To prepare a variety of meals with minimal effort while they cook, start by comparing programmable multicookers. The useful settings, keep-warm function and amount you can actually cook matter more than the stated capacity alone. If you also want to prepare ingredients in the appliance, look at what a cooking food processor can do. For smaller portions focused on rice and simple dishes, a versatile rice cooker may be enough. Delay start does not mean you can leave perishable ingredients in the bowl at room temperature all day.
For rice, soups or slow-cooked dishes, a multicooker can reduce the need to adjust settings while the food cooks. You’ll still need to prepare the ingredients, observe the fill limit and follow the instructions.
If you mainly cook rice, grains or soups in smaller portions, compare compact cookers by their programmes, footprint and capacity for the dishes you make.
If chopping or mixing takes up as much time in your routine as cooking, take a look at the functions and accessories offered by a cooking food processor. Check they suit the recipes you actually make.
Start with the dishes and portion sizes you usually make, then check which steps the appliance can handle and how easy it is to use day to day.
| What to consider | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Check the fill limit for each programme and recipe, then look at the portion guidance in the instructions. UFC-Que Choisir notes that the 6 L Cookeo bowl has a cooking limit of 4 L. | I want to make enough portions for my household without assuming the bowl’s stated capacity is the amount I can cook. |
| Programming | Look for settings that suit your dishes, a keep-warm function and the conditions for using delay start on the exact model. Check the guidance for ingredients that need to be kept chilled. | On busy days, I want to start cooking with minimal adjustments, without leaving perishable food at room temperature all day. |
| Ingredient preparation | Tell cooking settings apart from the functions and accessories used for chopping or mixing. Compare them with the steps involved in your usual recipes. | If preparation takes up a lot of my time, I want to know whether a cooking food processor can also handle the tasks I need. |
| Cleaning and set-up | Check which parts are removable, how they should be cleaned, how to handle the hot bowl and how much space to leave around the appliance, as set out in the instructions. | I’m looking for an appliance that’s easy to clean and set up in my kitchen, without overlooking safe-use guidance. |
The bowl’s capacity isn’t always the amount you’re allowed to cook. UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of a 6 L Cookeo with a cooking limit of 4 L.
Check the fill limit and the portion sizes recommended for the recipes you make.
Programming a cooking time doesn’t keep ingredients chilled. Anses warns that poor food storage encourages bacterial growth and recommends refrigerating a prepared dish within two hours.
Don’t use delay start to leave meat, fish, dairy products or other perishables in the bowl at room temperature all day. Store and cook them in line with food hygiene guidance and the instructions.
A multicooker can offer several cooking settings without chopping or mixing ingredients. A cooking food processor may be a better fit if you also need it to prepare ingredients.
Make a list of the tasks you want the appliance to handle before comparing a multicooker, rice cooker and cooking food processor.
Programmes, controls and removable parts vary from model to model. A feature listed for one appliance in a range may not be available on every version.
Check the product listing and instructions for the exact model being sold to confirm delay start, keep-warm settings, fill limits and how to clean the parts.
The Cookeo+ is designed for cooking a variety of dishes, while the Companion XL adds ingredient-preparation functions.
The Duo range is worth considering if you want to compare several cooking settings in one multicooker.
Its rice cookers offer a choice of sizes and programmes for meals based around rice and other simple dishes.
The Thermomix TM7 is a cooking food processor, worth considering if ingredient preparation is part of what you need.
This selection includes two compact cookers for simple dishes and a multicooker to consider for a wider variety of meals. Compare the features listed for the exact model being sold, particularly if delay start is important to you.
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Worth considering for a household of 3 to 4 people who mainly cook rice, porridge or soup. The product name lists delay start, keep warm, a non-stick bowl and a steaming basket. Check the instructions for the fill limit for each dish, and don’t leave perishable ingredients at room temperature all day.
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A size worth comparing for simple dishes in a kitchen where space is at a premium. Before you choose, check the programmes and delay-start function on the model being sold, as well as the portion sizes and fill limits for your dishes. Also check the instructions for the space needed around the appliance.
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Worth considering if you want to compare several cooking settings for household meals. Its stated capacity is 5.7 L; check the instructions for the fill limits for each recipe. If you need to set a later start time, confirm that delay start is available on this exact model and follow the instructions for handling steam.
Choose based on the portions you make and the fill limit for each recipe, not just the capacity in litres shown on the bowl. UFC-Que Choisir says a Cookeo with a 6 L bowl has a cooking limit of 4 L; check the instructions for the model you’re considering.
Not if perishable ingredients would have to sit in the bowl at room temperature all day. Anses highlights the risks of storing food improperly, so make sure ingredients stay chilled and check the instructions before using delay start.
No. It’s for use after cooking and doesn’t replace chilling a dish you plan to keep for later. Anses recommends refrigerating a prepared dish within two hours; also follow the instructions on how long you can use the keep-warm function.
Read the instructions for the exact model first. They explain filling, set-up, releasing pressure and handling hot parts. Choose a suitable location in line with the guidance before you start cooking.
Compare cooking food processors if you also want the appliance to handle preparation steps such as chopping or mixing. If you mainly want to cook rice, soups or slow-cooked dishes, first check the programmes on a multicooker or rice cooker suited to your portion sizes.