This overall score is made up of performance (40%) and ease of use (60%). Over the years, we've found that all-in-one appliances cook very well, so we've placed a greater emphasis on ease of use than we have in the past.

A total of 13 tests are conducted on the machines, including chopping, kneading, braising, making risotto, steaming and crushing, and the results are averaged into the overall cooking performance score. Performance accounts for 40% of the total.

Whenever possible, we follow the manufacturers' recipes.

How easy the controls are to use, the general ease of use of the machine and how easy it is to clean.

If a product fails safety requirements we don't recommend it. We consider speed cut out to be extremely important, where the speed will automatically cut out if the temperature inside the bowl is above 60°C. If a model doesn't have this feature it's automatically not recommended.

In some instances, at the request of members and when products are still available on the second-hand market and via sites like eBay, we include discontinued models in the tables.

This is the typical retail price.

Noise is measured on the highest speed setting.

A loud machine can be annoying if cooking for long periods.

Be careful handling these jugs as they can be hot. Some models tested before 2014 may not have a specific exterior temperature recorded.

The maximum cooking temperature the machine can be set to.

This is the maximum usable capacity.

This excludes the steamer.

Blades speed up, giving an extra burst of power during blending.

It's handy if accessories can be stowed away easily.

A built-in scale lets you weigh ingredients as you cook; some are separate.

When cooking at high temperatures some models have a speed cut out system that doesn’t let you apply high speeds (or automatically reduces the speed) when the temperature inside the bowl is above 60 degrees C. If the settings can be overridden we still count this as a 'no'; see safety features for more info.

Most machines won't operate unless the lid is locked into the main unit.

An additional safety feature to reduce the risk of liquid spills.

Check the manufacturer instructions for specifics as not all accessories may be dishwasher-safe.