If you mainly want to set dinner cooking and check on it less often, choose the settings on a multicooker or electric pressure cooker to suit the dishes you usually make. A slow cooker is better suited to longer cooking, while a food processor with cooking functions is worth considering if you also want the appliance to chop, blend or grate ingredients. In every case, check how much you can actually cook, how much space the appliance needs and which steps you’ll still have to do yourself.
If your dinners often include rice, pulses, dishes with sauce or steamed vegetables, start by looking at the settings that suit those recipes. A programme can take care of some of the cooking, but you’ll still need to stick to the permitted quantity and do any necessary preparation.
Some appliances combine pressure cooking with hot-air cooking. This combination is worth considering if you’ll genuinely use both functions and have space for the appliance and its accessories. Les Numériques highlights the Ninja Foodi Max’s size as one of its drawbacks.
If chopping, mincing, grating or mixing takes up a significant part of preparing dinner, a food processor with cooking functions may handle more tasks than a multicooker designed just for cooking. However, check which accessories you’ll use every week and how many parts you’ll need to wash.
Start with a few dinners you often make, then separate the preparation tasks from the cooking functions you need. A slow cooker is mainly for longer cooking; an electric pressure cooker adds pressure cooking if that function is included, while hot-air cooking and food preparation depend on the model you choose.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking with less supervision | Settings suited to your dishes and the option to adjust cooking outside guided recipes. | I want to start cooking a dish with sauce or some rice without staying by the hob, while still being happy to prepare the ingredients: around 33% of consumers would prioritise this hands-off cooking. |
| Cooking capacity | Maximum fill mark and serving sizes for recipes similar to the ones you make. | To feed my household without cooking multiple batches, I need to know how much the cooking pot can actually hold; around 27% of consumers would make useful capacity their top priority. |
| Functions and size | Dimensions, including the space needed to open the lid, and storage for useful accessories. | In a small kitchen, I want to combine the functions I use without cluttering the worktop; around 20% of consumers would prioritise this combination. |
| Cleaning and ease of use | Parts you’ll need to wash after your recipes and instructions specific to pressure cooking or blades. | If I cook often, I want to be able to clean the appliance and use it without unnecessary difficulty; around 20% of consumers would prioritise this practical aspect. |
A cooking pot described as 6 l doesn’t necessarily let you prepare 6 l of food. UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a 6 l Cookeo that can only be filled to 4 l for cooking; don’t assume this limit applies to every model without checking.
Check the fill mark and the manual for the model you’re considering, then compare them with the portion sizes in your usual recipes.
A long list of options won’t necessarily be useful if you mainly cook the same dishes. Conversely, you can’t assume that a function you need, such as browning or pressure cooking, is included just because an appliance is called a “multicooker”.
Make a note of a few dinners you often cook and check which settings each one needs, as well as what you’ll have to do before and during cooking.
An appliance that combines pressure and hot-air cooking may need space for racks or other parts as well as its cooking pot. Les Numériques’ review of the Ninja Foodi Max notes its dimensions in particular.
Measure the space you have, the clearance needed to open the lid and the storage space required for the accessories that come with the specific model.
A multicooker can handle a stage of cooking without chopping or mixing the ingredients for you. Depending on its accessories, a food processor with cooking functions can handle more preparation tasks, but you’ll need to handle its blades carefully.
Work out which step takes up most of your time in the evening: preparing the ingredients, managing the cooking or serving the dish. Choose functions to suit that step, and follow the manual whenever you use pressure cooking or blades.
These ranges show different ways to combine cooking and food preparation. The features and drawbacks mentioned relate to the models listed, not every appliance from each brand.
The Cookeo range includes multicookers with guided recipes for everyday meals. Moulinex lists a 6 l cooking pot, 150 built-in recipes and six settings for the Cookeo+ CE851A10, including steaming, slow cooking, browning and pressure cooking.
The Foodi SmartLid range combines pressure cooking and hot-air cooking on the models tested by Les Numériques, including the OL550EU.
The Cook Expert is a food processor with cooking functions, designed to combine food preparation and cooking. Magimix lists functions including chopping, mixing, grating and kneading. For the Cook Expert XL Connect, the brand gives a total capacity of 4.8 l and a usable capacity of 3.8 l.
These appliances offer two ways to approach weeknight dinners: programme cooking with an electric pressure cooker, or combine some food preparation and cooking steps in a food processor with cooking functions. Compare the listed features with the recipes you make, then check the permitted cooking capacity and the instructions for the specific model you’re considering.
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Worth considering if you want to programme the cooking of everyday dishes. The title lists an 8 L cooking pot, 1,200 W of power and 12 pre-set programmes. Check the manual for how much you can cook and the instructions for releasing pressure before using the pressure-cooking function.
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Worth a look if you want to combine pressure cooking with a hot-air finish. The title mentions a hot-air cooking lid and an integrated scale; make room for these parts and check the fill marks and pressure-release instructions for this model.
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Worth considering if you want to try different cooking methods without changing appliances. This 7-in-1 model lists slow cooking, steaming and four customisable pre-sets among its functions. If you need to set cooking to start later, check that this is available on the specific model before buying.
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Worth a look if you want to set pressure cooking in advance. The title lists a 24-hour timer, nine menus, two pressure levels and a voice function. Check the usable capacity and the filling and pressure-release instructions in the Model D manual.
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Worth considering if preparing ingredients matters as much as cooking them. The title lists an integrated scale, a large touchscreen and 750 recipes; check that the functions and usable capacity suit your dishes. The instructions for this model say not to leave it running unattended.
Not necessarily: the cooking pot’s capacity and its maximum fill level for cooking are two different things. UFC-Que Choisir gives a maximum of 4 l for the 6 l Cookeo pot it features; check the fill mark and the manual for your model, particularly for pressure-cooking recipes.
Generally, no. UFC-Que Choisir says that mixing is usually done by hand with multicookers. If you also want to chop, blend or mix ingredients, check the functions of a food processor with cooking functions that’s designed for those tasks.
The Cookeo+ CE851A10 is worth considering if you prioritise guided recipes and its listed pressure-cooking, steaming, slow-cooking and browning settings. If hot-air cooking is also important for your dishes, look at a Foodi SmartLid model with this function, then check the size, interface and accessories for the specific model you’re considering.
Count the parts your recipes will require you to wash: the cooking pot, lid, seal and accessories, as well as any blades or discs on a food processor with cooking functions. Check the manual to see which parts of the specific model are dishwasher-safe; UFC-Que Choisir includes cleaning and storage in its multicooker assessment process.
Follow the instructions for the model you’re using, especially when handling blades, discs and hot parts. In the Cook Expert manual, Magimix advises handling knives and discs carefully and keeping the appliance and its cable out of reach of children under 8.