Cooking at home means using a wide array of preparation methods. You could have a dozen single-use appliances cluttering your countertops and cabinets in order to make delicious meals quickly and easily. Or, you could have a single multi-cooker that does everything you need and helps your home feel tidy and calm.

If you have limited space in your kitchen or simply appreciate the peace that comes from having a decluttered place to prepare and enjoy meals, a multi-cooker could become your most treasured appliance.

“This is the appliance you didn’t know how badly you needed it until you use it for the first time, and then, you are hooked,” says culinary expert Julie Chernoff. “Here’s what’s so appealing: it takes the place of a number of kitchen appliances, because it’s an all-in-one, super versatile machine, and it takes the guesswork (and the danger) out of pressure cooking.”

Multi-cooker capabilities vary from one brand or model to another. However, there is a good chance you can find one that performs many of the meal prep procedures you regularly use to feed your family.

While most multi-cookers can slow cook meals, a slow cooker is not necessarily a multi-cooker. Slow cookers might have multiple heat settings but only one function, while multi-cookers can have a slow cooking function as well as several other options.

Some multi-cookers can boil, bake or brown food. You can meal prep a batch of hard-boiled eggs one day and bake a ham the next.

Other multi-cookers might steam, stew and slow cook foods. You can use them to whip up your favorite crockpot meals, put together a thick and hearty soup or make a big batch of perfectly fluffy rice.

There are multi-cookers that can grill, roast, simmer and even fry your favorite foods. You can fill it with ingredients in the morning and have a meal ready when you get home. Or you can pull frozen meat out of the freezer after work and use the cooker to have dinner on the table before everyone gets hangry.

You are not limited to using a multi-cooker for making main courses, either. You can have warm, nourishing oatmeal at the ready when everyone wakes up in the morning. You can create creamy, fresh yogurt for snacks or cooking. You can even make fun, decadent dishes such as fondue or cheesecake.

Having fewer appliances or pots and pans can mean lighter dishwashing duties, a cooler kitchen and quicker cooking time all around.

A multi-cooker could also be handy at holidays when the oven and stovetop are all in use, but there is one more significant dish you still want to prepare.

Multi-cookers typically have glass lids, allowing you to keep an eye on foods while they are being prepared. They usually have built-in timers that automatically shut off the appliance when the food is ready. In addition, most have non-stick interiors that make cleaning up fast and easy as well.

Though it can be dizzying to decided which multi-cooker is right for you, Chernoff advises asking yourself a few simple questions. How many people are you planning to cook for? How big is your kitchen? What types of functions will you use the most?

“Figure out what size will work best for you, and what functions you can’t live without,” says Chernoff. “I like the 6- and 8-quart models when cooking for a family.”