NOW CLOSED: Want to try the new HomeCooker (worth £350) from Philips to the test? Cooks needed....

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by Philips to find 15 MNers UK based who are willing to put their new HomeCooker (and cutting tower) to the MN test! This is a brand new product and MNers will be among the first to try it.

The HomeCooker is the first in the new range of kitchen appliances that has been co-created by Philips and Jamie Oliver and is a first-of-its-kind, multi-functional device that does the preparation as well as the cooking, meaning you can cook fresh and stay fresh.

For more information please see www.philips.co.uk/e/homecooker/home.html

Philips say "Enabling you to prepare homemade meals even on your busiest days, the HomeCooker has been specially designed to achieve authentic home cooking with ease. It can chop, stir, steam and sauté and be left cooking unattended".

As Jamie Oliver explains: "We all know it can be a struggle to get fresh, homemade food on the table every day, especially for busy parents who have to juggle so much. It's often a real tradeoff between spending time with the family and getting fresh food on the table. The beauty of the Philips HomeCooker is that it removes this dilemma - you can now do both! Whether you're a beginner cook or a more experienced chef, the HomeCooker takes the pressure off in the kitchen. Because it stirs itself you don't have to stand over a stove but you can still invest all that love and creativity into your meal."

For this we're looking for a range of people - it's aimed at those who like to and want to cook fresh meals but often struggle to find the time.

If you're selected for this product test you will be sent the HomeCooker (and cutting tower) and ingredients to follow one of the recipes provided. You may also want you to try some of your favourites in it.

We'll need you to add three lots of feedback:

1.  First impressions on a thread on site<br />
   

2.  Your opinion after you've been using it for a couple of weeks on a thread (we will add more questions to the thread)<br />
   

3.  A review on <a class="break-all" href="http://www.mumsnet.com/reviews/household-appliances/ovens-cookers-and-hobs" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">the MN Reviews section</a><br />
   

So long as you do all three you will be able to keep the HomeCooker after testing (RRP £350).

We'd also like testers to send in about 5 photos of the food you create using the HomeCooker - these can be anonymous and will be used on the Philips Facebook pages

If you'd like to put it through the paces please sign up here - if you are selected we will be in touch.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

[SharpObject]

After reading the recipe book and then a bit of the instruction book, the instruction book said the highest setting is for roasting large quantities and 130 is for frying.

It isn't very clear in the recipe book and I have done a bit of lid on, lid off as that isn't clear either but I suppose it's a bit of trial and error.

My funniest moment (well i thought it was funny) was that I burnt the toast under the grill TWICE because I was to busy watching the cooker stir on my behalf

[Babieseverywhere]

LOL, at the burning toast :)

[SharpObject]

I've never made so much mess chopping veg for spag Bol the tower really needs a knack to it but I have managed to grate mushroom & courgette into the mince and no one else will know they are there

I'm now MNing after being at work all day and 5 DC have been told dinner will be ready when Jamie goes ping!

Draining the mince was a bit tricky because I had to clear a complete path of mince to get the stirrer back in and turning, fingers crossed I don't burn the garlic bread this time

Oh and I'm still awaiting the bag of ingredients, fingers crossed for the weekend.

[Babieseverywhere]

DH got to play with the cutting tower and we cut a ton of veg for a stir fry in seconds...lets see how easy it is too clean now ? We stir fried the veg in the cooker with moderate success.

Going to have another go at the breakfast for lunch tomorrow IYSWIM, LOL.

[Jux]

SharpObject and MMeOvary, thank you. It looks lovely, and I shall give it a go next time I do a risotto.

Love that SharpObject has called hers Jamie!

[Reggiee]

How's everyone getting on?

Tried out the squash risotto here (very nice and although it was fabulous not to have to stand over it stirring, I ended up standing over it to watch it stir itself . There is something quite theraputic about watching it).

The Rosemary Potatoes were fabulous. Was interested to hear about your tatties burning babies. I followed the recipe (minus the rosemary) and didn't suffer with that, and they tasted gorgeous (if I do say so myself). Although I did pity the people I spoke to today, as I ate all 5 cloves of roasted garlic too.

Sharp I totally agree with your comment about the cutting tower needing a knack. This has caused me more work and I have been left with quite a bit of uncut veg spinning around, whilst half of the veg has ended up on my worktop.

Dh seems a bit intimidated by it . I came down this morning and he was cooking porridge on the stove. Claimed he didn't know how it worked and obviously was unable to pick up the instructions to work out where the on switch is.

Really looking forward to doing the cooked breakfast and hoping to make some granola later this week too. Now need to branch out to my own recipes.

[EddieVeddersfoxymop]

We had a go with hours this evening.....must admit I found it a little lot confusing trying to get it to start heating up...ours just sat there cold until I mashed some buttons, despite reading the instructions. Was a lot easier to use once we got going with it. We tried the risotto recipe, and it was lovely. Cooked very evenly, but clearly not stirred as well as I could do myself as I got all the aparagus, DH all the celery and poor DD left pinching off our plates to get anything other than rice! It did burn to the bottom of the pan, but it wasn't difficult to clean off.

It was compelling to watch though......paranoid me kept looking at it bubbling and stirring away and was most annoyed when my neighbour knocked at the door and disturbed my viewing!! I felt I needed to watch it though to ensure it wasn't burning, but I guess that would lessen as I begin to "trust" it more.

DH is very interested in it. He's planning to try the breakfast in it at the weekend, but I'm veggie so it'll have to be a variation of the recipe. Looking forward to trying it though.

[Babieseverywhere]

We did the butternut squash risotto this evening for ourselves and our friends. There was no burnt bits and we all thought it was very tasty.

But as I forgot to take any pictures , I'm off to re-buy the ingredients tomorrow and we'll have another one very soon.

[SharpObject]

I've yet to receive ingredients etc but w have used Jamie every day

Tonight I made chicken casserole for 5 and filled it to the max on the pot.

I sweated onions for 10 minutes and then added carrots, chicken, bacon and let it all stir around for another 20 minutes - heated on the highest and the turned down to 130 to brown.

I then added chicken stock, herbs etc, turned it up to Borland the left it on 110 whilst I boiled potatoes and broccoli and every one enjoyed it so much my batch cooking made one meal instead of two!

I've found the trick is to heat to the max and then turn in down to a little bubble not boil (110) is working for a meal for 5.

Tried stir fry but by the time I had Jamie all nice and hot and the tower spewing courgette and onion all over my kitchen anything that ended up in Jamie burnt really quickly!!

[AnnMumsnet]

feedback thread now live for first impressions! thanks.