Most people over the age of 40 will have heard some family horror story involving their mother or grandmother, a nasty steam burn, and an old-fashioned pressure cooker which heated up on the store top.

The modern electric models are a world apart and it’s no wonder that many refer to them as the ‘magic pot’, creating delicious versions of slow-cooked meals in an hour or less. Described as multi-cookers, these pressure cookers offer easy slow cooking, saute, steam, simmer and keep warm functions as well.

Steam is still pressurised to cook the food and is released under pressure, but all models have safety features and most have pressure release buttons which add to the ease of use. You probably have more chance of getting a steam scald cooking in a conventional manner on your cooktop.

An air fryer is a great value, compact, countertop version of a traditional oven. They operate in pretty much the same way – hot air generated by heating elements is circulated by a large fan and are both used to cook food and for baking.

In the best air fryers, the heating element and the fan are both at the top. This top-down heat is more concentrated which means the air fryer will cook meals more quickly and is considered more healthy than regular frying or deep frying because it needs little or no oil.

In a conventional oven, the heating comes from the top and the bottom and the fan, which is about 30% slower. The rapid air technology and cooking process of the air fryer (and the fryer style basket) means that food you would normally fry or add oil to, cooks quickly, becoming deliciously brown and crispy without the need for extra oil.

To cook larger meals like a whole chicken or a pizza, it would pay to invest in a large capacity air fryer which has a bit more space than a compact air fryer.

Most electric pressure cookers are multi-cookers and offer the ability to use them as slow cookers. They also have steam, saute and keep warm functions which makes them a very useful cooking appliance, especially for the busy cook.