I tried an all-in-one cooker to see if it can replace multiple kitchen appliances

Can the appliance really do it all? And is it worth the investment? We put it to the test.

I’m not going to lie, I love an appliance, and so when I got my hands on the Philips All-in-One Cooker, my excitement was brimming.

I have so many kitchen gadgets and appliances. I have even started storing them in the garage as the kitchen cupboards are full. When I got the opportunity to test an All-in-One Cooker, I thought this might be the solution to my storage problems. Maybe this appliance can replace my slow cooker, pressure cooker and more! 

About the Philips 3000 Series All-In-One Cooker

This appliance is said to do it all:  pressure cook, slow cook, steam, bake and saute. It even has a sauce thickening setting and the usual keep warm option. The cooking bowl has a 5L capacity which is the perfect size to make enough soup or stew to feed the average family.

It has over 35 pre-set menu options, making it an ideal appliance for the not-so-confident cook who can benefit from easy-to-use, structured recipe options. 

It’s a very sleek-looking machine and the touchpad is simple to use (although some of the pictures are a little confusing). It is mostly just a matter of selecting the cooking style, time and start. 

The Philips 3000 Series All-In-One Cooker is available at most kitchen appliance retailers for $349.00. 

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Philips 3000 Series All-In-One Cooker

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Is it truly an all-in-one pressure cooker with maximum taste and minimal effort?

The pressure cooker option is heavily promoted for this appliance, so I had to give it a go. I selected a pulled pork taco recipe that was advertised as only taking 30 minutes to cook. Who doesn’t want tender, juicy pulled pork in minutes? 

The smell in my kitchen was great, but after 30 minutes nothing really seemed to happen. I didn’t notice the steam being released and when I opened the lid, the mixture wasn’t really bubbling and the pork, even though cooked, was tougher than a leather boot I owned in the 90’s.

Fearing it was a user error, I gave it another crack and with the press of just two buttons, I had the pressure cooker on again for another 15 minutes. A beep and then the “rapid release technology” was in action. This is what I was looking for – a safe, quick and controlled pressure and steam release. The pork was almost tender and I was just able to shred it with a fork (another 15 minutes so that it was really tender would have been better, but this was fine). 

Pulled pork made in the Philips All-In-One Cooker

As a keen baker, I had to try the 'bake' setting 

The ‘bake’ setting instantly caught my eye. I thought it was unique from other bench top cookers and I was curious to know what the results would be. 

I chose a carrot and pineapple cake from the Philips online catalogue. It was a simple case of mix, pour and bake. Super-easy and it was delicious! Unfortunately, the cake took me an extra 30 minutes to cook, but it was worth the wait – I think I may have ended up over-cooking it a little as what I thought was raw batter on top was where all the moisture was collecting from the lid of the cooker during cooking, making it look undercooked. 

It's not your classic baking outcome that you would get from using an oven, it’s more of a steaming process which gave the cake a moist, pudding type of texture. It evenly browned the edges and base of the cake, and it wasn’t too crusty or hard on the edges. I don’t think it would be great for a sponge cake, but it would make the perfect sticky date pudding!

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My cake made in the All-in-One Cooker

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What I liked about the All-in-One Cooker

• It’s not a seasonal appliance like a slow cooker can be, making it a fantastic option that you can use all year round. 
• The machine is quiet - you can barely tell it’s on. Even when the steam is being released after pressure cooking, it’s very quiet. There’s no shrill whistling like the old days!
• Doesn’t get too hot. I found that the outside of the machine was insulated enough to not be overly hot. Note: I didn’t test on slow cooking, so can’t confirm if this is correct with a longer cooking time. 
• Due to the steam build-up when using the pressure cooking function there’s a lot of moisture that spills from the lid when you open it. There’s a nifty little trough that the water spills into rather than out of the machine, making it safe and easy to clean up. 
• It’s got a child lock! Knowing that my children couldn’t open the lid during cooking and hurt themselves was a great relief. This is a great safety feature to have, especially when using the slow cooking setting which has the appliance cooking away for hours. 

And now for the negatives

• Navigating the user manual wasn't the easiest. It was hard to find simple instructions and seemed to be missing information. 
• The machine does take on the cooking smells (hello smoky pulled pork), even after leaving the lid open overnight and without the cooking bowl inside, the next time I opened the lid, the cooking smells were quite strong. 
• Cleaning. The cooking bowl wasn’t a problem and I simply popped it into the dishwasher for a clean, however you do need to pull the lid apart for cleaning, it’s not a simple case of wiping it down with a cloth. Food can get trapped in the rubber seal, so it’s best to clean well after each use.

So can this one machine replace my other kitchen appliances? 

I think this appliance is best suited to people who don’t have the storage or bench space for multiple appliances or for people who aren't confident cooks but want to expand their repertoire from their usual menu. It's also a great 'set and forget' option.

Overall, it’s a handy appliance that fits neatly on the kitchen bench and is an affordable option for those wanting to get the most out of a very versatile machine. I’m looking forward to trying more recipes and running them through their paces. Once perfected, I’m sure it will be a cook’s dream appliance! 

The Philips 3000 Series All-In-One Cooker retails at $349 and more information is available on the Philips website.  

Originally published as I tried an all-in-one cooker to see if it can replace multiple kitchen appliances