To prepare several meals in advance, start by identifying the task that slows you down most. A food processor can help with repetitive chopping, while a cooking food processor combines preparation and cooking. A multicooker focuses on cooking, so it’s a good option if you already have the tools you need to prepare ingredients. Before adding another appliance, compare its usable capacity with your recipes, check how much space it will take up and make sure you have room to chill the portions you prepare.
A good place to start is with the task you repeat most often, while keeping in mind the space you’ll need to store your meals.
If chopping, grating or blending ingredients takes up a large part of your session, start by taking stock of the tools you already have. A food processor can handle several of these tasks, as long as its accessories are suited to your recipes.
For soups, sauces or slow-cooked dishes made in several portions, compare the cooking functions and usable capacity with your recipes. The number of programmes alone won’t tell you how much you can cook in one batch.
If your fridge or freezer is already full, work out where you’ll store the portions before increasing the amount you cook. Anses recommends keeping the coldest part of the fridge at 4 °C and refrigerating hot food within two hours.
Make a note of the tasks involved in a typical session, then compare appliances based on what they’ll genuinely add to your kitchen. UFC-Que Choisir advises considering the appliances you already own and how much space a new food processor will take up.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks already covered | List the chopping, mixing and cooking you have planned. Note which tools you already own and which accessories actually come with the appliance you’re considering. | Do my blender and utensils already cover my recipes, or is preparing the ingredients what slows me down? |
| Type of cooking | Consider the difference between a food processor with no cooking function, a cooking food processor that prepares and cooks, and a multicooker designed mainly for cooking. Check which modes are useful for your dishes. | If my ingredients are already prepared, I mainly want to cook several portions. If I also want to chop or mix in the same appliance, I’ll look at the functions of a cooking food processor. |
| Capacity | Compare your largest recipe with the usable capacity, if listed. Don’t confuse bowl capacity with usable capacity or the advertised number of portions. | I’d rather know whether my usual recipe will fit in one batch than rely on the size shown on the product listing. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space available and the clearance needed to use the appliance. Check the instructions for advice on storing accessories and cleaning the parts. | An appliance I use every week needs to be easy to reach, and cleaning it should suit the way I cook. |
| Storage | Make room for the portions and containers. According to Anses, the coldest part of the fridge should be at 4 °C; hot food should be refrigerated within two hours. | Before cooking more, I need to be able to store the meals I’ve prepared without overcrowding the fridge. |
If your current appliances already take care of cooking, the extra functions may duplicate what you have without making ingredient preparation any easier.
Identify the tasks that take up time in every session. Then compare the chopping and blending accessories you actually need.
A bowl’s total capacity doesn’t always match the amount you can use in a recipe. For example, Magimix lists a total capacity of 4.8 L and a usable capacity of 3.8 L for the Cook Expert XL, while Moulinex lists 3 L usable capacity for the Companion mentioned here.
Compare the usable capacity listed for your chosen model with your largest recipe, then decide whether you’re happy to cook in several batches.
Prepared meals take up space once they’ve finished cooking, too. Anses recommends keeping the coldest part of the fridge at 4 °C and refrigerating food within two hours.
Check how much space you have and make sure you’ve got suitable containers for the portions you plan to store before choosing an appliance with a larger capacity.
A large bowl and several accessories need to be stored somewhere you can reach easily, and they’ll need cleaning after each session.
Measure your worktop and cupboards. Check the instructions for your chosen model to see how to wash and store the parts you’ll use regularly.
These models give you an idea of the different capacities and formats available. The figures quoted come from the manufacturers’ product information and should be compared with your own recipes.
The Cook Expert XL is an example of a cooking food processor to consider if you prepare large quantities in one bowl.
The Companion and Cookeo models mentioned here are designed for different uses: preparing and cooking with a cooking food processor, or focusing on cooking with a multicooker.
The Thermomix TM7 is another cooking food processor to compare based on the amount you prepare in each batch.
These options are for preparing and cooking with a cooking food processor, or mainly cooking with a multicooker. If your current appliances already cover these tasks, first consider whether another appliance would be useful.
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Worth considering if you’d like one appliance to handle both preparation and cooking. The product name mentions an XL bowl, built-in scales, a large touchscreen and 750 recipes. Check that the usable capacity and overall size suit your cooking sessions.
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Consider this if you already have the tools to prepare ingredients and want an appliance dedicated to cooking. The product name lists a 6 L capacity, nine cooking programmes and two pressure settings. Compare the usable capacity with your recipes, and check the instructions and cleaning requirements.
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This multicooker suits sessions where cooking is the task you need help with. Its stated capacity is 5.7 L; check how much you can actually use for your dishes, and keep your preparation tools if your meals also involve chopping or grating.
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Worth comparing for cooking larger quantities if you already have chopping tools. The model has a stated capacity of 7.1 L; check the usable capacity for your usual recipe before planning to cook it all in one batch.
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Worth considering if you want to prepare and cook with one appliance. The product name mentions built-in scales, a touchscreen and 680 recipes. Check the bowl’s usable capacity, the dimensions and how to clean the parts for the way you plan to use it.
A food processor may be enough if your current appliances already take care of cooking and chopping or mixing ingredients is what takes you the most time. Check that the accessories supplied cover the tasks you actually do, particularly grating and slicing.
Choose based on the tasks you want to combine. Consider a cooking food processor if you want to prepare and cook in the same appliance; a multicooker is better suited to cooking when chopping and blending are already covered. Then compare the specific model’s functions with your recipes.
Start with your largest recipe and compare it with the usable capacity listed for your chosen model. For example, the manufacturers’ product information lists 3.8 L usable capacity for the Magimix Cook Expert XL and 3 L usable capacity for the Moulinex Companion mentioned here. These figures don’t guarantee the same number of portions for every recipe.
Make sure you have containers and enough chilled storage space before preparing more portions. Anses recommends keeping the coldest part of the fridge at 4 °C and refrigerating hot food within two hours.