Tiger NFA-B450 4.5 Liter Thermal Magic Cooker

It's been six years since I bought my cooker, and it has turned out to be a real dependable workhorse in my kitchen. Three words: economical, ecological, and durable. At least once a week I use either this 4.5-liter cooker or the 8-liter one, both of which I bought after seeing that my mother had happily used her Tiger Thermal Magic Cooker (the 4.5-liter size) for several years. I was finding myself using it whenever I visited her house, so I finally caved and bought two: the 8-liter and the 4.5-liter. I am very pleased with these. I make everything from chilis, goulash, and other stews and braises to simple chicken soup, baked beans, and even rice pudding, to name just a few. I just bring the foods in the covered inner pot to a boil on the stovetop, place the pot in the outer container, close the lid, and leave it. It cooks solely with the heat in the pot, so there's no other energy-use -- very economical and ecological. I can leave the house, even, and safely be cooking; I love the...Read more

I've been doing some extensive experiments with the Tiger thermal cooker over the last month or so, and it is quite good at some things and not at all good at other things. The short version is that the pot must be at least half full to retain enough heat to cook properly. So, soups, curries, potatoes, and beans cook quite well if the pot is half full. Rice and split pea soup do not cook well at all, because even a family-sized recipe only fills the pot 1/4 to 1/3 full. I had really hoped to be able to cook rice in this pot, but after five different tries, I still can't get it to work. So, I take one star off for that.

I also take one star off for price. This is a pricey gizmo. I do like it, and appreciate that it uses no fuel once you bring the contents to a boil (which I can do on my fireplaces "warming shelf"). However, $170 is a lot of money. For a cheaper, lower-energy cooking method, try a pressure cooker.

For soups and stews, though, the Tiger does a...Read more

works as advertised

recipes in booklet are wild--don't know i'll ever do the carp dish but you never know

works great for oat groats

only drawback is lid doesn't snap or lock shut like Thermos brand (which you can't buy in US anyway and it's $250 too)