Choose a food processor with a cooking function if your meals regularly involve preparing ingredients and then cooking them, provided its bowl, accessories and cleaning routine suit your household. If you already have what you need to prepare ingredients, separate cooking appliances may fit your routine better. If you mainly make slow-cooked or pressure-cooked dishes, consider a multicooker instead; for recipes that are mostly blended, a heated blender may be a better fit.
If your dishes often involve chopping, mixing and cooking, a food processor with a cooking function could mean fewer appliances to get out. Make sure its accessories, capacity and cleaning requirements suit the recipes you actually make.
If pressure cooking, steaming or slow cooking matters more to you than preparing ingredients, a multicooker is worth considering. You’ll still need to keep the tools you use for chopping and blending.
A heated blender is suited to recipes that are cooked and then blended. Compare its capacity with your usual portions before giving up the food-preparation functions of a food processor with a cooking function.
For weeknight meals, start with the steps you want to bring together in one appliance. The right choice depends on whether preparing ingredients or cooking takes up more of your time and effort.
Choose this if: you often move from chopping to mixing to cooking, and want to do it all with one appliance.
Bear in mind: with just one bowl, you may need to wait or transfer a preparation before moving on to the next step.
Choose this if: you already have cooking appliances and mainly need to chop, grate, slice or knead.
Bear in mind: a food processor won’t cook on its own, so you’ll still need to coordinate and clean several utensils.
Choose this if: your meals mainly rely on pressure cooking, steaming or slow cooking.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to prepare ingredients that require chopping, grating or kneading separately.
Choose this if: you mainly make soups, sauces and other dishes that are cooked and then blended.
Bear in mind: it won’t replace the tools you need for grating, slicing or kneading.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Useful versatility | Compare your usual tasks with the functions and accessories included, particularly for chopping, grating, kneading and cooking. | If my dishes need both preparation and cooking, I want to avoid switching appliances without losing the functions I rely on; around 33% of consumers would prioritise this versatility. |
| Weeknight routine | Look at the cooking modes available and how the programmes work with the recipes you make. | When I mainly make slow-cooked or pressure-cooked dishes, I’d rather organise the cooking than replace my chopping tools; this would be a priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Capacity and size | Check the usable capacity, how many portions you can make and how much space the appliance takes up with the bowl in place. | To cook my usual quantities, I need to keep the appliance within easy reach without crowding my kitchen; around 20% of consumers would make this their first consideration. |
| Cleaning and recipes | Find out which parts are dishwasher-safe and what you need to do to access guided recipes. | If cleaning puts me off using the appliance every day, or I’m counting on guided recipes, I want to know about any limitations before choosing; around 20% of consumers would put this concern first. |
Que Choisir distinguishes food processors with a cooking function by their ability to cook, but the functions and accessories available vary by model. This means an appliance may not cover all the tasks you usually rely on it for.
Write down five meals you often make, then check what the appliance can do at each step with the accessories supplied.
According to Magimix, the Cook Expert model mentioned has a total bowl capacity of 3.5 L, with 2.5 L usable. So the headline capacity alone won’t tell you how much you can prepare at once.
Compare the usable capacity and minimum quantities with your usual portions, then measure the space available with the bowl in place.
Recipe access depends on the ecosystem you choose. Moulinex offers a free app for the I-Companion XL, while access to Cookidoo from Vorwerk requires a subscription once any applicable free offers or trial periods end.
Check which recipes remain available without a subscription and whether the guidance you want requires a separate service.
In France, the DGCCRF states that the legal guarantee of conformity applies to goods sold by a business to a consumer, whether new, second-hand or refurbished. An additional commercial warranty does not replace it.
Before taking out an extended warranty, compare exactly what damage it covers, its exclusions and repair terms with the legal protection you already have.
The Thermomix TM7 is designed for households interested in a connected food processor with a cooking function and guided cooking on the appliance.
The Cook Expert range combines food-preparation tasks, such as grating and kneading, with cooking. Capacity varies by version.
The Companion, Cookeo and Soup & Co ranges meet different needs: preparing and cooking, focusing on cooking, or cooking and then blending.
These products let you compare two options for weeknight meals: food processors that bring preparation and cooking together, followed by multicookers focused on cooking. Compare them with the tasks you usually do rather than assuming their functions are interchangeable.
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Worth considering if you want to combine food preparation and cooking in one appliance. This version’s name mentions an XL bowl, built-in scales and a large touchscreen. Check the usable capacity and dimensions to make sure it suits your portions and worktop.
Also check how many recipes are included with the version on sale before relying on its guided content.
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Consider this if you’d like to prepare and cook in one appliance with a touchscreen. The product name mentions built-in scales and 680 recipes. Check the bowl’s usable capacity and the accessories supplied against the dishes you usually make.
If you plan to use the connected recipes, check the access terms and find out which parts need cleaning after each meal.
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Worth considering if your main priority is cooking rather than chopping or kneading. The product name lists an 8 L capacity, 1,200 W and 12 preset programmes; compare the usable capacity with your usual portions.
Check the power supply voltage before buying for use in France.
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Consider this for meals centred on pressure cooking, steaming or slow cooking, rather than expecting it to prepare your ingredients. This 7-in-1 version lists a 5.7 L capacity and four customisable presets.
When pressure cooking, follow the fill limits and steam-release instructions in the manual.
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Worth considering if you want programmable cooking and already have the tools you need to prepare ingredients. The product name lists nine menus, two pressure settings, a voice function and a 24-hour timer.
Before choosing this version, check its power supply voltage and the language of the documentation supplied.
Not automatically. Que Choisir says a food processor with a cooking function can replace most food processors and differs from a standard food processor by being able to cook. However, functions and accessories vary by model. Check whether it can handle the tasks you repeat every week, such as grating, kneading or steaming.
It depends on the appliance and the service you want to use. Moulinex describes the I-Companion XL app as free, while Vorwerk offers Cookidoo by subscription once any applicable free offers or trial periods end. Check what remains available without a subscription for the model you’re considering.
Check exactly which parts are dishwasher-safe and how many components need to be taken apart after making your usual recipes. Que Choisir recommends choosing an appliance that’s easy to maintain; a pre-cleaning programme won’t necessarily remove the need to clean individual parts separately.
Start with the exact model number, then check which parts are available and what the brand says about availability. Magimix provides information on spare parts for the Cook Expert models mentioned, while Moulinex has made a repairability commitment for the I-Companion XL. These claims shouldn’t be assumed to apply to every model in either range.
No. The DGCCRF states that the legal guarantee of conformity applies in France to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to a consumer. A commercial warranty may provide extra protection under its own terms, but it doesn’t remove your legal guarantee.