Magimix Cook Expert - the journey begins

By Kitchen Exile July 06, 2017 cook expert, Magimix, Reviews

I'm pleased to say that Magimix Netherlands have asked me to try out their Cook Expert food processor for the next six months. This is the first time since I started my website that I've been asked to do something like this and I'm quite chuffed.

I'm no stranger to Magimix, I've been using their food processors for the past 13 years. I was introduced to the brand when I did my chefs diploma during my year at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London. The product does play a large part in my cooking repertoire and I've used it to make pasta, pastry, mayonnaise, curry pastes, hollandaise, pates, meatballs, scones, crumbles... the list goes on. Not to mention it being a recent life saver when I had to chop several kilos of onions for my dish at the recent Big Green Egg Favour Fair. As much as I like to use my chefs knives, the chopping blades come in useful for large quantities or when I'm feeling lazy.

The Cook Expert comes the extra ability to use it for other than normal food processing. The thermo bowl has an induction facility with temperature control, so you can prepare soups and stews without having to use your hob. It also has a steam and bread function, so it will be interesting to see how these work.

So for the next few months I want to see if this all singing, all dancing tool will make a difference in the way I cook. I'll be comparing the end results to what I get from my existing equipment such as my Sansaire Sous Vide, my Waring Pro Blender and my Kitchen Aid. I'll also be comparing the end results of the slow cooking facility against how they turn out in my Staub casserole. Even comparing it to making things the old fashioned way by hand.

I'll be giving my Magimix 4200xl a well deserved holiday while I try out the Cook Expert. Over the next six months, there will be articles on how progress is going. I'll endeavour to give an honest opinion on how it compares and its ease of use. As well as outlining the possibilities of having such a tool in the kitchen.

Initial thoughts on the Cook Expert are that the base is much larger and heavier than the 4200XL. It takes up a lot more space, especially as you have two sets of bowls. One set of 3 for the food processor and another for induction cooking and steaming. The chopping blade set is a lot more compact and it also comes with a hardback recipe book.

The bowls on both processors are roughly the same size but the blade is much bigger and slightly differs in design on the Cook Expert. The same for the whisking blade which is also bigger and designed differently. The dough hook that I was sent is metal and a tougher design than the plastic version that comes with my 4200XL. The weighing scale that comes with this model, is sleek and responsive, but only does solids rather than liquids. Like most models, measures in increments of 2(g/oz etc...). It is compact and has a wipe clean surface which is good.

My focus initially will be more on the cook expert facility, rather than the food processor (I'm already very familiar with those capabilities). I will be interested to see how the blades perform in comparison with my model and what the improvements are. I will peruse the recipe book, but my main focus will be on my own recipes and how it fits in with my cooking repertoire.