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

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

I'd love to stick a rack of ribs in there! Chinese-style, or maybe barbecue. I've never dared cook them in the oven because it seems too fiddly working out when they'd be done.

Or, a baked cheesecake!

Non-Tester = I have never made risotto but I think the its something that all of the family would enjoy.

I made the Chicken Pesto Risotto. It was very runny at first but I left it on the keep warm setting with the lid off and 20 mins later it has thickened and the texture was just perfect. I thought it was a bit bland when I first tasted to added in some more pesto and a sprinkle of Marigold buillion and it was much better. Also added in frozen peas after it had cooked and finished off with some grated Parmesan.

I made the spare rib dish tonight. Best thing so far! It was really delicious and I'm still in shock that I made something with so much flavour with such a small amount of effort. I added a few Szechwan peppercorns and a small amount of five spice powder before getting it going. When it was finished I took out the spare ribs and turned the setting to manual cook then browning. I let the sauce simmer away for five minutes to thicken it up before I put back the spare ribs. I stirred in spring onions before turning it to keep warm for a couple of minutes. I'll be making this again. Very soon.

And I also want to say that I love how easy the bowl is to wash up even sticky sauce seems to glide off in the washing up bowl.

I love the fact that it's so easy to clean! Tonight dd suddenly wanted to eat dinner at 5 when we usually eat at 6.30 - 7 in the summer months. I was able to have a chicken tikka masala on the table in 15 minutes! I love this machine!

I tried the Pot Roast Chicken again tonight. Absolutely delicious. It was a bit 'wet' again, but I've saved the leftover chicken and sauce to use for a pasta dish tomorrow night.

I have had very limited success with a slow cooker, so I would like to try a chicken korma in the cook4me. Perhaps it would be edible this time 😳. This looks like a great piece of kit. I would love to get one for my Dad, who since my mum had a massive stroke a couple of years ago, has had to be her carer while still running a stressful business to provide for them. This little wonder looks like a helping hand he could do with!!

Non-tester - would love to try the Thai Green Curry in it. Love Thai food but have never been brave enough to try making it at home.

Non tester. Wow would love to make a risotto (with the added bonus of not standing there & stirring!) in 9 minutes!

I received my Cook4me a bit late due to posting problem, so only now doing my feedback.

1. How easy or difficult did you find Cook4Me Connect to use?

Very easy. Don't think much of the instruction book, particularly pages 16 & 17, but then I'm always a bit 'try it and see'. Stepping through the recipes on the app in advance is a really good idea. What's particularly great is that there is so little mess. All the browning is done in a deep pot that keeps any oil splashes at bay.

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

from the app: Chicken tikka masala, Pesto Chicken Risotto, Bacon & Leek Risotto, Thai Spicy Pork, Thai Spicy Chicken, Chiil Con Carne (with a few extra spices). adapted by me: Paella, Pesto & Vegetable Risotto, Jamaican Style Chicken Curry Everything has been good. The first Pesto Chicken Risotto needed a bit more seasoning/peso. In fact I think seasoning isn't mentioned much in the recipes ( or I've overlooked it). Teenage son has used it too and told me he will take it to Uni with him!

However what this really needs is a little book to go with it that explains how to adapt other recipes and about some of the principles of pressure cooking. I knew nothing when I started but have been reading Hippressurecooking a bit to get advice. Also the recipes need to give variants with and without using premade jars and sauces. Finally there are some great recipes in the French/Spanish/Dutch variants and we need some of those in the UK version.

1. What were your thoughts on the cooking results of the Cook4Me Connect?

It's really good. Use my Slow Cooker from time to time, but this is miles better. We eat a lot of chicken breast and that comes out much better than I was expecting. Risotto is amazing. Just cooked one for lunch by roughly following the butternut squash risotto recipe but chucking in half a bag of basic precut stir fry vegto brown, then adding the rice, pesto and stock, with a little parmesan added at the end. (pic below) Would never make something like this for lunch, but it is SO easy with Cook4me.

1. Would you recommend the Cook4Me Connect?

Yes, especially if you like curries/stews and risotto.

Non tester... would love to make paella. So many ingredients that some could overcook while other items still too raw.

I discovered yesterday that the American name for this is an Instapot. (apologies if this has already been mentioned). There are so many recipes online for Instapots. Yesterday I made this:

miserylovescookery.com/2016/12/13/instant-pot-dal-indian-lentils/

The kids prefered the version in the app, but I liked the fact that this didn't have any ready made pastes in. I followed the recipe exactly but added garlic, gresh ginger and tomatoes. It ended up a bit sloppy but that was probably due to the addition of the tomatoes. Next time I'll use less water.

I also made a pillau rice. I fried onions and cumin seeds on the brown setting and the added black cardamons and a stick of cinnamon before adding in the rice and cooking it normally.

I'm enjoying the Cook4me a lot more now that I'm having the courage to adapt the app recipes and change them about. I do agree with the other posters comments about how a booklet explaining the principals of pressure cooking would be really helpful. It's very new to me!

I had a weird issue yesterday where it kept telling me to open the lid when it was already open. Otherwise it's been behaving beautifully.

I agree about the lack of mess- it's great. And it's a huge bowl, lots of capacity.

I've also been experimenting with the French setting.

I am absolutely loving the cook4me! I use it most days because it does nearly everything I need for the type of dinners I cook.
Yesterday I made a perfect bolognaise without needing to simmer it down after and it was delicious.

I'm using it every day too. And I've managed to make it connect properly to the app. I think I had been playing with the language settings and had it for Australian English so it wouldn't download the recipe library. All fixed now and I made the butternut squash risotto again but added chicken as well. I also made the molten chocolate puddings and they came out perfectly though it was a bit of a faff as I had to do in batches of two.

Does everyone take the lid off and wash it after every use? I just tried the rogan josh and got an error message about the lid not being clean. I wiped it over the last time but didn't actually take it off to wash it....

No. Haven't taken lid off at all!

I haven't been taking it off...

Batch cooked today in it. I absolutely love this machine.

Just a quick question I'm hoping someone is around to answer. I have roast beef in at the minute but want to cook it for longer than 30minutes (1.4kg)

If I come out of the recipe and go in to manual mode the pot wants to reheat again, is there a way to over ride this as the pot is already hot?

I don't know but I've joined 2 FB groups. Ones pretty active - worth a try next time?

Non tester

Any risotto recipe really. I'm a decent cook but I cannot get rice dishes right. If I'm serving rice as an accompaniment, I can chance it being a bit crap, but not if it's the main dish. I love rice too.

Bit of a further update.....

Have used this about 4 times a week since we had it. Obviously I have made a point of using it where possible due to the product test but I have found myself using it out of choice for a things such as spag bol etc as it is quicker. I have to admit I was slightly sceptical whether it would get that much use, but so far it is fitting in to my routine very well. One thing I have noticed is that there is significantly less washing up, and less mess. I am a good, but messy, cook. The hob top looks like the aftermath of a killing spree sometimes! But this hasnt happened with the C4Me which is very handy. I have a bank of plugs on the kitchen unit and have taken to keeping the cable plugged in and the main pot on the shelf, which makes is quicker and less faff to set up when I need it.

Saltedcaramel, what are the names of the Facebook groups you've joined? And would you recommend them?

Belo - they are

Loving the Tefal Cook4Me and Tefal 45 in 1
And

Tefal Cook4me community

I think they're both run by people affiliated with Tefal but yes I would recommend as they answer queries fast if you have a quick question (I haven't actually) which is why I recommended them to the pp who had an issue needing an answer.

There are recipe exchanges etc mostly - its stuff you can read or ignore at will.