A programmable multicooker can reduce the need to keep an eye on your food once you’ve prepared the ingredients and started the programme, provided your recipes suit its cooking modes. It won’t necessarily chop or mix the ingredients for you. If those are the tasks you find most difficult, consider a cooking food processor instead. And if your current equipment already meets your needs, buying another appliance could simply be duplicating what you have.
If your recipes let you prepare the ingredients before starting to cook, a programme can free you from having to keep a constant eye on things. Que Choisir explains that cooking continues without supervision once the ingredients are in and the programme has started; you’ll still need to do any other steps required by the recipe.
A single cooking pot may suit family meals or leftovers, but its stated capacity alone won’t tell you how many portions it can make. Compare the quantities you usually cook with the manufacturer’s guidance and the fill limits in the instructions.
If chopping, whisking or mixing takes as much time as keeping an eye on the cooking, look at the functions and accessories offered by a cooking food processor. Moulinex’s Companion XL is an example of this different type of appliance, with more parts to use and clean.
When it comes to home-cooked meals, start with the task you find most difficult: keeping an eye on the cooking, making enough portions, handling the ingredients or cleaning the appliance. If none of these tasks warrants another appliance, first compare what your current equipment can already do.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping an eye on the cooking | Programmes suited to your dishes and any steps you need to take while each recipe is cooking. | If I want to start a dish and then leave it to cook, having to add ingredients or stir part-way through could affect my choice. Around 36% of consumers put reducing the need for supervision first. |
| Portions and pressure cooking | Portion guidance for the recipe, fill limits and pressure-release instructions if the appliance cooks under pressure. | If I want to cook the household’s midweek meals in one pot, it needs to hold the quantities I usually make. This is a priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Preparation and mixing | The steps your recipes require and whether the corresponding accessories are included. | If chopping or stirring is more of a hurdle than the cooking itself, a simple timer won’t solve my problem. Around 21% of consumers prioritise these food-preparation tasks. |
| Space and cleaning | The space needed with the lid open and the cleaning instructions for each part. | If I need to put the appliance away after every use, its weight and how easy it is to clean matter to my decision. Around 14% of consumers prioritise these practical considerations. |
Depending on the recipe, you may still need to chop the ingredients, brown them, add them in stages or stir them. A cooking programme doesn’t automatically replace a food-preparation appliance.
Think of three recipes you cook regularly and note down every step you do by hand. If those steps are your biggest challenge, compare the accessories on a cooking food processor rather than looking only at multicooker programmes.
Two appliances with the same stated capacity may be designed to make different numbers of portions. The usable quantity also depends on the recipe and fill limits, particularly when pressure cooking.
Compare the portion guidance for the exact model with the quantities you usually cook, then check its instructions before using the pressure-cooking function.
An appliance may fit on your worktop without leaving enough room to open the lid. The cooking pot, basket and accessories may also have different care instructions.
Measure the space where you plan to use it, then check the instructions to see which parts are removable and which are dishwasher-safe.
The range includes Cookeo multicookers, focused on cooking and guided recipes, and Companion cooking food processors, which can also handle some food-preparation tasks.
The Fast & Delicious CY505E10 is a multifunction electric pressure cooker for people looking for features such as pressure cooking and adjustable cooking settings, rather than food-processor functions.
These two models are suited to people looking for programmed cooking in a single pot: one is a multifunction electric pressure cooker, while the other is a multicooker for simple dishes. Choose according to your recipes and available space, without assuming either model will also chop or mix ingredients.
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Worth considering if you want to cook several portions in one pot and spend less time keeping an eye on your food once it’s started. The model name indicates a 5.7 L capacity. Check the quantities allowed for your recipes, the appliance dimensions and the plug type for the version on sale before you buy.
When pressure cooking, follow the fill limits and pressure-release instructions to avoid contact with steam.
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Worth a look if you mainly cook rice or simple dishes and want a 2 L multicooker, as stated in the model name. Check that its programmes cover the recipes you usually make and that there’s enough space around the steam outlet.
If dishwasher cleaning is important to you, check the care instructions for this model’s cooking pot.
No. You’ll need to prepare the ingredients and follow any manual steps in the recipe. Que Choisir says that once the ingredients are in and the programme has started, the appliance can cook without constant supervision. That doesn’t mean it will chop or mix ingredients for you.
Compare the stated portion guidance for the specific model with the quantities you actually cook, then check the fill limits in the instructions. As a guide for their own appliances, Moulinex says some 6 L Cookeo models serve 2 to 6 people, while Tefal lists its 6 L Fast & Delicious CY505E10 as serving 4 to 6 people.
Read the instructions for the exact model, including guidance on locking, filling, pressure release and cleaning the relevant parts. Tefal describes a pressure-release system on its Fast & Delicious CY505E10, but you shouldn’t assume another model has the same feature.