TRENDSPOTTING
From red hot multi-cookers to cold-press juicers, we’ve got the best countertop appliances to give the foodie in your life.
It steams, it sautés, it braises—some multi-cookers even make yogurt. Also known as an Instant Pot (from $109.95, amazon.ca), the original is the most beloved brand. Its biggest advantage over a traditional slow cooker is the pressurecooker setting, which locks in steam and forces water into food faster, making quick work of dried beans, whole grains and tougher cuts of meat. Under pressure, it will whip up comforting, cold-weather dishes in less than half the time it would take on the stovetop. It’s not perfect—the sauté function is not as efficient as browning in a skillet, and sauces often have to be reduced at the end to intensify flavours—but it’s a terrific machine for the harried home cook.