Top 5 Best Multicookers in Australia: Pressure, Slow-Cook, Sear and Air-Crisp Functions Compared

Buy a mainstream multi-function pressure cooker with a huge recipe and accessory ecosystem behind it. It does real pressure cooking, sautés, steams, slow-cooks adequately and makes yoghurt, and because the format is so popular you'll never run out of user timings, spare seals and third-party accessories. This is the safe default for a first multicooker.

Buy a pressure-plus-air-crisp combo rather than a plain pressure cooker. These pair a sealed pressure lid with a powered crisping lid so you can pressure-cook a roast and then brown and crisp it without moving it to another appliance. The trade is cost, bulk and (on most) the fiddly swap between two lids when you don't want the crisping function.

Buy a cooker with automatic sensors and guided programs. Higher-end models adjust pressure and time based on how much food and how cold it started, walk you through steps on a display, and reduce the guesswork that makes beginners under- or over-cook. It's worth it if you'd otherwise be intimidated by pressure settings; a keen cook who likes manual control won't need it.

Prioritise litres over features. A 5.7–6L pot suits two to four people; six-litre-plus and especially 8L machines feed a family or handle batch cooking and whole chickens. A big cooker on a busy dinner table beats a clever small one you outgrow — but check your cupboard height, because these are tall.

A budget multicooker covers the fundamentals — pressure, slow-cook, steam and sauté — for far less than the flagship names. You give up finer pressure control, quieter valves, build quality and the accessory ecosystem, and the slow-cook mode tends to run cool, but for everyday rice, stews and one-pot meals a value cooker is a genuine buy.

The single thing that separates a multicooker from a slow cooker or rice pot is sealed pressure cooking. Trapping steam raises the internal temperature above boiling, which is what softens dried beans in minutes, tenderises cheap tough cuts, cooks rice hands-free and shortens braises by two-thirds. If a machine doesn't reach and hold a proper pressure, it isn't really a multicooker — it's a kettle with buttons.

Quality shows up in how steadily the unit holds pressure and how finely it lets you adjust it. Some offer two or three pressure levels, others a continuous or sensor-driven range. More control means better results on delicate food like vegetables and fish that turn to mush under heavy pressure — a real reason to pay over the cheapest units.

Safety is worth a word because it's the top beginner fear. Modern cookers have multiple interlocks — the lid can't open under pressure, the valve vents before release, and sensors cut heat if the seal fails. Used as instructed they're safe; the fear is mostly legacy.

Sauté / sear is genuinely useful — browning onions or a cut of meat in the same pot before pressure-cooking builds flavour and saves a dirty pan. Steam and keep-warm are handy. Yoghurt is niche but works. Slow-cook mode, however, is usually the weakest: many multicookers run their slow setting cooler than a dedicated ceramic-pot slow cooker, so times from slow-cooker recipe books won't translate directly.

'Air fry' or 'crisp' is a different proposition entirely. Only cookers with a powered crisping lid can do it, because air-frying needs top-down radiant heat and a fan — impossible for a sealed pot. On those combo units it works decently, but it's effectively an air fryer attached to a pressure cooker, not a mode the sealed pot itself can run.

Capacity is sold in litres, but the usable figure matters more than the maximum — you can only fill a pressure cooker about two-thirds for most foods and half for foaming items like rice and beans. A 6L machine is a comfortable family size; 8L suits batch cooking and whole birds; under 4L is for singles and couples.

The catch is the shape. Multicookers are deep and tall, and with a lid on (especially a hinged crisping lid) they need real vertical clearance. Measure your cupboard shelf height and bench-to-rangehood gap before you buy a large combo model, or it will live on the bench permanently.

Panels range from a few buttons and a dial to full colour LCDs that walk you through each step. Guided programs and sensors genuinely help a nervous first-timer get consistent results, while manual control suits cooks who want to set their own time and pressure. Neither is objectively better — it's a confidence-versus-control preference.

The under-appreciated factor is the community. Enormously popular formats have thousands of tested user recipes, timing charts, replacement sealing rings, stainless steamer trays and third-party accessories. A rare or discontinued model can leave you hunting for a spare gasket when the original perishes.

This splits the market in two. A plain multi-function pressure cooker does the defining job superbly and costs less; an air-crisp combo adds a powered lid so you can also fry and brown, at the cost of price, bulk and (often) lid-swapping. If you already own an air fryer, buy the pressure-only cooker and keep both appliances. If you want to eliminate a second appliance, the combo earns its footprint.

Be honest about whether you'd really use crisping. It's the single biggest price and size jump in the category, and it's wasted money if your actual cooking is mostly braises, rice and one-pot dinners.

Pressure cookers can only be filled about two-thirds (and half for rice and grains), so the litre figure overstates real capacity. Under 4L suits singles; 5.7–6L is the family sweet spot; 8L-plus handles batch cooking and whole birds. Buying slightly large costs little and future-proofs you, provided the height fits your cupboard.

Check both litres and physical dimensions — a tall combo lid can make an 8L machine impossible to store, so measure shelf height and bench-to-rangehood clearance before ordering.

If you're new to pressure cooking or dislike consulting timing charts, guided programs and sensors that auto-adjust for food volume remove the intimidation and give repeatable results. Confident cooks who like to set their own time and pressure may find automation slower and prefer a manual panel. There's no universally better option — match it to how much control you actually want.

Look for at least two pressure levels regardless of style: low pressure for vegetables, fish and delicate dishes that turn to mush under heavy pressure is a genuinely useful floor.

A hugely popular format means abundant tested Australian recipes and, crucially, cheap replacement sealing rings and accessories for years. A rare or discontinued model can strand you when the gasket perishes. Weight the long-term parts supply as heavily as the initial price.

All modern units have multiple safety interlocks — the lid won't open under pressure and sensors cut heat on a failed seal — so buy a model whose lid, valve and vent you find intuitive to operate, since you'll use them every single time.

The removable inner pot makes the bulk of cleaning simple. The part to understand is the silicone sealing ring: it absorbs food odours over time and needs regular removal and washing, and some households keep two rings — one for savoury, one for sweet or yoghurt — to avoid taint. Check whether the ring and lid are dishwasher-safe on your listing.

A non-stick or ceramic-coated inner pot is easier to clean and to sauté in, but treat it like any coated pan: no metal utensils and no abrasive scrubbing if you want the coating to last.

Pressure cookers are electrical appliances with safety-critical seals and valves, so buy from listings that state an Australian warranty and correct local plug/voltage compliance rather than the cheapest grey import. Local support matters far more here than for a passive pot.

Check return terms too — if the lid mechanism or valve feels awkward in your hands, being able to exchange for a model you find intuitive matters more than a few dollars saved on a marketplace deal.

Simple 5.7–6L machines like the Tower that do genuine pressure cooking plus basic slow, steam and sauté modes. Coarser control, cooler slow-cook, lighter build and a thinner spare-parts ecosystem, but a low-risk way to try the format. Sensible for singles, couples and first-timers on a real budget.

The category-defining 6L format and the guided recipe-led cookers. This is the sweet spot for most households: real pressure cooking, a big tested-recipe community, cheap spare seals and enough functions to cover weeknight dinner. The best money-to-usefulness band on the list.

Sensor-driven, guided models with finer pressure control and premium build. You're paying for automation, consistency and materials rather than a fundamentally new capability. Worth it for nervous beginners or anyone who wants the machine to think; keen manual cooks won't need the premium.

Large-capacity cookers with a powered crisping lid that replace a separate air fryer. The jump is buying two appliances in one box plus a bigger, taller footprint. Justified only if you'll genuinely use the crisping function; otherwise the money is better spent on a pressure-only cooker and a standalone fryer.

The silicone sealing ring is the component that decides whether pressure builds, so it needs to stay clean, intact and correctly seated. Remove and wash it after heavy or pungent cooks; check it for nicks and stretches that break the seal. Many households keep a spare ring and dedicate one to savoury dishes and one to yoghurt or dessert to stop flavour carry-over.

Wipe the lid, vent and float valve with a damp cloth and clear the steam-release path of food debris before each use. A blocked valve is the most common cause of a cooker that won't come to pressure or vents oddly.

The removable inner pot handles most cooking mess; a coated pot wipes and washes easily, but treat any non-stick surface gently — no metal utensils and no abrasive scouring pads. The outer body just needs a wipe-down; never immerse the electrical base in water.

If food catches during a sauté, deglaze with a splash of liquid and a soft spatula while the pot is warm rather than scrubbing the coating hard. Gentle heat plus soaking lifts stuck-on bits without damaging the surface.

Never force the lid open — wait for the float valve to drop and the pressure to release. Don't overfill: two-thirds for most foods, half for rice, grains and anything that foams, or you'll clog the valve and get uneven cooking.

Keep the vent and its surrounding area clear and never cook under a cabinet that the steam jet hits. These small habits preserve the seal, prevent valve blockages and keep the top of your kitchen from being scorched by regular steam release.