Oven MRO-NBL5000E is a multi-tasker with a 33-litre capacity and a water tank. It’s a microwave, steam oven, convection oven, and bread maker. All accessories are included: a microwave-friendly ceramic tray, two steel trays for baking and roasting, a collapsible grill tray with lid, and a bread maker attachment. There’s even a measuring cup and spoon set, and a pair of oven gloves for further convenience.

What I liked

- The bread maker attachment worked better than some standalone bread makers I’ve tested. It had compartments for yeast and extras like nuts and dried fruit. Just like a conventional bread maker, I prepped my ingredients at night, set the timer, and woke up to freshly baked loaves. The bread had a good bronze crust, tall loaf, a relatively moist and fluffy crumb, and an even distribution of chopped walnuts and raisins.

- Using it as a convection oven, my baking projects generally turned out great. Cookies placed in the centre of the tray were just slightly browner than the rest.

- The roast chicken program uses a Superheated Steam and Grill combo – one of my fave functions. The chicken skin was golden and crispy, and every part of the chook, including the breast meat, was tender.    

- There are more than 200 built-in recipe programs – a good mix of Asian and Western dishes and desserts, with full instructions in the operating manual-cum-recipe book. They were easy to follow and the handful I tried turned out nicely.

- The LCD touch panel is easy to navigate and it tells you which trays to use for each program, important as the steel trays aren’t microwave-safe. 

- For the pre-heating feature, the oven beeps when the desired temperature is reached, so I didn’t have to guess. Pre-heating was also fast, taking just 10 minutes.

- There are different cleaning programs for cleaning the inside, clearing the drain pipe, and deodorising the interior, which makes maintenance a cinch.

What could be better

- I was overwhelmed by all that choice, with too many programs.

- The gyoza program was supposed to be a model of how the Steam Grill function uses the new Super Grill Tray and Lid attachments to make perfectly steamed gyoza with a crisp sear on the bottom. The gyoza was indeed juicy and moist but the browning was uneven. A good handful had almost no browning, while some were a burnt and hard.

Verdict 

The hefty price tag is well worth it, when you consider how it consolidates so many different appliances into one sleek machine – and each ones works well too.

Hitachi Superheated Steam Microwave Oven MRO-NBL5000E, $2,399, is available at Best Denki, Gain City and Harvey Norman.

5. FISSLER VITAVIT PREMIUM 6L

The appliance

The modern pressure cooker is a real three-in-one vessel. Besides using it to turn tough cuts of meats tender, or making deep, flavourful soups quickly, you can also use it as a steamer, or as just a pot for everyday boiling and braising. Pressure cooking takes a maximum of 30 to 45 minutes even for tough cuts, and a mere 20 minute duration or so for soups, which makes them more energy-efficient and space-saving than slow cookers. 

What I liked

- The standout feature is the pressure vent, where the steam inside the pot is expelled in a V direction away from you. This makes depressurising less scary.

- It had visual cues about the heat. Yellow indicates that it’s reaching optimal pressure. Green: Pressure-cooking has started and you should lower the flame. Red: The temperature within is too high and you should turn down the heat or take it off the stove.

- Thanks to the Close tab on the lid, this one was dead easy to secure.

Verdict

A dream to use in every way, it’s worth the premium price tag.

Fissler Vitavit Premium 6L, $999, available at Isetan Scotts.

Adapted from Simply Her.