Choose a cooking food processor if you regularly want to prepare and cook food in the same appliance. Check the specific model’s functions, usable capacity, accessories and cleaning requirements. If pressure cooking is your main priority, compare multi-cookers. For chopping with separate cooking, or frequent kneading, another type of food processor may be a better fit for the meals you make.
If you regularly need to chop, mix and then cook, compare the tasks each cooking food processor actually performs, as well as the accessories you’ll need to wash afterwards. Que Choisir notes that functions and included recipes vary between models.
For family meals or batch cooking, the bowl’s usable capacity and the space the appliance takes up on your worktop matter more than its advertised total volume alone. Magimix, for example, distinguishes between these two capacities for its Cook Expert models.
If kneading and whisking are central to your cooking, look at a heated stand mixer and the tools supplied with it. Heating functions don’t remove the need to check separately which accessories are required for grating or slicing.
Start with the steps you repeat when making meals: preparing ingredients, cooking or working with dough. Then compare the capacity you can actually use and the day-to-day demands of the model you’re considering.
Consider one: if chopping, mixing and cooking are often part of the same recipe.
Bear in mind: functions and accessories vary by model; an all-in-one appliance won’t necessarily do every task you want it to.
Consider one: if chopping, grating or slicing is your priority and you already have a way to cook.
Bear in mind: you may need to transfer ingredients between appliances as you prepare a meal.
Consider one: if cooking modes are your priority, including pressure cooking on models that offer it.
Bear in mind: chopping and kneading may need to be done separately.
Consider one: if you often knead or whisk and would also like to heat certain mixtures.
Bear in mind: baking tools don’t automatically replace chopping accessories.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation and cooking in one appliance | The functions you need for your usual meals and the accessories included with the specific model. | If I chop or mix ingredients before cooking nearly every meal, I want to minimise the number of times I switch appliances. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this versatility. |
| Capacity and size | The bowl’s usable capacity, steaming volume and the space needed with the lid in place. | When cooking several portions at once, I want to avoid cooking in batches without cluttering my worktop unnecessarily. Capacity comes before other criteria for around 29% of consumers. |
| Cooking everyday meals | The cooking modes available, including pressure cooking if that matters to you, and the capacity of the cooking pot. | I prefer to programme the cooking of my meals and prepare the ingredients separately if needed. This is a priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Dough and baking | The kneading and whisking tools supplied, whether the capacity suits the recipes you have in mind, and whether you want a heating function. | When I often work with dough or whisked mixtures, these uses matter more to me than built-in chopping. Around 14% of consumers put baking first. |
Magimix lists a total capacity of 3.5 L but a usable capacity of 2.5 L for the standard Cook Expert, and a total capacity of 4.8 L with 3.8 L usable for the Cook Expert XL Connect. The stated volume doesn’t always reflect how much you can actually prepare.
Compare the usable capacity with your usual portion sizes, and check the available steaming capacity separately.
Recipes built into the appliance and those offered through a connected service may have different access conditions. Vorwerk, for example, links the Thermomix TM7 with Cookidoo.
If guided recipes are a key reason for your choice, check what works directly on the appliance, what requires a connection and the conditions for continued access.
If you rarely chop or mix ingredients in your appliance, a multi-cooker with the cooking modes you want may be a more direct match for how you cook.
Think about the meals you make most often and note which preparation steps you would genuinely want the appliance to handle.
A function mentioned for a range doesn’t necessarily come with every version. Que Choisir assesses additional accessories in its tests when they are supplied.
Check what’s included with the exact model and look for tests covering the tasks that matter to you, such as grating or kneading.
The Thermomix TM7 combines food preparation and cooking, with recipes available on screen through the Cookidoo ecosystem.
The Companion range includes cooking food processors, while the Cookeo range caters to a different priority, focusing on cooking modes.
Cook Expert models combine cooking with food preparation accessories and come with bowls in different sizes.
The Cooking Chef is a heated stand mixer for recipes where baking tools and heating functions are both important.
These models cover two of the options in this comparison: combining food preparation and cooking with a Robby cooking food processor, or prioritising cooking modes with a multi-cooker. Check the functions of the specific model before replacing your other appliances.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you’d like to prepare and cook meals in the same appliance. Check that the usable capacity suits your portions, and confirm the interface language and the terms for accessing connected recipes.
Image unavailable
Worth comparing if you’d like to follow recipes on screen while combining food preparation and cooking. Before buying, check the usable capacity for your portions, the dimensions, the recipe language and the terms for Wi-Fi updates.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if programmed cooking is your priority rather than built-in food preparation. The model name indicates a 6 L cooking pot; check that its modes suit your recipes, and confirm the language of the documentation and its electrical compatibility for use in France.
Image unavailable
Worth considering for meals where pressure cooking is the main step. The stated capacity is 8 L; compare the usable capacity with your usual quantities and check electrical compatibility and the recipe language for your needs.
Image unavailable
Worth comparing if you prioritise pressure cooking or other cooking modes over chopping in the appliance. If you’re preparing several portions, check the usable capacity; also confirm the plug type and recipe language.
No. Que Choisir says that recipes supplied with the appliance, whether free or paid, aren’t essential to using a cooking food processor. They may still influence your choice if you’d like step-by-step guidance.
Check which recipes and functions remain available directly on the appliance, then find out what’s required to use an account, a connection or a recipe service. For the Thermomix TM7, in particular, distinguish between using the appliance and accessing Vorwerk’s Cookidoo library.
Compare which parts need to be removed, which can go in the dishwasher on each model and how much space you’ll need to dry them. Que Choisir recommends considering ease of cleaning when choosing a cooking food processor.
No. The French Ministry of the Economy says that the legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a trader to a private individual in France. It is separate from any commercial warranty, including where a product doesn’t match the seller’s description.