A cooking food processor could be a good choice if you often make dishes that involve both preparation and cooking, and will genuinely use its programmes or guided recipes. If you already have a suitable cooking appliance, keeping the two steps separate may work better for you. Either way, check the usable capacity, accessories, space required and cleaning.
You regularly prepare home-cooked meals and want to move from preparation to cooking by following step-by-step instructions. Before choosing an appliance for this kind of support, check the terms of access for the recipes you plan to use.
For family meals or batch cooking, compare the usable capacity rather than just the total volume. You’ll also need space for the appliance, its bowl and its accessories.
If you plan to use the appliance several times a week, cleaning its parts and storing its accessories will matter in day-to-day use. Also check the repair terms and availability of spare parts for the model you’re considering.
For regular home-cooked meals, first decide whether you want preparation and cooking combined in one appliance or prefer to keep them as two separate steps. Check the functions of any food processor with accessories on the specific model you’re considering: an accessory doesn’t necessarily mean the appliance can heat food.
Worth considering: if your usual dishes involve several preparation steps followed by cooking, and you’d like to do it all in the same appliance.
The trade-off: this setup depends on the bowl, functions and accessories included with the model you choose.
Worth considering: if you already have a suitable cooking appliance and mainly want functions such as chopping, grating or blending.
The trade-off: you’ll need to transfer ingredients between appliances rather than follow one continuous process.
| What matters | What to check | Consumers who care about it |
|---|---|---|
| Moving from one step to the next | Check the preparation and cooking functions of the specific model, then look at the terms for accessing guided recipes. | When a meal involves chopping or mixing before cooking, I’d rather avoid transferring ingredients between appliances. Around 33% of consumers make this continuity a priority. |
| Capacity for several portions | Compare the usable capacity with the quantities you usually make, and measure how much space you’ll need with the bowl in place. | When cooking several portions at once, I want a bowl that’s up to the job without having to make multiple batches. Around 27% of consumers put this capacity first. |
| Cleaning and long-term use | Check the manual for instructions on washing the lid, blades and seals, and find out what repair options are available for the model. | If I use my food processor often, I don’t want complicated cleaning to make every meal more of a chore. Around 20% of consumers prioritise maintenance and aftercare. |
| Space and appliances you already own | Take stock of your cooking appliances and measure the available space, including room for accessories. | If I already have a cooking appliance at home, I want to avoid doubling up and taking up valuable worktop space. Around 20% of consumers make saving space a priority. |
Functions and accessories vary between cooking food processors. A long list won’t tell you which ones you’ll actually use for the dishes you usually make.
Write down a few recipes you make each week, then check which functions and accessories you’ll need on the specific model you’re considering.
How you access recipes varies by appliance and associated service. A guided interface is only useful if its recipes suit the way you cook.
Before choosing, check which recipes you can access, which functions are available without an associated service, and the terms that apply to the model.
These figures don’t describe the same usable quantity. For example, Magimix lists a total capacity of 4.8 L and a usable capacity of 3.8 L for the Cook Expert XL Connect.
Compare the usable capacities of the models you’re considering with your usual portion sizes, especially for soups and slow-cooked dishes.
The lid, blades and accessories may each need to be cleaned differently. Les Numériques, for example, lists cleaning the lid among the drawbacks of the Thermomix TM7 it tested.
Check the manual for the exact model to find out which parts can be removed and put in the dishwasher. Also look into repair terms and spare-part availability.
The Thermomix TM7 combines cooking with guided recipes via Cookidoo. Vorwerk lists 24 modes for this model.
According to Moulinex, the Companion range offers recipes and step-by-step instructions in its app.
The Cook Expert range combines preparation and cooking, with usable capacities that vary by version.
The Cook Processor is worth considering if you’re comparing different ways to combine preparation and cooking.
No. As Que Choisir points out, guided recipes aren’t essential to the general operation of a cooking food processor. If they’re one of the reasons you’re considering a model, check the terms of access for the appliance and service you have in mind.
Check the manual for the exact model to see which parts are dishwasher-safe and how to remove the lid, blades and seals. Que Choisir recommends paying attention to how the parts are washed; Les Numériques lists cleaning the lid as a drawback of the Thermomix TM7 it tested.
According to the French Ministry of the Economy, the statutory guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to an individual, and claims must be made to the seller. Keep it separate from commercial warranties and repair services offered by a brand, as their terms vary between offers.
Check for the CE marking and instructions for use in French. The DGCCRF explains that the CE marking indicates the manufacturer’s commitment to meeting the applicable requirements; it is not a quality certification.