For a one-pot family meal that can cook without constant supervision, consider a multi-cooker. If preparing the ingredients also takes up valuable time, a cooking food processor may be a better fit. An air fryer could suit you if you cook in batches or need two separate cooking zones, but sticking with your oven and pans makes sense if they already cover your usual meals. Whichever you choose, compare the usable capacity, cleaning requirements and space needed with the dishes you actually make.
A good place to start is with the part of making a meal that regularly causes you trouble: keeping an eye on the cooking, preparing ingredients or cooking in batches.
You often make one-pot dishes and want to get on with something else while they cook, without expecting the appliance to chop or knead your ingredients. Que Choisir describes this as a typical use for programmable multi-cookers.
Chopping, mixing, blending or kneading takes up a significant part of your weekday cooking. A cooking food processor can bring some of these tasks together with cooking, provided its bowl and accessories suit the dishes you make. Que Choisir points out that functions and capacities vary between models.
You often roast or reheat smaller quantities, perhaps in two compartments. Before adding an air fryer to your kitchen, compare the usable space in its baskets, how easy it is to clean and how you already use your oven, as Que Choisir recommends.
Consider it: for a one-pot dish that you’d like to leave cooking on a programme once you’ve prepared the ingredients.
Bear in mind: it may not chop, blend or knead ingredients for you.
Consider it: if bringing food preparation and cooking together would solve a regular problem when making meals.
Bear in mind: you’ll also need to clean and store the bowl and accessories.
Consider it: for foods that suit basket cooking, particularly if two parts of a meal need separate compartments.
Bear in mind: a large advertised capacity doesn’t guarantee that everything you want to cook will fit in one batch.
Keep using them: if they already let you make your usual dishes and quantities without any recurring problems.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need to keep an eye on some dishes or use several pieces of cookware.
| Criterion | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| One-pot cooking with little supervision | Check for programmes that suit your dishes and the bowl’s maximum fill levels. | After work, I want to start cooking a family meal without keeping an eye on it all the time; around 33% of consumers would put this hands-off cooking feature first. |
| Combining preparation and cooking | Compare the tasks it can perform, the bowl’s usable capacity and the accessories you’ll need to wash. | If chopping and mixing take me as long as cooking, I want to bring these steps together; around 25% of consumers would prioritise this all-in-one preparation. |
| Cooking in batches or separately | Check the usable dimensions of each basket and how the compartments are arranged. | I often need to cook two parts of a meal separately or roast a smaller quantity; around 25% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Whether you need another appliance | Work out which meals your current equipment doesn’t handle well, then measure the space you’ll need for a new appliance. | If my oven and pans already meet my needs, I’d rather avoid another appliance to store and maintain; around 17% of consumers would prioritise this question. |
The advertised capacity doesn’t tell you the shape of the bowl or how much it can hold for each type of preparation. The number of people manufacturers say a model can serve also depends on the recipes.
Think of a few meals you make regularly during the week, then compare the quantities you need with the maximum fill levels and usable dimensions in the model’s manual.
A long list of programmes doesn’t tell you whether the appliance will solve an everyday problem. An air fryer may duplicate your oven, while a cooking food processor means another bowl and set of accessories to manage.
Before you buy, identify the regular task that your oven and pans don’t handle as you’d like: programmable one-pot cooking, all-in-one food preparation or separate compartments.
You’ll also need space to store the appliance and time to clean the parts you use.
Information about removable parts doesn’t automatically apply to the lid, blades or every accessory that comes with an appliance.
Check the manual for the exact model to see which parts are dishwasher-safe and which need a different kind of care.
Being able to replace a part or have the appliance repaired matters if you plan to use it regularly. In France, the ministry responsible for the ecological transition also outlines collection options for electrical appliances at the end of their useful life.
Check part numbers and repair options before you buy. When the appliance reaches the end of its useful life, take it to an appropriate collection point.
These brands offer examples of different set-ups. Compare specific models rather than assuming their capacity or functions from the brand name alone.
The Cookeo Simplicity is an example of one-pot cooking, while the Companion XL combines food preparation and cooking. Moulinex lists a 6 L capacity and enough for up to 6 people for the former, and a 3 L usable bowl capacity for the latter.
The Thermomix TM7 is an example of a multifunction cooking food processor. Vorwerk lists a 2.2 L bowl and functions including weighing, chopping, mixing and cooking.
The Airfryer range includes baskets in different sizes. Philips lists, for example, one model with a 7.2 L capacity and another that can switch from two 3.55 L baskets to a single 7.1 L space using a removable divider.
These Joybuy appliances suit several of the needs covered here: combining food preparation and cooking, making one-pot dishes, cooking in two separate compartments or regularly preparing meals centred around rice. First, choose the function your current equipment is missing, then check the requirements of the model you’re considering.
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Worth considering if you want to combine food preparation and cooking in one appliance. The product title lists an XL bowl and built-in scales. Before choosing, check whether the capacity suits your meals, which accessories need cleaning and what’s included in the recipe library.
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Consider it for one-pot dishes rather than chopping or blending ingredients. The product title lists an 8 L capacity, 1 200 W power and 12 preset programmes. Check the fill limits for your dishes, as well as the plug and power supply requirements, before you buy.
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Compare this model if one-pot cooking suits the meals you usually make. The product title describes a 5.7 L 7-in-1 multi-cooker with slow cooking, steaming and four customisable programmes. For pressure cooking, follow the fill limits and steam release instructions for the dish you’re preparing.
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Worth considering for meals where two ingredients need to cook in separate compartments. The product title lists a 12 L vertical air fryer with 10 programmes. Compare the usable dimensions of each chamber with the food you want to cook, and check the plug, power supply and care requirements for the parts.
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Consider it if rice is a regular part of your meals, rather than if you’re looking for a cooking food processor’s food-preparation functions. The product title lists a 4 L capacity, 860 W power, a keep-warm function and a guide for 3 to 4 people. Check the manual for the right quantities for your meals.
No. A bowl’s capacity doesn’t translate directly into portions. Moulinex lists a 6 L capacity and enough for up to 6 people for the Cookeo Simplicity, but the quantity you can make depends on the dish. Check the fill limits and bowl shape for the recipes you usually cook.
Not necessarily. Your dishes need to fit within the usable width and height of the baskets, and you may need to cook in several batches. Que Choisir notes that capacity and cooking results vary between large air fryer models, so compare them with the dishes you already make in your oven.
Check which parts you’ll use for your usual meals and how each one needs to be cleaned. Philips says that the removable parts of one Airfryer model are dishwasher-safe, but this doesn’t apply to every model or accessory. Check the manual for the model you’re considering.
You can take a used electrical appliance to an appropriate collection point. The ministry responsible for the ecological transition lists options including a collection point or waste disposal centre, returning it to a retailer, or giving it to a social enterprise. Check the arrangements at the location you choose.
Yes, especially if you plan to use the appliance regularly. Check that parts and repair services are available for the exact model. ADEME also describes the durability index as a useful guide for the appliance categories it covers.