For easier weeknight meals, choose an appliance based on the step that slows you down. A multicooker mainly takes care of cooking once you’ve prepared the ingredients, while a cooking food processor can handle some preparation tasks too. If you’re already happy with your hob and oven, a food processor can help with chopping, grating or mixing without adding another cooking appliance. In each case, compare the usable capacity, space required and cleaning involved with the recipes you actually make.
If your meals often feature rice, steamed food or slow-cooked dishes, a programmable multicooker can handle the cooking once you’ve prepared the ingredients and started the programme. UFC-Que Choisir highlights how useful this can be for people who want to spend less time standing over the hob.
For soups, sauces or risottos that also need mixing or chopping, look at the functions and accessories available with a cooking food processor. Just make sure you have space for the appliance and its parts.
If your hob and oven meet your needs but grating, slicing or kneading takes time, a food processor can handle these steps without replacing your cooking appliances. Check that its accessories suit the tasks you do each week.
Choose this if : you prepare ingredients in advance and want to leave rice, dishes with sauce or steamed recipes to cook after starting a programme.
Bear in mind : you’ll generally still need to chop the ingredients, and the appliance won’t usually stir the food as it cooks.
Choose this if : you want to combine some preparation and cooking steps for soups, sauces or slow-cooked dishes.
Bear in mind : the accessories and cleaning can take up space and time.
Choose this if : you’re keeping your cooking appliances and mainly want to chop, grate, slice or knead.
Bear in mind : you’ll need to transfer the ingredients to your cooking appliances and keep an eye on them as usual.
| Priority | Things to check | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking with less supervision | Check that the cooking modes suit your dishes, and find out what you’ll still need to do while they’re cooking. | If I want to get dinner started and then do something else, managing the cooking matters more than chopping functions. Around 42 % of consumers would put cooking with less supervision first. |
| Preparing and cooking in one appliance | Compare the included accessories, the bowl’s usable capacity and the functions available without guided recipes. | When chopping, mixing and then cooking slows down my meals, I’d rather combine those steps, even if it means storing more accessories. This would be a priority for around 33 % of consumers. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space available for the appliance and its accessories, then check which parts need cleaning after the recipes you usually make. | My cooking appliances do the job: I want to avoid buying a bulky appliance that takes ages to clean and ends up unused. For around 25 % of consumers, reducing this hassle would be the priority. |
A multicooker can take care of the cooking once you start a programme, but it generally won’t replace chopping or slicing. If those tasks slow you down, you’ll still need to spend time on dinner before it starts cooking.
Make a note of the steps involved in three meals you regularly cook, and identify the one you’d actually like an appliance to take care of.
The bowl’s or cooking pot’s total capacity doesn’t necessarily match the amount you can use for every recipe. Fill limits are especially important when you’re cooking several portions.
Check the usable capacity and maximum fill levels in the instructions, then compare them with the quantities in your recipes.
Depending on the appliance, some recipes or digital features may require a subscription. The length of any included access and the renewal terms can therefore affect how useful guided cooking will be day to day.
Check what’s available without a subscription, the renewal terms and whether there’s a manual mode that suits your recipes.
You’ll need somewhere to keep the appliance and its accessories both before and after preparing food. In a 2020 survey of cooking food processor owners, UFC-Que Choisir cited washing up and time spent using the appliance among the reasons people used it less.
Measure the space available, including the clearance above the appliance, and check which parts are dishwasher-safe.
The range includes Cookeo multicookers, designed for guided cooking, and Companion cooking food processors, which combine preparation and cooking.
The Cook Expert XL is an example of a cooking food processor that combines preparation and cooking tasks.
The Thermomix TM7 focuses on on-screen guided cooking and access to recipes through Cookidoo.
These models include a cooking food processor for combining preparation and cooking, as well as multicookers for meals where you mainly want to manage the cooking. Choose the type of appliance first, then compare the capacity and features of each model.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you want to combine preparation and cooking in one appliance.
The product name mentions an XL bowl, built-in scales and a large touchscreen. Check the bowl’s usable capacity for your portions and how many recipes are included with the version on sale.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if your priority is to leave everyday meals to a multicooker rather than automate chopping.
The product name lists a 5,7 L capacity, 9-in-1 functionality, Wi-Fi and a sous vide function. Check the fill limits for your recipes and make sure the app is compatible with your device.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you cook smaller quantities and mainly want programmable cooking.
The product name lists 7-in-1 functionality and up to four portions. Compare the fill limits with the quantities in your recipes. For pressure cooking, follow the instructions on filling and releasing steam.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you cook several portions at once and have space for an XL appliance.
The product name lists 7-in-1 functionality and a 7,1 L capacity. Check the usable capacity for your recipes and which parts are dishwasher-safe.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you cook in larger quantities and want a choice of cooking programmes.
The product name lists 9-in-1 functionality, an 8 L capacity, 1200 W of power and 12 preset programmes. Check the usable capacity for your recipes and the inner pot material of the version on sale.
Not if you’re relying on the appliance to prepare ingredients too. A multicooker mainly handles cooking in its pot, while a cooking food processor may also chop or mix, depending on the model and included accessories. Choose based on the steps that take the most time when you make your usual meals.
Compare the usable capacity and fill limits in the instructions with the quantities in your recipes, rather than relying on the stated total capacity alone. The recommended amount can vary depending on the dish and cooking mode.
It depends on the appliance and the service it uses. For example, Vorwerk offers Cookidoo recipes under access terms that include a subscription. Before buying, check which recipes and features remain available without one, as well as the renewal terms.
Count the parts you’d need for two or three recipes you make often, then check in the instructions which ones are dishwasher-safe. Washing up was one of the reasons for lower usage mentioned in a 2020 UFC-Que Choisir survey of cooking food processor owners.