A cooking food processor makes sense if you want to prepare and cook in the same appliance, and if its size, cleaning requirements and recipes suit your routine. If your main priority is to take the effort out of cooking, consider a multi-cooker instead. And if it’s only food preparation that slows you down, while you’re happy with your cooking appliances, keeping a food processor without a cooking function is still an option.
If your dinners often involve moving from chopping or blending to cooking a soup, sauce or slow-cooked dish, a cooking food processor can bring these steps together. Check the usable capacity, the accessories you’ll need to handle and how much space it will take up in your kitchen.
You already have the tools you need to prepare ingredients, but would like to spend less time keeping an eye on certain dishes. A multi-cooker could meet this need without replacing your chopping or blending tools.
If step-by-step instructions help you plan meals, compare how you can access them on the appliance or in an app. Also check the subscription, renewal and connectivity requirements for the model you’re considering.
For weeknight dinners, start with the task that really holds you up: preparing ingredients, keeping an eye on the cooking or choosing a recipe. Que Choisir distinguishes cooking food processors from food processors by their integrated cooking function, and recommends checking how easy they are to use and how much space they take up.
Worth considering: if you regularly use both preparation and cooking functions for the same dinner, and want to follow the steps on a single appliance.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to wash and store a bowl and accessories, and recipe access requirements vary by model.
Worth considering: if cooking is your main challenge and you already prepare ingredients using other utensils.
Bear in mind: cooking functions don’t automatically replace chopping, grating or blending.
Worth keeping: if food preparation takes up your time, but your hob, oven or pressure cooker already meets your cooking needs.
Bear in mind: transferring the ingredients and managing the cooking remain separate steps.
| Priority | What to check | What consumers say |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare and cook in one appliance | Think about the tasks you do every week, and check the usable capacity and the accessories included. | If I often prepare and then cook a soup or sauce, I want to avoid using several appliances for these steps. Around 33% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Leave the cooking to an appliance | Compare the cooking modes you need for your usual dishes, the bowl capacity and the stated number of portions. | Once the ingredients are ready, I’d mainly like to spend less time keeping an eye on dinner, without expecting the appliance to chop them. This would be the top priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Follow recipes | Check which recipes are available on the appliance, the subscription requirements and whether a connection is needed. | To keep meals varied, I need easy-to-follow instructions and recipe access that suits the way I cook. Around 20% of consumers would make this support their main consideration. |
| Set up and clean | Measure the space available and check which parts of your model are dishwasher-safe. | If taking the appliance out and washing it makes every dinner more complicated, I may use it less, whatever its functions. Ease of use would come first for around 20% of consumers. |
Guided recipes may be available directly on the appliance, in an app or through an account. The number available doesn’t tell you whether they’ll suit your portions or how you’ll access them day to day.
Before choosing, check which recipes are available as soon as you set it up, what happens after a trial period and whether you can access them when your connection is limited.
A cooking food processor combines functions that may duplicate appliances you already own. If keeping an eye on the cooking is your only problem, those extra functions may not address it.
For a few dinners, make a note of the tasks you’d like to leave to an appliance, then compare a multi-cooker and a cooking food processor against your list.
The bowl, blades and accessories may take up space and need different cleaning, depending on the recipe. Que Choisir recommends checking the appliance’s size and how easy it is to clean before you buy.
Measure the space available, then check which parts you’ll use for your regular recipes on the exact model you’re considering, and whether they’re dishwasher-safe.
Instructions for the bowl, blades and cooking functions depend on the appliance. For example, the Magimix Cook Expert manual says not to start cooking with an empty bowl; this instruction doesn’t necessarily apply to every other model.
Read the manual for your chosen appliance before using it for the first time, paying particular attention to instructions about the lid, steam, blades and cleaning.
The Thermomix TM7 combines food preparation, cooking and guided recipes on screen within the Cookidoo ecosystem.
The Companion and Cookeo ranges cater to two different needs: combining food preparation and cooking, or focusing more on cooking.
The Cook Expert is designed for households looking to combine programmed cooking with recipe planning in the Magimix app.
These models offer two ways to approach weeknight dinners: bring food preparation and cooking together with a cooking food processor, or focus on cooking with a multi-cooker. Compare their functions with those of the appliances you already own.
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Worth considering if you want to prepare and cook dinner using a single appliance. The built-in scales and large touchscreen are mentioned in the product name; check which recipes are actually available, the connection requirements and which parts need cleaning.
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If you want to prepare and cook with on-screen instructions, check which recipes suit your usual meals. Also check whether you can access them without a connection, as well as how much space the appliance takes up and how easy its parts are to clean.
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Worth considering if you prepare ingredients separately and mainly want an appliance for cooking. The product name lists 1,200 W and 12 programmes; check which modes suit your recipes, how much space you’ll need and the manual for the exact model.
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This model could suit a household that prioritises cooking in a 3.8 L pot over the food preparation functions of a cooking food processor. Before buying, check that it’s compatible with your power supply and read the instructions on pressure and steam.
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If you want to focus on cooking and prepare ingredients with the utensils you already own, compare its 5.7 L capacity with your usual portions. The product name includes slow cooking and steaming; follow the fill limits and instructions for the exact model.
Yes, if the integrated cooking function helps with a task your current appliances don’t make easier. If you mainly want to chop, grate or blend, and you’re happy with how you cook your meals, keeping your food processor without a cooking function may make more sense.
No. Access depends on the appliance and its ecosystem. Vorwerk offers Cookidoo with a subscription, while Moulinex provides recipes in its My Moulinex app. Check the connection requirements for your chosen model and what remains available after a trial period.
Vorwerk says you need an internet connection to sign in to your Cookidoo account and access recipes on the Thermomix. If your connection is intermittent, ask Vorwerk which recipes remain available offline on the model you’re considering.
Read the manual for the exact model before using it for the first time. The Magimix Cook Expert manual specifically says not to start cooking with an empty bowl; also check the instructions for your appliance on the blades, lid, steam and cleaning.