Old-school marketing theory dictates that humans need to see something new on three different occasions to stick, 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 Vermicular Musui-Kamado, a gorgeous Japanese cast-iron induction cooktop designed to mimic a traditional Japanese wood-burning stove, but also for steaming rice and “steaming roasts,” which launched in the US in 2018 .February 2019 (Japan December 2016).The second is the Instant Precision Dutch Oven, the latest offering from the maker of nearly ubiquitous multi-cookers.(All-Clad also makes Dutch toaster ovens, and I expect more brands to launch similar devices in the next few years.)
Both the Vermicular Musui-Kamado and the Instant Precision Dutch Oven have two main components: an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, which is housed in a base with built-in electric heating elements (much like a slow cooker).Both have digital control panels for precise temperature control for searing, simmering, simmering and even proofing dough.Both Dutch ovens can be detached from the base for use with gas and induction cooktops as well as ovens.These are small appliances that have most of the versatility of an Instant Pot, and then some — minus the ability to cook under pressure.But Vermicular Musui-Kamado and Instant Precision Dutch Oven are not interchangeable.
Many Americans might associate the word kamado with large ceramic grills like the Kamado Joe and the Big Green Egg, but these outdoor cookers are actually modeled after the traditional Japanese method of cooking in ceramic pots over a fire.The Vermicular Musui-Kamado is also inspired by Japanese stovetop cooking, but it has been modified for the modern kitchen with a four-quart enameled cast iron pot (Musui) and high-end induction heating elements (Kamado).
Primarily sold as a rice cooker in Japan and dubbed the “first cast iron induction cooker” in the US, this versatile rice cooker does everything the best rice cookers do, and everything a slow cooker does, but better .Think fully cooked poultry, fork greens, spread stews, custards, and more.You can even bake cakes and breads at Vermicular, but I rarely bake with a real oven, so I haven’t been there yet.
Vermicular’s biggest promise is precision, and thanks to variable temperature controls and well-designed pot lids, it’s serving up more in that department.You can set the Musi to an accuracy between 90ºF and 200ºF and hold it for up to 12 hours, so it can be used for some (but not all) sous-vide cooking.High cooking mode preset temperatures: 230ºF super low, 300ºF low, 445ºF medium.To slow cook with this machine, you can manually set the temperature to 190ºF–200ºF for a safe low temperature setting, or set it to low (300ºF) for a typical slow cooker high temperature.(So, like I said, this thing has a bit of a learning curve.)
Even if the temperature control is a little confusing, the cooking function is enough to make people fall in love with the Musui-Kamado.It comes with two measuring cups: one for rice and one for water.The markers make measurements foolproof, and once you rinse the rice properly, the machine takes care of everything else, no timers or fork fluffing required.The control panel has a bit of a learning curve, but the instructions are clear and the panel has automatic settings for four different rices, although you still have to choose which rice and how much you cook.Vermicular goes even further than traditional rice cookers with automatic settings to make crispy brown rice just like you would enjoy bibimbap in a hot stone pot.
In addition to the induction base and Dutch oven, the Vermicular Musui-Kamado comes with a compact but super sturdy cast iron lid, a comprehensive hardcover cookbook better than any product-specific cookbook I’ve seen, and the aforementioned wet and dry rice measuring cups.
When Instant Brands discontinued its Aura slow cooker, it replaced it with this 6-quart Dutch electric oven.The Instant Precision Dutch Oven has an electric (but not induction) heating element that can be set to any temperature between 77ºF and 400ºF, meaning it can be used for almost anything you do on the stove, including frying eggs, caramelizing Onions and seared meat.If I don’t have a cooktop, even for a long time, I’d happily substitute it.That said, you don’t want to fry this thing (which the brand explicitly recommends against it), and the teapot is still a more practical way to boil water, though I think you can use the Instant Precision Dutch Oven for pinch purposes.I haven’t tried cooking with it either, but it’s not marketed as a rice cooker, and I can’t find any instructions for cooking rice in the accompanying recipe booklet or online.The recipe book does have some recipes for baked goods, but most 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.For a machine with variable temperature control – especially one used to replace a slow cooker – it’s odd that the slow cook function only has one slow cook setting (203ºF, which I confirmed multiple times within two degrees using an instant read thermometer ). However, there are two manual modes, manual mode #2 can be used as a workaround for the traditional “high” slow cooker setting, setting the temperature to 300ºF (the standard temperature for most slow cooker high settings), but only for It’s a bit odd for three at a time for a few hours.When cooking in either mode is complete, the Instant Precision Dutch Oven automatically goes into keep warm mode and will stay there for three hours unless cancelled earlier.
Even with its quirks and limitations, I really liked this multi-cooker but wanted a second opinion so I sent it home with my mother-in-law – who is equally obsessed with her slow cooker and Instant Pot – hopefully it will have a little slow cooking action.She says it cooks her hambone beautifully, but she did have some trouble figuring out the control panel at first, and like many reviewers, 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 base — so it’s not necessarily something you’ll want to carry around.
Overall, the Instant Precision Dutch Oven has a sleek look, and even for something this large, the small details like the silicone handle and tripod are nice.I also appreciate that the pot 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 Vermicular Musui-Kamado and Instant Precision Dutch Oven have sous-vide capabilities, so to test each, I tried a typical sous-vide recipe: a 63-degree egg.I filled each dutch oven with enough cold tap water to completely submerge the eggs and form a true water bath, then preheat each machine to 145ºF (63ºC).When each machine indicated that the preheat was complete, I added a room temperature egg and let it sit covered for two hours.Two hours later, both eggs were the same as what I got with the immersion circulator – yolks that were completely jammy, with little to no set whites – confirming that both devices achieved and remained sous-vide-friendly Precise temperature (up to 12 hours, if necessary).
My husband likes to remind me that my definition of the word need is pretty inaccurate, so I guess if you have a stove and a pot to cook, no, you don’t technically need a dutch oven.But surely someone might benefit from replacing a small appliance or two with one of these appliances, especially if you cook a lot of rice or want to start experimenting with sous-vide.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, you won’t be disappointed with the Vermicular Musui-Kamado, but it’s a roughly $700 investment.If you bake and slow cook primarily and are interested in exploring sous-vide cooking, the Instant Precision Dutch Oven gives you two more quarts of cooking space for less than a third of the price.
We may be heading into warmer weather, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop baking, stewing, simmering, roasting, and stewing.For all these delicacies, you need a high-quality Dutch oven.What other cooking vessel can do all of the above and look good while doing, you might […]
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Post time: Jun-17-2022