Vita Clay Multi Cooker

This review took quite a while to get written, because I wanted to be as thorough as possible. I didn't want to cook one or two recipes and go on my merry way without answering some important questions.

And those questions took time to answer. So ... I've been living with this on my counter for months.

The Vita Clay company makes slow cookers and rice cookers with a twist. Instead of a metal cooking pot, the Vita Clay appliances have a clay pot. Crockery. Without a glazed coating. So ... completely different from everything else on the market.

Or anything else that's an electric appliance. There are plenty of clay cookers for oven and some that are good for the stovetop as well.

One of the biggest questions was whether the clay would absorb flavors and odors that would then transfer to other foods. The surprising answer is no. I've cooked everything from pork and sauerkraut to chili to soup in my cooker, and I've also cooked plain white rice after those more pungent foods. And ... there's been no transfer of flavor.

Honestly, I was surprised by that. I expected to have to tell you that you shouldn't cook your yogurt after cooking your kielbasa surprise.

The other surprise was that the clay pot was much easier to clean than I expected. Even with foods as sticky as rice can be, I was able to wash the pot easily afterwards.

There are some downsides to this cooker. You've got a clay inner cooking pot and a clay lid. If you're a klutz and you drop it, it's going to break. If you're not in the habit of dropping your other cookware on a regular basis, you should be fine. There's also some risk of thermal breakage, so you shouldn't take out the hot inner pot and put it on a cold surface. Also, the pot shouldn't be stored while it's still wet or damp, so you need to let it dry completely before putting it back into the cooker and closing the lid.

Cooking in this is much like any other slow cooker or rice cooker, with a couple of exceptions. For one thing, since the clay is porous, you'll loose a little more moisture than when you're cooking in a similar device with a metal pot. If you've ever made a soup or stew in a slow cooker and wished that it wasn't so thin and watery, you'll love that the liquid disappears a bit more in this cooker. In that sense, it's similar to cooking on the stove.

It has a buttons for different foods (rice, soup, stew, yogurt). I was quite surprised at how short the cooking time was for the soup and stews, so you shouldn't plan on putting food into the cooker before you go to work unless you've got some kind of super-tough meat. On the other hand, it would be ideal for unattended after-work cooking. Think of it as a stovetop replacement rather than a slow cooker, and you've got the idea.

The rice was also a success. I tried both white rice and brown rice, and both turned out perfectly. There's also a special button for reheating rice, in case you want to make a lot in advance and reheat as needed.

I haven't tried the yogurt, but I'm pretty sure that will be just fine, too, based on everything else I've made.

Who's it for: Great for people who want a countertop appliance for cooking, but prefer more natural cooking vessels.

Pros: Works well, foods cook quickly and aren't watery as can happen with slow cookers or pressure cookers.

Cons: The clay insert is breakable and it needs a little more care than a teflon-coated metal pot. Good news is that there are replacements available.

Wishes: Since this is really different from a standard slow cooker, it would be great if there was a larger cookbook with recipes (it did come with a recipe book, but more is always good.) While I'm pretty adept at creating and adapting recipes, some folks might appreciate more recipes to get the most use out of the cooker.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

The Vita Clay folks make a pretty large variety of appliances. Some are better for rice, so if that's a priority, make sure you pick one that is designed for that use.

Degustabox - October

Once again, the nice folks at Degustabox sent me one of their boxes, so I can describe the goodies you'd get if you subscribed. For the most part, all the items are full-size items, like you'd buy in the store. On occasion, there are small samples that are tossed in as extras.

The October box had some really fun items. Some were new to me, and some were very familiar. Overall, a good mix.

Kernel's Seasons
Popcorn seasoning! If you're a popcorn fiend like me, you've probably messed around with adding different flavors to you popcorn. Some work and some ... are just weird. Kernel's Seasons has 13 different flavors; two were included in my box.

Boboli
I know you've seen these in your grocery store. Boboli is a pre-baked pizza crust that makes it super-easy to whip up a pizza at home. Just add toppings and bake until the cheese melts and everything is warm. While this isn't the same as a home-made crust, it's a nice compromise between frozen pizza and totally home made.

Goetze's Candy Company Cow Tales
Caramel candies with a cream center. I wasn't familiar with these until they appeared in a box quite some time ago. They're a nice little individually wrapped sweet treat.

Hippeas
Chickpea puffs. If you're trying to avoid corn products and you're staying gluten-free, these are a nice alternative snack. They satisfy that need for crunch.

Loacker wafer cookies
I remember something similar from my childhood, but these are higher quality.

SunButter
If you like the idea of peanut butter, but you can't have peanuts, this is a great alternative. it's made from sunflower seeds, so it's safe for people with nut allergies. It's also great for people who happen to love the flavor of sunflower seeds. I got two smaller samples of this one rather than a large jar, but I'm guessing it would be great for nut-free cookies that are similar to peanut butter cookies.

Welch's Fruit'n Yogurt Snacks
I've gotten these before. They're sweet snacks made from fruit and yogurt.

Bush's chili beans
As soon as this box arrived, I grabbed one of the cans of chili beans to make a quick chili. So simple, since the spices are right in the can.

Dave's Gourmet overnight oats
I've tried other Dave's Gourmet products before (mostly pasta sauces) but this was new to me. I'm not a huge fan of overnight oats, so I passed them along to a friend. Based on my previous experience with the brand, I'm sure they're good.

I get a free box from Degustabox in order to write about it.

Degustabox - September

+*You know how this goes, right? Degustbox sends me one of their monthly boxes and I tell you all about the goodies in the box.

This month's box had quite a few things that I gave away - not that the products were undesirable, but just my personal taste.

Actually, that's kind of a nice thing about these boxes. I can always pull out a few things and set them aside for little gifts.

And then I hoard the rest for me. Because that's how I am.

King Arthur Flour Essential Goodness Lemon Bars - I've tried a number of different of these mixes, and I've liked all of them a lot. When this box arrived, I had no interesting sweets, so I baked this right away. It was the perfect mix of sweet and tart, and didn't need a whole lot of extra ingredients. Definitely recommended.

Reese Fruit Quinoa Cups - When quinoa first started appearing in stores, I went overboard a little bit with it. Quinoa everything. Since then, my love for it has waned a bit. This quinoa-mango fruit mix sounded and looked interesting, but I decided to pass it along to someone else who would appreciate it more.

Natural Sins Fruit and Vegetable Chips - The idea is good, but I got coconut chips, and that's one food I don't like at all. So ... off it went to a coconut lover who appreciated it very much.

SunRype Fruit-to-Go Bars - I packed these up in a little gift basket where they looked quite welcome. SunRype makes a bunch of different bars, so there's something for everyone. Take a look at 'em!

Lee Kum Kee Korean BBQ Stir Fry Sauce - Oh yeah! I've bought other Lee Kum Kee products, but I hadn't noticed this one in the store. This is a super-easy way to make a quick meal that isn't just a peanut butter sandwich. Have some rice on the side and you're the kitchen rock star.

Wild Planet Tuna - I've used this tuna before and it's really good. And there are a bunch of different varieties, unlike when I was a kid and the only options were oil and water - no big differences in the tuna itself. The Albacore tuna is line-caught and hand packed. They suggest you don't drain the tuna, but save the liquid for whatever it is you're cooking.

Post Shredded Wheat Mixed Berry - I'm currently full-up with cereal, so I handed this off to some friends who absolutely love cereal. They were pretty excited about this new variety.

Angelic Bakehouse Bread Crisps - These are cracker-sized slices of crisp bread. While I don't think I'd snack on them as-is, they're perfect for making little snacks and appetizers. I thought they were a tiny bit salty, so that's something to keep in mind when deciding on the toppings. Choose something that's not over-salted, and you'll be fine.

Mutti Passata (tomato puree) - Tomato puree is the secret ingredient in the tomato soup that my mom made, and so I was really happy to get this, since the other Mutti products I got were really good. Degustabox provided a recipe for using the puree, and it was pretty darned close to mom's soup recipe. There were a few differences, but I'm sure it would be really good.

Goya Rice Pilaf - I've been buying Goya products for years, but I've never tried this rice pilaf. What's not to love, though? Rice. tiny pasta, and seasonings. I'm going to hunt down the other flavors and see which other ones I might want to try. Perfect when I've grilled a steak, I want a side, and I don't want anything too complicated so I can get back to the rerun marathon that I'm amusing myself with.

I receive a monthly box from Degustabox at no cost to me, so I can write about it for you.