[Janelle Ward]

Every year, consumer advocate CHOICE hands out its Shonky ‘awards’. One of those recipients this year was the Zega Digital cooking pot.

The tester wrote that she found the pot undercooked the food and the Bluetooth technology failed once you were out of range. “The verdict? Buy a quality slow cooker instead,” she wrote.

Zega has hit back. In a statement, co-founder and director Brian Mooney wrote: “Since our launch last year, we have sold thousands of units and the consumer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We were surprised to hear from CHOICE about their experience cooking the coq au vin. As with all new products, sometimes they take a bit of getting used to, and Zega is no exception. (For example, some cooks can’t resist the temptation to lift the lid and stir, but in order for Zega to properly self-cook, the lid must stay on at all times.)

“Unfortunately, the CHOICE reviewer in question declined our offer to talk through her issues over the phone.

“With meat recipes, especially those with bone-in cuts like the coq au vin, it’s important to brown your meat well first per the recipe instructions. Also, for meat without bones, Zega works better when your meat is diced into 3-5cm cubes. Once you’ve browned the meat (and any added vegetables) and stock and popped the lid on, you must not remove it until your food is cooked.

“Further, because of Zega’s unique self-basting lid, our recipes need approximately 25-30 per cent less added liquid (water, stock etc) than in your conventional cookware.

“We recognise the role CHOICE plays in safeguarding consumer interests. However, on this occasion, CHOICE has got it wrong.”

Are you familiar with the Zega Digital cooking pot? If you’ve used one, do you think the CHOICE Shonky was fair?

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