Start by choosing the appliance that automates the task you repeat most often: chopping and blending for a multifunction food processor, preparation and cooking in the same bowl for a cooking food processor, programmed cooking for a multi-cooker, or frequent kneading for a stand mixer. A versatile appliance is only worthwhile if you use its accessories regularly, can store them easily and won’t make cleaning more complicated.
Your main aim is to reduce repetitive chopping, grating, shredding, blending and emulsifying; a multifunction food processor is worth considering before a cooking appliance if you already cook with saucepans, an oven or a multi-cooker.
You regularly prepare soups, sauces, slow-cooked dishes, steamed recipes or cooked desserts and want to avoid transferring ingredients between appliances; a cooking food processor or multi-cooker may be suitable, depending on whether you also need mechanical preparation.
Your priority is frequent kneading and whisking rather than chopping vegetables or controlled cooking; a specialist stand mixer may be a better fit than a versatile appliance.
Start with the recipes you prepare most often, then check the capacity, storage and cleaning requirements before comparing the advertised features.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Time genuinely saved | Check which step is automated: grating, chopping, blending, mixing or cooking. A multi-cooker programmes the cooking, but does not replace chopping tasks. | I want to eliminate a repetitive step, not add an appliance I rarely use. In a Que Choisir survey published in 2020 among 1,695 food processor owners subscribed to its newsletter, 52% said that their cooking food processor saved them time at the cooker. |
| Cleaning and handling | Count the parts that need to be dismantled and check which components are dishwasher-safe, how easy the appliance is to empty and how much space the bowl requires. | After a meal, I want to be able to clean and store the appliance without this step cancelling out the convenience of using it. |
| Capacity and storage | Compare the usable capacity with your usual portions. When pressure cooking, leave the required filling margin; also allow storage space for the discs, whisks and blades. | The bowl should suit my usual quantities without becoming too heavy, too bulky or too small. |
| Useful accessories | For vegetables, look for grating and slicing discs. For doughs, check for a dough hook, beater and whisk; for cooking, check which accessories are actually included. | I would rather buy and store only the accessories that match the dishes I usually prepare. |
A multifunction food processor, cooking food processor or stand mixer may combine several functions, but the accessories take up space and will not necessarily deliver the same results for every task.
Write down the five dishes you prepare most often and match each one to an essential accessory. Leave out occasional accessories that have neither a regular use nor a dedicated storage space.
The safety margin in a multi-cooker’s pot reduces the usable volume; conversely, an oversized pot can be bulky and harder to handle or clean.
Check the instructions for the maximum permitted quantity for each type of recipe, then choose the pot according to your household’s usual portions.
In the Que Choisir survey of food processor owners, a large amount of washing-up and use considered too time-consuming were among the reasons for using the appliances less often.
Before buying, check how many parts need to be dismantled, which components are dishwasher-safe, how easy the appliance is to empty and where you will store the bowl and accessories.
In France, the statutory guarantee of conformity applies compulsorily to new, second-hand or refurbished goods sold by a professional to a private individual. A commercial warranty has its own terms and conditions.
Read the terms and exclusions of an extended warranty before taking it out, then compare them with your applicable statutory rights.
Worth considering for the Thermomix range of cooking food processors when preparing and cooking in the same appliance is your main priority.
Worth considering for the Companion cooking food processors and Cookeo multi-cookers, depending on whether your priority is preparation with cooking or automated cooking.
Worth considering for multifunction food processors and, with Cook Expert, for the cooking food processor category.
Worth considering when kneading is a central task, or for certain appliances that combine a stand mixer with cooking and preparation accessories.
Worth considering for the cooking food processor range when the purchase price matters and the model’s functions match the tasks you have in mind.
These Joybuy options cover several approaches: cooking food processors, multifunction food processors, multi-cookers and stand mixers, so you can choose according to the tasks you carry out most often in your kitchen.
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For preparing, mixing and cooking in the same appliance for frequent meals.
Adjustable temperature from 37 to 130 °C, timer, integrated scales, stated usable bowl capacity of 3 L, plus accessories for grating, slicing, chopping, whisking, kneading and steaming.
Its stated dimensions are 40 × 26 × 36 cm and it weighs 9.4 kg: check the space available on your worktop or in a cupboard.
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For grating, slicing, chopping and blending ingredients, with no stated cooking function.
Stated 1.8 L bowl, blender, chopper, vegetable cutter and slicing, grating and shredding discs; detachable parts.
Check the instructions to confirm whether the parts are dishwasher-safe and whether the bowl is suitable for your usual portions.
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For automating the cooking of family meals without replacing chopping and blending tools.
Stated capacity of 5.7 L, serving up to six portions, with pressure cooking, slow cooking, sauté, steaming, rice, egg, yoghurt and keep-warm modes.
The stainless-steel pot, lid and accessories are stated to be dishwasher-safe; follow the filling limits for pressure cooking.
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For large quantities of slow-cooked dishes, rice, pulses and recipes with programmed cooking.
Stated capacity of 8 L, serving up to 10 portions, with 12 programmes, a 24-hour delayed start, keep-warm function and steam basket.
It does not state any grating, slicing, chopping or blending functions; also check the cleaning instructions for the components.
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For frequent kneading, mixing and whisking of bread, dough and baking mixtures.
5 L stainless-steel bowl, 10 speeds with pulse function, tilt-head design, splash guard, dough hook, whisk and flat beater stated as included.
Cooking, grating and chopping functions are not stated; also check the washing instructions for the accessories.
Choose accessories that match your repetitive tasks: a blade for chopping or blending, discs for grating or slicing, and a whisk for emulsifying or whisking. A blender, citrus press or juicer is only useful if you use it regularly.
Not usually. A multi-cooker is designed for programmable cooking, but it does not generally stir food and therefore cannot replace the grating, slicing, chopping or blending functions of a multifunction food processor.
Choose it according to the quantities you usually prepare rather than the maximum stated volume. A multi-cooker pot needs room to prevent spills, while an oversized stand mixer bowl can be heavier, bulkier and harder to clean.
According to the French Ministry of the Economy, the statutory guarantee of conformity is compulsory in France for new, second-hand or refurbished goods sold by a professional to a private individual. It is separate from any commercial warranty offered by the seller.
A food processor comes under the waste electrical and electronic equipment stream. Use the collection, reuse or recycling options provided for this type of equipment rather than putting it in your ordinary household waste.