01.Introduction
Black and Stone BSMC800 Multi-Purpose Cooker
Price: $229
Contact: www.blackandstone.com.au
The Black and Stone BSMC800 is an eight-function cooker with settings for steaming, sautéing, baking, slow cooking, rice, pasta, boiling and reheating, plus an automatic two-hour keep-warm function.
It produces excellent results when:
- Cooking rice (though this takes longer than any other cooking method)
- Slow cooking
- Boiling potatoes
It scores well for searing meat, sautéing onions and garlic and steaming veggies, but steaming is quicker in a microwave.
Being able to sear and sauté before cooking in the slow cooker allows for one-pot cooking, which saves you time and effort. But there are cheaper slow cookers available that have a searing function (however you need to put the pan on a hotplate).
The Black and Stone’s baking result for a cake is only OK. Although our cake had risen evenly and was evenly cooked, it was a little dry and slightly burnt on the base. It’s not a function you would use often if you have an oven.
Ease of use
It’s easy to use, with intuitive controls, clear labeling and a bright digital display.
- Its 2.5-litre, eight-cup capacity bowl can serve four to six people.
- At 3.9 kg it’s light enough to put away and pull out of a cupboard whenever needed.
- It comes with a ladle, rice paddle, utensil holder, steamer tray and a rice measuring cup. Its cord is removable and can be placed in the bowl for storage.
- Expect a bit of trial and error initially until you get a feel for suitable cooking times. There are no specific cooking times given for each food type – the preset default times are only guides for each program and may need to be adjusted.
- You can pre-set cooking start and finish times, and it will automatically switch to a keep-warm function for up to two hours when cooking is complete.
CHOICE verdict
The Black and Stone is a good, easy-to-use performer that can substitute for a cooktop, and is also a low-cost option suitable for busy people, renters, holiday homes or caravans.
For more information about Benchtop appliances, see Kitchen.