If you regularly grate, slice or chop ingredients but don’t want to cook in the same appliance, a food processor is likely to be the best choice. A blender may be enough if you mainly make blended dishes. A food cooker lets you prepare and cook in one appliance, while a multicooker is primarily designed to programme cooking. In a small kitchen, compare the space taken up by the appliance, its bowls and accessories with the space occupied by the appliances you already own.
If you often grate, slice, chop, knead or blend ingredients, but already have a way to cook them, a food processor is worth considering. Que Choisir also reminds shoppers to allow space for the appliance and its accessories.
For soups, sauces or slow-cooked dishes that need both preparation and cooking, consider a food cooker. Que Choisir distinguishes this category from food processors by its cooking function.
If you mainly make soups, sauces, purées or smoothies, a blender means you won’t need to choose cutting attachments you’re unlikely to use. Still, check how much room you’ll need for the jug and storage.
To keep the number of appliances down, start with the task you most want to combine: preparing ingredients, preparing and cooking, programming cooking or simply blending. Then measure the space taken up by all the appliances you plan to keep.
| Need | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Combine food preparation tasks | Functions and accessories included for grating, slicing or chopping; space needed to store the bowls and discs. | If I often prepare ingredients but already cook with another appliance, I want to avoid having several food-preparation tools without filling a cupboard with accessories. Around 33% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Prepare and cook in one appliance | The cooking and preparation functions actually included; the space needed where you plan to use it. | For dishes that need ingredients to be prepared and then cooked, I’d rather combine these steps in one appliance than move ingredients between several pieces of equipment. This would be the priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Primarily programme cooking | Programmes suited to the meals you usually make and the usable capacity of the cooking pot; whether you’ll also need a separate food-preparation tool. | When the ingredients are already prepared, I mainly want to programme the cooking of my meals, not grate or chop with the same machine. Around 20% of consumers would prioritise this function. |
| Stick to blending | Whether the model is suited to the dishes you make; jug capacity and instructions for hot liquids. | For my soups, sauces or smoothies, I don’t need cutting discs or a dough hook, and I want to keep the number of items I need to store to a minimum. Blending would be the main need for around 20% of consumers. |
An advertised function only meets your needs if the necessary accessory is included and you have somewhere to store it. Que Choisir takes the accessories actually supplied into account when assessing additional functions.
Make a list of the dishes you regularly prepare, then check which accessories are included and where you’ll store them.
A blender is mainly for blending; on its own, it won’t grate, slice or knead like a food processor.
Choose one if blended dishes are what you make most. Otherwise, keep a suitable solution for the food-preparation tasks you do regularly.
Que Choisir says that multicookers generally don’t mix food. Their programmed cooking function therefore won’t automatically replace chopping or slicing.
If you choose a multicooker, plan how you’ll prepare the ingredients before adding them to the cooking pot.
The stated capacity of a cooking pot doesn’t necessarily match the amount you can cook for each recipe.
Compare the stated usable capacity with the dishes you make and the portions you usually serve, rather than looking at the advertised volume alone.
The MultiPro Go range is worth a look if you want a food-preparation appliance that’s easy to store in a small space.
The Compact System 3200XL is designed for households that regularly use several food-preparation functions but don’t need cooking built in.
When choosing between a Moulinex food processor and a Companion food cooker, start by considering whether you need cooking built in.
These two multicookers are suited to households looking to combine everyday cooking tasks in one appliance. If grating, slicing or chopping is your priority, choose your food-preparation equipment separately.
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Worth considering if you want to combine several cooking methods, including rice, steaming and slow cooking, without expecting the appliance to grate or chop ingredients.
Before setting aside space for it, compare its stated dimensions of 35,1 × 31,8 × 25,6 cm with the space available and check the required clearances. The power ratings differ between sections of the product listing, so confirm the rating for this variant before buying.
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Worth a look if your meals mainly involve cooking rice, soups or steamed dishes, as long as you have another way to chop your ingredients.
The 2 L capacity alone won’t tell you how many portions you can make for each recipe. When setting it up, allow for the stated clearances of 40 cm above and 10 cm at the sides, and take hot steam into account too.
Compare the dishes you usually make with the functions and accessories actually supplied. If you often grate, slice or chop ingredients, check that the necessary parts are included, then measure the space needed for the appliance, its bowls and accessories.
Not for food-preparation tasks such as grating or slicing: a multicooker is primarily for cooking. Que Choisir says these appliances generally don’t mix food, so if you often prepare ingredients, you may still need another tool.
No. Check the model’s instructions for hot liquids and the jug material. If the manufacturer requires it, let the soup cool before blending.