Drew & Cole CleverChef Review: Budget-Friendly, Low-Effort Cooking

Multicookers are brilliant for those looking to trim their energy bills, often proving more efficient than hob-top cooking, and using less power than an oven.

We’ve reviewed some of the best available multicookers in our round-ups of recommended air fryers and Ninja air fryers and cookers, which you can browse to see more options.

Drew & Cole’s CleverChef is one such cooker, with the added bonus that instead of just a few programme options, there are 14, including the ability to proof bread, bake, cook rice, pasta, poach and roast. There’s even an accessory for steaming, allowing you to cook veggies, fish and poultry more healthily.

This, plus a large cooking bowl, and a manual mode that allows you to set your own time and temperature, makes it a great choice for midweek meals, as well as cooking from scratch.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Design and Build

• 3-litre cooking capacity
• Easy-to-use controls
• Accessories must be washed after each use

Given its affordable price point, it’s unsurprising that the CleverChef’s exterior is entirely plastic, from its chunky carry handle, down to its glossy plastic exterior. However, when many budget-friendly cookers opt for a basic white exterior, it’s refreshing that the CleverChef is black with a dark grey band, making it relatively attractive when on the worktop.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

There’s a single button to open the lid, and inside, a 5-litre cooking bowl (its actual cooking capacity is just over 3 litres) and steamer basket. At the back, it has a cup for catching condensation.

The cooker isn’t especially big or heavy: at just 3.9kg and H39.5 x W29 x D24.4cm, it can be moved around the kitchen when required.

Also in contrast to some affordable appliances, the CleverChef’s controls are well-thought out, with a display that’s easy to read. There’s one button for scrolling through the named programmes, two for altering time and temperature, with plus and minus buttons to do so. The CleverChef’s delay start and keep warm (both up to 24 hours) functions will be invaluable for those with busy lifestyles.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Where it’s less convenient is cleaning. The condensation cup, steam vent and inner valve, as well as inner plate, need to be cleaned by hand after every use, with only the bowl and steaming basket dishwasher-safe – with hand-washing recommended.

Performance and Features

• Very little cooking guidance
• But recipes available to download
• Some programmes don’t specify cooking time

The CleverChef’s biggest appeal is its range of programmes, and while some are similar to each other – slow cooker high and slow cooker low, for example, only vary by 10°C and an hour’s cooking – the majority are the sort you’d use every day, and include soup, stew, poach, sauté, pasta and fish.

There’s a table of what each programme entails, and some guidance on using four of them, but otherwise, little advice on quantities and no recipes to get you started. In that respect, you’re on your own unless you download recipes online.

We started by using the rice programme: this cooks without giving an idea of time, presumably working out when all the water has evaporated, but it could be frustrating if you’re trying to finish rice at the same time as a sauce.

We added 200g of rinsed rice with just over 400ml of cold water to bring it up to the minimum fill level (500ml) on the bowl. After 45 minutes the rice was ready – taking far longer than cooking on the hob, but with no supervision.

The rice was slightly overcooked but came out of the bowl easily and wasn’t stuck together. However, we were dismayed at how much mess there was: the condensation cup had overflowed onto the worktop, and the rice water had bubbled out of the steam vent on top.

Next, we used the CleverChef to steam broccoli florets using the steamer basket. The dedicated programme has a default time of 30 minutes, which we reduced to 20 to allow for adequate heating time. After 15, the broccoli was thoroughly cooked: it still maintained its shape and colour but was very tender.

The only issue we had was that once the steam basket is sitting flush within the bowl, it’s hard to lift out. Handles would be a useful addition.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

We also made yoghurt using the CleverChef. There’s little guidance for preparation prior to popping it in the bowl to ferment. However, prepared properly in advance, it worked well – our finished yoghurt set perfectly and had a good thickness.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Price and Availability

One of the best things about the CleverChef is its affordability, with an RRP of £59.99. At the time of writing, it’s discounted on Amazon, where it’s available for £44.99. You can also buy it from Argos, for £70.

We’ve reviewed a number of multicookers in our round-ups of the best air fryers and best Ninja air fryers and cookers, and the CleverChef is one of the most budget-friendly and versatile options.

Should you buy the Drew & Cole CleverChef?

As multicookers go, Drew & Cole’s CleverChef gets a lot right: it offers a good choice of everyday programmes, all of which can be altered to suit, and the delay start and keep warm are perfect for busy families who may want hot food the moment they arrive home, or may not all eat at the same time.

And as well as being economical to run, its price point will be affordable for many. However, it’s a shame that its convenience doesn’t extend to cleaning – in an ideal world, all the parts that become dirty could be washed in a dishwasher, and be simpler to remove and pop back in again. In short, it’s useful and great value, but not quite as fuss-free as we’d like.