If you regularly prepare batches of vegetables, sauces or soups without cooking them in the appliance, look for the features of a food processor. If you mostly make large quantities of dough, consider a stand mixer and its attachments instead. A heated food processor is for a different need: cooking in the same bowl. Whichever type you choose, compare the amount you can make in one batch, the attachments included and the space you’ll need. Don’t rely on the bowl’s advertised capacity alone.
If you often grate, slice, chop or blend but already cook in a pan or another appliance, a food processor is worth considering. Choose the bowl and attachments to suit the quantities you make and the tasks you repeat.
For large quantities of bread, brioche and cake, first check a stand mixer’s dough capacity and its kneading and whisking tools. If you also plan to chop vegetables, check separately which attachments are compatible and included.
A heated food processor is designed to prepare and then cook soups, sauces or vegetables in the same appliance. According to UFC-Que Choisir, the cooking function is what sets it apart from other food processors; check that it also has the preparation features you need.
Consider this if: you often slice, chop and blend, while cooking takes place elsewhere.
Bear in mind: discs, blades and bowls need storage space. Check which ones come with the model you’re considering.
Consider this if: kneading and whisking large quantities matter more to you than chopping vegetables.
Bear in mind: chopping and blending functions depend on which attachments are compatible with the model and included in the box.
Consider this if: you really want to cook soups, sauces or vegetables in the appliance’s bowl.
Bear in mind: a built-in cooking function doesn’t guarantee that grating or slicing attachments are included.
Once you’ve chosen the type of appliance, compare the specifications for the exact model with two or three recipes you make often.
| Priority | What to check | How this applies to you |
|---|---|---|
| Useful functions | Identify the tasks your recipes call for: grating, slicing, chopping, blending, kneading or cooking. Compare these with the appliances you already own and check which attachments are included. | I chop lots of vegetables but already heat my soups elsewhere, so a built-in cooking function isn’t my main priority. |
| Amount per batch | Distinguish between total volume and usable capacity. For dough, look for a stated dough capacity rather than trying to work it out from the bowl’s capacity in litres: Magimix gives a total capacity of 3.6 L and a usable capacity of 1.8 L for the CS5200XL, while Kenwood states a dough capacity of 2.56 kg for the KVL85.704SI. | For the recipes I usually make, I want to know how much will actually fit in the bowl before deciding whether I’m happy to make several batches. |
| Storage | Measure the space for the appliance, particularly the available height if it will stay on the worktop. Allow room for bowls, discs, blades and other attachments too. | The appliance needs to be within easy reach without its attachments taking up all my storage space. |
| Cleaning | Check the cleaning instructions for the parts you’ll use with each recipe, including whether they’re dishwasher-safe. Find out whether replacement parts are available for the model you choose. | If I make several batches a week, washing the bowls and attachments will be part of my regular routine. |
An advertised function may require a separate attachment. Moulinex, for example, lists a vegetable slicer among the attachments in its Companion range.
Note down the model number, then compare the included attachments with the recipes you’re buying the appliance for.
Depending on the model, you may need to buy the attachments you need separately and make extra room to store them.
The usable capacity or dough limit may be lower than the stated total volume. For example, Magimix gives a usable capacity of 1.8 L for the CS5200XL’s 3.6 L bowl.
Check the limit for the preparations you make most often and decide whether making several batches would work for you.
According to UFC-Que Choisir, the cooking function is what distinguishes a heated food processor. It won’t help you choose if you already cook your recipes in another appliance.
List the soups, sauces or vegetables you’d genuinely want to cook in the bowl before comparing heated food processors with models designed for food preparation.
An appliance supplied with several bowls, discs and blades needs space, and you’ll also need time to wash and dry the parts you use.
Measure the space you have in mind and check the care instructions for the exact model, including its attachments.
The CS5200XL is a food processor designed for preparation without cooking.
The Titanium Chef Baker XL range is designed in part for baking; additional functions depend on the model and its attachments.
The brand offers food processors for preparation, as well as Companion heated food processors for recipes that need to be cooked in the appliance.
These two models are for preparation without cooking. If you’re making batches of vegetables, sauces or other ingredients, check their stated capacities and the attachments included with the exact model. This selection doesn’t cover stand mixers or heated food processors.
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If you’re preparing batches of ingredients, compare the stated 1.5 L bowl capacity with the quantities in your recipes. Check its usable capacity, the attachments included and the space you’ll need to store them before deciding how many batches to make.
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For chopping vegetables and preparing other ingredients, the product title mentions a blender, a meat mincer, and slicing and grating discs. Before choosing this model for large batches, check which attachments are included, the bowl’s usable capacity and how much storage space you’ll need.
Check the amount you can use for your recipe, not just the bowl’s total capacity. Magimix states that the CS5200XL has a total capacity of 3.6 L but a usable capacity of 1.8 L; for dough, Kenwood gives a limit of 2.56 kg for the KVL85.704SI.
It depends on which attachments are compatible with the exact model and included in the box: the size of the mixing bowl doesn’t tell you whether it can chop. If you want to grate or slice, check the mixer’s model number and the list of attachments included.
It’s designed for cooking in the same bowl, but it isn’t essential if you already heat your food elsewhere. UFC-Que Choisir identifies the cooking function as the feature that sets a heated food processor apart from other food processors; then choose blending functions and capacities to suit your recipes.
Measure the space available for the appliance and set aside room for the bowls, discs and blades. Also check the washing instructions for the parts you’ll use regularly, rather than assuming all the attachments are dishwasher-safe.
Report the discrepancy to the seller and keep your proof of purchase. According to the French Ministry of the Economy, the statutory guarantee of conformity applies in France to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to an individual; an optional commercial warranty does not replace it.