A cooking food processor could suit you if your usual meals often involve preparing and then cooking ingredients in the same appliance, using the functions and accessories your recipes require. If your main priority is programmable cooking, consider a multicooker instead. If most of your work is preparing ingredients and your current equipment takes care of the cooking, a food processor or your separate appliances may be all you need. In every case, compare the quantities you prepare, the space available, cleaning requirements and how you can access recipes.
If soups, sauces, slow-cooked dishes or steamed food feature regularly on your menu, you may want to cut down on transferring ingredients between appliances. The functions available vary, so check each cooking food processor carefully, as UFC-Que Choisir points out.
The bowl should hold the quantities you usually cook, and you’ll need room in your kitchen for the appliance and its accessories. UFC-Que Choisir notes that capacities vary between models.
Regular use means cleaning the parts you use and understanding how to access guided recipes. The model’s instructions and the terms of its associated service matter just as much as its list of functions.
UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocols distinguish cooking food processors, multicookers and food processors by the preparation and cooking tasks they can handle. Start by listing the steps involved in your usual recipes before comparing appliances.
Consider it: if you regularly want to prepare and cook food in the same appliance.
Bear in mind: the tasks it can handle depend on the functions and accessories of the model you choose.
Consider it: if chopping, grating, slicing or mixing is your priority and you already have equipment for cooking.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to transfer the ingredients to another appliance to cook them.
Consider it: if your priority is cooking with the appliance’s available settings, rather than chopping or blending.
Bear in mind: you’ll need other utensils or appliances to prepare the ingredients.
Consider it: if your recipes rarely require integrated cooking and your appliances already cover the necessary steps.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to transfer food between utensils and wash up afterwards.
| Criteria | What to check before buying | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing and cooking | Check which steps in your recipes the appliance can handle and which accessories are actually included. | I often make dishes that need chopping or mixing before cooking, and I want to avoid transferring ingredients between appliances. Combining these steps would be a priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Capacity and space | Compare the stated usable capacity for hot dishes with your usual portions, then measure the space needed for the appliance and to open it. | I want the bowl to hold the quantities I usually prepare without the appliance taking up too much room in my kitchen. For around 27% of consumers, this would come ahead of other criteria. |
| Cleaning | Check the instructions for cleaning the bowl, lid, blades, seals and accessories you’ll use. | If I cook regularly, taking apart and washing several parts after every meal could influence my choice. Easy cleaning would be a deciding factor for around 20% of consumers. |
| Recipes and accessories | Check which accessories are included and what remains available through the recipe service without a subscription. | I want to follow the recipes I’m interested in using the supplied accessories, without relying on features I can’t access. Around 20% of consumers would put these terms of use at the top of their priorities. |
Grating, slicing or juicing citrus fruit may require a specific accessory. UFC-Que Choisir explains that it only tests optional accessories when they are supplied.
Make a note of a few recipes you prepare often, then check that the supplied accessories cover every step you need.
A long list of programmes won’t tell you whether the bowl suits your portions or whether its functions match the food you usually prepare.
First compare the capacity, the tasks your meals require and the steps you want to avoid.
Terms vary between services: Cookidoo offers a subscription, while Moulinex describes its My Moulinex app as free. This doesn’t tell you how recipes are accessed on every appliance.
Check which recipes are available without a subscription, how long any trial lasts and which features remain available if you stop using the service.
The bowl, lid, seals and accessories need to be cleaned appropriately. Don’t assume every part is dishwasher-safe.
Check the cleaning instructions for the model you’re considering, and find out whether spare parts and after-sales service are available.
These two cooking food processors are worth considering if you want to combine food preparation and cooking. Before choosing, compare their functions and accessories with the needs of your recipes.
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Consider it if you’d like to prepare and cook meals using a single appliance, after checking that it has the functions your recipes require.
The product name specifies an XL bowl, built-in scales and a large touchscreen. Check the usable capacity for your portions and the terms for accessing recipes.
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Consider it for meals that involve preparing and cooking food in the same appliance, provided its accessories cover the tasks you usually do.
The product name specifies built-in scales and a touchscreen. Before choosing, check the usable capacity, cleaning instructions for the parts and the terms for accessing recipes.
Not necessarily. It depends on the model’s functions and accessories, as well as the recipes you make. In particular, check whether it can handle the chopping or blending tasks you need with the parts supplied.
Check the instructions for cleaning every part you’ll use regularly, especially the bowl, lid, seal and blades. The tests described by UFC-Que Choisir don’t mean that every part of every food processor is dishwasher-safe.
Not with every service: access terms depend on the appliance and its ecosystem. Before choosing, check which recipes remain available without a subscription and what changes when any trial period ends.
The statutory guarantee of conformity applies in France to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a retailer to a private individual, as explained by the Ministry of the Economy. Keep your proof of purchase and the product description in case the item does not match what was advertised.