I absolutely love my apartment. It’s light, with a fantastic view, but it has one major drawback, especially for a food blogger – the kitchen is absolutely tiny.
So when the folks at Tefal asked if I wanted to try their Cuisine Companion, I was skeptical. Did I really need another gadget taking up space on my kitchen counter (and inevitably, gathering dust?)
When I heard what the Cuisine Companion could do, though, I was really intrigued. Just check out the control panel!
To put it simply, the Cuisine Companion is a food processor that also cooks. But not only can it cook, but you can use it as a slow cooker, a steamer, and to make sauces, desserts, and pastries, too. The possibilities are absolutely endless.
The same machine can make beef stock, choux pastry, risotto, creme brulee, and even ice cream. It’s about the size of a stand mixer, and given how versatile it is, I definitely think it’s fully worth all of the counter space it takes up.
I pretty much haven’t stopped raving about the Cuisine Companion since I’ve had it – I think it is absolutely amazing. I’ve made so many different things with the Cuisine Companion, but so far my favourite use for it has been for soup. It really couldn’t be easier – barely any washing up, chopping or fuss!
My favourite soup has been a carrot and orange one that I had when I was on a business trip to Portugal recently. I decided to take a stab at recreating it with the Cuisine Companion – and it is really delicious, a perfect spring soup recipe.
- 5 carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, peeled
- 2 small oranges
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tsp butter or oil
- salt & pepper
- Place the ultrablade in the Cuisine Companion.
- To the bowl, add butter or olive oil, followed by a peeled onion.
- Chop the onion using the P12 setting for ten seconds.
- Select the slow cook option, and cook the onions for two minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, prepare the chicken stock and roughly chop the carrots.
- Using a potato peeler, peel the zest from both oranges.
- Once the onions have cooked, add the orange peels, carrots, stock, salt and pepper.
- Select the 'soup' option for 45 minutes.
- Once the soup has cooked, the Cuisine Companion will blend the mixture for you!
- Slice the two oranges in half, and squeeze the juice from both into the soup.
- Stir the juice through, and serve with warm bread and lots of butter!
My favourite thing about the Cuisine Companion is that once the soup is done, I can adjust the heat settings so the soup keeps at a constant temperature. This is perfect for me, as I like eating quite early, but my boyfriend tends to work late – this way, we both get to enjoy a hot meal!
It’s also been fantastic for big gatherings, and entertaining, too. Making a chicken liver pate from scratch can be fiddly and time consuming, but the Cuisine Companion makes it almost effortless. Barely any prep, or messing around with raw chicken liver required – it’s so easy!
The Cuisine Companion comes with a big recipe book which is perfect for trying new ideas. I tried their Chicken Liver Pate with Port recipe – and it was delicious!
I REALLY can’t recommend the Cuisine Companion enough – and it’s really changed the way I’m eating for the better. All the soups I’ve tried have been so great, and I’ve definitely been getting more vegetables in thanks to it.
At £699.99, it’s definitely not an impulse buy, but it is around £200 cheaper than a Thermomix – and a more attractive looking machine, too!
Do you have a kitchen gadget you really can’t live without? Be sure to comment below, or let me know on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!
*I was gifted a Cuisine Companion for the purposes of review – as always, views are my own!
