Sage The Fast Slow Pro Multi-Cooker review: is this versatile gadget worth the expense?
With high-tech features and a variety of functions, Sage The Fast Slow Pro often comes up on our forum as a go-to multi-cooker. But is it worth the £200 price tag? One Mumsnetter put it through extensive testing – here's their verdict.
By Natasha Gregson | Last updated Sep 8, 2023
Overall star rating: 4/5
Price on writing: £199 | Buy now from Amazon
What we like
Versatile gadget
11 pressure cooker settings
Can sear meat in the pot before slow cooking
High-tech features
Sleek design
Tasty results
Easy to clean
Switches to keep warm setting when your food is ready
What we don't like
Expensive
Takes some getting used to the different settings
Lid can be tricky to close
Our tester found trial and error was required with timings on the pressure cooker
Our verdict
Ease of use: 3/5
Ease of cleaning: 4/5
Features: 5/5
Results: 5/5
Design: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Part slow cooker, part pressure cooker, Sage's The Fast Slow Pro is undeniably an impressive bit of kitchen kit. Our tester Jacqui, a mum of two, tried out The Fast Slow Pro at least three times a week for over a month. She found the dishes it produced were packed full of flavour – it particularly excelled at cooking stews, chillis and casseroles.
With six cooking functions and 11 pressure settings, it offers excellent versatility, including the ability to sear meat and soften veggies in the pot before slow cooking. However, this wide selection meant it took a bit of time to get to grips with operating it at first, but it got easier with each use. Jacqui did have an issue with the lid being tricky to close, but all in all, found it was a fantastic gadget, with the slow cooker function getting the most use during testing.
The main drawback? At around £200, it's pretty pricey, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. If you're just wanting a basic one-function slow cooker, this isn't the one for you, but if you want a multi-functional device that can whip up a variety of meals, it could be just the ticket. The only function we're disappointed not to see in a multi-cooker at this price point is a built-in air fryer, but the features it does offer are excellent.
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Sage The Fast Slow Pro: design and style
Sage The Fast Slow Pro has quite a distinctive design compared to other multi-cookers. With a brushed stainless steel finish, a large LCD display and a chunky lid designed for pressure cooking, it has a look that simultaneously combines modern, futuristic touches with an old-fashioned cooking pot aesthetic. Our tester Jacqui remarked that she called it "my little dalek", and said she loved the retro look of the appliance.
A word of warning though; as with many multi-functional gadgets such as Instant Pots and the like, it is a bulky unit, so you will need sufficient space to house it. However, it's not as wide as some other options, and its size is also a bonus as it means it has a large capacity of 6 litres, ideal for feeding the whole family or for batch cooking. This was one of Jacqui's favourite features – she reported that it could cook two day's worth of meals.
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Cooking with Sage The Fast Slow Pro: how easy is it to use?
On first impressions, The Fast Slow Pro "looked complicated", and it took some getting used to initially. "There were so many settings to go through to see what was best for what I wanted to cook," Jacqui said. She commented that the instructions "were not the best", but instead found YouTube tutorials were very helpful in the early days.
The multi-cooker features modes for slow cooking, steaming, reducing, sautéing, and searing, plus there are 11 presets for pressure cooking, so you can tailor the process to your dish using the dials to operate it. Once she got to grips with using the Sage, Jacqui loved the versatility of the gadget, with the slow cooking mode being the one she got the most use out of for stews, chillis, casseroles and more. "I use 'pressure' for vegetables, 'steam' for rice, 'sear' for starting off a dish with the meat and onions... I like that I can sear the meat before adding stock and vegetables, then change the setting to a slow cook function for when we come home."
"The more I used it, the easier it became."
While Jacqui liked the pressure cook mode too, she found there was a little more trial and error that went into using this setting. "I have pressure cooked potatoes to make a quick mash, but timings are essential - too long and [it's] too mushy - so it's a learning game." She also sometimes found dishes cooked on the pressure cook mode took longer than anticipated: "You often need to reduce things you cook as there is nowhere for the steam to escape to, so you don't get any natural reduction. Also, sometimes the build-up of pressure can take quite some time, especially for risotto."
Jacqui's biggest gripe when it came to ease of use, however, was the difficulty she had fixing the lid on the pot. "It is just the knack of getting it in the right position to lock – sometimes I get it right the first time - other times, it takes three or four attempts."
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Sage The Fast Slow Pro: what are the results like?
In a word: excellent. Jacqui reported that the food it produces is "super tasty", and said she "cannot fault it" in this area.
Her favourite dish to use The Fast Slow Pro for was a ragu with beef, which she remarked turned out "so tender". She did say the sauce could be on the thin side sometimes, but that adding some cornflour soon sorted this out.
She also gave this wise advice for anyone using the Sage for the first time: "The quality depends on your prep, following the recipe, buying in-season vegetables, choosing the correct herbs and spices, and chopping them to similar sizes."
"I love it! Cooks a chilli in 20 mins and the meat it always really tender."
Sage
The Fast Slow Pro
Sage The Fast Slow Pro: how easy is it to clean?
Jacqui found The Fast Slow Pro "really easy to clean". The lid is removable and can be popped in the dishwasher, and the ceramic-coated cooking pot is super easy to wash too.
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Key specs
Capacity: 6 litres
Size: 35 x 35 x 32cm
Weight: 7.58kg
Settings: 6 pre-installed smart functions, 11 pressure cook settings
Pot: Ceramic-coated
Dishwasher safe: Yes, lid
Power: 1100W
How we tested Sage The Fast Slow Pro
We first asked Mumsnet users the slow cooker and multi-cooker models they recommend, recruiting our Voices Panel to give their feedback on everything from ease of use and cleaning, features, design, and how tasty the results from each cooker were.
Once we had collated these results, we consulted with our Mumsnet tester Jacqui, a home cook who likes to experiment with flavours, spices and herbs using her cookbooks. We consulted with Jacqui to get her in-depth feedback on how she found Sage The Fast Slow Pro after over a month of use three times a week (sometimes more!). Through using unbiased Mumsnet users for reviews, we ensure we give you an honest account of how products fare after extensive use in a real family home.
Plus, for more products that have been tried, tested and rated by Mumsnetters, don't miss our guides to the best George Foreman grills and sandwich toasters.
About the author
Natasha Gregson is an Affiliate Content Editor at Mumsnet, with an expertise in home and kitchen product reviews and round-ups. With several years of editorial experience under her belt, she also has had work featured in national publications including The i Paper and Stylist Magazine.
A keen foodie, she's always whipping up new creations and experimenting in the kitchen, and this often includes trying out the latest time-saving kitchen gadgets for Mumsnet. Recently, she's been on a mission to find the best slow cookers and multi-cookers, and with the help of a few good slow cooker recipe books, has become somewhat of a connoisseur into what makes a decent kitchen gadget.
About Mumsnet Reviews
All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.
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