A multifunction cooking food processor could be a good fit if you regularly make dishes that involve both preparation and cooking, provided its capacity, accessories and cleaning requirements suit the meals you make. If you’re already happy with your cooking appliances, a food processor without a cooking function could handle your chopping or kneading needs. If you only have one recurring task, a specialist appliance may be a better choice. And if you plan to use guided recipes, check the terms of access.
If soups, sauces, slow-cooked dishes or dough feature regularly on your menu, a cooking food processor that combines some of the steps could be worth considering. Compare the functions and accessories you need for these dishes, then think about how long the appliance will take to clean.
If you want to avoid having to cook in several batches, start with the quantities you actually prepare. Compare usable capacity and filling limits: Magimix lists 3.8 L usable capacity for the Cook Expert XL Connect, while Moulinex lists a 4.5 L bowl on some Companion models. These figures may not refer to the same measurement.
If your hob, oven or multi-cooker already meets your needs, a multifunction food processor without a cooking function is worth considering for chopping, grating, slicing or kneading. As UFC-Que Choisir points out, the cooking function is what sets a cooking food processor apart from this type of appliance.
Worth considering: if you want to prepare and cook certain dishes regularly in the same appliance.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to find space for it in your kitchen and clean the parts you use after each meal.
Worth considering: if chopping, mixing or kneading would be more useful to you than another cooking function.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to cook with your other appliances.
Worth considering: if one task dominates your cooking, such as pressure or steam cooking in a multi-cooker.
Bear in mind: a multi-cooker won’t, on its own, replace a food processor’s grating or kneading functions.
Once you’ve chosen the type of appliance, compare its specifications with the dishes you make most often, the portions you prepare and the tasks you still want to do yourself.
| Priority | What to check | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Routine and time | Check which steps in your dishes the appliance actually takes care of. Look at how easy it is to use and clean the parts you’ll need. | I want the appliance to make the meals I cook often easier, without adding too many extra steps. In a 2020 UFC-Que Choisir survey of 1,695 subscribers who owned food processors, 52% of respondents said their cooking food processor saved them time. This result is not representative of all French households. |
| Capacity | Compare usable capacity, filling limits and, if needed, the options for steam cooking. The number of portions quoted will also depend on the recipe. | For the soups or slow-cooked dishes I usually make, I’d rather check how much I can prepare than rely on the bowl’s stated capacity alone. |
| Guided recipes | Check which recipes are available on the appliance or in an app, whether a subscription is required and whether there’s a manual mode. | If I want to follow steps on screen, I need to know how I’ll access recipes over time. If I mostly cook my own dishes, manual settings matter more. |
| Functions and accessories | Check the preparation and cooking functions of the exact model, which accessories are included and the cleaning instructions for each part. | I’m looking for the tools that suit the dishes I actually make, without relying on an accessory that may not be included. |
A multi-cooker may meet your needs for pressure cooking, steaming or slow cooking, but it won’t necessarily grate, slice or knead. UFC-Que Choisir also distinguishes a cooking food processor from a standard multifunction food processor by its cooking function.
Write down the dishes you make each week, then separate the preparation tasks from the cooking methods you need. This will make it easier to see which steps your current appliances already cover.
Portion estimates vary by recipe and don’t replace usable capacity figures. For example, Magimix lists a 4.8 L bowl and 3.8 L usable capacity for the Cook Expert XL Connect, while Vorwerk lists a 2.2 L bowl for the Thermomix TM7.
Compare the filling limits with your usual quantities of soup, sauce or slow-cooked dishes. If you plan to use the steam accessories, check their capacity separately.
Access to a recipe library may depend on a subscription. Vorwerk describes Cookidoo as a subscription service, so access to guided recipes shouldn’t be confused with the appliance’s own functions.
Check the terms of access once any free trial ends, how renewals work and whether you can cook in manual mode.
A function highlighted across a range doesn’t necessarily mean that every model comes with the required accessory. Without it, you may need another tool for certain recipes.
On the page for the exact model, check which accessories are included and which are optional. Read the cleaning instructions for the bowl, lid and any parts you’ll use often.
These branded models illustrate different choices of functions and capacity. They aren’t a ranking or a list of models available from Joybuy.
The Thermomix TM7 combines food preparation and cooking with guided recipes on screen.
The Companion range combines food preparation and cooking, while the Cookeo range focuses on multi-cooker functions.
The Cook Expert XL Connect is a multifunction cooking food processor worth considering if the quantities you prepare are important to your choice.
These two Robby models are designed to handle food preparation and cooking in the same appliance. To compare them, look at the recipe information, the capacity that suits your portions and the cleaning requirements for each model.
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Worth considering if you’d like to combine food preparation and cooking for your regular meals. The model name indicates an XL bowl, built-in scales and a large touchscreen. Check the usable capacity for your portions. The information provided for the product gives different figures for the number of recipes, so check what’s included and the terms for accessing new recipes.
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Worth considering if on-screen recipes are part of the way you like to cook: the model name lists built-in scales, a touchscreen and 680 recipes. To see whether it suits your meals, check the usable capacity, filling limits, cleaning instructions and terms for accessing new recipes.
Compare usable capacity and filling limits with the quantities you need for the dishes you make most often, rather than relying on the stated number of people served. As a guide to their specific models, Vorwerk lists a 2.2 L bowl for the Thermomix TM7, while Magimix lists 3.8 L usable capacity for the Cook Expert XL Connect. These figures don’t guarantee the same number of portions for every recipe.
No. Guided recipes aren’t essential if you prefer to adapt your own recipes and the model offers the settings you need. If you’d like step-by-step guidance, check which recipes are available directly on the appliance, which require an app and whether access depends on a subscription, as it does with Vorwerk’s Cookidoo.
Check the cleaning instructions for the bowl, lid, seals, blades and accessories you plan to use. Just because one part is dishwasher-safe, it doesn’t mean they all are. For example, Moulinex says that the bowl, steam basket and lid on one Cookeo model are dishwasher-safe. Always check the instructions for the exact model you’re considering.