In a post-Masterchef world, everyone and their dog wants to get creative in the kitchen. Unfortunately, there's only so much your boring old pots and pans can do. This is where the Philips Premium Collection All-in-One Multi Cooker aims to lend a helping hand - it allows you to slow cook, pressure cook and multi-cook all in the one device. While certainly versatile, does it offer enough to justify the $349 price tag? Let's get cooking to find out!

Candied nuts are one of those things that are equal parts treat and snack, and are just at home in a bowl of ice cream as the are in a salad. Their versatility makes them a great gift and, with the help of a slow cooker, an extremely easy (and hands off) one to make.

Stews are a frugal person's best friend. There's nothing more satisfying to a penny-pincher than scores of single-bowl meals made with the cheapest cuts of meat. Stew is easy, but to get the best flavours, stew meat needs a little extra care. Here are some tips.

Whether you stocked up at a sale or bought time on a looming best-by date, you very likely have some ground beef in your freezer. It seems so useful, like such a good starting point for so many recipes, but when have you ever remembered to defrost frozen ground beef in advance? Then you've got to brown it or cook it through before it goes into your pasta dish, casserole or taco shell. It's not such a time-saver after all.

It's such an appealing fantasy: You wake up in your sun-drenched bedroom to the smell of a delicious breakfast being made by someone who loves you. But, a twist! What if that someone is you from last night! It's either time-travel or you have a slow-cooker and planned ahead.

Sometimes nothing hits the spot like a nice warm meal. While some meals are perfect to make in a slow cooker, you should stick to making certain meals in an oven or stove top.

Here are 11 things you should never make in a slow cooker.

Frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts may not be the sexiest piece of meat on the market, but there's no denying their convenience and affordability. Though they lack pizzazz on their own, you can jazz 'em up without too much trouble. Honestly, my biggest chicken challenge was never getting them to taste good, but remembering to take them out of the freezer the night before I intended to cook them.

If you feel like your slow cooker meals always turn out a little bland, this trick will reawaken the flavours of your dish -- no salt required.

If you use your slow cooker regularly, the inside will eventually get dirty. Things spill or get on the outside of the liner. No need to scrub it -- let some household chemicals do the work!

Pizza comes out great whether you're using a baking sheet, cast iron pan or the grill. However, if those aren't an option, you may be surprised to learn that a slow cooker makes remarkably crispy pizza too.