Households that often cook dinner
If you regularly cook rice, soups or slow-cooked dishes, look at the programmes for these meals, the cooking settings and the keep-warm function. The capacity should also suit the quantities you usually prepare.
Which appliance is right for you?
People who also want to prepare ingredients
If you want to chop, mix or blend ingredients before cooking them in the same appliance, look at the functions offered by a food processor with a cooking function. Also consider how many accessories you’ll need to store and clean, and how much space you have in your kitchen.
People who mainly cook rice
If rice is what you cook most, perhaps with the occasional steamed dish, a dedicated rice cooker is worth considering. Check the keep-warm function, bowl and other programmes rather than assuming it will replace a multicooker.
What should you look for before buying?
Multicooker
Consider it: if your ingredients are already prepared and you mainly want to manage the cooking of a variety of dishes.
Bear in mind: chopping and blending aren’t part of this dedicated cooking option.
Food processor with cooking function
Consider it: if you’ll find it useful to prepare ingredients and cook them in the same appliance.
Bear in mind: the food preparation functions mean extra accessories to store and clean.
Rice cooker
Consider it: if you mainly cook rice and might want to keep it warm afterwards.
Bear in mind: its cooking modes may not cover slow cooking or browning.
| Feature | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Programming | Programmes to suit your dishes; cooking time and temperature settings, keep-warm function and delayed start, depending on the model. | When I start a meal before moving on to something else, I mainly want the available modes to suit the dishes I usually make. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise this hands-off cooking. |
| Capacity | Advertised capacity, fill-level guidance in the manual and the quantity allowed for the programme you’re using. | To make enough for my household, I need to be able to tell the bowl’s volume apart from the portions I can make for a particular recipe. Capacity would be the top consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Built-in food preparation | Chopping, mixing, blending or weighing functions that are genuinely useful to you, and the accessories they require. | If I often prepare ingredients before cooking, I’d rather look at what the same appliance can do at both stages. Around 21% of consumers would prioritise this built-in food preparation. |
| Primarily for rice | Keep-warm function, removable bowl, cleaning instructions and a steam basket if you’ll use one. | I mainly cook rice and don’t want lots of controls for modes I rarely use. Around 14% of consumers would put simplicity for this kind of use first. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Choosing based on the number of programmes alone
A long list of modes doesn’t tell you whether the appliance has the ones you need for rice, slow cooking or steaming, or whether its settings suit you.
Make a note of the dishes you cook most often and check the relevant programmes, manual settings and keep-warm function in the product details and manual for your chosen model.
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Setting a delayed start too early for perishable ingredients
Delayed start can make planning easier, but leaving food unrefrigerated for too long can be a food safety concern. Anses highlights the risks of breaking the cold chain.
Check the manual to see which programmes support this function and plan ahead without leaving meat, fish, dairy products or other perishables at room temperature for a long time.
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Assuming the advertised capacity in litres equals a fixed number of portions
How much you can fill the appliance depends on factors including the appliance itself, the recipe and the cooking mode. Two bowls with the same stated capacity aren’t guaranteed to make the same number of portions.
Compare the manufacturer’s information for the exact model with the fill-level guidance and instructions in the manual for the dishes you usually make.
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Buying a food processor with a cooking function when you only need to cook
Chopping, mixing and blending functions offer little benefit if you already prepare ingredients another way and mainly want programmable cooking.
Choose these extra functions if you’ll use them regularly in your meals. Otherwise, start by comparing appliances designed for the types of cooking you do.
Brands to know for these uses
Moulinex
Moulinex offers Cookeo multicookers and Companion food processors with cooking functions. They’re two distinct ranges to consider, depending on whether you want to cook only or prepare ingredients as well.
- Moulinex says the Cookeo+ CE85B510 has a delayed start and automatic keep-warm function. The Companion Pro combines food preparation and cooking functions in a bowl with a stated capacity of 4.5 L.
- These features vary by model. As for parts, Moulinex’s commitment to keeping parts available for 15 years after purchase applies to technical parts for almost all eligible products, subject to the terms of its programme.
Tefal
The Tefal range includes multicookers and rice cookers. Compare them based on the dishes you plan to make, rather than looking at bowl capacity alone.
- Tefal lists 25 programmes for the Fast & Delicious CY505E10 and 16 for the Sphericook shown. The Classic 2 RK100570 rice cooker has an automatic keep-warm function.
- These functions aren’t available across every Tefal model. Check the manual and search for any parts or accessories you need using the appliance’s exact model number.
Appliances for these uses
These Joybuy appliances cover two of the uses discussed here: cooking a variety of dishes in a multicooker and preparing meals mainly centred on rice. Compare their functions before choosing one to suit the meals you usually make.
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Midea 9-in-1, 8 L pressure multicooker
Worth a look if you cook a variety of dishes and want to choose from several cooking modes. The product name lists 12 preset programmes and a power rating of 1,200 W. Check the manual for fill limits and which programmes are compatible with delayed start.
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Instant Pot Classic Daydream Blue, 5.7 L
Worth considering if your meals call for pressure cooking, slow cooking or steaming. This version is described as a 7-in-1 multicooker with four customisable presets. If delayed start is important to you, check that it’s available on the exact model.
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Cecotec GM H Deluxe Fry, 6 L
Worth a look if you want to combine pressure cooking with the functions listed for this version, including an air fryer lid and built-in scales. Before choosing this model, check the manual for fill limits, settings and how the keep-warm function works.
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ochama, 4 L rice cooker
Worth a look if you mainly cook rice, porridge or a few simple dishes rather than a variety of pressure-cooked meals. The product is listed with a steam basket, delayed start and keep-warm function. Check the manual to see which programmes these last two functions apply to.
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Tefal Coppertinto, 2 L rice cooker
Worth comparing if rice and keeping it warm are more important to you than cooking a variety of slow-cooked dishes. The title states that it keeps food warm for 12 hours. To work out how much you can make for your meals, use the fill-level guidance in the manual rather than relying on the stated number of portions alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use delayed start for every meal?
No. Check the manual to make sure the programme you’ve chosen supports this function, and take the ingredients into account. Avoid leaving perishable food at room temperature for a long time. Anses highlights the risks of poor food storage and breaking the cold chain.
Does a 5 or 6 L bowl tell you how many people you can serve?
No, its capacity doesn’t translate into a fixed number of portions. Compare the manufacturer’s information for the exact model, then check the fill levels for your recipe and chosen cooking programme.
When should you choose a food processor with a cooking function rather than a multicooker?
Choose a food processor with a cooking function if you regularly use its food preparation features, such as chopping or mixing, before cooking. If your ingredients are already prepared and you mainly want cooking that needs less supervision, start by comparing multicooker programmes.
What should you check for cleaning and maintenance?
Check the cleaning instructions for the bowl, lid and accessories, then search for any parts you might need using the exact model number. Tefal lets you search for parts and accessories by model number. Moulinex says it will keep technical parts available for 15 years after purchase for almost all eligible products, subject to the terms of its programme.