ChefWave Chefe 13-in-1 Programmable 4 Qt. Multicooker, Small Non-Stick Stainless Steel Crockpot/Slow Multi Cooker without Coating, Voice Alerts, 360 Induction Heating Technology, Includes Recipe Book

I’ve been trying out lots of multi-cookers over the past year or so. Most of them have a similar design — a big pot connected to a pressure-cooker with various pre-programmed controls. While this one from ChefWave does all that as well, it has some features that set it apart from other multi-cookers I’ve used.UN-PACKAGING / FIRST USEThe multi-cooker is delivered securely protected in a cardboard box, with enough packing material to keep it safe. Perhaps a bit more foam and plastic than necessary. I had it all unpacked in about 5 minutes.Getting set up for the first use takes a bit of time. The included manual does a better-than-average job of covering the steps and does decently well at getting you on your way to using it. I was cooking some rice in this cooker within 10 minutes of unpacking it.FEATURES AND FUNCTIONSCompared with other multi-cookers I’ve used, this one has some unusual features. Instead of simply securing the top of the pot and selecting functions on the side of the unit, this one has an arm that closes down on the pot and locks in position during use. The controls are on top of the locking arm. In some ways, this is better than other multi-cookers, as the controls have more visibility. On the other hand, it’s a bit trickier to unlock this unit the middle of cooking, if necessary.This multi-cooker has fewer functions than other units I’ve tried. It has 6 pre-set programs, as compared with as many as 20 in other ones. I don’t see this as a problem, since I tend to not really use the pre-programmed functions anyway, and just prefer to set pressure level and time manually. This multi-cooker makes that easy. But if you like having pre-programmed cooking functions, this may come up short for you.The cooker has voice commands, which I have tested but find rather annoying — and unnecessary. The modes and settings are easy enough for me that I don’t really need this. But if you do like voice commands, this unit is loud and clear.The pot is stainless steel, with clear volume markers on the inside. It’s nice and smooth, and very easy to clean. It has enough volume for several cups of rice.COOKING QUALITYThis multi-cooker does a terrific job with everything I’ve used it for so far. I regularly cook brown and white rice, steel-cut oats, faro, and oatmeal. It does all of these reliably each time. I use this for a variety of stews, where I combine meat with all kinds of vegetables and spices. Again, this cooker has been very reliable. I also use this to saute meats, and it works great for this.STORAGE AND MAINTENANCEThe unit is sleek and looks attractive on my shelf in between uses. It takes up a little more room on my counter than other multi-cookers I’ve tested, because it is a little deeper front-to-back. All parts are smooth, and very easy to clean.CONCLUSIONOverall, this is a great multi-cooker, with features that are somewhat unlike other units. It does a consistent job with everything I have used it for so far. I recommend it.