Magimix 4200XL Food Processor review: quality design that won't let you down

Magimix has been making food processors since 1971, so it's no surprise that the Magimix Food Processor is one of the most iconic appliances on the market. I put the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor to the test in this review alongside a selection of some of the best food processors from Sage and KitchenAid to see how this classic holds up in today's market, and I was impressed with its durable design and versatility. 

In our testing process I used all three of the bowls included with the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor to make shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, hummus, mayonnaise, and chopped onion. I've also been able to hang onto this food processor for use in my own kitchen, meaning I'm continuously putting it to good use when making everything from a stuffing for Sunday roast to a batch of brownies. Here's everything you need to know. 

Magimix 4200XL Food Processor: specs

• Model name: Magimix 4200XL Food Processor 18471
• Capacity: Total 3L, working capacity 1.3L
• Material: BPA-free bowls and lid, stainless steel discs and blades
• Wattage: 950W
• Guarantee: 30 year motor, 3 year parts and labour
• Dimensions: H42.5 x L21 x D26 cm
• Included: 3 bowls, 2  blades, 2 grating discs (2mm & 4mm), 2 slicing discs (2mm & 4mm), BlenderMix ring, Dough blade, Egg whisk, Spatula, Storage box, Recipe book

Setting up

The Magimix 4200XL Food Processor comes in an imposing and weighty box. It's a heavy food processor at 7.7kg, the majority of which comes from the base. I personally enjoyed the sturdiness of this food processor, which signals to me that its French construction is made to last - an endorsement that's backed up by a 30-year guarantee on the motor. The base never moved around on my kitchen counters when in use, but luckily the bowls themselves are fairly lightweight and made of BPA-free Triton. 

These bowls slot together for easier storage, and with three different sizes I was able to make large batches of dough and dips, as well as small portions of dips and sauces. 

Included with the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor is a container for all of the attachments, which makes storage a lot safer than if you left the blades loose in a cupboard or drawer. There are two grating discs (2 and 4mm) and two slicing discs, also 2 and 4mm. There are also two blades, one for the large bowl and one for the smaller, and a dough blade. 

Something I've not seen with a food processor before is an egg whisk, which I really enjoyed using with the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor. It can also be used to make whipped cream or even meringues. 

You also get a recipe book with this food processor, which is a nice touch that helps new users get to grips with all the attachments. 

To assemble this food processor you twist the bowl onto the base and then slot the lid into place and twist once more to fully secure it. When I first tried this I couldn't get the lid to attach to the base, and this is because it needs to be twisted left to right onto the base. When I tried this is was easy to get the food processor set up, and especially as this food processor is so suitable for larger families, I was pleased with the safety features included which prevented the food processor from accidentally starting if the food processor and pusher are not in place. 

Grating and slicing

I used both the 2mm grading blade and the 2mm slicing blades to prepare a simple salad by grating some carrots and slicing cucumber. When grating carrots the most common issue I have had with food processors is a lot of waste being left on the top of the disc, and with cucumbers, one of the main issues I've encountered is that the cucumber can end up slipping so that it's slicing at an angle, which leads to inconsistent results. 

The great news is that I had none of these issues with the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor. The entire wedge of cucumber went through the food processor in just a few seconds, and the slices were incredibly even. 

My carrots also left little waste, with only a sliver of the side of a carrot left at the top of the slicing disc. This was also finished in only a few seconds, and using the pulse button gave me plenty of control with this test. 

Making mayonnaise

We made mayonnaise in each of the food processors we tested, and our findings were that it's the smaller bowl capacities that work best to emulsify. Because you need to make mayonnaise slowly by combining egg yolk and a neutral oil, the pulse setting came in very helpful in this recipe, as did the smaller bowl.

It's worth noting that all of the bowls need to be stacked together in order to use one of the smaller two bowls, so while you can use the bowls one after the other, I'd recommend waiting until you're finished with the food processor before cleaning all of the bowls, because they are all needed for the processor to work. 

Our mayonnaise came out perfectly when using the smaller blade with the food processor continually running. It did take a few minutes, which shows that the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor has no trouble when working for extended periods of time. 

Making hummus 

We used the larger bowl to make a hummus, adding olive oil and chickpeas to the bowl and pulsing before combining with garlic, tahini, lemon juice and salt and pepper. 

The large feeder chute in the lid of the food processor came in handy for this as it allowed us to easily add our secondary ingredients without having to completely remove the lid. 

After a few minutes we had a really enjoyable hummus that was very smooth and creamy, noticeably smoother than the KitchenAid model we tested which was still a bit grainy. 

The blade was easy to remove from the bowl because it has a safe handle that's easy to lift in and out of the bowl.

During our testing we did see that the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor marks easily with fingerprints. I tried the satin colour, which required some buffing to remove the oilier fingerprints that were left after making the hummus. 

Chopping onions

As a final step, we chopped a red onion. In this test we were looking for consistent chopping without our onion turning to mush, which could happen with super powerful food processors. With a 950-watt motor I did wonder if the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor would work too fast to achieve that chopped but not blitzed consistency, and it did take some sparing pulses to get the right texture, but overall it came out pretty well. The pieces were mostly even in size, with a few larger pieces of onion that became stuck to the upper side of the bowl. 

Comparing the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor

We tried the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor alongside the Peel & Dice Food Processor from Sage, and the 2.1 Litre Food Processor from KitchenAid. Both in terms of price and size, the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor was the Goldilocks of the group: not too big, not too small, but just right. It has the average amount of attachments that would allow you to experiment without taking up a totally unreasonable amount of space in your kitchen, but if you're extra short on space and you do want a food processor that is completely self-contained and a little neater, the KitchenAid did have an impressively storage-friendly design.

On the other side of the scale, the Sage came with an astounding range of attachments that can dice, peel, chop, slice, blend, and pretty much everything else you could possibly hope to do in the kitchen. The trade-off is that it's so huge, you will need to sacrifice a lot of space to store it. In terms of performance though, we though the Sage and Magimix food processors were well-matched in power and consistency. The KitchenAid fell behind slightly, struggling to chop cucumber consistently and failing to make mayonnaise. 

It's also worth considering that Magimix has a multi-cooker called the Magimix Cook Expert, which comes with everything you'll get in a food processor, but has a smart base that attaches to a versatile cooking bowl. It can be used to heat, steam, blend, knead, and a lot more. You can find out more in our Magimix Cook Expert review, and note that if you're upgrading an existing Magimix food processor, you can trade your old model in for up to £300 off the Cook Expert. 

• Magimix also makes some of the best blenders

How to clean the Magimix Food Processor

We enjoy a dishwasher-safe kitchen gadget, but often higher-value models advise against putting food processor bowls and blades in the dishwasher. With the Magimix, you can. Apart from the motor base, all parts are dishwasher safe. You should place it upside-down in the dishwasher (we found that top shelf was gentler on the Tritan bowls) and then allowed to drain and dry completely. This will allow water to drain out of the machine and keep it far away from the motor. 

Should you buy the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor? 

I'd definitely recommend the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor for those who want to make an investment that will last. Magimix kindly let me keep the 4200XL, which means I can keep this review updated with my ongoing thoughts to let you know how I'm getting on with the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor over the years, and I'm also considering investing in a few of the optional add-ons from the Magimix website, which include a juicer attachment, spiralizer, and masher attachment, to see just how versatile this machine can be. 

This food processor is Quiet Mark accredited, and while it's not a quiet machine I did agree that the noise it makes is not annoying and does not create much of a disturbance in the kitchen. While the heavy base could prove troublesome for those who plan on moving their food processor around the kitchen or in and out of cupboards, I found the weight and sturdiness reassuring, and it meant the machine didn't move around on my counters. With a motor that will rise to just about any challenge, I would recommend the Magimix 4200XL Food Processor for those with a bit of space to spare on their kitchen counter and who want to cook for up to six people at a time. 

About this review, and our reviewer

Millie Fender is small appliances editor at Ideal Home. She reviews everything from coffee machines to air fryers from her own kitchen, meaning these tests have been carried out in the same conditions that you’ll be using the machine.

The Magimix 4200XL Food Processor was given to Millie by Magimix, and Millie tested for a few months before writing this review, as well as testing it alongside other food processors in our test kitchen. This gave her the chance to test all of its functions as well as cleaning and check for any troubleshooting.