Muji's Electric Grill Pot Tested for One-Person Meals
A writer tested Muji's new Electric Grill Pot for a week, cooking snacks and full meals to assess its performance across different heat settings and
Muji's new Electric Grill Pot is a small, rectangular appliance designed for one-person meals. The unit features a heating plate, a deep nonstick pot, and a sliding heat control with low, medium, and high settings.
According to the brand, the grill pot's temperature range is 122 to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. A writer for New York Magazine's Strategist tested the device over seven days, using it for tasks from crisping chickpeas to poaching fish.
Testing the Heat Range
The first test involved crisping leftover chickpeas on the high setting. The chickpeas cooked quickly but turned unevenly dark, leading the tester to conclude that a lower heat setting would be better for such tasks. The heating mechanism was noted to work very well and quickly.
A second test with parboiled potatoes on medium heat was more successful. After about 13 minutes of cooking, the potatoes developed uniform golden-brown exteriors. The tester noted this result was perhaps more even than what is achieved in a conventional oven and in less time.
Low-Heat Cooking and Simmering
On the third day, the writer used a medium-low setting to quickly heat a lunch of Chinese broccoli, chicken, and rice. The ingredients were evenly warmed through in about five minutes with the lid on to create steam.
The brand advertises simmering as a possible technique. The tester found this function problematic due to the pot's design. With no handles and a small vessel, ladling out liquids like defrosted chicken soup was clunky and led to spills. The writer concluded that while the pot could work for a hot-pot meal eaten directly from the appliance, handling liquids for serving was difficult.
Preparing Full Meals
The appliance was used to prepare a stir-fried noodle dish with ground pork and vegetables. Cooking the pork to completion took about six minutes on medium-high heat. The writer noted that breaking up the ground meat was slightly harder due to the small cooking surface compared to a skillet, but the process ultimately worked well.
For another meal, the tester created a stewed tomato sauce and poached a filet of lemon sole on top. The sauce cooked for about 30 minutes on medium-low before the fish was added and cooked for a further ten minutes. This technique was deemed successful.
Final Breakfast Test
On the final day, the grill pot was used to cook eggs. Over-easy eggs cooked perfectly on medium heat with a lid. Scrambled eggs also cooked successfully on a medium-low setting. The writer appreciated the appliance's simplicity, stating it felt "more similar to cooking on the stove than with an appliance with a bunch of predetermined settings."
The main drawback noted was the non-ceramic nonstick interior coating and the difficulty of handling liquids. For solid foods and one-person meals, however, the Electric Grill Pot performed well across a variety of cooking techniques.
