If you prepare your ingredients in advance and mainly want to spend less time keeping an eye on the cooking, start by looking at multicookers. If chopping, blending or stirring keeps you in the kitchen for longer, a cooking food processor can combine preparation and cooking. Just check its accessories, capacity and supervision requirements. A food processor used alongside your hob or oven is still a good choice if you want to speed up preparation without changing the way you cook.
If you can chop the ingredients before you start, a multicooker is mainly useful for reducing the time you need to spend watching the cooking. UFC-Que Choisir describes this use for dishes cooked in a bowl, while noting that these appliances generally don't stir the food.
If weighing, chopping, blending or stirring takes as much of your attention as cooking, look at the functions of a cooking food processor and check which accessories are actually included. The tasks it can handle vary by model.
If you're happy with your hob, oven or casserole dish, a food processor can take care of tasks such as grating or blending. You can then continue cooking with your other appliance.
UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between multicookers, which focus on cooking, and cooking food processors, which combine preparation and cooking. For your midweek meals, first decide which step you'd like to make easier, then compare capacity and cleaning requirements with the way you plan to use the appliance.
Consider this if: you can prepare the ingredients before starting a cooking programme that you don't want to keep an eye on.
Bear in mind: according to UFC-Que Choisir, multicookers generally don't stir food, so you'll often need to prepare the ingredients separately.
Consider this if: chopping, blending or stirring in the appliance would save you useful steps when making your usual meals.
Bear in mind: functions, accessories, size and supervision requirements vary by model. Built-in food preparation doesn't mean you can leave the appliance unattended while it cooks.
Consider this if: you mainly want to speed up chopping or mixing while continuing to use your hob, oven or casserole dish.
Bear in mind: a food processor doesn't replace your cooking appliance or the supervision it may require.
| Feature | What to check | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking with less supervision | Look for programmes suited to your dishes, and check whether the model offers keep-warm, delayed start and pressure cooking. | When dinner can go into the bowl once it's prepared, I want to be able to get on with something else while it cooks. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise spending less time supervising the cooking. |
| Built-in food preparation | Check that it can handle the chopping, blending, weighing or mixing you need, and find out which accessories are included. | If chopping and mixing are what keep me in the kitchen, having these tasks and the cooking handled by one appliance matters more to me. Around 29% of consumers would prioritise this kind of preparation. |
| Portion capacity | Compare the usable capacity and fill limits with the quantities you cook. | When I'm making several portions or leftovers, I need to know how much will actually fit in the bowl or pot. Around 21% of consumers would prioritise capacity. |
| Storage space and cleaning | Measure the space you have and check which parts are dishwasher-safe. | If the appliance and its accessories are difficult to store or clean, I may not use them much on weeknights. Around 14% of consumers would put easy storage and cleaning first. |
A multicooker can manage the cooking without chopping the vegetables or stirring continuously. If those tasks take up most of your time, it won't solve the problem on its own.
Think of three dinners you often make. Before choosing an appliance type, note down separately how long you spend chopping, stirring and keeping an eye on the cooking.
The stated capacity isn't necessarily the permitted fill level for every recipe, particularly when pressure cooking.
Check the model's instructions for fill limits and compare them with the portions you actually make.
Blades, whisks and steaming baskets can be useful for preparation, but you'll also need somewhere to store them and must follow the care instructions for each one.
Check which accessories are included, which parts are dishwasher-safe and the size of the whole appliance, not just the bowl.
A programme won't make your meals easier if it doesn't match the tasks you need to do. Functions and accessories vary from one model to another.
Start with the meals you usually make, then check the functions you need, the capacity, cleaning requirements and the space available.
These ranges show different ways to divide food preparation and cooking. The features mentioned apply to the models listed, not every product from each brand.
The Cookeo and Companion ranges show two different approaches: cooking in a bowl and combining food preparation with cooking.
The CS 4200XL is suited to preparing ingredients when cooking is handled separately.
The Cookit MCC9555FWC combines food preparation and cooking in a bowl with a stated capacity of 3 L.
The Thermomix TM7 combines food preparation, cooking and connected guided recipes.
These appliances meet two different needs: the four multicookers let you choose an appliance for cooking in a pot, while the Robby cooking food processor combines food preparation and cooking. If you only want to prepare ingredients before cooking on the hob or in the oven, compare the functions of a food processor with the equipment you already have.
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Worth considering if you prepare the ingredients before starting a one-pot cooking programme for several portions.
The product name lists an 8 L capacity, 1,200 W and 12 programmes, including pressure, slow and steam cooking. Check the instructions for the usable capacity for your recipes, as well as the filling and pressure-release guidance.
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Worth a look if you want to programme the cooking after preparing the ingredients.
The product name lists a 24-hour timer, nine menus and two pressure settings. The stated 6 L capacity is the figure given in the title. Check the usable capacity and filling guidelines before planning your portions.
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Compare this one-pot cooking option with your needs if you make several portions and are happy to chop the ingredients separately.
The product name lists a 7.1 L capacity, seven functions and a stainless steel inner pot. Check the fill limits and the space you'll need on your worktop.
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Compare it with your usual portion sizes if you're looking for an appliance that cooks in a pot rather than one with built-in food preparation.
The product name lists a 5.7 L capacity and seven functions, including slow cooking and steaming, as well as four customisable presets. When pressure cooking, follow the model's filling and pressure-release instructions.
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Worth considering if food preparation is just as important as cooking when you're making midweek meals.
The product name lists built-in scales and a large touchscreen. The product details specify a usable capacity of 3 L and dimensions of 40 × 26 × 36 cm. Compare these with your portion sizes and available space. The instructions say not to leave the appliance unattended while it's running.
Generally, no. UFC-Que Choisir says multicookers don't usually stir food. If your meals need ingredients to be chopped or stirred in the appliance, check the functions and accessories of a cooking food processor rather than assuming a cooking programme will do the job.
No, you also need to check how much you can put in for the recipes you plan to make. UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a 6 L Cookeo pot with a 4 L preparation limit. Check the instructions for the specific model, particularly for pressure-cooked recipes, then compare the limit with your portion sizes.
Check the bowl or pot, lid and each accessory you'll use separately. UFC-Que Choisir recommends checking which parts are dishwasher-safe. Consult the instructions for your chosen model to find out exactly which parts can go in the dishwasher and how to care for the rest.
Contact the seller and keep your proof of purchase. Under Article L217-3 of the French Consumer Code, published by Légifrance, the seller is responsible for any lack of conformity that appears within two years of delivery. This statutory guarantee covers the appliance's conformity and should not be confused with a returns policy for a change of mind.