The biggest change after buying a Hot Cook was having 'peace of mind'
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Hello, I'm Shiki.
Today, I'd like to write about the Hot Cook, an indispensable partner in our home.
We use it almost every day in our house.
On days when I have time, I use it up to four times a day, meaning it runs about ten times a week.
"What is the one appliance you're glad you bought, even though it was expensive?"
If asked that, I would answer the Hot Cook without hesitation.
The biggest change wasn't in my cooking, but in my peace of mind.
Before buying the Hot Cook
After my child was born, making dinner was truly difficult.
I would finish work at 4:00 PM and return home around 5:00 PM.
Since I wore a suit for work, I would change clothes at home so my child wouldn't get them dirty, and then immediately rush to make dinner.
This was because I thought I wouldn't be able to focus on cooking once my child got home.
I would go to pick up my child from daycare at 6:00 PM, and I made sure dinner was ready to eat as soon as we got home.
But if I made it beforehand, the food would get cold.
Depending on the dish, I would sometimes need to reheat it or do some final preparation after getting home.
During that time, I couldn't attend to my child.
It was the same on weekends.
My child would often cry when I started cooking, and
"I wonder if my child is doing something dangerous"
I would worry, 'Is the stove okay?'
and couldn't focus on my cooking.
I've even cut my own hand while rushing with a kitchen knife.
I could hardly ever make stews that take a long time.
I wanted to cook soft meals for my toddler.
But I didn't have the time or the peace of mind to do so...
There were days when I would get frustrated when my child wouldn't eat the time-consuming meals I had worked so hard to prepare.
I had to make sure the food was cooked through properly.
I wanted to keep an eye on my child.
I also wanted to get the cooking done.
Trying to do it all at once was exhausting.
How I found out about the Hot Cook
The first time I saw it was when it was introduced on social media as a convenient item recommended for parents raising children.
'If this can help me make even a little bit of time'
That's when I started to get interested.
Actually, I had been using a slow cooker before that.
Since I already knew how delicious slow-cooked meals were,
'If I can use something more convenient, I want to switch to it'
was how I felt.
I was also torn between other cooking appliances
Panasonic's 'Bistro' and T-fal's 'electric pressure cooker' were also candidates.
The Bistro was appealing because it could also make delicious stir-fried dishes.
I was interested in the T-fal electric pressure cooker because a mom friend recommended it to me.
The reasons I ultimately chose the Hot Cook were:
・The inner pot and other parts can be washed in a dishwasher
・Many people use it, making it easy to find recipes online
・It has a 'stirring' function
that was it.
I actually went to an electronics store to see it and checked its size and where to place it before purchasing.
It was an expensive purchase, but
I thought it was an expensive purchase for a home appliance.
But I
thought of it as 'buying time'
when I bought it.
I had already been using a slow cooker, so I knew how delicious long-simmered dishes could be.
Therefore,
'Will I really use it?'
I didn't have much anxiety about that.
However, I wasn't used to it at first, so I didn't use it very often.
I learned how to use it little by little while looking up recipes in advance and reading real-life examples from people who had failed.
Now, if it ever breaks, I plan to buy another one.
If my kitchen were bigger, I would even want a second one (laughs).
Family's reaction
I used my own money to buy it.
Since I am the one who primarily does the cooking, I made the decision myself, including where to put it.
But once I actually started using it, my family was very satisfied too.
They get to eat delicious food.
I am no longer rushing around.
I have more time to spend playing with my children.
I think buying the Hot Cook has increased the amount of time our whole family can spend together peacefully.
Things that surprised me after actually using it
The thing that surprised me the most was the steaming function.
Honestly, before I bought it, I had no intention of using the steaming function.
But once I actually tried it, it was just delicious.
Steamed vegetables allow you to really taste the natural sweetness and umami of the vegetables.
Now, I use the steaming function all the time.
I was particularly impressed by the chicken ham made with low-temperature cooking.
The Hot Cook allows you to set the temperature for low-temperature cooking precisely, so it turns out moist and tender.
It is a huge help because I can make delicious food without having to manage the heat or temperature myself.
You can also make delicious cakes.
It can make not just meals but also snacks, so it has been used more often than I expected.
By the way, the very first dish I made was curry.
I was surprised at how delicious it was, as I could really taste the sweetness of the vegetables.
The dishes I make often are
What I make often are,
・Steamed vegetables
・Curry
・Stew
・Pasta
・Cake
is what I make.
I set it up in the evening more often than I schedule it in the morning.
There are also downsides
Of course, it's not all good.
The thing that bothers me most is thatit takes timeit.
For example, even for a dish that can be made in 10 minutes with a frying pan, it can take about 30 minutes to finish with a Hot Cook.
Even if the displayed heating time is 15 minutes, the actual cooking time is longer when you include the time it takes to warm up.
'I want to make it right now'
When I feel that way, it's a bit inconvenient.
But in our house, at the time of buying ingredients,
'When and what to make'
I decide to a certain extent.
If the menu is decided,
I can also get an idea of
"what time I should start preparing it."
Therefore, I rarely actually run into this disadvantage.
I think of the Hot Cook not so much as a time-saving appliance, but as an appliance thatfrees up my hands while I'm cookingI think.
The biggest change
The biggest change after buying a Hot Cook waspeace of mind.
While cooking,
"I might take my eyes off the kids"
The anxiety of that has decreased.
While it's heating, I can play with my kids, prepare their bath, or do other housework.
Because I have more time, I've been able to spend my days more calmly than before.
I'm happy that cooking itself has become easier, but for me, the fact thatthe time I spend feeling frustrated has decreasedwas more significant.
If I could tell my self from three years ago
"You should have bought it without hesitation when you were making baby food."
I would tell myself that.
The Hot Cook is good at cooking ingredients until they are soft.
It also brings out the sweetness and umami of vegetables.
Since baby food and toddler food often involve boiling ingredients until they are soft, I think it would have been a huge help if I had bought it sooner.
When children are small, you simply lack both time and peace of mind.
That is precisely why I think choosing to rely on home appliances, rather than trying to do everything yourself, is a valid option.
Conclusion
I used to think the Hot Cook was just an appliance to make cooking easier.
But in reality, it was more than that.
It was a 'system' for creating time to spend with family and peace of mind.
It was an expensive purchase, but I believe it was cheap if it meant buying time.
Moving forward, I plan to continue sharing Hot Cook recipes and systems for managing daily life without overexerting myself on this note.
I would be happy if this is even a little helpful.
Items introduced in this article
・SHARP Healsio Hot Cook
In our home, it has become an indispensable part of making daily meals.
Before buying it, I hesitated due to the high price, but after actually using it, it reduced not only the effort of cooking but also the mental burden of thinking, 'I have to make dinner.'
It was an expensive purchase, but more than that, it is an appliance that created time and peace of mind while raising children.
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