If your priority is to get dinner cooking and then spend less time keeping an eye on it, start by comparing multi-cookers. A cooking food processor meets a different need: preparing ingredients and cooking them in the same appliance, provided you’ll regularly use its extra functions and have space to store the accessories. If food preparation is the only thing that takes up your time, a food processor without a cooking function may be enough. And if you don’t need either function, stick with the utensils you already have.
If keeping an eye on the cooking is your main concern, look at the programmes, delay-start function and keep-warm setting on the model you’re considering. You don’t necessarily need it to chop or blend ingredients as well.
A cooking food processor is worth considering if you often chop, blend or knead ingredients before cooking. You’ll also need space for the bowl and accessories.
Before adding another appliance, consider how much space it will take up, which parts you’ll need to wash and which functions you’ll genuinely use, compared with the way you cook now.
Start with the part of making dinner that takes up your time each evening: keeping an eye on the cooking, preparing the ingredients or both. Then check whether the appliance suits your portion sizes, kitchen and cleaning routine.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Managing the cooking | Compare the settings for the dishes you usually make, the time controls and the keep-warm function. Check whether the specific model has a delay-start function. | I want to get dinner cooking without staying by the hob. If I also need to chop ingredients, a cooking-only appliance won’t meet all my needs. |
| Preparation built in | Check which functions and accessories are actually included for chopping, blending, grating or kneading. A food processor without a cooking function still needs another appliance for cooking. | Preparing ingredients takes me as long as cooking them, so I could make regular use of a cooking food processor. Otherwise, a food processor without a cooking function or my current utensils may be enough. |
| Portions and space | Compare the usable capacity with the quantities you cook, not just the stated bowl size. Measure the space needed with the lid and accessories in place. | I want to make my usual portions without having to leave an oversized appliance permanently on the worktop. |
| Cleaning and recipes | Check which parts need washing after a typical meal and whether they’re dishwasher-safe. Distinguish between included recipes, any free app and services that require a subscription. | If washing the bowl and accessories takes too long, the time saved during preparation matters less. I also want to know how to access the recipes I’ll use. |
You can’t necessarily fill a bowl to its stated capacity, particularly when pressure cooking. The figure shown may therefore overstate how much food you can actually cook.
Check the fill markings and usable capacity in the instructions for the recipes you make regularly.
The bowl and preparation accessories mean more parts to store and wash. If you mainly want to automate the cooking, these functions don’t address your main concern.
Make a note of the steps you repeat each week, then compare the included accessories with the tasks you genuinely plan to do in the appliance.
Access depends on the system you choose. Vorwerk offers Cookidoo guided recipes by subscription, while Moulinex describes an app for the Cookeo+ mentioned here as free to use.
Before choosing a model, check which recipes are available on the appliance and which require an app or subscription.
The bowl, lid and accessories take up space too. Magimix, for example, lists the Cook Expert XL as weighing 11.9 kg, so having to move it for every meal may affect how you use it.
Measure the space with the bowl in place, and check where you’ll store each accessory.
The Cookeo range is a good example of a multi-cooker focused on cooking rather than preparing ingredients.
According to Vorwerk, the Thermomix TM7 combines preparation and cooking functions with Cookidoo guided recipes.
The Cook Expert XL is an example of a cooking food processor with both preparation and cooking functions.
This selection includes four appliances focused on cooking and one that combines preparation and cooking. Compare them based on the part of making dinner you want to simplify. The fact that a food processor is included here doesn’t mean it can be left to run unsupervised.
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If WiFi connectivity is part of your decision, check which controls you can use with it. For your portion sizes, also check the permitted fill level: 5.7 L is the stated capacity, not necessarily the usable cooking volume.
Check whether it has a delay-start function if you want to programme the cooking to start later. For pressure cooking, follow the instructions for locking the lid and releasing the pressure.
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If you cook larger portions, compare this model’s stated 7.1 L capacity and fill markings with the quantities you usually make.
Check separately whether it has a delay-start function and keep-warm setting if you’re relying on these features. Follow the pressure-release instructions whenever you pressure cook.
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When choosing this multi-cooker for your portion sizes, check the instructions for its actual usable capacity rather than relying on the stated 5.7 L alone.
If you want to set the cooking to start later, check whether it has a delay-start function. When pressure cooking, follow the fill limits and wait for the pressure to release before opening the appliance.
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For planning dinner in advance, this model lists a 24-hour timer, nine menus and two pressure settings. Check that its controls suit the dishes you make and that the usable capacity is enough for your portions.
The product listing notes that the language of some included items may vary, so check that instructions in a language you understand are available. Also check the appliance’s dimensions and pressure-cooking instructions.
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This appliance is for anyone looking to combine preparation and cooking; its name mentions built-in scales and a touchscreen. Check that its functions and accessories suit the tasks you do each week.
The product listing says not to leave it unattended while it’s running, so it isn’t the right choice if your priority is to walk away while food is cooking. If the recipe library is part of your reason for choosing it, check what it includes.
Not necessarily: the bowl’s capacity and its fill limit for cooking may differ. Check the markings and instructions, particularly for pressure-cooking recipes, then compare the usable volume with your usual portion sizes.
It can prepare ingredients, but it won’t cook the meal for you. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes cooking food processors by their cooking function. If you choose a food processor without one, you’ll still need a saucepan, frying pan or oven for that part of the meal.
It depends on the model and service. Vorwerk offers Cookidoo by subscription, while Moulinex describes an app for the Cookeo+ mentioned here as free to use. Check which recipes are available on the appliance and the terms for accessing additional recipes for the model you’re considering.
Count the parts you’ll need to wash after a typical meal: the cooking pot or bowl, lid, blade and any accessories you’ve used. Then check the instructions for each model to see which parts are dishwasher-safe and how much space you’ll need to dry or store them.