Electric cooking appliances are generally safer for the elderly compared to gas cookers. There’s no open flame that can easily start a fire. Also, most electric cookers provide easy controls to control heat level and cooking time.
Another good thing about electric cookers is that most have built-in safety features such as overheat protection.
In this buying guide, we recommend the best electric cookers for seniors that you can buy online in the UK. We also give you tips on what to look for when shopping for an elderly-friendly electric cooker.
What to Consider when Choosing an Electric Cooker for Elderly
A. Type of Cooker
Decide which type of electric cooker you’d like to buy. Depending on your needs, you may need to buy more than one cooker for different types of cooking.
For everyday cooking, you have two options: an induction cooker or an electric hotplate. Induction cookers use less energy, are safer (the surface doesn’t get hot), and they cook food faster. On the downside, induction cookers are more expensive and require induction-ready cookware.
Electric hot plates use more energy and are slower to heat up, but they are cheaper.
For baking, consider getting a countertop electric oven. A small 9 litre one will be enough for 1-2 people.
Another good option for different cooking methods is an electric pressure cooker. It can cook just about every meal including rice, meat, stews, and event cakes.
B. Easy Controls
Whichever type of cooker you get, make sure it is easy to use. I’m talking about large dials and buttons with easy to see labelling.
The user interface should be easy to operate – no complicated controls and settings. The fewer the buttons, the better.
For something like an electric pressure cooker that has lots of options, make sure it offers one-touch pre-programmed buttons for common recipes and foods.
C. Safety Features
If you are getting an electric cooktop, make sure it has overheat protection in case someone forgets to turn the cooker off or leaves an empty pan on it.
For an electric oven, make sure that the glass door and handle don’t get too hot. Note, however, that the top and sides of most countertop electric ovens can get quite hot.
D. Versatility
Finally, check how versatile the cooker is. That is, how many different types of cooking and foods can it handle. This applies to electric pressure cookers and ovens.
Electric pressure cookers are pretty versatile. They can boil, stew, steam, brown, slow cook and bake.
Electric ovens can bake, toast and grill. Some come with an electric hotplate or two on top.
Best Electric Cookers for Elderly: Top 5 Reviews
1. Single Homie Electric Induction Cooker
Induction cookers are a safer option for the elderly compared to gas and electric hotplate cookers. There are no open flames and the surface doesn’t get dangerously hot.
Another good thing about induction cookers is that they don’t work unless cookware is placed on it. So there’s no risk of leaving it on for hours. Most also offer overheat protection.
The Single Homie electric induction cooker offers fast, safe and efficient cooking. Its max power output is 2000W, but you can select 10 different power levels starting from 200W, letting you control heat level.
If you prefer setting heat level by temperature, the control panel offers 10 temperature settings from 60C to 240C.
The wide range of temperature/power levels provide a level of versatility you can’t get with a gas cooker or hot plate. The Single Homie induction cooker can be gentle enough to melt chocolate without burning it, or hot enough to quickly sear a piece of steak.
The control panel also includes a 3-hour timer. This is handy if you are concerned you might forget you left a pot of stew on the cooker. Just set the right amount of time and the cooker will automatically switch off.
Safety features include overheat protection, auto-off if no cookware is detected and a child lock that prevents anyone from changing the temperature, power level, or timer.
The downside of getting this induction cooker is that you’ll need to have compatible cookware. If your current pots and pans are not compatible, you have to buy a new set.
Something else to note is that this is a single cooker, limiting you to cooking one meal at a time. But you can get a 2 or even 4 burner induction cooker, though they are expensive.
What we like about it:
- Safe for elderly.
- Energy efficient.
- Faster than gas cookers and electric hotplates.
- Easy to clean.
2. Russell Hobbs 2 Plate Mini Hot Plate Hob
If you are looking for a cheaper electric cooker, get a hot plate. This 2-plate cooker costs less than a single induction cooker.
One thing we love about the Russell Hobbs hot plate are the utterly simple controls. No temperature, power level or timer buttons. Instead, you get two dials that you use to set heat level on each hob. A neon indicator on each side tells you when the hotplates are on.
For seniors who have trouble with multiple buttons and complicated interfaces, this hot plate should be easy to operate.
The two hobs have varying size and power levels. The larger one maxes out at 1500W. It’s suitable for cooking main meals. The smaller one has a max output of 750W. Use it when you want to save energy or simmer foods for long periods.
The stainless steel finish on the cooker doesn’t rust and is easy to wipe clean. Non-slip feet underneath the cooker keep it in place on the counter.
The only thing we are disappointed by is that the Russell Hobbs hot plate doesn’t seem to have overheat protection.
What we like about it:
- Compact space-saving design.
- Double hobs.
- Easy to operate.
- Easy to clean.
3. Tefal CY505E40 All-in-One Electric Pressure Cooker
Electric pressure cookers are the most versatile electric cookers. The Tefal multicooker has 25 cooking programs, letting you cook just about anything.
Most of these are one-touch programs, so you don’t have to press a bunch of buttons to cook your food. There are buttons for oatmeal, rice and stew as well as steaming, browning, baking, slow cook and reheat.
The lack of open flames and hot external surfaces make the Tefal pressure cooker one of the safest electric cookers. It also comes with a safety pressure release button that keeps your hand safely away from the escaping steam.
Other features we love include a delayed timer (set the cooker to start cooking at a specific time), automatic keep warm mode after cooking is done, and a DIY button that lets you customize pressure cooker settings to fit your recipe.
The internal capacity is 6 litres, enough to make 6 portions of food. Once you are done cooking and serving, remove the washable components of the cooker and put them in the dishwasher.
The only major complaint from users is that the inner container lacks a handle, so removing hot food from the cooker is tricky.
Overall, the Tefal electric pressure multi cooker is a great choice if you are looking for an electric cooker that combines versatility, safety and fast cooking. The many buttons can be intimidating at first, but they are easy to use.
What we like about it:
- Very versatile.
- Large capacity – enough for up to 6 people.
- Cooks fast.
- Plenty of safety features.
4. NETTA Mini Oven
The Tefal electric pressure cooker has a bake mode, but it doesn’t really match the results of a proper oven.
So if you do a lot of baking and roasting, we recommend this NETTA mini oven. It’s a compatible countertop oven with just enough space (9L) to bake foods for 1-2 people.
The NETTA mini oven has a much lower power output compared to a full size oven – just 650W. But because of its small interior, it heats up faster and is more efficient.
Because of its size and power output, the NETTA mini oven is best for roasting, grilling and baking small pieces of food. Think chicken drumsticks and wings, instead of a full chicken. It’s also great for roasting veggies and potatoes, as well as baking muffins and toasting bread.
The oven comes with a baking tray and grilling rack.
Temperature ranges from 100C to 230C and the timer goes from 0 to 30 minutes. The timer may seem limited, but since you’ll mostly be roasting small pieces of food, 30 minutes is enough for most recipes.
The time and temperature dials are big and easy to turn, even for someone with arthritis.
As for complaints from users, the most common one is that the outside gets hot, which is not very safe. If you are buying this for an elderly family member, make sure they know not to touch the oven – especially the sides and top – when it’s on.
What we like about it:
- Compact size – perfect for small kitchens.
- Fast heat up.
- Easy to use dials.
- Great price.
5. Quest 35409 Compact 9L Mini Oven
If the 30-minute timer on the NETTA mini oven won’t work for you, the Quest mini oven has a 60-minute timer.
Other than that, the two are very similar. The Quest oven has a 9L capacity, perfect for 1-2 people. It has the same 650W output and a similar temperature range of 100 to 230C.
The oven comes with a baking tray and a grilling rack. You also get a handle that attaches to either accessory.
The Quest mini oven has the same issues as the NETTA oven. One, it’s really small. Don’t expect to roast a full chicken or turkey. It’s more suitable for roasting veggies, grilling chicken parts, and baking muffins.
On the upside, the small size makes it perfect for kitchens with limited counter space.
The other issue is that it gets hot on the outside, a potential safety problem.
What we like about it:
- Compact space-saving size.
- 60-minute timer.
- Wide temperature range.
- Large selection dials that are easy to use.
