Choose a cooking food processor if you regularly need to prepare and cook meals in the same appliance, provided its bowl, cleaning requirements and footprint suit your kitchen. If you already have a way to cook, a food processor is better suited to chopping, blending and kneading. A multi-cooker can complement your food preparation equipment, but, as Que Choisir points out, it generally does not stir food.
You often make soups, sauces, slow-cooked dishes or recipes with several steps, and want to prepare and cook them in the same appliance. Que Choisir specifically distinguishes a cooking food processor by its cooking function.
You already have a hob, oven or cooking appliance that meets your needs. Your priority is more likely to be grating, slicing, chopping, blending or kneading, without filling your kitchen with lots of small food-preparation appliances.
Before choosing based on programmes or guided recipes, check that the usable capacity suits your dishes, then make sure you have room for the bowl and accessories. The weight of the parts matters too if you need to handle and clean them regularly.
Start with the tasks you actually do regularly, then check that the bowl and accessories – and somewhere to store them – will fit conveniently in your kitchen.
Choose this if: you often slice, grate, chop, blend or knead, and already have a way to cook.
Bear in mind: cooking is still a separate step, while bowls, discs and other accessories need storage space.
Choose this if: your recipes regularly involve cooking, simmering or steaming that you want to do in the appliance.
Bear in mind: capacity, accessories and the parts you need to clean vary by model. Check how much space it needs before buying.
Choose this if: you already have equipment for chopping and blending, but would like a dedicated appliance to handle some cooking tasks.
Bear in mind: according to Que Choisir, multi-cookers generally do not stir food, so preparation remains a separate step.
Keep what you have if: your equipment covers the tasks you do each week and a food processor would mainly duplicate it.
Be prepared for: preparation and cooking to remain split between several utensils or appliances.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in cooking | Identify the cooking tasks your usual recipes need, then check the programmes and accessories on the model you are considering. | When my soups or slow-cooked dishes involve several steps, I’d like to prepare and cook everything in the same appliance; around 36% of consumers put built-in cooking first. |
| Food preparation without cooking | Compare the discs, blades and other included accessories with the tasks you do regularly. | If I already cook on my hob or in my oven, it’s mainly the vegetables I need to slice and the ingredients I need to blend that influence my choice; around 29% of consumers prioritise food preparation without cooking. |
| Capacity and space | Check the usable capacity for your recipes, the dimensions when the appliance is in use and the space needed for its accessories. | To serve several portions in a small kitchen, I want to be able to use the bowl and put everything away without cluttering the worktop; around 21% of consumers make capacity and space their priority. |
| Recipes and cleaning | Check how recipes can be accessed, which parts are dishwasher-safe according to the instructions, and whether spare parts are stated to be available. | If I use the food processor every week, I want to know which recipes will remain available and what I’ll need to clean or replace; around 14% of consumers prioritise these practical considerations. |
A cooking food processor combines preparation and cooking, but that difference only really matters if you regularly need to cook in the appliance. If you mainly want to chop or blend, a food processor may be a better fit for how you plan to use it.
Make a note of the recipes you cook regularly and identify which ones genuinely require cooking, steaming or simmering in the appliance.
The stated capacity does not necessarily reflect how much you can use for every recipe. Accessories can also take up space when they’re not in use.
Check the usable capacity for the dishes you make, measure the clearance under your kitchen units and decide where each accessory will go.
Guided recipes can help you work through each step, but access depends on the brand and model. A trial period does not necessarily tell you what the long-term terms of use will be.
Check which recipes are included, the access terms after the trial and which features remain available without a subscription or linked service.
Dishwasher-safe parts, accessories and commitments around spare parts can vary from one food processor to another.
Check the instructions and after-sales information for the exact model, and look separately at the bowl, lid and each accessory.
A range of food processors worth considering if versatile food preparation matters more to you than built-in cooking.
The Companion XL HF80DB10 is an example of a cooking food processor for households looking to combine preparation and cooking in a large-capacity bowl.
The Thermomix TM7 is worth considering if preparing, cooking and following guided recipes in the same appliance fits the way you cook.
Not if you want to cook in the appliance: according to Que Choisir, cooking is precisely what sets a cooking food processor apart. If your hob, oven or another appliance already takes care of that step, a food processor can handle the preparation tasks you need.
No, it cannot replace every food-preparation task on its own. Que Choisir says multi-cookers generally do not stir food, so you’ll need to chop ingredients and, depending on the recipe, mix them using the equipment you already have.
No, the terms vary by model and recipe platform. Moulinex offers a free app for the Companion XL mentioned here, while Vorwerk links the Thermomix TM7 to Cookidoo 3.0. Check which recipes are included, any trial terms and whether you can use the appliance without the service.
Don’t assume so: check the instructions for the exact model and confirm the status of each part individually. Even if a manufacturer says some parts are dishwasher-safe, that does not mean the bowl, lid and every accessory can go in the dishwasher.