Compact multilayer capacitors (MLCs) have attracted strong interest as the most promising elements for the design of electrocaloric prototypes. Recent theoretical simulations have predicted that MLCs could permit a sustained cooling power. However, direct experimental evidence is still lacking. Here, we use an infra-red camera to characterize the cooling power of commercial MLCs by combining both spatially and temporally resolved measurements. We also compare the experimental data with theoretical models in order to highlight the routes for developing and optimizing the future MLC-based devices as well as the measurement conditions and modeling tools.