Choose a food processor with a cooking function if your recipes involve preparing ingredients and then cooking them in the same appliance; choose a multicooker if your main priority is programmable cooking; or choose a food processor if you’re already happy with your cooking equipment. Before choosing a model, compare its attachments, usable capacity and cleaning requirements with the tasks and portion sizes involved in the meals you usually make.
If you move from chopping and blending straight to cooking when making soups or sauces, check the functions and attachments of the food processor with a cooking function you’re considering. UFC-Que Choisir points out that these capabilities vary by model and the attachments supplied.
For rice or slow-cooked dishes, you mainly want to start a programme and keep an eye on things less often afterwards. UFC-Que Choisir describes this as a typical use for a multicooker; still, check what input your recipes require while they cook.
If you already have a hob, oven or another appliance for cooking, a food processor can help with chopping, grating or mixing without adding a built-in cooking function. This is one of the uses UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes.
Worth considering: if your recipes regularly involve preparing ingredients and then cooking them in the same appliance.
Bear in mind: the tasks it can handle and the attachments you’ll need vary by model.
Worth considering: if you already have a way to cook your food and mainly want to prepare the ingredients.
Bear in mind: it won’t cook food; UFC-Que Choisir describes it as less bulky than a food processor with a cooking function when cooking isn’t a priority.
Worth considering: if your priority is programming the cooking of meals such as rice or slow-cooked dishes.
Bear in mind: you’ll generally still need to stir some recipes by hand, even when the cooking programme is set.
| Need | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare and cook | Check the steps involved in your recipes, the attachments supplied and the bowl’s usable capacity. | When I make a soup or sauce in several stages, I want to chop and then cook in the same bowl rather than keep transferring ingredients; around 42% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Programme the cooking | Check for the cooking modes that suit your dishes and find out what you’ll still need to do while they cook. | For rice or slow-cooked dishes, I’d rather start a programme than keep checking on the cooking; around 33% of consumers would prioritise this level of cooking autonomy. |
| Prepare without cooking | Look at the tools supplied for chopping, grating or mixing, and consider how much storage space they’ll need. | If I’m already happy with my hob or oven, I mainly want to speed up chopping and mixing without adding a cooking function; around 25% of consumers would make food preparation their priority. |
A multicooker can manage the heat without chopping or blending ingredients, and some recipes also need to be stirred by hand.
Think about the steps involved in your usual recipes and check that the appliance and supplied attachments can handle the tasks you want it to do.
If you still need to do these tasks separately, you’ll need to keep a food-preparation appliance or use other utensils.
A bowl’s total volume doesn’t necessarily match its permitted fill level, particularly when making liquids or mixtures that expand.
Check the manual for fill limits and portion sizes for the recipes you make most often.
The bowl, lid and attachments need to be cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Anses points out that cleaning equipment and utensils removes much of the dirt and the microorganisms present on their surfaces.
Before buying, check which parts need to be taken apart and how they should be washed. After use, clean utensils used for raw food before using them again for cooked food.
Taking attachments apart and washing them adds time to every meal preparation.
An optional commercial guarantee doesn’t replace the legal guarantee of conformity. In France, the Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control states that, for a purchase from a professional seller, the period for bringing a claim under the legal guarantee of conformity is two years from the date the goods are delivered.
If a commercial guarantee is offered, compare its duration, exclusions and claims process with the legal rights that already apply to your purchase.
These models bring together different combinations of tasks: food processors with cooking functions for preparing and cooking, and multicookers mainly for programmable cooking. If you only need to prepare ingredients, compare the features of a food processor instead.
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Worth a look if you want to prepare and cook recipes using the same appliance. The title mentions built-in scales and a large touchscreen; check that the supplied attachments suit the tasks involved in your recipes.
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Consider this if you want to combine food preparation and cooking in one appliance. The title lists built-in scales and a touchscreen; check the bowl’s usable capacity and the attachments supplied for the dishes you usually make.
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Designed for people who prefer programmable cooking modes: the title lists 12 preset menus. The bowl is listed as 8 L; check the manual for fill limits for different recipes.
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Worth considering for programmable cooking rather than chopping ingredients. The title lists nine menus, two pressure settings and a 24-hour timer; check the fill limits and whether instructions and recipes are available in French.
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Consider this if you want several cooking modes in one appliance: the title includes slow cooking and steaming. When pressure cooking, follow the manual’s fill limits, minimum liquid quantity and steam-release instructions.
Not necessarily. Depending on its features, it can handle several types of cooking, but it won’t usually mix ingredients. If your recipes call for chopping, grating or blending, check how you’ll do those tasks too.
Go by the fill limits and portion sizes given for recipes, not just the stated capacity. A multicooker needs some headroom, which can reduce its usable capacity, particularly for mixtures that might boil over.
Look at the parts that come into contact with food, how they come apart and the washing instructions. Anses points out that cleaning equipment and utensils removes much of the dirt and microorganisms present on their surfaces.
No. The Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control explains that CE marking is not a certification mark. Before buying, also check the manual, warnings and electrical specifications for the model.