A cooking food processor could suit you if you regularly want to prepare and cook food in the same appliance, provided its usable capacity, accessories and cleaning requirements match the meals you make. If you already cook on a hob or in the oven, a food processor may be all you need for preparation; a multicooker is better suited to cooking, while a cooking stand mixer is designed with dough-making and whisking in mind.
If you regularly make soup, sauce, a slow-cooked dish or steamed food, a cooking food processor is worth considering if you want to avoid transferring ingredients between appliances. Compare its accessories and usable capacity with the portions you actually prepare, rather than relying on the number of programmes.
If you’re happy with your hob, oven or casserole dish, a food processor can take care of some of the preparation: chopping, grating, slicing, whisking or kneading, depending on the accessories supplied. You can then carry on cooking with your usual appliances.
A screen with step-by-step instructions could suit the way you organise mealtimes. However, check what remains available without a subscription: Vorwerk says its Cookidoo service requires an annual subscription that renews automatically.
Start with the steps you want the appliance to handle, then see how its capabilities and kitchen footprint fit your usual meals.
Worth considering: if your recipes often involve preparation followed by cooking, and you’d like to do both in one appliance.
Bear in mind: the bowl, accessories and cleaning requirements need to suit both the quantities you make and your routine.
Worth considering: if chopping, mixing or kneading takes up too much of your time, but you’re happy with your cooking appliances.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to cook the food and transfer ingredients yourself.
Worth considering: if you mainly want an appliance to cook slow-cooked or steamed dishes.
Bear in mind: you’ll need another tool for chopping, grating or kneading if your recipe calls for it.
Worth considering: if kneading, whisking and baking are a big part of your cooking.
Bear in mind: check separately that it can handle any chopping needed for your savoury dishes.
| Criteria | What to check | My needs |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks covered | List the preparation tasks, cooking methods and accessories actually included. The term ‘multifunction’ alone doesn’t confirm that an appliance heats food. | I’d like to chop and mix before cooking in the same appliance; or I’d rather keep using my hob and oven. |
| Bowl capacity | Distinguish between total and usable capacity, then check the capacity of baskets and other accessories separately. Compare like-for-like measurements for the exact model. | The quantities I usually prepare need to fit in the container used for the recipe, not just in the bowl capacity quoted. |
| Available space | Check the dimensions when the appliance is in use, the space needed for its accessories and its weight if you’ll need to move it. | If I have to get it out for every meal, I want to be able to position and handle it in my kitchen. |
| Recipes and controls | Look at the manual settings, on-screen guidance and the terms for accessing recipes, including any trial and automatic subscription renewal. | Step-by-step guidance would help me cook during the week, but I want to know which functions remain available without the recipe service. |
| Cleaning | Check how each part is dismantled and whether it’s dishwasher-safe. Also check the manufacturer’s stated parts availability for the exact model. | An appliance used several times a week should be easy to clean, without making it harder to prepare the next meal. |
An appliance that chops, grates or kneads won’t necessarily cook food. You may still need to use your hob, oven or casserole dish.
Write down the steps involved in three meals you make regularly, then check which ones you actually want your new appliance to handle.
The bowl’s total capacity, its usable capacity and the capacity of a steam basket don’t represent the same amount of food you can cook.
Look up the usable capacity of each model and check the capacity of the accessories you’ll use in your recipes.
Guided cooking can be handy when following a recipe, but access to recipes varies by model and service.
Before deciding whether you’ll use the guidance, check which recipes are available without a subscription, the trial terms and whether it renews automatically.
For Cookidoo, Vorwerk says the annual subscription renews automatically.
The bowl, lid and accessories need cleaning after use; parts availability is a separate consideration from the number of functions.
Check the washing instructions for each part and the manufacturer’s commitments for the model you’re considering.
These examples relate to specific ranges and models; they don’t describe every appliance from each brand.
Moulinex describes the Companion HF80DB10 as a cooking food processor that combines preparation and cooking, while its Cookeo range focuses on cooking methods.
The Magimix Cook Expert combines a cooking bowl with food processor bowls for preparation.
Vorwerk highlights guided cooking on the Thermomix TM7, with recipes available on screen through Cookidoo.
Kenwood’s Cooking Chef KCL96.004DG combines the functions of a stand mixer with induction cooking.
These models show three ways to organise mealtimes: combine preparation and cooking in a cooking food processor, prepare ingredients before cooking them elsewhere, or use a multicooker mainly for cooking.
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Worth considering if you’d like to prepare and cook food in one cooking food processor. Compare the usable capacity with your usual portions and check that it includes the accessories you need for your recipes. It’s also worth confirming the advertised recipe count before buying.
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Worth a look if you’d like to follow recipes on screen while preparing and cooking food in one appliance. Check the usable capacity for your usual quantities and the washing instructions for the parts you’ll use most often.
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Worth considering for food preparation if you plan to keep using your existing cooking appliances. The product title suggests it’s a multicooker, but the description focuses on preparation. Check its exact functions before buying it for cooking.
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Worth considering if you prepare ingredients separately and mainly want an appliance for cooking. The title lists 12 programmes; check the usable capacity for your recipes and how much space it will need in your kitchen.
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This option is for anyone who wants a multicooker to handle the cooking while preparing ingredients separately. The 7.1 L stated in the name doesn’t replace checking the usable capacity for the quantities you usually make.
Start by comparing usable capacity, where it’s given, then check the capacity of the accessories used in your recipes. Magimix lists the Cook Expert as having a total capacity of 3.5 L but a usable capacity of 2.5 L, so a litre figure only makes sense when you know how it’s defined and which exact model it refers to.
It can take care of some preparation tasks, but it won’t cook food if the model you choose doesn’t heat. Check which accessories are supplied for chopping, grating or kneading, and keep a hob, oven or casserole dish for recipes that need to be cooked separately.
No: UFC-Que Choisir says that supplied recipes aren’t essential for using a cooking food processor. If guided cooking appeals to you, check which recipes are available without a subscription and the service terms. Vorwerk says the annual Cookidoo subscription renews automatically.
Check which parts can be dismantled and which are dishwasher-safe, without assuming that guidance for the bowl applies to every accessory. Also check the stated availability of spare parts for the exact model.