See what MNers think of Kenwood’s new kCook and be in with a chance to win your own! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 20 Mumsnetters who tried the Kenwood kCook.

Here’s what the people at Kenwood say, “Whipping up a one-pot wonder for your family has never been easier thanks to the new kCook cooking food processor from Kenwood which not only chops and stirs, but also cooks delicious dishes at the touch of a few buttons. All this, plus a fantastic specially-developed recipe app to provide a little inspiration at every meal time, makes the kCook the new must-have kitchen essential.

The three bowl tools coupled with the app make the laborious tasks of thinking up a meal, preparing ingredients and endlessly stirring over a hot stove a thing of the past. Simply follow one of over 200 recipes available on the app, or adapt them to your taste using the kCook’s manual modes which allow the speeds and temperatures to be changed.”

Testers, we’d like you to answer the below questions:

Q1. How would you describe the kCook to friends or family who had never heard of it before? What was your overall impression of it?

Q2. How easy, or not, did you find to use the kCook? What time saving tips did you find when using the kCook?

Q3. What family meals did you create with the kCook? Did they go down well with your family? We’d love it if you could post some pictures of your dishes on this thread.

Q4. Did you use the Kenwood recipe app? If so, what did you think of it? Did you discover new recipes you hadn’t tried before?

Q5. If it came up in conversation, do you think you’d recommend the kCook to friends and family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Non-testers, what’s your favourite dish to make in a food processor? Everyone who adds their thoughts to this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win their own kCook.

Thanks
MNHQ

We make a lovely Lentil and Bacon soup.

Non tester!
I love whizzing up a variety of soups in the blender - especially leek & potato. For texture, I'll often leave half the soup unblended & then mix the two together. This makes for a lovely smooth soup with yummy chunky bits in. Delicious! Lentil & bacon is also a good one for this.

Non tester.

I've just learnt how to make cauliflower-based pizza, and that's done in my trusty processor. I'd just like to add that this unlikely meal is very healthy, tasty and easy to make.

I'm a non-tester but I use my food processor for making hummus and filling for ravioli.

I'm trying the beef stew from the app today. So I've spent 10 minutes getting everything ready and now all I have to do is chuck in the contents of each bowl (see pic) when the thing beeps at me. I think this is what I like best about it - I don't have to watch the clock so I can go and do other stuff and just nip back to the kitchen when it shouts at me!

I am a lucky tester, here are my first impressions -

Pros
Very quick and easy to set up
Small so doesn't take up much counter space
I like that there is an app giving you ideas and helping you to get used to settings etc
Plenty of vegetarian recipes on the app
Dishwasher safe
Less to wash as all done in one pot

Cons
Small so won't make many portions (no chance of freezing batches etc)
Lid is difficult to open/close
Hard to just start using your own recipes straight away (need to understand the settings better first)

I am registered disabled and my first impressions from that point of view are that it will help give me back my independence in the kitchen as it cuts for me (something I struggle with) and the stirring setting will mean I don't have to stand for long periods of time. The only downside so far from this perspective is that I need someone to help me with putting the lid on or taking it off

All ingredients in, timer set for 2hrs. Smells amazing already!!

I no longer have my food processer, but I used to love making hummus, and other dips

Q1. How would you describe the kCook to friends or family who had never heard of it before? What was your overall impression of it?
Table-top one-pot chopping, stirring, cooking machine.

Q2. How easy, or not, did you find to use the kCook? What time saving tips did you find when using the kCook?
Very easy - no need to worry too much about what or why it just gets on with the different stages. Loved loved loved the stirring - I was so unnecessary I had to sit down and engage properly with DS and DH! I found the lid a little hard to open and close, but always managed it. I also wasn't sure about putting it in the dishwasher - don't the electrics get filled with skanky water from the washer when it's upside-down? Hand washing was easy, though.

Q3. What family meals did you create with the kCook? Did they go down well with your family? We’d love it if you could post some pictures of your dishes on this thread.
So far we've tried the chicken curry on the app. Very simple, but tasty. I added ginger and the kCook chopped it with the garlic and onions to a good size. I will adapt the spices next time and add a little more oil - some of the spices stuck but didn't burn during the frying stage. Due to the constant stirring the tinned tomatoes gradually broke up to give a good thick sauce which I wouldn't have achieved with hand-stirring.
The family loved it and are keen to try variations and have a go themselves.

Q4. Did you use the Kenwood recipe app? If so, what did you think of it? Did you discover new recipes you hadn’t tried before?
The app gave simple instructions and I didn't have to get too involved. See answer 3 above.

Q5. If it came up in conversation, do you think you’d recommend the kCook to friends and family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, because it saved time and clearing up.

Finished! And it smells amazing! The sauce is nice and thick, I noticed that the amount of water in this is half the amount you normally out in per stock cube so that's probably why. Sliced tatties on the top and then in the oven for an hour later on. Yum!

We love soup - all kinds of soup so this would be ideal. Non-tester.

TESTER

Q1. How would you describe the kCook to friends or family who had never heard of it before? What was your overall impression of it?

Its a chopping stirring steaming gadget that could make life a lot easier

Q2. How easy, or not, did you find to use the kCook? What time saving tips did you find when using the kCook?

I liked the fact that so much of it is done in the same bowl with minimal change of utensils (chopper and stirrer), so that in itself saves time, and washing up.
Apart from that, there is definitely a knack getting the lid on and off, and you are stuck cooking anything for 30 mins or less.

Q3. What family meals did you create with the kCook? Did they go down well with your family? We’d love it if you could post some pictures of your dishes on this thread.

See below for pictures - did the risotto one and added saffron and a few asparagus spears. It was excellent, and was much creamier than the stuff I make on the stove. It was almost entirely hands free!

I wouldn't bother with some of the meat dishes as I think they'd need more than 30 mins. However, I'm sure one could just reset the timer and do another 30 mins...

Just done the Aubergine Caviar and Aeolian Pesto this lunchtime. Now eyeing up the rice pudding (all in the name of research, you understand...)

Q4. Did you use the Kenwood recipe app? If so, what did you think of it? Did you discover new recipes you hadn’t tried before?

I thought the recipes in the booklet were pretty drab, but once I'd downloaded the app onto my phone, I discovered some great looking recipes on there. Is the idea for the app so it can be added to by Kenwood? I found 'cooking by phone' rather tiresome! I like the idea of a 'Kenwood Community' that swapped good recipes online as someone suggested.

Q5. If it came up in conversation, do you think you’d recommend the kCook to friends and family? If so, why? If not, why not?

It depends... It would be a great wedding present, I think. Once all those babies come along, it'll be brilliant for baby food!

A few extra thoughts...

It washes extremely well in the dishwasher, and there are no nooks and crannies for food to get stuck into - and for that you have the bottle brush. Its been through the wash cycle 3 times with no ill effects...

Its very compact, so will fit in a cupboard quite easily, or not take up too much worktop space.

However, there is nowhere to store the chopper, stirrer and measuring cup! (No idea why we have a measuring cup TBH - is it supposed to 'add value' to the machine?) I store the chopper and stirrer in the steam basket, but then cannot get the lid on properly.

The more I use it, the more recipes I can think of to use it for. I just need the time to put it into practice. I can see me using it for porridge in the winter for the DC - no laborious stirring required, and nothing stuck to the bottom of the pan.

TESTER
I also meant to say that I have also noticed several 'holes' the the recipes where it mentions an ingredient, and then doesn't tell you where or when to add it... The Aubergine Caviar is one (on the app) and there is another omission in the recipe book... but I can't find it again... (Typical!)

I use my food processor for making bread, it's so tasty and so easy to make in a food processor.

Ok, final report on the beef stew. Stew was delicious, overall recipe with the sliced potato on top was not so good, tatties were not cooked at all after the stated time in the oven. So I will definitely make the stew again, but have it with mashed tatties I think.

Creamy potato soup, I also like to grate potato and make Rosti

Favourite dish to make in the food processor is peanut butter!

Tester to Ishouldcocoa:
In the dishwasher did you put it upside down and did it then fill with scummy water all around the electrics?

I am still too scared to put mine in the dishwasher. I can't see how eventually it wouldn't break it or water get in where it shouldn't.

It makes me nervous, too - I feel the bowl should detach

YY I want the electrics to come off.

Quite right - electrics and water DO NOT MIX

I've put it in dishwasher a couple of times, upside down and somehow it didn't fill with water but I agree that it probably won't last long

Non- tester: I use my food processor to make purees for my baby, pasta sauces and pastry occasionally.

ishouldcocoa - I have made porridge in it, it is BLOODY AMAZING but it does stick to the bottom despite the stirrer and is a bit of a bugger to wash. No more so than a saucepan with porridge in it, except that it's a bit harder to get your hand in. Didn't try it in the dishwasher because I wanted it later in the day for making something else.

I've made a few things so far:
porridge (swoon!)
chilli con carne
macaroni cheese
steamed veg

It's pretty good. The app is a bit buggy. Have plans to make a few more things so will give formal feedback to the five questions later.