Mumsnet users review the Tefal Cook4Me Connect

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 30 Mumsnetters who have been testing the Tefal one-pot digital cooker Cook4Me Connect (RRP £319.99).

Here’s what Tefal have to say about the product: “You don’t need to be a masterchef to achieve delicious meals in no time! Tefal have innovated again, and now give you Cook4Me.

Cook4Me is a one-pot digital cooker, ideal for parents looking to make fast and fresh meals:
- It is easy to use and intuitive: Cook4Me comes with 50 built-in recipes, and features a digital screen with guided cooking steps.
- Cook4Me cooks under pressure, which means you will save a lot of time. For example, after browning and pre-heating, it cooks a Chicken Tikka Masala in 3 minutes, a Thai Green Chicken curry in 4 minutes and a Risotto in 9 minutes (and no need to stir!)…
- It is the ideal all-in-one cooker, with up to 6 cooking manual modes: not only does it pressure cook, but it also steams, browns, simmers, gentle-cooks and automatically keeps your food warm. Its dishwasher-safe bowl can feed 6 people, perfect for the whole family or for batch-cooking.

Cook4Me comes in a standard version, with 50 built-in recipes (RRP is £269.99), and in a Connected version, that works with My Cook4Me app, giving access to over 100 recipes (RRP is £319.99).”

Testers, please ensure that you’ve tested the digital cooker using both the recipes and the manual/ingredients modes and then give your feedback by answering the following questions as well as completing the survey we will email to you.

1. How easy or difficult did you find Cook4Me Connect to use?
2. Which recipes did you try? What did you think of them?
3. What were your thoughts on the cooking results of the Cook4Me Connect?
4. Would you recommend the Cook4Me Connect?

All who give their required feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Non-testers, please answer the below question. All non-testers who answer the below question will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

• Is there a recipe you’ve never dared to cook and would really like to be able to make in the Cook4Me?

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Non tester.

Wouldn't mind trying a curry from scratch, i always just chuck a jar of sauce in.

Tried Thai spicy pork & green beans for 2 for lunch. Recipe says to use thinly sliced runner beans, but picture shows French beans. I used French beans, red pepper and added some ginger and spring onion when i fried the meat, and went a little lighter on the soy sauce. Served with a packet of micro rice.

It was absolutely delicious. Teenage son who wouldn't normally eat this declared it 'nice' too. Just right in terms of liquid, a slightly dryer dish than some look to be. Glad I put less soy in as was quite strong, and I was using a low salt one. Impressed how well the beans came out, as if I were to cook something similar on the hob it would take quite a while for the beans to cook through whilst simmering the meat. Really good to just shut the lid and not worry about stirring, checking etc.

Suspect this would be good with noodles too, and perhaps more veg, eg mushrooms.

Non - Tester! Definitely a Risotto - I'm useless at making them so if this made an edible one I would be in heaven.

Non tester

I would love this gadget as it may get my 2 sons aged 21 & 18 to try cooking, as it is app based. They love gadgetry. Would like to try and make curries, biriyanis and soups. It is difficult to encourage them to cook and this may be the way forward.

I'm a non tester but I'd love to try and do a liver and bacon casserole in this. I reckon the quick cooking would make the liver lovely

Non Tester - I would really love to cook a Thai Green Curry,

This cooker looks amazing! I've never tried to cook a risotto, it always looks way too complicated, adding a little bit of water at a time otherwise it turns into some stodgy dried up mess! So I would love to try a risotto in this fab cooker to see how easy it could be.

Translated one of the french recipes and gave it a go. It was called Marmite a l'espagnol, but it's roughly a paella.

Recipe says for 4:
240g riz rond (that's short grain rice, so I used arborio)
400g chicken fillet, cubed
70g chorizo, thinly sliced
100g green pepper chopped fairly small (I used red and left it larger as kids not so keen)
100g onion finely chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
100g green beans, cut in half (left those out as didn't have any)
2/3 tsp turmeric
480ml water

I also added some saffron (1/2 - 1 tsp) which I'd infused in a small amount (couple of tbsps) of boiling water.

Method - I had to use manual.
Preheat bowl for browning. Brown chorizo, onion & pepper (I put the pepper in a bit after the onion & chorizo). No oil needed. Add chicken & mix to get a bit of colour (or brown more if you like - I didn't do it too much as was concerned it might overcook). Add rest of ingredients, stir to mix. Swap to pressure cooking and cook for 8 mins.

This is not far off a recipe I regularly use. When it was ready I thought it was a bit too runny. However I had already planned to add some cooked prawns and leave on stay warm for a few mins to heat the prawns through (original recipe uses 100g cooked mussels). After I'd done that the rice had absorbed a little more liquid.

Texture & taste really good, not a perfect paella but very easy as didn't have to keep checking on the liquid.
Quantity not really enough for us, perhaps I need to use the amounts for 6 (360g rice and 720ml water) or calculate for 5 people.

Also, could have done with a bit more seasoning & perhaps some sherry or stock instead of water next time.

(I keep forgetting to take photos)

Non tester - I'm so not a cook, actually so much so that its usually my OH who cooks, I handle baking and cake making etc. I would love to try a proper pulled pork recipe, mine usually ends up coming out way too dry no matter what I try.

My phone has broken so I'm having to google recipes and then make them on manual. I'm sort of glad as it has made me try the manual mode and feel a bit more confident with it.

Today I made minestrone soup, but I changed the jar from the recipe to a tin of tomatoes and added extra stock. It's delicious and I've frozen enough to have for lunch every day next week too. Thank you to whoever suggested batch cooking - moving to manual also made me spot the 2/4/6/8 people options.

Oh, and the actual questions:

1. How easy or difficult did you find Cook4Me Connect to use?
Really easy. I'm usually pretty rubbish with 'gadgets' and am the least likely person to buy a 'connected' device, but I've absolutely loved this. I started with the recipes on my phone - connected by Bluetooth, then tried some of the recipes already stored on the Cook4Me itself, and finally tried manual mode. I found all of them very straightforward.

2. Which recipes did you try? What did you think of them?
Butternut squash risotto, sweet and sour pork, whole chicken in cider, pesto chicken risotto, minestrone soup, chicken and rice, vegetable curry so far. I liked all of them except for the butternut squash risotto - it was a bit bland. I was frustrated by the use of jars in lots of the recipes, but feel more confident in adapting the recipes now (and I've only been using it two weeks so I'm sure I'll become more so).

3. What were your thoughts on the cooking results of the Cook4Me Connect?
Really impressed. All the meals were cooked to perfection (even the whole chicken - in forty minutes!) and went down well with the whole family.

4. Would you recommend the Cook4Me Connect?
I already have and I will continue to do so.

Thank you for choosing me for the product test. I've really enjoyed it.

I'm a tester and I am addicted to this machine! One really positive thing that's come out of it is that I can let dd (8) have a go at cooking without worrying about her getting burned. I've cooked with it most days and she automatically brings a kitchen chair when she hears me start to chop etc!
Tonight I made sweet chilli salmon. The only problem is the recipe needs fresh fish. I only won't buy farmed fish and the only fresh fish was £23 a kilo in Waitrose! I need to try adapting the recipe for cook from frozen fish.

Non-tester - I've never dared try rack of lamb, but I'm not sure this would work in one of these - would it?

Non tester. I would love to cook the ham with Coke recipe. My friends swear by it but I have never had a slow cooker/pressure cooker. Reading this thread with interest as I am going to work full time and this looks like it might come it handy

Non tester - A soufflé looks abit complicated making sure it doesn't sink so I've never attempted one.

Sorry for the delay in replying!
1.How easy or difficult did you find Cook4Me Connect to use?

Very simple. Downloaded the app, and got started.

1. Which recipes did you try? What did you think of them?

So far just chilli con care which was a resounding success for my family of 7. I had the app set to a family of 5 and there was more than enough for us all. My particularly difficult to please partner even ate it..

1. What were your thoughts on the cooking results of the Cook4Me Connect? Good. Good portion sizes. Preheating takes some time but the actual cooking is super fast.
2. Would you recommend the Cook4Me Connect?

Undoubtedly. It's even made me start to enjoy cooking, something that I always dreaded

I'll add more in due course!

Non tester - my favourite dish is pea and ham risotto, I have never cooked it because not confident in cooking it in a pan, this would be great to try and have a go at. Looks convenient and easy to use.

Non-tester - Would love to try the ham in coke or maple syrup. Heard rave reviews from friends and family. Would be a great, easy meal to produce for my large family

I'd try a pulled pork recipe

I would love to try a risotto I have neither made nor eaten one, it would have to have mushrooms in it but no meat, this looks a great product

Non-tester
I can never be bothered to cook risotto - all that standing around and stirring! If this produces good results in 9 minutes I would definite;y try that.

Update 5, or 6?!
I have now tried another curry (delicious) and the cider one pot chicken. The flavour was great but trying to brown a whole chicken in there isn't easy and the whole thing falls apart which makes it tough to serve. I think I might adapt the recipe a bit and use chicken pieces instead.
Still have the issue of too little fluid meaning I have to start all over again but skipping through the steps is ok.
This is becoming an essential piece of kit which surprises me!

Non tester and useless cook! I would love to try cooking risotto in this as I have never had the confidence. I am not a good cook but this looks absolutely amazing and simple to use. I would love to surprise my family with new delicious meals instead of the simple ones they are used to. It is also a very stylish piece of equipment and would look great in my black and red kitchen !!

Non Tester - would love to make a steamed treacle pudding in this have never tried to make one

I'd love to try cooking risotto in it. Having to slave over the pan continuously stirring has put me off cooking it using the conventional methods.