If you already prepare your ingredients and mainly want to spend less time watching your food cook, start by comparing multicookers and the programmes suited to your dishes. A cooking food processor meets a different need if you also want it to chop or mix ingredients. If your current equipment already cooks the way you like, a food processor can help with preparation without replacing your separate cooking method.
For rice, steamed vegetables or a slow-cooked dish, the priority is managing the cooking once you’ve prepared and added the ingredients. A programmable multicooker is worth considering for the recipes you make.
If chopping or mixing takes up as much of your evening as cooking, look at the functions and accessories included with the cooking food processor you’re considering, as well as its usable capacity and how easy it is to clean.
If your hob, oven or casserole dish does the job, a food processor can make chopping, grating or kneading easier. You’ll still need to arrange the cooking separately.
Worth considering: if your ingredients are ready and you’d like to be less involved while compatible dishes cook.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to chop and prepare the ingredients; check whether the recipe also needs stirring.
Worth considering: if your dinners regularly involve preparing ingredients before cooking them.
Bear in mind: the bowl and accessories need to suit the quantities you cook and your cleaning routine.
Worth considering: if preparation slows you down, but you’re happy with your current cooking equipment.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to transfer food and keep an eye on it while it cooks in another appliance.
First, identify which step keeps you in the kitchen for longest, then compare each appliance’s functions with your recipes and the space you have available.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Time spent watching food cook | Check which programmes suit your recipes, whether you need to intervene while cooking and, if needed, whether the model has a keep-warm function or a delay-start option. | I’d like to start a compatible dish and get on with something else, without assuming the appliance will also prepare the ingredients. |
| Built-in preparation | Check the exact model’s chopping, mixing or weighing functions, and which accessories are actually included. | It’s mainly the steps before cooking that take up my time; I want to know which of them the appliance can handle. |
| Usable capacity | Compare the usable capacity and maximum fill level with the quantities in your recipes. Don’t assume the stated volume tells you how many portions it can make. | My usual meals need to fit in the cooking pot or bowl without having to cook several batches. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space available, allow for any accessories you’ll need to store, and check which parts of the model are dishwasher-safe. | I want to be able to get the appliance out, use it and clean it, even after a busy day. |
The total volume doesn’t necessarily match the amount you can cook for every recipe. If the pot is too small, you may need to cook several batches.
Compare the usable capacity and fill limits with the quantities needed for the dishes you make regularly.
A multicooker can manage a cooking cycle, but that doesn’t mean it will chop ingredients or stir a recipe that needs it.
Make a note of the steps that actually take up your time in the evening. If most of them happen before cooking, consider a cooking food processor or a food processor too.
Whatever the length of its feature list, the appliance and its accessories need to fit in your kitchen and be cleaned after use.
Measure the space you have, check which accessories are included and find out which parts need to be washed by hand.
These ranges offer different functions. Always compare the specific model rather than assuming every appliance from a brand has the same features.
Cookeo+ and Companion meet two different needs: managing cooking in a pot, or combining preparation and cooking.
The Cook Expert is a cooking food processor to consider if you want to combine preparation and cooking.
The Thermomix TM7 is worth considering if you’re looking for a cooking food processor with different modes and guided recipes.
This selection includes a cooking food processor that combines preparation and cooking, as well as multicookers with different stated sizes and functions. First, choose according to the recipes you make, then check the specifications of the model you’re interested in.
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Worth considering if you want to combine preparation and cooking. The product title mentions a touchscreen and 750 recipes. Check how much input your recipes need, the bowl’s usable capacity and how much space the accessories require.
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Compare this multicooker if you want to cook dishes in a pot rather than leave the chopping to the appliance. Check the amount you can actually cook for your recipes and the programming options you need.
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The product title lists nine menus, two pressure settings, a frying function and 24-hour programming. If you prepare dinner in advance, check how the programming works, the usable capacity and the language of the instructions.
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This model is worth considering if rice is a regular part of your meals. Before choosing it for other dishes, check the relevant programmes, permitted quantities and the clearance needed around the appliance.
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If you cook large quantities, compare the stated 7.1 L capacity with the fill limits for your recipes. Also check the space available and, if it matters to your routine, whether it has a delay-start option and keep-warm function.
For a suitable recipe, a correctly programmed multicooker can manage the cooking once started, as explained by Que Choisir. You’ll still need to prepare the ingredients, follow the model’s instructions and check whether the recipe requires you to intervene.
Not necessarily: the permitted quantity may be less than the cooking pot or bowl’s total capacity. Compare the model’s fill limits and recipe quantities with the meals you usually prepare.
It may be enough if chopping, grating or kneading is your main challenge and you’re already happy with your cooking equipment. Que Choisir distinguishes these preparation tasks from the cooking function of a cooking food processor. With a food processor alone, you’ll still cook separately.
Check which accessories your recipes need, how to remove the bowl or cooking pot, and which parts of the model are dishwasher-safe. Also make sure you have somewhere to store the appliance and its accessories after use.