Choose a cooking food processor if you want to prepare and cook soups, sauces or slow-cooked dishes in the same bowl, after checking its usable capacity and accessories. If your cooking sessions are mainly about cooking, a multicooker may suit you, but you’ll need another appliance for chopping or blending. Separate appliances are still handy when you need to prepare several things at once.
For soups, sauces or slow-cooked dishes to serve over several meals, compare the usable capacity with the size of your largest batch. The portion numbers given by manufacturers aren’t a substitute for this check; also check which steaming accessories are included.
A cooking food processor can combine preparation and cooking if its functions and accessories suit the recipes you usually make. However, UFC-Que Choisir points out that a multifunction appliance won’t necessarily excel at every task.
If your cooking session involves pressure, slow or steam cooking rather than chopping and grating, consider a multicooker. Keep a separate preparation tool for any steps it can’t handle.
Start with the steps involved in preparing your meals, then compare them with each appliance’s usable capacity and accessories.
Choose this if: you want to prepare and then cook soups, sauces or steamed dishes in the same bowl.
Bear in mind: the bowl needs to be free before you can start preparing the next dish; check which accessories are included.
Choose this if: you chop, grate or knead several ingredients before cooking them elsewhere.
Bear in mind: cooking and cleaning the equipment you use are still separate steps.
Choose this if: your meals mainly involve pressure, slow or steam cooking.
Bear in mind: you’ll need a knife, blender or another food processor for any preparation tasks.
Choose this if: you need to prepare several parts of a meal at the same time.
Bear in mind: you’ll have more steps to manage and several utensils to clean and put away.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Quantities | Compare the usable capacity or maximum fill level with the volume of your recipe. Check the capacity of the steamer basket and the stated portion sizes separately. | I want to prepare my largest recipe without assuming that the bowl’s full capacity can be used. |
| Preparation and cooking | List each task you need to do: chopping, grating, mixing, blending, slow cooking, steaming or pressure cooking. Check which accessories are included with the version you’re considering. | Do my meals only need the ingredients to be cooked, or do I also need the appliance to chop and mix them? |
| Planning your cooking session | Measure the available space and check which parts need washing. Consider whether several dishes will need to use the same bowl at the same time. | I’d like to prepare several meals in a row without cleaning or waiting for the bowl to hold me up. |
| Guided recipes | Check what content you can access, subscription terms, the connectivity required and what the appliance can do without the service. | If I plan to follow recipes on screen, I want to know which ones will still be available for the way I normally use the appliance. |
Magimix gives the Cook Expert XL a total capacity of 4.8 L, but a usable capacity of 3.8 L; Lidl France lists a 4.5 L bowl and a 3 L maximum fill level for the Monsieur Cuisine Smart.
Compare the size of your largest batch with the usable capacity of the version you’re considering, then check the capacity of the steaming accessories.
Moulinex’s Cookeo product information describes cooking modes; that doesn’t make it a food processor for chopping or grating.
List the steps involved in your meals and check which functions and accessories you’ll need for each one.
If your recipes also need blending or chopping, you’ll need another appliance for those steps.
Vorwerk presents access to Cookidoo for the Thermomix TM7 as an offer whose terms depend, among other things, on the subscription.
Check how long access is included for, the renewal terms, whether a connection is needed and which functions you can use without a subscription.
UFC-Que Choisir points out that multifunction food processors don’t necessarily perform equally well at every task. A bowl that’s in use can’t be used to prepare something else at the same time.
Keep any separate appliances you need when your meals involve tasks that must be done at the same time or require a particular function.
These ranges are designed for different uses; check the specifications of the version you’re interested in.
The range includes Companion cooking food processors, which combine preparation and cooking, and Cookeo multicookers, which focus on cooking.
The Cook Expert XL combines cooking and food processing for people looking to prepare larger quantities.
The Thermomix TM7 focuses on connected guided cooking.
The Monsieur Cuisine Smart is a connected cooking food processor with guided recipes, available from Lidl France.
This Joybuy selection includes two food processors that combine preparation and cooking, followed by three multicookers for meals that mainly need cooking in batches.
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Worth considering if you want to combine preparation and cooking in one appliance. The product title mentions an XL bowl and built-in scales; check the usable capacity and the terms for accessing recipes to suit your meals.
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Another option for preparing and cooking in one appliance. The product title mentions scales, a touchscreen and 680 recipes; check the permitted preparation volume and the terms for accessing recipes.
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For meals where cooking matters more than chopping ingredients. The product title lists an 8 L capacity, 1 200 W and 12 preset menus; check the fill limits for your pressure-cooking recipes.
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Worth considering if your meal prep is mainly about cooking. The listed capacity is 7.1 L; check the permitted volume for your recipes and have a separate appliance ready if you need to chop or blend.
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An option for batch-cooked meals. The product title lists a 5.7 L capacity; check the fill limit for your recipes and keep another appliance handy for chopping or blending ingredients.
First, compare the usable capacity with the volume of your largest recipe. Magimix lists 3.8 L of usable capacity for the 4.8 L bowl on the Cook Expert XL, while Lidl France gives a 3 L fill level for the 4.5 L bowl on the Monsieur Cuisine Smart. Total capacity and stated portion sizes aren’t interchangeable measures.
Not necessarily. UFC-Que Choisir points out that multifunction food processors don’t always perform equally well at every task. Keep separate appliances if you need to prepare several ingredients at once or carry out a particular task while the bowl is in use.
A Cookeo may suit you if your cooking sessions are mainly about cooking. Moulinex lists a 6 L bowl for six people on the Cookeo+; if you need to chop, grate or blend ingredients, check which preparation tools you’ll need alongside it.
It depends on the service and the offer. Vorwerk includes a period of Cookidoo access for new Thermomix TM7 subscribers; check the terms that apply afterwards, as well as which recipes and functions are available without a subscription or internet connection.