If your main aim is to programme cooking in a pot and minimise adjustments during the cycle, start by comparing multicookers based on your recipes and the capacity you can actually use. A cooking food processor meets a different need: it also prepares ingredients in the same appliance, but you’ll need to allow for more accessories. In either case, programming doesn’t mean you can ignore the model’s filling, set-up and safety instructions.
If you often make rice, slow-cooked dishes or steamed recipes, a multicooker’s programmes and keep-warm function can reduce the adjustments you need to make while food is cooking. You’ll still need to prepare the ingredients and follow the instructions.
If you’re cooking for one to three people or have limited worktop space, compare compact models with larger-capacity pots. The capacity shown on the appliance doesn’t necessarily match the amount you can cook for every recipe.
If chopping, blending, kneading or mixing is part of your everyday needs, consider cooking food processors as well as multicookers. Compare the bowl, the accessories you’ll need to clean and the space required before you choose.
First decide whether you simply want to programme cooking or also prepare ingredients. Then make sure the appliance’s usable capacity and cleaning requirements suit the meals you usually make.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Programming and guidance | Look for programmes that suit your recipes and adjustable cooking times and temperatures. Check whether you’ll find the keep-warm function useful. | When I make the same dishes regularly, I want to start a cycle without constantly adjusting the cooking. Around 40% of consumers would prioritise this need for programming. |
| Usable capacity and size | Compare the portions you cook with the filling limits for your recipes, then measure the space available for the appliance. | In a small household, or when I cook several portions at once, I need a pot that suits my needs without taking over the worktop. This would be the priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Cooking functions and cleaning | Choose the functions you’ll use and check which parts need washing after each meal, especially the pot, lid and accessories. | I want to bring my everyday cooking together in one appliance that I can clean without a lot of extra effort. Around 20% of consumers would put this combination of functions and easy cleaning first. |
| Built-in food preparation | Check which motorised functions your recipes need, along with the bowl capacity and accessories included. | If chopping or mixing takes me as much time as watching the food cook, I’m looking for an appliance that can handle the preparation too. For around 10% of consumers, this would be their main need. |
The stated capacity doesn’t always match the amount you can cook. For example, Que Choisir notes that a 6 L Cookeo pot is limited to 4 L of ingredients; the limit may also vary by recipe.
Start with the portions you usually make and check the filling guides in the instructions, particularly for ingredients that expand or froth.
A programme reduces the adjustments needed during a cycle, but it doesn’t remove the risks associated with heat, steam or pressure, depending on the appliance.
Before using it for the first time, follow the model’s set-up and monitoring instructions. The Instant Pot manual reviewed, for example, specifies a flat, stable and non-combustible surface.
Chopping, blending or kneading functions won’t be as useful if your only aim is to programme cooking in a pot.
List the tasks your most-used recipes require before comparing a cooking food processor with a multicooker.
A cooking food processor also means extra accessories to store and clean.
A long list of settings doesn’t tell you how easy the controls are to use or the appliance is to clean. Que Choisir’s testing protocol also looks at handling and storage.
Check the controls you’ll actually use, the accessories included and the parts you’ll need to clean after making your usual recipes.
Moulinex’s Cookeo multicookers are designed mainly for cooking, while its Companion cooking food processors also handle some food preparation tasks.
The Instant Pot Duo range combines pressure cooking with preset programmes, and the brand offers several pot sizes.
Vorwerk’s Thermomix is a cooking food processor, designed for people who want to combine motorised food preparation with cooking.
These models are designed for programmed cooking in a pot, with different capacities and functions. If you also want to chop, blend or knead ingredients, compare the food preparation functions of a cooking food processor instead.
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Worth considering if you want to programme different types of cooking in a pressure-cooking appliance. The model name indicates seven functions and four customisable presets. Compare the 5.7 L usable capacity with your recipes, and follow the filling limits and steam safety instructions.
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This size is worth considering for smaller quantities cooked under pressure. The model has a 3.8 L pot, seven functions and capacity for up to four portions. Check the filling limits for your recipes and don’t open the appliance while it’s under pressure.
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Worth comparing if you cook large quantities and want a choice of preset programmes. The model has an 8 L pot, 1,200 W of power and 12 menus. Check how much your recipes can actually hold and how much worktop space you’ll need.
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Worth considering if you want to combine pressure cooking with air frying. The model offers 11 functions, a 5.7 L pot and two lids. Make room to store the lid you’re not using, and check the instructions for each cooking mode.
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Compare this cooker if you want a choice of programmed pressure-cooking modes. It has a nominal capacity of 6 L, with 5 L usable, nine menus, two pressure settings and a 24-hour timer. Check which language the manual is available in and follow its filling instructions.
No. Programmes can reduce the adjustments and active monitoring needed, but they don’t replace the instructions for your model. Follow the filling limits and set-up instructions. The Instant Pot manual reviewed, for example, specifies a flat, stable and non-combustible surface.
The stated capacity may be greater than the amount you can cook. Que Choisir gives the example of a 6 L Cookeo pot limited to 4 L of ingredients and notes that the maximum varies by recipe. Check the guides and instructions, particularly for ingredients that expand or froth.
Check which parts you’ll need to wash after making your usual recipes and whether they’re dishwasher-safe; this varies by model. Que Choisir includes handling and cleaning in its testing protocol. Moulinex says the pot and steam basket in the 3 L Cookeo Mini are dishwasher-safe.
Not if you mainly want to programme cooking in a pot: a multicooker meets that need, as long as you follow its instructions. Consider a cooking food processor if you also want to automate food preparation tasks such as chopping, blending or kneading.