Magimix Food Processor 4200 XL - White

Needed a new processor. Previous Cuisinart was a basic model, and met its match when my sister used it for raw cranberries; every single plastic part cracked. We used it anyway for a time, and at near the point of failure looked into replacement plastic.. which costs more than half a new one.

Decided to get a better one. The consensus candidate would be a Breville, however those do not have great reliability records, confirmed by a relative's machine that went through three bowls in a short time. Also, in general, we are are experienced cooks, and do not need (or use) a lot of frills. Give us a robust, simple, durable machine anytime..

At this point we saw that Pleasant Hill was offering the Magimix. Looked that up and realized that it is the standard Robocoup that is sort of a standard in France, but in 110V form.

Our past experience with Pleasant Hill was mostly for serious equipment, most notably a KoMo mill and an Ankarsrum mixer, both of which are lifetime purchases and neither of which has been any trouble with heavy use. The one time I needed help was a problem disassembling the mill for needed maintenance after years of use. I sent a query to PHG, and got a video on how to fix it within a day. It seems to us that if PHG carries something, it will be enjoyable to use, and stand up to real use.

So Magimix from PHG it is...

The processor is, well, new, so experience is limited so far. Set up is quite intuitive, and it comes with a book that opens with set up and also has recipes. Two books; one in French, one in English. The bowls work intuitively and there is a second, smaller knife for the smallest one. We tested it out on a fibrous veg soup, and a nut butter, both of which were challenges for our old machine. This one runs through them in no time and no effort. Controls are on, off, and pulse, which is as it should be.

Looks like a great match for us, and anything with a 30 year warranty from a company in business longer than that is our kind of kitchen equipment.

The Magimix 4200XL is just spectacular! I'm a former chef, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but it's hard to match the versatility of this machine (looking at you, Breville!).

I've noticed several sites have mixed reviews of the Magimix food processors and most of them are, frankly, operator errors. Those who complain about all the bowls all getting soiled when using the small bowl are overfilling it. Just yesterday I used the smallest bowl to quickly process 4 cloves of garlic and even after I drizzled in some olive oil, I only had to clean the bowl I used and the lid. When I made mayo in the small bowl, the same was true. Those who can't get it to turn on lack appreciation for the built-in safety features. The bowl and lid both click into place in one direction - counterclockwise - and only in that direction. After you do it a couple of times, it's second nature. There *is* a learning curve to using this piece of equipment efficiently, but it's a short curve even if you're a novice cook. There also seem to be a fair amount of websites who test and review food processors and most of them also downplay the capabilities of this machine. If, like me, you've been doing research before making the investment into a food processor, I recommend taking those reviews with a large grain of salt.

The other thing is you have to understand what each bowl is designed to do. Obviously, the mini bowl is best for small quantities like mayo, hummus, pesto, dressings, or if you need to quickly chop an onion or a few cloves of garlic or a smattering of herbs. The midi bowl works with the shredding and slicing attachments and doesn't have a regular chopping blade (by design!). This is not a flaw when you can chop in the mini or largest bowl. The shreds and slices come out perfectly, but again I've seen complaints about this too. Regardless of the brand, you will almost always have a small piece left, but with the Magimix, that piece is very small - and who doesn't need a snack when they're powering through prep? There are several ways the opening/pushers can be configured, so you can, for example fit a mini cucumber in the smallest circular opening and slice it without issue. If you want longer plank slices, cut the item to fit the width of the wider opening and insert it on its side. There are videos produced by Magimix that demo all of this to make it easy for anyone to learn to use the machine properly. The largest bowl is great for larger batches, making dough, pureeing soups, mixing up a cake batter, cookies, etc. Since getting this machine I'm actually contemplating getting rid of both my KitchenAid mixer and my Vitamix, but I've only had the Magimix for a couple of weeks, so we'll see. I did test making dough and it took 1 minute to process a batch of dinner rolls and a mere 30 seconds to make pizza dough! The dough quality was superior to the same dough produced by my KitchenAid mixer, which not only mixes slower, but has a tendency to overwork dough if you're not paying attention. I guess Magimix is better suited to my short attention span and my desire to get my prep done quickly.

As far as pricing goes, the Magimix is on par with the Breville sous chef or a bit less depending on the model you're interested in. I ended up finding the Magimix on sale, and it's definitely more expensive than the over hyped Cuisinart, but it's also sturdier, more versatile with the multiple bowls/functions, and has a much longer warranty. Ironically, I had bought the Cuisinart first, but it's seriously lacking compared side by side to the Magimix especially when you compare the plastic bowls and overall functionality.

The last thing I'd like to point out is the blade quality. Magimix uses Sabatier blades (if you know, you know), while other processer manufacturers are using blades from. . . yeah, it's a mystery. The 4200XL comes with two slicing blades, two shredding blades, a chopping blade for the mini bowl and one for the large bowl, a dough blade, and the ring attachment for the large bowl (creates a sort of vortex that pulls ingredients in towards the blade for perfectly mixed and pureed ingredients), a whisk for whipping cream or egg whites or batters, a storage box for the blades, a bespoke spatula, and a recipe book. I also got the citrus juicer attachment and the Parmesan cheese blade (sold separately) and they don't disappoint!

This is hands down the best machine for versatility and power. The motor base has a just slightly larger footprint than my Vitamix motor base, so it packs a lot of power into a reasonably sized footprint. It's a lot quieter than my Vitamix though, so that's also a plus. The bowls are easy to clean and dishwasher safe, but I don't recommend using the dishwasher for food processor parts across the board unless you're ok with replacing them more frequently. As for size, I don't think it's too big if you consider all the other machines that it potentially replaces. I've seen complaints about the size of the blade storage box, but it's larger because you're getting more attachments than you are with other processors, so c'est la vie! I'm a single person, and this lets me do small and large quantities of prep making it perfect whether I'm cooking for myself or prepping a dinner party.

The one potential downside is that there aren't many authorized dealers in the US, and I actually reached out to Nutrimill about getting parts or using the warranty. I was informed that both could be handled by them, which put it to rest for me. Nutrimill has been great to work with and I recommend them as highly as I do this food processor. Based on people's experiences with Breville's customer service, it doesn't appear warranty claims are very straightforward if you go that route. The Magimix 30-year warranty is one of the best in the business and they also guarantee replacement parts will be available for the machine for the same period of time!

For all those reasons, I picked the Magimix, and it's really lived up to its reputation so far! Frankly, I'm tired of seeing US websites acting like Cuisinart and Breville are the only options. If you're looking for versatility, quality, consistent performance, a strong warranty and replacement parts availability, and a product that *isn't* made in China, this is the only processor I've tested that has it all.

Precise cut. No mess.

It's bigger than it looks on the computer screen. Very solid built unit, heavy and good quality. We will see as time goes on. The included discs and paddles (I'm not sure what they're called) is a bonus. They even come in a case. The 3 separate cups is a nice design. Grating a small amount of cheese? small cup. lots of veggies or ice? large cup. I didn't want a made in China unit that will die in a year. This unit is made in France.

The machine is a beast!

Tremendously powerful, versatile, and well-made piece of equipment.

Works as expected.

This thing rocks! Made my biscuits and my pesto in no time! Can't wait to use it more.

I still remember my mother using a Magimix when I was a little boy. For some time, I have been considering purchasing a Magimix, and I have finally made the decision to do so. It was primarily the cost that had kept me on the sidelines. I couldn't be happier. I'm also glad I decided on the 4200XL even though it's just for a one-person home. It's extremely powerful and for the most part easy to clean and maintain. It whips up a hummus in no time and grates everything I throw at it to perfection. I will also be adding several of the accessories that are available. I definitely should have bought one sooner. Thank you Magimix for putting a smile on my face.