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Old-school marketing theory suggests that people need to see something new three times to learn it, but I only needed to see a Dutch oven twice to notice the new slow-cooking trend. The first device that caught my eye was the Vermulated Musui-Kamado, a gorgeous Japanese cast-iron induction cooktop that mimics a traditional Japanese wood-burning stove that can also steam and grill rice, released in the US in 2017. . February 2019 (December 2016 in Japan). The second is the Instant Precision Dutch Oven, the latest offering from the maker of the nearly ubiquitous slow cooker. (All-Clad also makes electric Dutch ovens, and I expect other brands to introduce similar units in the coming years.)
Both the Vermular Musui-Kamado and the Instant Precision Dutch Oven have two main components: an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven located in the base with a built-in electric heating element (much like a slow cooker). Both feature digital control panels for precise temperature control for frying, sautéing, slow cooking and even proofing dough. Both Dutch ovens can be removed from the base and used on gas and induction hobs, as well as in the oven. These small appliances offer the same versatility as slow cookers, but without the ability to pressure cook. But Worm Musui-Kamado and Instant Precision Dutch Oven are not interchangeable.
Many Americans may associate the word kamado with large ceramic grills like the Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg, but these outdoor stoves actually mimic the traditional Japanese method of cooking food in ceramic pots over fire. The Vermular Musui-Kamado is also inspired by the Japanese stove, but modified for the modern kitchen with a four-quart enameled cast iron pan (Musui) and a high-quality induction heating element (Kamado).
Sold primarily as a rice cooker in Japan and dubbed the “first cast iron induction cooktop” in the US, this multifunctional rice cooker does everything the best rice cookers and multicookers do, and more. Think perfectly cooked poultry, tender root vegetables, fluffy stews, creamy custards and more. You can even bake cakes and bread in Vermikal, but I rarely bake in my real oven, so I haven’t gone there yet.
The Worm’s biggest promise is precision, and it more than delivers on that with adjustable temperature controls and a well-designed pan and lid. You can set the Musi to a precise temperature between 90°F and 200°F and keep it there for up to 12 hours, so it can be used for some (but not all) sous vide dishes. The higher temperature cooking modes come with preset temperatures of Ultra Low – 230°F, Low – 300°F and Medium – 445°F. To use this machine for slow cooking, you can manually set the temperature to 190-200°F for a safe low setting, or set the temperature to low (300°F) for the typical high temperatures of a slow cooker. (So, like I said, this takes a bit of a learning curve.)
Although the temperature control is a little confusing, the rice cooking functions are enough to make people fall in love with the Musui-Kamado. The package includes two measuring cups: one for measuring rice and the other for water. The markings make the measurements reliable, and once you’ve rinsed the rice properly, the machine takes care of the rest – no timers or forks needed to fluff it. The control panel requires a bit of a learning curve, but the instructions are clear, and the panel has automatic settings for four different types of rice, although you still have to choose what type of rice and how much to cook. The Vermular goes even further than a traditional rice cooker with an automatic setting that lets you cook crispy brown rice that’s similar to bibimbap.
In addition to the induction cooktop and Dutch oven, the Worm Musui-Kamado also comes with a compact yet heavy-duty cast iron lid, an extensive hardcover cookbook that is better than any product-specific cookbook I’ve ever seen, and the aforementioned wet cooker recipe. and dry rice measuring cups.
When Instant Brands discontinued the Aura slow cooker, it replaced it with a six-quart electric Dutch oven. The Instant Precision Dutch Oven features an electric (but not induction) heating element that can be adjusted from 77°F to 400°F, meaning it can be used for almost anything you do on the stovetop, including frying eggs. , caramelized onions and fried meat. If I had to go without a stove, even for a long time, I would happily use it. However, you don’t want to fry on this thing (the brand strongly advises against it) and a kettle is still a more practical way to boil water, although I suppose you could use an Instant Precision Dutch Oven for this. a pinch of critical purpose. I haven’t tried cooking rice with it either, but it’s not sold as a rice cooker and I couldn’t find any instructions for cooking rice in the included recipe booklet or online. There are some baking recipes in recipe books, but most of them require transferring the Dutch oven to a regular oven as the last step.
My biggest problem with the Instant Precision Dutch Oven is the slow cook setting, or lack thereof. Oddly enough for a temperature-controlled machine, especially one meant to replace a slow cooker, the slow cooker feature only has one sauté setting (203°F, which I confirmed multiple times with an instant-read thermometer). However, there are two manual modes. Manual mode #2 can be used as a workaround for the traditional “high” setting of a slow cooker by setting the temperature to 300°F (the standard temperature for most slow cookers on the high setting), but it only works for three hours at a time, which is a little weird. Once cooking is completed in any mode, the Instant Precision Dutch Oven automatically enters the Keep Warm mode and will remain there for three hours unless canceled earlier.
Despite its features and limitations, I really liked this slow cooker, but I wanted a second opinion, so I sent it home with my mother-in-law, who is equally obsessed with her slow cooker and she is obsessed with the Instant Pot – I hope it stays that way. have a slow cooking effect. She said she cooked the ham perfectly, but she had some trouble understanding the control panel at first, and like many reviewers, she was annoyed by the single slow-cook setting. Her biggest complaint, however, is that it’s heavy—almost the weight of a large Le Creuset plus a slow cooker stand—so it’s not necessarily something you’d want to take with you to lunch.
Overall, the Instant Precision Dutch Oven looks classy, even for something this large, and small details like the included silicone handles and stand are nice to have. I also appreciate that the pan and lid are dishwasher safe, and the control panel has a very clear status indicator so you always know if the machine is preheating, cooking, etc.
Both the Vermular Musui-Kamado and the Instant Precision Dutch Oven have sous vide capabilities, so to test them, I tried a typical sous vide recipe: eggs at 63 degrees. I filled each Dutch oven with enough cold tap water to completely submerge the eggs and create a true water bath, then preheated each machine to 145°F (63°C). When each machine said preheating was complete, I added a room temperature egg and left it covered for two hours. After two hours, both eggs were comparable to those I got with the immersion circulator—yolks perfectly set and whites almost set—confirming that both devices can reach and maintain precise temperatures for sous vide cooking (up to 12 hours). hours (if necessary).
My husband likes to remind me that I have a very skewed definition of the word “need,” so I think if you have a stove and pots for cooking, no, technically you don’t need a Dutch oven. But there’s sure to be someone who could benefit from replacing one or two small appliances with one of these devices, especially if you cook a lot of rice or want to start experimenting with sous vide cooking. Both machines are capable of slow cooking, basic sous vide, and just about anything you do on the stovetop (except frying). If you’re looking to replace your slow cooker and rice cooker, the Vermular Musui-Kamado won’t let you down, but its investment price is around $700. If you mostly sauté and simmer and are interested in sous vide cooking, the Instant Precision Dutch Oven gives you two more quarts of cooking space for less than a third of the price.
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Post time: Sep-21-2024