Magimix CS 4200XL review

Weighing in at a hefty 10.8kg, the Magimix CS 4200 XL is a serious food processor, but it has several advantages over smaller, lighter models. The base is rock steady, barely moving while the machine is in action, and it helps to eliminate vibrations and keep it firmly in place on a kitchen counter. The induction motor is heavier than a traditional electric one, but uses electromagnets rather than brushes to get up to speed, which creates less noise.

At 425mm high, including its extra-large feed tube, the 4200XL is just short enough to fit between most kitchen worktops and wall-mounted cabinets above, so you should be able to store it easily when it’s not being used. The brushed metal silver finish is particularly eye-catching, so I wouldn’t hesitate to leave it showing rather than store it in a cupboard, and there are multiple colour choices to help match your kitchen décor as well.

Magimix has a proprietary three bowl system, with the mini and midi bowls stacking inside the main bowl for storage and for preparing various meal sizes. The main bowl has a generous three litre capacity, while the midi has 2.6 litres and the mini 1.2 litres. Together, that’s easily enough for a family of four, and it’s also capable of coping with larger dinner parties as well. If you want to use the smaller bowls, the larger ones must be fitted first, Russian doll-style.

Magimix supplies a generous selection of accessories as standard, including a plastic dough blade, metal knife blade, fine/coarse slicing and shredding discs, a chipping disc and a useful storage box for keeping everything in. There’s also a plastic whisk attachment and hand spatula, and you can expand the selection of parts with a whole host of optional accessories, including a 6mm thick slicing disc, Julienne disc, citrus press, purée kit, rasping disc, smoothie making kit and dough bowl.

There’s no jug blender attachment, which can make juices a little tricky, and the plastic whisk isn’t going to be as effective at whipping air into cream as a food processor equipped with beaters. However, everything is dishwasher-safe, which makes clean-up a breeze, and a damp cloth is all that’s required to clean the outside of the mixer. Starting with the Mini bowl, then moving up to the midi and main bowls as required also helps reduce the amount of cleaning. Removing blades is simple, too, with enough room to grip them comfortably.