For weeknight meals, choose based on the step you want to make easier: a multicooker mainly takes care of cooking, while a cooking food processor can also handle some preparation tasks, depending on its accessories. If your main aim is to chop, grate or blend, and you already have a way to cook your food, a food processor may be all you need. In each case, compare the usable capacity, the space it takes up and the parts you’ll need to clean.
If you often cook rice, steam vegetables or make casseroles, and don’t mind chopping the ingredients separately, consider programmable multicookers. Their cooking programmes can reduce the need to keep an eye on things once the ingredients are in the bowl, as explained in UFC-Que Choisir’s multicooker testing protocol.
If your dinners regularly involve chopping, blending, mixing or kneading before cooking, compare cooking food processors and their accessories. Make sure the bowl has enough usable capacity for your portions: features and capacities vary from one model to another, as UFC-Que Choisir points out.
If your hob, oven or another appliance already takes care of cooking, and chopping or blending is what takes up most of your time, a food processor is worth considering. It helps you prepare ingredients, but doesn’t replace the heating function that sets a cooking food processor apart, according to UFC-Que Choisir’s guides.
Start with the steps involved in your usual dinners, then check the capacity, size and cleaning requirements of an appliance that meets your needs.
| What to consider | What to check | Your needs and survey findings |
|---|---|---|
| Less hands-on cooking | Compare the cooking programmes, the settings that suit your dishes and any steps that still need your attention. According to UFC-Que Choisir, multicooker programmes manage the heat and cooking time once started. | I want to be able to get dinner going without standing by the hob. In a survey published on 14 January 2020, UFC-Que Choisir reported that 52% of the 1,695 newsletter subscribers who owned kitchen appliances and were surveyed felt their cooking food processor saved them time in the kitchen. This reflects how they used their appliances, not French households’ buying preferences. |
| Ingredient preparation | Check that it comes with the blades, discs or accessories you need for the tasks you do regularly. A food processor prepares ingredients but doesn’t cook them; a cooking food processor combines preparation and heating, depending on its functions. UFC-Que Choisir explains the difference. | Chopping, grating or mixing slows me down more than cooking does. If I’m happy with my hob or oven, I can keep using it to cook and choose an appliance for food preparation. |
| Usable capacity | Compare the usable capacity and fill limits for the recipes you have in mind, rather than looking at the total capacity alone. UFC-Que Choisir cites a 6 L Cookeo bowl with a maximum cooking capacity of 4 L; this limit doesn’t apply to every appliance. | I sometimes prepare several portions, so the permitted capacity needs to suit the dishes I usually cook, especially those with plenty of liquid. |
| Cleaning and storage | Check which removable parts are dishwasher-safe for the exact model, then count the accessories you’ll need to wash and store. Dishwasher compatibility for a bowl or cooking pot doesn’t mean the whole appliance is dishwasher-safe. | After a meal, I’d rather avoid a long washing-up session and have somewhere easy to store the parts I’ve used. |
| Kitchen space | Measure the space available for the assembled appliance and decide where you’ll store its accessories. For the Cook Expert Connect, Magimix gives dimensions of 380 × 335 × 390 mm with the bowl fitted. Check the dimensions of the model you’re considering. | My worktop space is limited, so an appliance I can keep within easy reach will make more sense for everyday meals. |
| One task you do repeatedly | If you mainly cook rice, steam food or slow-cook, also compare specialist appliances for their capacity and specific programmes. Don’t assume you’ll use the extra features on a multicooker. | I often make the same type of dish and don’t necessarily need several cooking modes in one appliance. |
You can’t necessarily fill a bowl or cooking pot to its stated capacity. UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a 6 L Cookeo cooking pot, which has a maximum cooking capacity of 4 L for some preparations.
Compare the usable capacity and the limits in the instruction manual with the quantities you actually cook.
A food processor can handle chopping or mixing, but it won’t do away with the need to cook on your hob or in your oven. UFC-Que Choisir specifically distinguishes cooking food processors by their heating function.
Think about which steps take up most of your time during a few typical dinners. Compare appliances that heat food if cooking is the issue, or food-preparation features if chopping and mixing are what slow you down.
The bowl, lid and accessories can add up to several parts to wash after every meal. In a survey of kitchen appliance owners, UFC-Que Choisir listed too much washing-up as one reason for using an appliance less often, but didn’t give a figure for this particular reason.
Check which parts of the model you’re considering are dishwasher-safe and where you’ll store the ones you actually need.
An advertised feature may need a specific accessory. For the Thermomix TM7, Vorwerk offers new subscribers three months’ access to Cookidoo: this introductory access doesn’t explain the terms of use afterwards.
Check exactly what comes in the pack, which accessories you need for your usual preparations and the terms of any services you plan to use.
An accessory you need to fit and store, or a service whose access changes after a trial period, can affect how you use the appliance every day.
These models show different ways to combine food preparation and cooking. Compare the specifications of the exact model rather than making assumptions about an entire brand.
The Cookeo and Companion ranges let you compare a multicooker focused on cooking with a cooking food processor that also handles food preparation.
The Cook Expert Connect combines cooking with food-preparation accessories, making it an option for households that regularly use both functions.
The Thermomix TM7 offers guided cooking on screen. It’s worth considering if this way of preparing meals suits you.
These Joybuy models include a cooking food processor for combining preparation and cooking, as well as multicookers for meals where cooking is the main step you want to manage. Compare their sizes with the quantities you prepare.
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Worth considering if you want one cooking food processor to handle both preparation and cooking. The model name mentions 750 recipes. Check that its bowl and accessories suit the dishes you make regularly, and follow the safety instructions for handling the blades and hot bowl.
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This multicooker is an option if you want to manage the cooking without relying on the appliance to chop your ingredients. Its stated capacity is 5.7 L. Check the instruction manual for the fill limits for your recipes and the pressure-release instructions.
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Its stated 7.1 L capacity may suit a household that cooks several portions at once. Before choosing this size, check the usable capacity for your dishes, the space you have available and the instructions for closing the lid and releasing steam.
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With a stated capacity of 8 L, this model is aimed at those who plan to cook large quantities. Compare the fill limit with the volumes in your recipes, as well as the space it takes up and the parts you’ll need to clean. Don’t exceed the limits given for pressure cooking.
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This 6 L multicooker is worth comparing if you’re looking for several cooking modes in one appliance. Check the usable capacity and exactly what’s included in the pack if the frying function or scales mentioned in the product name matter for your meals.
Not necessarily. UFC-Que Choisir says that a Cookeo cooking pot listed as 6 L has a maximum cooking capacity of 4 L for some preparations. Check the usable capacity and the limits in the instruction manual for the model you’re considering.
It can take care of some preparation tasks, but not the cooking. UFC-Que Choisir’s guides distinguish cooking food processors by their heating function. With a food processor, you’ll still need to cook on your hob, in your oven or in another appliance.
No: it depends on the part and the exact model. Moulinex says the cooking pot and steam basket of the Cookeo+ CE85B510 are dishwasher-safe, as are the removable parts of the Companion XL YY4591FG. Check the exact instruction manual for the lid, seals, blades and other accessories. This guidance doesn’t apply to the electrical base.
Start by reading the instruction manual for your model, especially the sections on installation, cleaning and handling sharp or hot parts. The Magimix Cook Expert manual, for example, says not to immerse the appliance, not to start cooking with an empty bowl, and to handle the blades and discs with care. Check the instructions for the appliance you’ve bought.
Visit RappelConso, the official French portal for alerts about dangerous products, and search for the brand and exact model. If you find an alert, check that the version listed matches yours.