If you mainly prepare dishes to cook in a bowl, consider a multicooker. If you regularly move straight from preparing ingredients to cooking, a cooking food processor may be a better fit. If your existing equipment already takes care of the cooking, a food processor, blender or no new appliance at all may be better suited to the tasks you repeat. In every case, compare the features with your recipes, the quantity you can actually cook and the effort involved in cleaning, as recommended in UFC-Que Choisir’s guides and test protocols.
The task that slows down your cooking session matters more than the number of features listed on an appliance.
If you cook vegetables, sauces, soups or slow-cooked dishes for several meals, compare your usual quantities with the usable capacity for each preparation. UFC-Que Choisir points out that you cannot always make full use of a bowl’s total capacity.
A multicooker may suit you if its programmes cover the dishes you make. You’ll still need to prepare the ingredients and follow any monitoring instructions for the specific model and programme.
If your oven, hob or pans already do the job, consider whether chopping, grating, slicing or blending is the repetitive step you’d like to simplify. A food preparation appliance may be all you need.
Think through the steps in a typical cooking session, then check which features and practical considerations would genuinely change the way you cook.
| Priority | What to check | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing ingredients | Check which tasks it handles — chopping, grating, slicing, blending or kneading — and which accessories are included. A food processor or specialist appliance focuses on preparation; depending on the model, a cooking food processor can also handle some cooking tasks. | “I spend most of my time chopping or blending, while my current equipment works well for cooking.” |
| Cooking in a bowl | Compare the programmes with the dishes you plan to make: rice, steaming, slow cooking or pressure cooking, depending on the model. UFC-Que Choisir says that multicookers generally do not stir food. | “Cooking takes up most of my session; I can prepare the ingredients separately and stir them if needed.” |
| Usable capacity | Check the usable capacity and the fill limits for each recipe or programme. UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a Cookeo with a 6 L bowl that can be filled to a maximum of 4 L for cooking. | “I want to prepare enough for several meals without finding out I need to cook multiple batches.” |
| Monitoring while cooking | Read the instructions for the exact model: programming, pressure, keeping food warm and monitoring requirements can vary by programme. A timer alone does not mean you can leave the appliance running unattended. | “I’d like to work on other preparations while something cooks, following the instructions in the manual.” |
| Cleaning and storage | Count the bowls, lids and accessories you’ll need to wash; check which parts are dishwasher-safe and how much storage space you’ll need. UFC-Que Choisir includes cleaning and storage among its appliance assessment criteria. | “I’d rather keep using my current equipment if a new appliance means too many extra parts to take apart and store.” |
Fill limits may mean you have to cook several batches. UFC-Que Choisir cites a 6 L Cookeo bowl that can hold a maximum of 4 L for cooking; the limit also depends on the recipe.
Compare the quantities you plan to cook with the usable capacity and the fill limits for the programmes you intend to use.
If you mainly want to chop, grate or slice, you may rarely use the built-in cooking features. UFC-Que Choisir recommends assessing whether a cooking food processor will be genuinely useful, as well as considering its maintenance and size.
Make a note of the tasks you repeat during a cooking session and compare them with what your current equipment can do before choosing an appliance category.
Moulinex says the Cookeo+ 180 recettes CE85B510 handles certain cooking steps without intervention. This information applies to the specific manufacturer and model; it does not describe all multicookers or all their programmes.
Check the manual and warnings for the exact model, particularly those relating to filling and pressure management.
A big cooking session also leaves you with more food to store. Anses warns that poor storage, breaks in the cold chain and cross-contamination can increase food safety risks.
Check you have enough room in your fridge. Anses recommends refrigerating food no later than two hours after preparation and keeping the coldest part of the fridge between 0 and +4 °C.
These examples show different ways to combine preparation and cooking; their features do not apply to every product range from each brand.
The Cookeo range is an example of the multicooker approach, focusing first and foremost on dishes cooked in the bowl.
The Cook Expert XL combines a cooking bowl with food preparation accessories, for households that want to handle several steps with one system.
The Thermomix TM7 is aimed at people who want to bring different functions together and browse recipes on the appliance’s screen.
These Joybuy options include a cooking food processor for combining preparation and cooking, multicookers for dishes cooked in a bowl, and a food processor for preparing ingredients when your existing equipment already takes care of the cooking.
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Worth considering if you want to combine preparation and cooking in a cooking food processor with a touchscreen. Its Joybuy listing gives a bowl capacity of 4.5 L, including 3 L of usable capacity, and lists 750 recipes. Compare the usable capacity with your usual preparations and check the manual for fill limits and monitoring requirements.
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Designed for dishes cooked in the bowl rather than chopping ingredients. The product name lists 9 menus and 2 pressure settings. Check the manual for permitted quantities, monitoring instructions and the language of the documentation.
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This option is designed for cooking in the bowl; the product name mentions an air fryer lid and built-in scales. The 6 L refers to the stated capacity. Check the manual for the limits that apply to different cooking methods and any monitoring instructions.
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Worth considering for recipes cooked in the bowl. The product name lists 1200 W and 12 preset programmes. Before planning large batches, check the usable capacity for different foods and the instructions for each programme.
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For preparing ingredients when you already cook them separately. The product name mentions chopping, slicing and grating; check which accessories are actually included, how to care for them and how much room you’ll need to store the appliance.
Follow only the instructions for the model and programme you’re using. Moulinex says the Cookeo+ 180 recettes CE85B510 manages cooking without intervention and releases pressure automatically; this manufacturer’s claim does not apply to other appliances or programmes. Check the manual before use.
Not necessarily. UFC-Que Choisir says that a 6 L Cookeo bowl can hold a maximum of 4 L for cooking, and the permitted quantity depends on the recipe. Check the usable capacity and fill limits for the model you’re considering.
Anses recommends refrigerating food no later than two hours after preparation and keeping the coldest part of the fridge between 0 and +4 °C. Make sure you have enough room before preparing large quantities, and avoid cross-contamination between raw food and ready-to-eat dishes.
No. Check which parts are dishwasher-safe, then count how many you’ll need to take apart, wash and put away after a cooking session. UFC-Que Choisir’s test protocols also assess cleaning, storage and how bowls, lids and accessories hold up after dishwasher cycles.