A cooking food processor is a good fit if your meals often involve chopping, mixing and cooking, and you’d like to bring these steps together in one appliance. If you already cook with your own pans, a food processor can handle the preparation; if cooking is your main priority, a multi-cooker may be enough, but it won’t replace chopping accessories. In each case, compare the usable capacity, space required, cleaning and recipe services with your own habits.
If your soups, sauces or slow-cooked dishes involve several steps in succession, a cooking food processor is worth considering to reduce the need to transfer ingredients between utensils. Check that its accessories cover the tasks you actually do repeatedly.
If you’re cooking for several people or preparing food to keep, compare the bowl’s usable capacity with your usual portions. Also measure the space available: a large bowl doesn’t necessarily make an appliance easy to set up or store.
If your pans and oven meet your needs, ask yourself whether you mainly want to chop, grate or knead. A food processor may then be more suitable than an appliance that heats ingredients. Also consider which accessories and recipe services you’d actually use.
For regular home cooking, start with the steps involved in your recipes, then weigh up the capacity you need against the space and cleaning you’re happy to manage day to day.
Consider it if: you want to prepare and then cook multi-step recipes using the same appliance.
Bear in mind: you’ll need space to set up the appliance, and there may be several parts to clean, depending on the recipe and accessories used.
Consider it if: you mainly want to automate food preparation while continuing to cook with the equipment you already own.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to transfer the ingredients for cooking, which you’ll still manage separately.
Consider it if: your dishes mainly call for different cooking methods rather than chopping or grating.
Bear in mind: you may need another appliance for chopping and other food preparation tasks.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Combining preparation and cooking | Identify the steps your recipes require and check which accessories are actually included. | When I make a multi-step dish, I want to avoid constantly switching between utensils. Around 37% of consumers would put this convenience first. |
| Capacity and space | Compare the usable capacity with your portions, then measure the space available. | If I cook for several people, I need enough capacity without having the appliance permanently taking up space on my worktop. Nearly 27% of consumers would put this balance first. |
| Recipes and accessories | Check which accessories are included and the terms for accessing the recipes you’re interested in. | My current appliances already cover some tasks, so I want to avoid paying for features or services I won’t use. Around 18% of consumers would make this their main consideration. |
| Everyday cleaning | Check which bowls, blades, lids and seals need washing after your usual cooking. | For me to use the appliance regularly, it needs to be easy to clean without lots of extra steps after every meal. Around 18% of consumers would put ease of cleaning first. |
They don’t all do the same jobs: a multi-cooker focuses on cooking, while a standard food processor prepares ingredients without cooking them in its main bowl.
Make a note of the steps in the recipes you cook most often — chopping, grating, kneading, mixing, cooking or steaming — then check which ones the appliance and its accessories can handle.
A bowl’s total capacity may differ from its usable capacity. The weight and dimensions of the whole appliance also matter if you’ll often need to take it out or put it away.
Compare the usable capacity with your portions, and measure the space needed with the bowl and lid in place.
Built-in recipes, apps and related services vary from one appliance to another. Que Choisir points out that supplied recipes aren’t essential for using a cooking food processor.
Check which recipes you can use without a subscription, the renewal terms for any service, and the accessories needed for your recipes.
An appliance that combines several steps may also have several parts to wash. The number of accessories you use will depend on the recipes you prepare.
Check the instructions for the exact model to find out which parts are dishwasher-safe and what care is recommended for the blades, seals and bowls.
The Thermomix TM7 brings food preparation, cooking and guided cooking together, with Cookidoo.
The range includes the I-Companion XL cooking food processor and the Cookeo+ multi-cooker, which are designed for different tasks.
The Cook Expert combines cooking with food processor functions, including grating, slicing and kneading, depending on the accessories used.
Monsieur Cuisine is another range of cooking food processors worth considering, depending on the model available.
These appliances cover two types of use: combining food preparation and cooking in a cooking food processor, or focusing on cooking with a multi-cooker. Start by choosing based on the steps in your recipes; the models below won’t all replace a food processor used alongside your pans.
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Worth considering if you’d like to combine several food preparation and cooking steps. The product name mentions a large touchscreen; check the bowl’s usable capacity and which recipes are available in French before choosing.
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Worth a look if you want to weigh ingredients as you prepare them, then cook them in the same appliance. Compare its usable capacity with your portions and check the terms for accessing recipes in French.
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Worth considering for cooking larger quantities, rather than chopping ingredients. Check how much space it needs and the cleaning instructions for the cooking pot. You’ll need another appliance if your recipes call for chopping or grating.
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Worth considering if your main need is to cook meals in a multi-cooker rather than prepare ingredients mechanically. The product name mentions slow cooking and steaming, among other functions; measure the space available before you buy.
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Worth considering if you make smaller portions and are mainly looking for different cooking functions. The product name states that it serves up to four portions; check its actual dimensions and keep another appliance for any chopping your recipes require.
No. It’s most useful when your recipes often involve food preparation followed by cooking. If you mainly need to chop or knead, consider a food processor; if cooking is your priority, look at what a multi-cooker can do.
Start with the size of your usual recipes and compare usable capacities, not just total capacities. For example, Magimix lists the Cook Expert XL as having a total capacity of 4.8 L, with 3.8 L usable. Also check how much space the appliance will take up.
No. As Que Choisir points out, supplied recipes aren’t essential for using one. If guided cooking matters to you, check which recipes are available without a subscription and the terms of the service associated with the model you’re considering.
Check the instructions for the exact model to find out which parts are dishwasher-safe and how to care for the blades, seals and bowls. If spare parts availability matters to you, check the terms of any commitments stated by the manufacturer rather than relying on how long they’re said to last.