For a dish that needs to simmer for several hours, choose a slow cooker. If you also want to pressure cook, look at multi-cookers with a pressure-cooking mode. A programmable multi-cooker may be all you need for your usual recipes, while a cooking food processor offers the added benefit of preparing ingredients. In every case, check which steps still need to be done by hand, the usable capacity and how easy it is to clean before relying on it for hands-off cooking.
For a slow-cooked dish, rice or a meal with sauce, start by looking for a setting that suits the recipe. If mealtimes vary, check for a keep-warm function. To delay the start of cooking, check for a delay-start function and follow the guidance on storing ingredients.
A pressure multi-cooker is worth considering for dishes you make often, as long as its programmes and usable capacity suit the quantities you plan to cook. You’ll still need to prepare the ingredients, sear them if required and release the steam in line with the model’s instructions.
If chopping, mixing, weighing or following a guided recipe is part of what you need, compare the functions of a cooking food processor with those of a straightforward cooking appliance. If you already prepare ingredients yourself, you may not use these extra features.
Start with the dishes you cook, then check what the appliance does once a programme is under way and what you’ll still need to do yourself.
| Feature | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking mode | Look for programmes that suit the dishes you make. A slow cooker is designed for slow cooking; if you’d also like to use pressure cooking, check that it has a pressure mode. | I prepare my meal several hours before serving, or I want a pressure-cooking mode for some recipes. |
| Programming | Check the cooking-time settings and keep-warm function, and look for a delay-start function if you need one. If using delay start, follow the guidance on ingredients left in the pot before cooking. | I want to start cooking and then get on with something else, without assuming every recipe can be left in the appliance. |
| Usable capacity | Compare your usual portions with the model’s fill-level markings. The limit may vary by programme, particularly for pressure cooking. | For a family meal or several portions to eat later, I need to be able to cook the amount I’ve planned without exceeding the permitted fill level. |
| Hands-on steps | Check a recipe and the instruction manual: will you need to brown or stir the food, or add ingredients during cooking? Only look for chopping or mixing functions if you’ll use them. | I’m looking for hands-off cooking, but I want to know what I’ll need to do before starting or while the recipe is under way. |
| Cleaning | Check the cleaning instructions for each part, including the pot, lid and accessories. For a pressure cooker, also check how to care for the sealing ring. | An easy meal to get started is less appealing if cleaning the parts I’ve used doesn’t fit into my daily routine. |
The maximum fill level may be lower than the pot’s stated capacity, and some programmes have their own limits.
Compare your portions with the fill-level markings in the instruction manual, especially for pressure cooking.
Que Choisir distinguishes between the cooking handled by a multi-cooker and the preparation steps. Depending on the recipe, you may still need to brown or stir the food, or add an ingredient yourself.
Read through the steps for a dish you make regularly to see what you’ll need to do before and during cooking.
A slow cooker is suited to dishes started several hours before mealtime, but it doesn’t work to the same timescale as a pressure-cooking mode.
Decide whether you can start the dish well ahead of time. If not, look at the cooking modes on the multi-cooker you’re considering.
Its food-preparation functions may not be useful if all you want is to cook a dish with minimal supervision.
List the tasks you want the appliance to handle before comparing a cooking food processor with a multi-cooker or slow cooker.
These examples highlight features to compare across specific models; they don’t describe every appliance made by each brand.
The Cookeo range includes the Cookeo+, which combines guided recipes with cooking in the pot.
The 7.6 L Duo is an example of a large-capacity pressure multi-cooker.
The SCCPRC507B is an example of a slow cooker designed for dishes started well before mealtime.
The Thermomix TM7 is designed for people who also want food-preparation functions and guided recipes.
These models are worth considering if you’re looking for a multi-cooker for meals that need little supervision. If you’d prefer slow cooking over several hours or automatic ingredient preparation, also compare the features you need with those of a slow cooker or cooking food processor.
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Compare its stated 5,7 L capacity with your usual portions. If you plan to prepare the pot in advance, check for a delay-start function. Also check the fill limits and steam-release instructions for the relevant modes.
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Compare its stated 7,1 L capacity with the amounts you actually cook. For meals started in advance, check for delay start and keep warm, as well as the fill-level markings for the mode you’ve selected.
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If you want several modes in one appliance, check which ones you’ll use for meals that need little supervision. The pot is listed as 6 L; check the usable capacity for each programme and the cleaning instructions for the lid and accessories.
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The product listing names 12 preset menus; check which ones suit your recipes before relying on the programming. For this 8 L model, also check the fill limits for each mode and the cleaning instructions for the parts you use.
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This model combines pressure cooking and air frying, among other functions, so choose it based on the modes you’ll actually use. If you need them, check for delay start and keep warm, as well as the fill limits, storage requirements and cleaning instructions for both lids.
No. The stated capacity shouldn’t be taken as the permitted fill level. Check the model’s instruction manual and the limit for your chosen programme, particularly for pressure cooking.
Not necessarily. Check your recipe steps and the model’s functions. Managing the cooking time and temperature doesn’t mean the appliance will chop or mix ingredients, or add them for you.
Check the cleaning instructions for every part you’ll use: the pot, lid, any basket and the sealing ring on a pressure cooker. Don’t assume that all parts are dishwasher-safe just because one of them is.
In France, the legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a trader to a consumer, as the Ministry of the Economy noted in September 2026. Contact the seller to have the lack of conformity assessed and find out which remedies apply to your situation.