A multi-purpose cooker (10) having a base member (12) including a compartment (20) therein, a cover member (14) cooperable with the base member (12) for providing a food-steaming and food-dehydrating chamber (16) including the compartment (20) of the base member (12), a food retaining member (e.g., 42) retainable in the chamber (16) for supporting food to be dehydrated, and a food retaining member (e.g., 48) retainable in the chamber (16) for supporting food to be steamed. Preferably the base member (12) includes a heater (22) and a switch (78) for selectively energizing the heater (22) for heating water (11) retained in the compartment (20) during the steaming operation. Most preferably the base member (12) also includes a fan assembly (58), and the switch (78) is operable to selectively energize a motor (62) of the fan assembly (58) and the heater (22) simultaneously for dehydrating food, and to energize the heater (22) without the motor (62) of the fan assembly (58) for steaming food.
