I tried cooking with a CleverPot for a week – it's way quicker than my standard oven

If you’re a fan of quick and easy meals, then boy do I have the device for you. Over the past week, I’ve used the Drew & Cole CleverPot (£35.99) to cook my meals and now I think I will be taking my CleverPot everywhere this summer.

You may have heard of Drew & Cole for producing some of the best affordable multi-cookers, but their new CleverPot is a little different. Designed to boil, sear, fry, stew and even poach, I found the CleverPot to be a welcome addition to my small kitchen and busy lifestyle.

It was compact, lightweight and cooked my meals incredibly quickly - and this is why I think you too should invest in one.

Multi-purpose are really having a moment, and I am not complaining about it. From the M&S All In One Saucepan to the always iconic Our Place Perfect Pot (rated one of the best cast iron cookware around), these new innovations are all about maximising the efficiency of cooking. And now the CleverPot has now arrived to help streamline our kitchens.

I’m all for gadgets that will help get rid of clutter and make cooking easier. My kitchen often succumbs to clutter, so owning one pan that can do it all appeals to me. The CleverPot has a 1.2L capacity, making it perfect for couples, students and those who live alone.

An electric pot, this design works independently of a hob, so it could also be used as an additional cooking source when all rings are in use, like Christmas or dinner parties.

I’ve always been a batch cooker due to how much time and money it saves me. Taking one look at the CleverPot, I knew batch cooking was out of the question. So I decided to see whether it would still save me time and effort.

Testing the Clever Pot

The first feature I put to use was the CleverPot’s steamer. I was planning a meal of salmon, broccoli and sweet potato wedges. So while my sweet potato would go in my air fryer, I'd boil the broccoli in the CleverPot and put the salmon in the steamer tray.

I wanted to make two portions so I could take the leftovers to my office for lunch the next day. And while the broccoli was comfortable in the pot, the Salmon was a little squished in the steamer, which made me feel dubious.

However, I was pleased with the results. Adding cold water to the pot and setting it to ‘high’, the water boiled in under five minutes. And then adding the steaming tray on top of the pot, my salmon was cooked perfectly in less than five minutes. If anything, I think the salmon could have done with even less time.

Next on my list was a simple stir fry. The CleverPot is designed for two, so I picked up a stir-fry meal deal kit from Tesco, including sauce, noodles and veg. I also got a small pack of two chicken breasts to throw in.

Here, I had a problem with the CleverPot’s size. I deliberately bought a kit to ensure I had exactly two portions and found the pot was full to the brim. I even had to transfer the contents to my wok to finish off as I didn’t have the space to mix in the sauce.

However again it did heat up very quickly, and my chicken cooked faster than in a saucepan. It also tasted much juicier and more tender compared to a frying pan.

Lastly, I decided to poach an egg - it was one recipe recommended in the manufacturer's booklet that came with the CleverPot. Honestly, this took the same amount of time as it does with a saucepan, so I’m not sure it’s worth using for this purpose.

Because of my preference to batch cook, I’m likely to stick to my best slow cooker to whip up my meals for the week, but this doesn’t mean I don’t think the CleverPot doesn’t come without merit - in fact, its perfect for camping trips I have lined up for the summer.

It heats up incredibly quickly but remains cool on the outside to the touch. It’s compact and easy to store, making it great if you have limited space or are in a house share. With two settings of high and low, it’s easy to use, and its non-stick coating makes it easy to clean, too.

If I’m ever in a rush, I know I can rely on the CleverPot for something quick and easy. And I think it’s great for travelling and camping holidays. All you need is a power source to plug it in, and it’s like having a mini kitchen, with way more on offer than a camping stove.