A multifunction cooking food processor makes sense if you regularly prepare dishes that need both preparation and cooking, provided you have room to use and store the bowl and accessories. If your existing appliances already take care of cooking, a food processor may meet your needs without adding a function you rarely use. If kneading and baking are your priorities, consider a cooking stand mixer instead, bearing in mind how much space it takes up.
You regularly make soups, sauces, slow-cooked dishes or dough, and want to keep the number of appliances within easy reach to a minimum. Remember to allow for the space taken up by bowls and accessories, too: UFC-Que Choisir recommends checking a cooking food processor’s dimensions before buying.
If you’re happy with your hob, oven or multicooker, you may mainly be looking for help with chopping, blending or kneading. In that case, it’s worth considering a food processor before adding an integrated cooking function you’re unlikely to use much.
If kneading and whisking are your main priorities, a cooking stand mixer is another option. Make sure you have enough room for the appliance and its accessories, especially if you’ll need to take it out every time you use it.
In a small kitchen, start with the dishes you actually make, then check how much room you’ll need for the parts you plan to use.
Worth considering: if preparing and cooking in the same appliance is part of your routine.
Bear in mind: you’ll also need space to use and store the bowl and accessories.
Worth considering: if your current appliances already cook your meals and food preparation is your main need.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to use those appliances for cooking.
Worth considering: if kneading and baking come first, and you’d also like to use it for hot dishes.
Bear in mind: make sure an appliance of this size can stay within easy reach or be moved around easily in your home.
| What matters | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Space and storage | Dimensions with the bowl and lid in place; room and clearance needed for the accessories. | When my worktop is already full, I need to be able to set up the food processor without getting in the way of meals, then put its parts away. Around 33% of consumers put this need for space first. |
| Combining preparation and cooking | Cooking functions that are useful for your dishes; usable capacity and included accessories. | If I often make dishes that need mixing and cooking, I want to know which steps the appliance will actually combine. Around 27% of consumers put this need first. |
| Functions you already have | What your current cooking appliances can already do; the preparation tasks you still need help with. | My hob or oven is enough for cooking, so I mainly want help with chopping, blending or kneading. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this extra support. |
| Recipes and cleaning | Access to guided recipes; cleaning instructions for the bowl and accessories. | To use the food processor regularly, I need recipes that suit me and parts I can clean after every meal. Around 20% of consumers put ease of use first. |
The bowl, lid or an attachment in place can change how much room you need. If the food processor sits under a wall cabinet, for example, there may not be enough clearance to open the lid or remove the bowl.
Measure the set-ups you plan to use, then check they’ll fit on your worktop and in your cupboards.
Some dishes call for a specific accessory. In its cooking food processor testing, UFC-Que Choisir assesses optional accessories only when they’re included.
For the dishes you usually make, check which bowl and accessories come with the model you’ve chosen.
These figures don’t necessarily refer to the same amount you can prepare: Magimix lists a 3.5 L bowl for the Cook Expert Connect, with 2.5 L of usable capacity.
Compare each model’s usable capacity with the quantities of soup, sauce or dough you usually make.
Access to recipes may depend on a separate service. Vorwerk France, for example, says that Cookidoo is available through a renewable subscription.
Check which recipes remain available without a subscription, as well as the renewal and cancellation terms for the service you’re considering.
The Companion range combines food preparation and cooking. The equipment and available recipes vary by model.
The Cook Expert combines cooking with food preparation tasks. It’s worth looking at the bowl configurations separately.
The Cooking Chef range is worth considering if kneading is an especially important part of your decision.
These two Robby models fit the multifunction cooking food processor category, combining food preparation and cooking. Compare their features with the tasks you want to do each week and the space you have available.
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Worth considering if you want to prepare and cook meals using the same appliance. The product name mentions built-in scales and a large touchscreen. Check how much room you’ll need with the bowl and accessories in place, as well as the terms for accessing recipes.
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Worth considering if you want to combine food preparation tasks with cooking. The model name mentions built-in scales and a touchscreen. Before deciding how much you’ll prepare in it, check the bowl’s usable capacity. Also check how much room you’ll need for the accessories and their cleaning instructions.
Measure it in the configurations you plan to use, with the bowl and attachments in place, rather than relying on the base dimensions alone. Also check there’s enough clearance to open the lid, remove the bowl and store the accessories. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the importance of size when choosing a cooking food processor.
It depends on the model and the service it uses. Before choosing, check which recipes are available without a subscription and the terms that apply if you want to use a guided recipe service.
Don’t assume every part of the food processor is dishwasher-safe. Check the manual for your model and the instructions for each accessory. If you plan to use it often, check how to clean the bowl and lid after making the dishes you usually prepare.
According to the French Ministry of the Economy, the statutory guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a professional to a private individual. Keep the product description for the model you bought so you can confirm the functions and accessories agreed with the seller. This guarantee is separate from returning an item simply because you’ve changed your mind.