Warm soups and stews are a welcome respite from frigid winter weather. But any decent recipe will set you back at least a few hours of simmering time on the stovetop or slow cooker in order for the flavours to meld or meat to tenderize.

A nifty new category of kitchen appliance – the multi-function pressure cooker – significantly cuts the cooking time of soups and stews. Pressure cookers increase the temperature of boiling water in a sealed, super high heat and steamy environment.

The All-Clad Electric Pressure Cooker takes the guesswork out of stove-top cooking with automatic settings, controls and safety features. You can sear or sauté meat with the lid open before pouring in a broth or sauce and sealing up the machine to pressure cook the rest of the way.

Beyond the usual slow cooker-type recipes, the All-Clad Electric Pressure Cooker can be used to make dishes like fried rice, pasta and even desserts like cheesecake and bread pudding. Its generous 6-quart size means we could easily fit a large whole chicken into the appliance and it came out tender and flavourful.

$399.99, linenchest.com