For a dinner you’re starting after work, choose a multicooker or electric pressure cooker with a pressure-cooking function if your recipes use it and you want to spend less time watching the hob. A slow cooker is better suited to meals prepared in advance, while a cooking food processor makes more sense if you also want to prepare the ingredients in the appliance. In every case, check the programmes, cooking pot capacity and cleaning requirements against the dishes you actually make.
If you’d rather follow a guided recipe or start a programme than keep an eye on several pans, look for pressure-cooking modes and automatic settings. UFC-Que Choisir notes that a multicooker’s programmes can reduce the need to keep watch once it’s running.
You can prepare soups or stews in advance and have them ready for mealtime. A programmable slow cooker suits this routine; Crock-Pot highlights this feature on its TimeSelect CSC066X, for example.
You also want to weigh, blend or stir ingredients and follow a guided recipe. Check that the cooking food processor you’re considering offers these functions, as well as the capacity of its main bowl: they aren’t features of every appliance designed for cooking.
The right choice largely depends on when you start preparing dinner and which steps you want the appliance to handle.
Choose this if: you often start dinner after work and make recipes suited to pressure cooking.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to prepare the ingredients and allow for the time it takes to build and release pressure.
Choose this if: you can start a dish in advance and prefer to plan what time it’ll be ready.
Bear in mind: slow cooking is less suited to a dinner you only start preparing late in the day.
Choose this if: weighing, blending or stirring is a regular part of the recipes you want to make with the appliance.
Bear in mind: the main bowl’s capacity may limit the amount you can make in one batch, even if the steaming accessory is larger.
| Priority | What to check | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Less time keeping watch | Programmes suited to your recipes; guided cooking on screen or settings you adjust yourself. | After work, I want to start cooking and get on with something else instead of standing by the hob; around 36% of consumers put this hands-off approach to cooking first. |
| Starting dinner late | A pressure-cooking mode; the recipe’s total cooking time, including pressure release. | When I start cooking late, I mainly want to speed up recipes that work with pressure cooking. This speed is the priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Planning a meal in advance | Cooking pot capacity for your portions; exactly how the timer and keep-warm function work. | I’m happy to prepare a dish earlier so it’s ready at a chosen time, sometimes in several portions; around 21% of consumers prioritise this way of planning meals. |
| Integrated food preparation | Weighing, blending and mixing functions; the main bowl’s capacity, separate from that of the accessories. | For my recipes, I also want to combine ingredient preparation and cooking in one appliance. Around 14% of consumers would make this combination their priority. |
Pressure cooking can shorten some cooking times, but you still need to prepare the ingredients and follow the instructions. An automatic programme doesn’t make every recipe quick.
If you often start dinner late, look at recipes that are suitable for pressure cooking. If you can get started several hours earlier, compare the timer functions on slow cookers instead.
The capacity listed on a product page doesn’t tell you by itself how much of your usual recipe you’ll be able to cook. On a cooking food processor, the main bowl and steaming accessory have different capacities.
Choose two or three dishes you make regularly and compare the quantities in their recipes with the usable capacity of the main bowl.
Weighing, blending and stirring in a cooking food processor offer a different benefit from simply programming a cooking cycle. The value of these functions depends on which steps you actually want the appliance to handle.
If you plan to keep using your food-preparation utensils, start by looking at a multicooker or slow cooker that suits the dishes you make.
According to ecosystem, eligibility for the Repair Bonus depends, among other things, on whether the appliance is still covered by a warranty and whether the fault qualifies. The appliance category also matters.
Find out what parts and services are available for the model you choose. If it breaks down, ask a QualiRépar repairer whether your appliance is covered by the scheme.
The Cookeo range combines pressure cooking and guided recipes for everyday meals.
Its multicookers bring different cooking functions together in one pot; the Plus WiFi 5,7 L adds app-based control.
The TimeSelect CSC066X is designed for slow-cooked dishes prepared in advance.
The Thermomix TM7 combines food-preparation and cooking functions with guided recipes.
These Joybuy appliances are for dinners prepared in a multicooker or electric pressure cooker. Compare their modes and stated capacity with your recipes. A dedicated slow cooker or cooking food processor is a separate choice if your priorities are planned slow cooking or integrated food preparation.
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Consider this if you want to use different cooking methods in the evening and control the appliance via an app. The stated capacity is 5,7 L; check that the app features and electrical specifications suit your set-up.
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Consider this if you cook several portions and want pre-set programmes. The title lists an 8 L capacity and 1 200 W power; check the usable capacity for your recipes, electrical compatibility and cleaning instructions.
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An option for switching between pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing and steaming, depending on what’s for dinner. Instant Pot lists a dishwasher-safe stainless steel inner pot; if remote monitoring matters to you, check how the app works with your set-up.
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Compare this if you want to adjust pressure cooking for different dishes. The title lists nine menus and two pressure levels; if you plan to prepare dinner in advance, check exactly how the timer works, as well as the usable capacity and electrical compatibility.
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Consider this if you want to combine pressure cooking, slow cooking and steaming for your dinners. The model has four customisable programmes; check the usable capacity and whether it has a delayed start if you want to schedule cooking.
An automatic programme can reduce the need to keep watch once it’s running, but you should still follow the appliance’s instructions. UFC-Que Choisir describes how multicookers can reduce the need for supervision; with a pressure-cooking model, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on setting it up, filling it and opening it.
Choose based on the quantities in the recipes you usually make and the number of portions you need, rather than the stated capacity alone. If you’re considering a cooking food processor, distinguish between the main bowl and the steaming accessory: Vorwerk lists capacities of 2,2 L and 6,8 L respectively for the Thermomix TM7.
Check separately whether the cooking pot, lid and accessories on your chosen model are dishwasher-safe. Moulinex says the cooking pot and steaming basket of the Cookeo+ CE851HF0 are dishwasher-safe; Instant Pot says the same of the Plus WiFi 5,7 L’s inner pot.
It may apply if the appliance and fault meet the scheme’s conditions, but you shouldn’t assume that every multicooker is covered. According to ecosystem, the appliance must no longer be covered by a warranty and the fault must be eligible, among other conditions; ask a QualiRépar repairer to confirm its category and eligibility.