When you cook or heat small meals like 1-2 servings, set a timer for 30 minutes or less. VM7900-8 (our Smart Multicooker, 4 qt) is the most versatile and ideal cooker to cook small or large meals without much of liquid evaporation. However, our large stock broth cooker (6 qt) VM7800-5C is designed to make a large batch of stew or soups that require a minimum cooking volume. Ingredients including the liquid amount total should not be lower than 1.5 qt or 6 cups. It is recommended to cook on the "Fast" setting for 30 minutes or less, or cooking below this minimum volume or longer may result in overheating the pot, therefore, compromising the life of your cooker.