For dishes that need a long time to cook once the ingredients are prepared, consider a slow cooker. If you want a choice of timed cooking programmes, compare multicookers and electric pressure cookers based on the settings your recipes need. A cooking food processor is better suited to you if you also want to chop, mix or knead. In every case, check how much you can actually cook, which steps still need to be done by hand and the instructions for your chosen model: an automatic programme won’t suit every recipe.
If you want to start cooking rice, a dish with sauce or a family meal, then get on with something else, look at the programmes on a multicooker or electric pressure cooker. Check that your recipes don’t need attention while they’re cooking.
If you’re making soups, curries or stews with ingredients that are already prepared, a slow cooker is worth comparing. It’s less suited to pressure cooking or preparing ingredients as part of the cooking process.
If chopping, blending, kneading or whisking takes as much time as keeping an eye on the cooking, look at the tools supplied with a cooking food processor. Also check how much space it takes up and how to clean its accessories.
Start with the dishes you make most often, then check how their steps match the features and limitations of the model you’re considering.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | Look for recipes that work with the programmes, cooking time settings and keep-warm function. If you want a delayed start, check the manufacturer’s instructions and whether the ingredients can be left before cooking begins. | I want to start cooking a dish and get on with something else, without assuming every recipe will cook unattended. |
| Cooking method | A slow cooker is designed for slow cooking. If you also want to steam, brown or pressure cook, compare the settings actually available on each multicooker or electric pressure cooker. | Do I mainly make stews that can simmer for a long time, or do I need other settings for weekday meals? |
| Preparation | Check whether the cooking food processor comes with the tools you need to chop, mix, blend or knead. A cooking programme doesn’t mean the appliance will prepare the ingredients. | Chopping and mixing are what keep me in the kitchen; I want to know which steps the appliance can actually handle. |
| Quantity | Compare usable capacity, stated portions and the filling limits in the instructions, especially for ingredients that expand. | I sometimes make several portions: the capacity printed on the bowl doesn’t tell me how much I’ll actually be able to cook. |
| Handling and cleaning | Check how to clean the bowl, lid and accessories. For pressure cooking, read the instructions for locking, filling and releasing pressure for the exact model. | I want to cut down on washing up, but I also need to be able to remove the bowl and open the lid by following clear instructions. |
The permitted fill level may be lower than the stated capacity and can vary depending on the recipe.
Compare the limits in the instructions with the soups, pulses and portion sizes you usually make.
A multicooker can manage the cooking without chopping or blending the ingredients. You may still have to do the tasks you wanted to avoid.
Think about a few recipes you make regularly: if you often chop, blend or knead, check which tools come with cooking food processors.
The lid, steam and pressure release must all be handled according to the instructions. The public RappelConso platform has reported risks linked to valve failures in pressure cookers.
Check the instructions for the exact model, inspect the parts specified by the manufacturer and don’t open the appliance until the pressure has been released as instructed.
Accessories, capacity, recipe access and ease of cleaning vary between cooking food processors. Features you don’t use won’t make your usual meals any easier.
Check which accessories are included, how much space the appliance takes up, how to clean it and the terms for accessing recipes before comparing models.
These examples help you distinguish between types of appliance; check the specifications for the exact model you choose.
The Cookeo and Companion ranges let you compare a multicooker focused on cooking with a cooking food processor that comes with food-preparation tools.
The range includes slow cookers as well as appliances that also offer pressure cooking.
The 3.8 L Classic Mini is an example of a smaller multicooker worth comparing if you’re cooking modest portions.
The Thermomix TM7 is a cooking food processor to consider if guided recipes and food preparation matter as much to you as cooking.
The Cook Expert XL is a cooking food processor to compare if the amount you prepare and the food-preparation tools are key considerations.
These models are programmable multicookers and electric pressure cookers. Compare their bowls and functions with your recipes; dedicated slow cookers and cooking food processors are suited to other needs, as described above.
Image unavailableWorth considering if you want to weigh ingredients in the appliance and programme pressure-cooked meals. The title specifies a 6 L bowl, an air fryer lid and built-in scales. Check the filling limits, plug, voltage and instructions before use.
Image unavailableThe stated 8 L bowl capacity is worth comparing with the quantities you usually cook. The title mentions 12 preset menus; check the usable capacity for your recipes, as well as the plug, voltage and model instructions.
Image unavailableWorth comparing if you’re looking for a 3.8 L bowl rather than a larger capacity. Before choosing this model, check its settings and usable capacity. Also confirm its power rating, which varies between descriptions, as well as the voltage and instructions.
Image unavailableCompare its stated 5.7 L bowl capacity with the number of portions and the recipes you make. Check the filling limits and whether instructions are available in French. When pressure cooking, follow the steam-release instructions before opening the lid.
Image unavailableWorth considering if you want to programme pressure cooking and have a frying setting. The title specifies 24-hour programming and two pressure levels. Confirm the settings for the exact model, its usable capacity, plug and pressure-release instructions.
Not for every task: a multicooker focuses on cooking, while a cooking food processor can also prepare ingredients using the right tools. If chopping, blending or kneading is part of your usual recipes, check which accessories are included before you choose.
Start with your portion sizes and recipe quantities, then check the usable capacity and filling limits in the instructions. The stated total capacity doesn’t necessarily match the amount you can cook, especially with ingredients that expand.
Yes, if a suitable programme can take care of the cooking once you’ve started it, as Que Choisir explains for correctly programmed multicookers. Set up the appliance according to its instructions, follow the filling limits and check whether any steps need your attention. For a delayed start, the ingredients must also be suitable for waiting under the specified conditions.
Check the instructions for the exact model, the filling limits, the condition of the seal, and the locking and steam-release guidance. For the Crock-Pot Express CSC051X, Crock-Pot states that the safety lid can only be removed once all the pressure has been released.
No. The DGCCRF states that the CE mark is not a certification mark. When comparing cooking appliances, assess the features, instructions, handling and cleaning requirements of each model separately.