Choose a cooking food processor if you want to simmer or steam as well as prepare ingredients. A food processor is a better fit if you chop, grate or slice ingredients before cooking them separately. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes integrated cooking from food preparation functions. For doughs and mixing, a stand mixer with attachments may be more suitable, while a specialist appliance could be enough if you mainly blend ingredients. In every case, check which tools are included, the usable capacity, how easy it is to clean and how much space you have. The functions and capacities listed don’t guarantee that an appliance will suit your batches.
You regularly make sauces, soups or slow-cooked dishes, and want to know whether preparing and cooking everything in one appliance suits your batches. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes cooking food processors by their cooking function; Moulinex’s Companion range is an example of this approach.
You often chop, grate or slice ingredients that you then cook separately. UFC-Que Choisir identifies cutting functions and attachments as important criteria.
You regularly knead or whisk and want to distinguish between the attachments supplied with the appliance and compatible add-ons. UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocol covers kneading and mixing in particular.
UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes integrated cooking from preparation tasks such as chopping, grating, slicing or kneading. The right choice depends on the jobs you repeat and the trade-offs involved with each option.
Choose this if : your batches involve both preparation and cooking, such as slow cooking or steaming.
Check : a heating function doesn’t guarantee that the cutting tools you want are included.
Choose this if : you chop, grate or slice ingredients before cooking them elsewhere.
Check : these preparation functions don’t replace integrated cooking; check which discs and attachments are included.
Choose this if : doughs and mixing make up most of your regular preparation.
Check : whether cutting or chopping attachments are included and compatible with your mixer and set.
Choose this if : you mainly blend the same kinds of food, such as soups or fruit purées.
Check : an appliance designed for blending doesn’t necessarily include cutting or kneading functions.
| What matters | What to check before buying | Who prioritises it most |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing and cooking | The cooking modes and the tools actually included for the dishes you make. | If I often make soups or slow-cooked dishes, I want to prepare and cook in one appliance without assuming that all cutting tools are included. Around 33 % of consumers prioritise integrated cooking. |
| Cutting several batches | The discs included for grating or slicing, and the information provided about the bowls. | I mainly prepare vegetables to grate or slice before cooking, so the tools supplied and how easy they are to clean matter to me. Around 27 % of consumers prioritise batch cutting. |
| Kneading and mixing | The kneading and mixing tools supplied, and whether the add-ons you want are compatible. | When I regularly make doughs or mixtures, I want the right tools without paying for functions I won’t use. Around 20 % of consumers prioritise kneading and mixing. |
| Blending without taking up too much space | The preparations the appliance is specifically designed for, its confirmed usable capacity and the space available. | If I mainly blend soups or fruit purées and have limited space, I choose an appliance suited to those tasks. Around 20 % of consumers prioritise blending and compact size. |
These tasks depend on which tools are included in the set. Moulinex lists a Companion vegetable slicer as a separate attachment, so having the appliance doesn’t mean this tool is supplied.
Check the contents of the set and compatibility with the exact model number before relying on a cutting function.
A disc sold separately means an extra attachment to buy.
For the Magimix CS 4200XL and Philips HR2203/80, capacity details vary across the product information. The bowl’s name alone won’t tell you how much it can hold for each preparation.
Check the manual and exact model number to confirm the usable capacity before planning your batches.
A lower usable capacity may mean you need to prepare several batches.
Moulinex states that the XF380E12 bowl isn’t suitable for HF8xxxxx/700 or 701 models. So a part bearing the name of a range won’t necessarily fit every model in that range.
Make a note of the appliance’s full model number and check the compatibility information for the part.
An incompatible part may not work with the appliance you own.
Cooking in a food processor doesn’t replace safe food storage practices. Anses recommends not leaving food at room temperature for more than two hours before refrigerating it, and keeping the coldest part of the fridge between 0 and +4 °C.
Make sure you have suitable containers and enough room in the fridge, and follow the food safety guidance for the dishes you’ve prepared.
The Companion range is an example of a cooking food processor for preparations that also need to be cooked.
The CS 4200XL is an example of a food processor for preparing ingredients before cooking them separately.
Stand mixers and their attachments are designed around mixing and kneading.
The SoupMaker range is an example of a specialist option if you mainly prepare soups, fruit purées or blended mixtures.
This selection includes food processors for preparing and cutting ingredients, as well as a cooking food processor for tasks that involve both preparation and cooking.
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Worth considering if you switch between chopping, grating, slicing, kneading and mixing before cooking.
The bowl and measuring jug are listed as having a capacity of 1.5 L. The attachments are listed as dishwasher-safe.
The chopping and grating/slicing discs are very sharp, so handle them with care.
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Worth considering if you switch between cutting, mixing and kneading.
The product information lists slicing, grating and chopping functions, with discs and a blade, as well as a dough hook and whisk.
The product name lists three speeds, a pulse function and 1 300 W.
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Worth considering for preparing ingredients to cook separately, with cutting and mixing tools.
The product information lists a usable capacity of 1.5 L and a reversible disc for grating or slicing. The listed functions also include kneading, whisking and chopping.
The bowl, lid and attachments are listed as dishwasher-safe. The stainless steel disc is sharp and should be handled with care.
The product name lists 700 W.
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Worth considering if you want to switch between several preparation tasks before cooking.
The product information lists chopping, slicing, grating, grinding and blending, as well as a blender and a meat mincer.
The product name lists a capacity of 1.8 L. The description mentions detachable parts that are easy to clean.
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Worth considering if you want to prepare and cook in sequence, particularly when steaming or slow cooking.
The description lists a 3.5 L main bowl, automatic programmes, a manual mode and built-in scales.
The chopping, grating and slicing blades are listed as very sharp. The bowl and its contents become hot during cooking.
No, not for cooking: UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes cooking food processors by their cooking function. If you cook dishes separately, compare the chopping and cutting tools you need instead.
Check how much space you need to use and store the appliance, which attachments are actually included, and which parts are dishwasher-safe according to the manual. These details matter in particular if you use several components in one session.
No, storage is separate from preparation and cooking. Anses recommends not leaving food at room temperature for more than two hours before refrigerating it, and keeping the coldest part of the fridge between 0 and +4 °C.
No, the DGCCRF explains that the requirement to make spare parts available applies only to certain categories of goods. For the food processor you’re considering, ask what information is available about its parts and check which model numbers they fit. Don’t assume that a part available for one model will fit the whole range.