A cooking food processor is a good fit if you regularly need to prepare and cook meals in the same appliance, provided its capacity, accessories and upkeep suit your recipes. If you already have cooking covered, a food processor is better suited to preparation tasks; a cooking stand mixer prioritises doughs and heated preparations. Keeping separate appliances makes sense if you often use several tools or cook in parallel. In a small kitchen, remember to measure the space they take up both in use and in storage.
Available space matters, but your choice should start with the tasks you want one appliance to handle.
If you regularly make soups, sauces, stews or steamed dishes, consider a cooking food processor. Check the usable capacity and the accessories you need for these recipes: Que Choisir tests cooking preparations separately from tasks that don’t involve cooking.
If you’re happy with your hob or oven and mainly want to chop, grate, slice or knead, a food processor is worth considering. Que Choisir assesses these tasks separately, so check that the accessories you need are included.
If kneading and whisking are your priorities, but you’d also like to heat some preparations in the bowl, look at cooking stand mixers. If you also want to grate or slice, check what comes with your chosen model rather than assuming all accessories are included.
Consider this if : you want to prepare and cook in the same appliance, for dishes such as soups or stews.
The trade-off : combining these steps doesn’t remove the need to check how much you can make in one go or how much cleaning is needed after each use.
Consider this if : you mainly need chopping and mixing, while your existing appliances take care of cooking.
The trade-off : this option doesn’t combine preparation and cooking in one appliance.
Consider this if : you prioritise kneading and whisking, as well as preparations you want to heat in the bowl.
The trade-off : tools for other preparation tasks may depend on optional accessories, as with the Cooking Chef range showcased by Kenwood.
Keep these if : your recipes often require several tools or hobs at once, particularly appliances you already own.
The trade-off : take into account the storage space and parts to wash for all your appliances, not just those of one food processor.
Once you’ve chosen an option, compare the exact model with your recipes and the space where you’ll use, open and store it.
| Priority | What to check | My needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking steps | Check which hot preparations the appliance can handle, its cooking modes and the tools required. Distinguish these from chopping and mixing functions alone. | I’d like to prepare and then cook some dishes in the same appliance. In a 2020 survey in France of 1 695 cooking food processor owners, 53 % said they used their hobs less after getting a cooking food processor, according to Que Choisir. This describes how they used their hobs after buying one, not why they bought it. |
| Recipes and accessories | Compare the dishes you make regularly with the included accessories, the bowl used for each task and the functions available in your chosen configuration. Que Choisir’s testing only covers some additional tasks when the relevant accessory is supplied. | I often chop or grate, but I want to know whether my chosen appliance can also handle the other tasks I actually need it for. |
| Available space | Measure the width, depth and height with the bowl and accessories fitted. Allow room to open the appliance and store its various parts: Magimix, for example, lists the dimensions of the base separately from those of its Cook Expert with a bowl fitted. | In my small kitchen, I need to be able to use the food processor without constantly moving things around it. |
| Cleaning and care | Check how many bowls, lids, seals and accessories need washing, and whether the parts of the exact model are dishwasher-safe. Que Choisir recommends taking ease of cleaning into account. | An appliance I use often needs to be easy to clean after the preparations I make most. |
| Configuration and ongoing support | Check what’s included in the pack, the terms for accessing guided recipes, which accessories are sold separately and what commitments are stated for parts for your chosen model. | I’d rather know which functions will be available with the appliance I receive and what terms apply to any services I use. |
Grating, slicing or juicing may require a specific accessory. Que Choisir’s testing assesses some tasks according to the accessories supplied, so the appliance’s name alone doesn’t tell you what’s included.
Make a note of the dishes you prepare most often, then check the function, bowl and accessory included with the exact model for each one.
Extra parts can also take up cupboard space.
The bowl and its accessories can affect the height needed both to use and store the appliance. Magimix’s Cook Expert product details, for example, list different dimensions depending on which bowl is fitted.
Measure the space you have, including the clearance needed to open the appliance and remove the bowl.
In France, the legal guarantee of conformity covers, among other things, new or refurbished goods sold by a trader to an individual. According to the Ministry of the Economy, the seller is responsible for any lack of conformity that existed when the goods were delivered. A commercial guarantee offered by a brand is separate.
Keep your proof of purchase and check separately what’s covered by any commercial guarantee offered for the model you buy.
These examples show different configurations. The features mentioned apply to the models listed, not to every product from each brand.
The Companion HF840110 combines preparation and cooking. For this model, Moulinex lists a 3 L usable capacity, 12 automatic programmes and a manual mode.
The Cook Expert combines a stainless-steel cooking bowl with separate food preparation bowls. Magimix lists a 3,5 L total capacity and a 2,5 L usable capacity.
The Thermomix TM7 brings together preparation and cooking tasks with guided recipes on screen. Vorwerk lists 12 functions and 25 modes for this model.
The Cooking Chef Experience KCL95.004SI is a cooking stand mixer. For this model, Kenwood lists integrated scales and bowl heating up to 180 °C.
These two Robby models are options if you’re looking for an appliance that combines preparation and cooking. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean they’re better than the other options: compare their configuration with your recipes and the space you have available.
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Worth considering if you’d like to prepare and cook with the same appliance. The product title mentions an XL bowl, integrated scales and a large touchscreen. Check the usable capacity, the space needed with the accessories fitted and how many recipes are available if you plan to follow the steps on screen.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a food preparation and cooking appliance with a touchscreen. The product title also mentions integrated scales. For the quantities and tasks you usually handle, check the usable capacity, included accessories and which parts are compatible with your cleaning method.
Not if you need the appliance to cook your food as well. Que Choisir assesses tasks such as chopping, grating and kneading separately from tests of soups, stews and steaming carried out on cooking food processors. For preparation tasks, check which accessories come with the model you’re considering.
Measure the available height with the bowl, lid and accessories in place, and allow enough clearance to remove them. Check the width and depth too: Magimix, for example, publishes different dimensions depending on which bowl is fitted to its Cook Expert.
Check which parts of the exact model are dishwasher-safe, and how many bowls, lids, seals and accessories you’ll need to wash after making your usual recipes. Que Choisir recommends considering ease of cleaning and lists having too much washing up as one reason some owners say they use their appliance less.
The legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand or refurbished goods sold by a trader to an individual. According to the Ministry of the Economy, the seller is responsible for any lack of conformity that existed when the goods were delivered. Keep your proof of purchase and a record of the advertised features so you can report the problem to the seller.
You can look into take-back options at retailers. The Ministry for Ecological Transition distinguishes between “1 for 1” take-back when you buy an appliance of the same type, and “1 for 0” take-back for household appliances at participating shops with a sales area of at least 400 m².