Choose a programmable multicooker if your dinners mainly revolve around rice, slow-cooked dishes, steaming or pressure cooking. Once the ingredients have been prepared and the programme started, it can manage the cooking and sometimes keep food warm or start cooking later. Choose a cooking robot if you also want to chop, blend, knead or follow guided recipes in the same appliance, while taking accessories, footprint and cleaning into account.
You mainly prepare rice, slow-cooked dishes, steamed or pressure-cooked recipes and want to spend less time supervising the cooking, without expecting the appliance to chop or prepare all the ingredients for you. UFC-Que Choisir’s guides explain that automation begins once the programme has been started.
You regularly prepare soups, sauces, purées, doughs, chopped ingredients or guided recipes and want to combine preparation and cooking. This setup is better suited to a cooking robot than to an appliance focused on cooking in a bowl.
You need to store the appliance, wash its parts after a weekday meal and cook portions that suit your household. Check the usable capacity, included accessories and cleaning instructions for the exact model.
Choose this if:your meals are mainly saucy dishes, rice, steamed vegetables or pressure-cooked recipes, and you want to spend less time supervising the cooking.
Bear in mind:the ingredients need to be prepared before starting, and stirring is often done by hand.
Choose this if:your dinners often involve chopping, blending, kneading, emulsifying or following guided steps as well as cooking.
Bear in mind:the setup, accessories, storage space and access to recipes vary by model.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking supervision | Programmes suited to your recipes, time and temperature settings, keep-warm and delayed-start functions where available. Also check whether stirring is still required. | I want to be able to get on with something else after adding the ingredients and starting the cooking, while handling the preparation myself. |
| Preparation and versatility | Functions genuinely available for chopping, blending, kneading, whisking or steaming. Check the included accessories rather than relying solely on the number of functions. | Do my recipes only require cooking in a bowl, or do they also involve several preparation steps each week? |
| Capacity and footprint | Usable capacity, fill-level markers, portions specified in recipes, base dimensions and the space needed for bowls and accessories. | I want portions that suit my household without permanently cluttering the worktop or cupboards. |
| Cleaning and recipes | Removable dishwasher-safe parts, how the lid and accessories come apart, and how guided recipes or associated services can be accessed. | I want the time saved during cooking not to be replaced by complicated cleaning after dinner. |
A programme can manage the cooking time and heat once it has been started, but chopping, weighing, adding ingredients and often stirring are still required. A multicooker therefore does not automatically replace the tasks handled by a cooking robot.
List the meals you make in a typical week and identify the steps that happen before cooking. If cooking is the main sticking point, a multicooker may be enough; if preparation comes up frequently, consider a cooking robot.
The nominal capacity does not always equal the usable capacity: a safety margin and fill-level markers restrict certain recipes. An oversized model may also take up more space and require more handling.
Compare the usable capacity, the portions required for your recipes and the instructions in the manual. Measure the space with the bowls and accessories in place, not just the base.
The value of an additional function or guided recipe depends on the version you buy. Accessories may be sold separately, and some recipe services may come with access conditions.
Check the exact reference, the list of included accessories, recipe access arrangements and the terms of any subscription before ordering.
An additional accessory or paid recipe access can change how you intended to use the appliance.
A cooking robot may combine a bowl, blades, lid, basket, whisk and other accessories. Even when some parts are dishwasher-safe, the electrical base must be cleaned separately.
Identify the parts soiled by your usual recipes and check their cleaning instructions. Choose a setup whose dismantling and weekday cleaning you are happy to manage.
The Cookeo range is a multicooker option for bowl-based meals with less supervision during cooking.
Thermomix is a cooking-robot option focused on guided recipes and combining preparation and cooking tasks.
Cook Expert XL Connect is designed for households that want to combine several preparation, cooking and blending tasks in one appliance.
Monsieur Cuisine cooking robots are worth considering when comparing cooking robots.
Joybuy options mainly suited to evening meals cooked in a bowl, plus a cooking robot for households also looking for preparation functions.
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Worth considering for small to medium-sized households that want to programme bowl-based cooking and make cleaning up after meals easier.
Stated capacity of 3.8 L, 12 programmes, delayed start and keep-warm function; the bowl, lid and accessories are stated to be dishwasher-safe. Check the exact power rating of the variant before buying.
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This size may suit family meals prepared in a single bowl, particularly slow-cooked, steamed or pressure-cooked dishes.
Stated capacity of 5.7 L and up to six portions, with seven modes, four one-touch programmes and removable parts stated to be dishwasher-safe. Follow the fill-level markers and check the available space.
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An option for planned family dinners and recipes that switch between several cooking modes in the same appliance.
Stated 6 L bowl, programming for up to 24 hours, keep-warm function, 19 functions, built-in scales and an air-fryer lid. Check the included accessories, footprint and cleaning requirements for the version sold.
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Worth considering for larger quantities, with delayed start and a keep-warm function to help organise a family meal.
Nine functions, 12 presets and a 24-hour delayed start are advertised for soups, rice, grains and slow-cooked dishes. Check the exact capacity, fill-level markers, dimensions and cleaning instructions.
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This cooking robot is better suited to meals combining chopping, stirring, kneading, steaming and slow cooking than to cooking in a bowl alone.
Stated 3.5 L bowl, built-in scales, touchscreen, 680 recipes and a rinsing programme. The safety instructions state that the appliance must not be left unattended while operating; also check the terms for accessing recipes and Wi-Fi updates.
It can reduce the need to supervise cooking once the ingredients have been added and the programme started: automatic programmes manage the time and heat, while some models also offer keep-warm or delayed-start functions. This does not make the meal fully automatic: preparation, chopping, adding ingredients and often stirring still need to be done. UFC-Que Choisir and Moulinex France describe these functions in this context.
Do not assume that 6 L is always available for a recipe. UFC-Que Choisir points out that a safety margin is needed to prevent spills; check the fill levels in the manual and the portions specified in your recipes.
No. UFC-Que Choisir recommends checking whether recipes are provided free of charge or require payment. Vorwerk France mentions Cookidoo recipes for the TM7 with a subscription: check what is included and the applicable terms at the time of purchase.
Check the dishwasher compatibility of each part and what needs to be done after every use. Moulinex specifically recommends cleaning the bowl and water collector on the Cookeo Touch, while Vorwerk states that the TM7 base must be cleaned by hand even though most accessories can go in the dishwasher.