{"id":46514,"date":"2026-07-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=46514"},"modified":"2026-07-17T08:45:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T15:45:45","slug":"cookers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/cookers\/","title":{"rendered":"Cookers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Versatile one pot meals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fagor 3-in-1 Multicooker<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last summer I tried some carrot soup that tasted like buttered toffee. It had been made in a pressure cooker, which heats water vapor above boiling temperature, greatly reducing normal cooking times. I told my parents I was going to get a pressure cooker, and they recommended the Fagor multi cooker, because unlike most pressure cookers it has an electric browning feature, which lets you brown beef, fish, or chicken right in the pot before you pressure cook it, greatly improving the flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fagor is also a slow cooker and a rice cooker. Because it is so versatile, I use it almost every day. The throw-everything-in-the-pot-and-push-a-button approach has broadened my cooking horizons. I\u2019ve made rib roast in the slow cooker that had my in-laws coming back for thirds. I\u2019ve made mouth-watering chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto, basil and goat cheese in a matter of minutes. I\u2019ve made salmon with spinach and lemon sauce, fennel and Italian sausage, creamy risotto, and spicy Bolognese sauce. Thanks to an online army of pressure-cooker devotees, I\u2019ll never run out of recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only negative thing about the Fagor is that the user interface doesn\u2019t make it clear when it is cooking. A couple of times I\u2019ve set the timer and forgotten to press the start button, only to find out twenty minutes later that it never started. I\u2019ve learned not to do that. \u2014 Mark Frauenfelder<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Instant hot water source<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Zojirushi Electric Dispensing Pot<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the rice cooker, the electric dispensing pot is an appliance that EVERY Japanese household has. Its function is simple: It heats and dispenses hot water at just-below-boiling, as much or as little as you want. Perfect for a cup of tea or a cup of noodles. There\u2019s even a \u201cKeep Warm\u201d feature for maintaining the water temp at 208F, 195F, or 175F for a set amount of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We picked up Zojirushi\u2019s 3.0-liter US version when we moved back from Japan. It\u2019s performed flawlessly for well over a decade. Lots of nice little touches: The \u201cMagSafe\u201d magnetic power cord featured in Apple\u2019s laptop computers? Zojirushi did it first; makes it easy to move the pot to the tap to fill it up. \u2014 Robert Woodhead<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Best cheap nuke-it popcorn maker<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nordic Ware Microwave Corn Popper<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This microwave popper is simplicity itself: 1\/2 cup of corn, a little oil (or not), and a little time in the microwave yields a low-cost, low-cal snack you can eat right out of the popper. Unlike other poppers or Tupperware containers, the Nordic Ware\u2019s top cover has nifty ridges that facilitate comfortable removal \u2014 i.e. when everything is very, very hot (If you don\u2019t remove the cover immediately, the popcorn gets too moist).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve tried a variety of devices on my long march to the perfect popper\u2026 table-top poppers often made a mess (and big noise) and they\u2019re not machine-washable. Some microwave poppers require pads that deteriorate with use and need to be replaced, but are difficult to find. The stove top method, I just could never fully master: burned pans, burned corn, mess to clean. Lastly, microwavable bags of popcorn: If you eat a lot popcorn, you\u2019ll be spending exorbitant sums and \u2014 depending on which brand \u2014 consuming chemical additives. The Nordic popper does not require oil, so the end-product is essentially the same as an air popper. The Nordic can go in the dishwasher, or just be wiped clean. Plus, the Nordic is perhaps the least expensive one out there. As of late, we\u2019ve been producing popcorn five nights a week. \u2014 Daniel Wilson<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Smart grain cooker<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Zojirushi Rice Cooker<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the best thing with a plug. Pop water and rice in the bowl, set the timer, and you\u2019ll have a perfect bowl of rice waiting for you when you get home. Don\u2019t worry if you get hung up in traffic, the Zojirushi will keep your rice perfectly moist, and warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Chris S.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commonly used in Japan, this type of fuzzy-logic rice cooker can be set ahead of time. I\u2019ve purchased several for friends and family and have settled on the Zojirushi brand. I\u2019ve used a Zojiriushi for several years, and it has held up well and completely changed my cooking habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the evenings I load up the pot with oatmeal and\/or grain mixture for hot breakfast the following morning. And the mornings, I load up the pot for dinner \u2013 rice, whole grains, barley, lentils, beans, and\/or spices. When I walk into the house after work, the air is fragrant with cooking. The cooker can keep its contents warm and fairly fresh for a few hours after the timer goes off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favorite model is the Zojirushi NS-ZAC10 (5 cup capacity) though I\u2019d get the larger model if I had a bigger family. \u2014 Douglas O\u2019Heir<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Non-Electric Slow-Cook<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nissan Thermal Cooker<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever wish you could whip up a pot of chicken and dumplings, go on your bike ride or canoe paddle or even just hike, and have it piping hot and ready for you when you get back to the car? Ok, more likely it rained or snowed on your ride\/paddle\/hike and you\u2019re shivering and wish you had any hot food back at the car. This is experience speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nissan, the makers of vacuum mugs to keep your coffee warmer longer, also makes a 4-quart powerless crockpot. No plugs. No heater. It\u2019s wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how it works: pull the inner pot out of the device and put it on the range at home (or the stove at camp). Insert ingredients. Heat \u2019em up to a boil. Put the inner-lid on, then insert the inner pot into the outer pot. Seal the outer-lid. Put the whole device in your car (or your boat, or your dogsled). Have some fun for 3-6 hours. Open the pots and dish out the steaming food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incredibly, the first time this device was debuted in the U.S., it was marketed towards tailgaters and, well, flopped. But I had heard about it, and even though it was unavailable on this continent, managed to have a pot shipped over from Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avid outdoorswoman that I am, I had other uses for this kitchen gadget then side dishes for the football stadium parking lot. One morning, I shucked into my wetsuit and paddled into Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe and back, fighting the chill May wind both ways. After landing the boat, I hopped on my mountain bike and rode the famous Flume trail from the highway up to the snow line. I saw thunderclouds across the mountains and booked down to the car, 2,000 feet below, almost making it before the rain began. I was shivery; just short of hypothermic. I was also happy that before I\u2019d launched the bike, I had the foresight to boil elbow mac, burger, and canned tomatos in the Nissan Thermal Cooker. Hot food = life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crock pot has recently come back on the market, and is again being hyped as a tailgater essential. Bah. Tailgaters and church-potluckers aren\u2019t going to shell out $149 for a crockpot. People who do endurance races in the northern climates: now there\u2019s your target audience. And don\u2019t forget that this crockpot is more electricity-efficient than the normal kitchen plug-in models; it takes none once it\u2019s hot so it makes a great kitchen addition for the average treehugger. \u2014 Rita Nygren<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple recipes:
1 lb hamburger, browned
2 cans diced tomato
1 lb of elbow mac
Combine ingredients, bring to boil, seal, wait 3 hours. Serves 2-4 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rice-a-roni (any flavor)
Butter
Canned chicken
Fresh veggies, diced
Prepare rice as directed on box. When you get to the cover and simmer stage, dump in the chicken and veggies, then seal in pot. Cook a little longer then directions call for. Servers 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 cans chicken broth
1 can chicken
2 cups wild rice blend
2 cups Simply Veggies (freeze dried vegetables)
Bay leaf
Salt & pepper
Combine ingredients and boil, leave over heat for 5-10 minutes. Seal in pot. Wait 2-4 hours. Serves 4-8 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once a week we\u2019ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because\u00a0the possibilities they inspire are new.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 199<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47588,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2387],"tags":[2388],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46514"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46514"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46521,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46514\/revisions\/46521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}