If you prepare the ingredients yourself and mainly want to stop keeping an eye on dinner while it cooks, start by comparing programmable multicookers. A cooking food processor is better suited to a different need: when chopping, mixing or blending also takes up your time. In return, check which accessories you’ll need to use and wash, how much space the appliance requires and how much food you can realistically cook for your portions.
If you mainly make rice, soups or slow-cooked dishes, a programmable multicooker can handle the cooking in its pot without constant supervision. You’ll still need to prepare the ingredients and choose a programme that suits the recipe.
If chopping, blending or mixing accounts for a significant part of your evening cooking, look at the functions and accessories included with a cooking food processor. Its value depends on the tasks you actually do when making your usual meals.
If you’re cooking for a family or preparing meals in advance, start with the quantities in your recipes, then check the usable capacity and fill markings. The pot’s total volume doesn’t necessarily match the amount you can cook in it.
Consider it: if the ingredients are easy to prepare and your priority is to start cooking in the pot without staying by the hob.
Bear in mind: you’ll generally still need to chop and mix the ingredients yourself; fill limits can also reduce how much you can cook.
Consider it: if food preparation, as well as cooking, makes weeknight meals more difficult.
Bear in mind: the functions you’ll find useful depend on the accessories and recipes; storing and cleaning them is part of everyday use.
| What to consider | What to check | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-off cooking | Programmes that suit your dishes, keep-warm settings and the conditions for using the delay-start function. | If I can prepare the ingredients easily, I mainly want to start dinner without keeping an eye on the pot. Around 33% of consumers would make this independence their priority. |
| Built-in food preparation | Which tasks the appliance can do and which accessories are actually included for your everyday recipes. | When chopping or mixing slows me down more than the cooking, I’m looking for an appliance that can handle those tasks too. This would be the priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| How much you can cook | The usable capacity and fill markings for different recipes, particularly for foods that expand. | If I’m serving several people or preparing portions in advance, I need to be able to cook enough in one go without exceeding the pot’s limits. Around 25% of consumers would put capacity first. |
| Cleaning and space | Which parts are dishwasher-safe, how to clean the lid and accessories, and how much space the appliance needs when in use. | If I have to get the appliance out and wash it every evening, I’d rather keep post-dinner faff to a minimum. For around 17% of consumers, ease of cleaning and storage would come before other considerations. |
A pot listed as 6 L won’t necessarily let you cook 6 L of food. For example, Que Choisir cites a 6 L Cookeo pot with a maximum cooking capacity of 4 L.
Compare the usable capacity and the manual’s fill markings with your usual portions, taking into account any limits for liquids, grains and pressure cooking.
A multicooker can take care of the cooking without chopping or mixing the ingredients. A cooking food processor may handle these tasks too, but only if it has the right functions and accessories.
Make a note of the tasks that take up your time on weeknights before comparing appliances. If preparing the ingredients is already easy for you, prioritise the cooking functions you’ll actually use.
Scheduling food to cook later won’t keep perishable ingredients in the pot chilled. This applies to all types of programmable appliance.
Keep ingredients that need refrigerating chilled until you’re ready to prepare the meal, and follow the manufacturer’s safety guidance for the recipe you’re making.
The Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control explains that the CE marking is not a certification mark. A commercial guarantee is separate from statutory guarantees and may have its own terms and conditions.
Look separately at the functions you’ll find useful, the after-sales service arrangements and the written terms of any commercial guarantee. Don’t confuse it with your statutory rights.
The Cookeo and Companion ranges suit two different uses: cooking in the pot for the former, and food preparation combined with cooking for the latter.
With the Thermomix TM7, Vorwerk offers a cooking food processor with a range of functions and guided recipes.
The Cook Expert XL Connect combines food preparation and cooking, with the usable capacity clearly distinguished from the total volume.
These appliances offer two ways to prepare dinner: a cooking food processor that can handle some food-preparation tasks, and multicookers or electric pressure cookers for cooking in the pot. First decide which tasks you’d like to hand over, then compare the listed functions and capacity with your recipes.
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Worth considering if you’d like to combine food preparation and cooking in one appliance. The product description mentions a large touchscreen and 750 recipes. Check which functions and accessories you’ll use, and what terms apply to accessing the recipes.
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This model is designed for cooking in the pot and lists 12 preset menus and a power rating of 1 200 W. The 8 L is the stated capacity, so check the fill markings for your recipes. If you use the delay-start function, don’t leave perishable ingredients at room temperature while you wait.
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Consider this if you’re looking for several cooking modes in one pot. The product description lists a 7-in-1 appliance, including slow cooking and steaming, as well as four customisable presets. Check how much you can cook for your dishes and whether it has a delay-start function if that matters to you.
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This model lists nine menus and two pressure settings for a range of cooking options in the pot. The product description gives a capacity of 6 L; check the manual’s fill limits before planning your portions, along with its instructions for cleaning the parts.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for an electric pressure cooker with a higher stated capacity. The product description lists a 7-in-1 model with a stainless steel inner pot. Check the usable capacity and fill markings, and look for a delay-start or keep-warm function if you need one.
Yes, if the cooking food processor can handle the cooking you need. Its main added benefit is the preparation work it can take care of too. If you already find it easy to prepare ingredients and mainly want to start cooking a meal in the pot, compare multicooker programmes first.
Not necessarily: usable capacity depends on the appliance and the recipe. Que Choisir cites a 6 L Cookeo pot with a maximum cooking capacity of 4 L. Check the manual’s fill markings before choosing the right size for your household.
Don’t use it to leave ingredients that need refrigeration at room temperature in the pot. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare the meal, and follow the manufacturer’s safety guidance for the recipe in question.
Check the seller’s identity, how claims are handled and the written terms of any commercial guarantee. The Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control distinguishes statutory guarantees, including the legal guarantee of conformity, from any commercial guarantee offered. A commercial guarantee does not replace your statutory rights.