For varied dinners with less need to keep an eye on the cooking, start by comparing multi-cookers. If rice is the mainstay of your meals, a rice cooker may be all you need. A cooking food processor suits a different need if you also want to prepare ingredients in the appliance, while a slow cooker is ideal for dishes you can start cooking several hours before dinner. In every case, check how much food you can actually cook, which parts need washing and how much hands-on attention your recipes require.
If you want to start cooking and then get on with something else, begin with the dishes you actually make. A multi-cooker, slow cooker or rice cooker can reduce the need to keep an eye on the cooking, but each is suited to different recipes.
Cooking in a single bowl can make mealtimes simpler. However, check which parts your recipes use: the lid, basket, seal and accessories may not all have the same cleaning instructions as the bowl.
If you often chop, blend, grate or knead ingredients before cooking, look at the functions and accessories offered by a cooking food processor. Whether it’s worthwhile depends on how much space it takes up and which tasks you’ll use it for regularly.
Start with your recipes and when you can get the cooking underway; then compare cleaning requirements and how much food the appliance can actually prepare.
Worth considering: if you want to switch between stews, steaming and other cooking methods offered by the model, without having to stay by the bowl.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to prepare the ingredients, and some recipes require you to get involved, particularly when it comes to stirring.
Worth considering: if chopping, blending or kneading is a regular part of preparing dinner, as well as the cooking itself.
Bear in mind: accessories and the space it takes up matter just as much as the programmes. Guided recipes don’t necessarily remove the need for manual steps.
Worth considering: for soups, stews and other dishes that can start cooking slowly several hours before dinner.
Bear in mind: it won’t meet the same need as a quick-cooking appliance you can start at the last minute, and it won’t prepare the ingredients for you.
Worth considering: if rice is a regular part of your meals, perhaps with steamed food too, depending on the model’s functions.
Bear in mind: check the exact programmes before relying on it for dishes that go beyond this type of cooking.
| Criteria | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Supervision | Look for programmes suited to your dishes, steps that still need to be done by hand, and how the keep-warm function works. A timer won’t prepare the ingredients. | I want to be able to step away for part of the cooking without expecting the appliance to do everything. In a survey by UFC-Que Choisir published in January 2020, 52% of the 1,695 newsletter subscribers who owned a food processor and were surveyed said their appliance saved them time in the kitchen. This finding applies to those owners, not all households. |
| Cleaning | Check the bowl, lid, seals, baskets and accessories separately. If one part is dishwasher-safe, that doesn’t mean the others are. | After dinner, I’d rather not spend so long washing up that it cancels out the time saved during cooking. |
| Capacity and space | Compare the usable capacity or maximum quantities stated in the instructions, then check the dimensions of the appliance and its accessories. UFC-Que Choisir notes that the 6 L bowl of a Cookeo is limited to 4 L for cooking in its multi-cooker guide. | I need enough capacity for my usual portions, but also an appliance I can set up and store in my kitchen. |
| Delayed start | Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the programme and ingredients you plan to use. Anses recommends limiting the time perishable foods spend at room temperature and keeping meat, fish and prepared dishes that need refrigeration at 4 °C. | If I set the meal to start cooking later, I don’t want to leave perishable ingredients out of the fridge while they wait for cooking to begin. |
A fill limit may reduce how much you can prepare at once. UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a Cookeo with a 6 L bowl that is limited to 4 L for cooking.
Check the usable capacity or maximum quantities in the instructions for your usual recipes, rather than relying on the stated bowl volume alone.
Food-preparation functions also mean extra accessories to handle and clean. If your meals mainly involve cooking, you may not get much use out of this versatility.
Make a note of the steps involved in a few of your usual dinners. If chopping, blending or kneading rarely comes up, compare a multi-cooker, slow cooker or rice cooker too.
A delayed start sets the cooking time, not how the ingredients are stored beforehand. Anses recommends limiting the time perishable foods spend at room temperature.
Keep meat, fish and prepared dishes that need refrigeration in the coldest part of the fridge, at 4 °C, and follow the appliance instructions and food hygiene guidance.
A bowl that is dishwasher-safe doesn’t tell you anything about the cleaning instructions for the lid, seals or accessories.
Before buying, check the instructions to see which parts are removable, which are dishwasher-safe and which need to be washed by hand.
The Cookeo range is an example of a multi-cooker for everyday meals.
The Cook Expert XL Connect combines ingredient preparation with cooking.
The Thermomix TM7 is for people looking to combine cooking with guided recipes in a cooking food processor.
The programmable CSC066X and SCCPRC507B models are examples of slow cooking you can plan in advance.
The Pop RK5352E0 and Classic 2 RK103811 rice cookers offer two formats for different needs.
This selection on Joybuy includes a multi-cooker, a rice cooker and two cooking food processors. Compare them according to the tasks you want the appliance to handle. A slow cooker is a separate option to consider if your dishes need to cook slowly over several hours.
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Worth considering for varied dinners if you want to spend less time keeping an eye on the cooking. The title states 3.8 L; check the usable capacity and exact variant before buying, as the Rio name differs from the one used elsewhere in the description. Follow the fill limits and take care around steam and hot surfaces.
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Worth a look if rice is the mainstay of your evening meals and a preset timer would be useful. The title says it’s for 1 to 3 people. Check how much you can actually cook, which parts need cleaning, and whether the plug and 220 V supply are compatible with your setup.
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Worth comparing if you regularly prepare ingredients before cooking dinner. The title mentions an XL bowl, built-in scales and a large touchscreen. Check that the functions, usable capacity and space required suit your recipes. If guided recipes are important to your choice, confirm how many are available before buying: the title and description give different figures.
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Worth considering if you want to combine several food-preparation steps with cooking. The title mentions built-in scales and a touchscreen. The instructions say not to leave the appliance unattended while it’s running, so this model isn’t suitable if you need to leave during cooking. Also check the usable capacity and cleaning instructions for the parts.
No. A programme can take care of some of the cooking, but you’ll still need to prepare the ingredients, and some recipes require stirring. UFC-Que Choisir notes that multi-cookers generally don’t stir food, so check the recipe steps and the model’s functions.
Not necessarily. In its multi-cooker guide, UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a Cookeo with a 6 L bowl that is limited to 4 L for cooking. To plan your portions, check the usable capacity or fill limits in the instructions for the model you choose.
Don’t assume this is safe for perishable foods. Anses recommends limiting the time they spend at room temperature and keeping meat, fish and prepared dishes that need refrigeration in the coldest part of the fridge, at 4 °C. Also follow the appliance’s preparation and programming instructions.
Check the bowl, basket, lid, seals and accessories separately. One dishwasher-safe part doesn’t mean the others can go in the dishwasher; check the instructions for the specific model you’re interested in.