Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor review: This device gave me smooth and silky results
BOSCH is a giant when it comes to home appliances, and it's no different for the fantastic kitchen gadgets they make too.
I decided to put the Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor to the test to see how well it is when it comes to good old-fashioned home-cooked meals.
- Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G, for £100 from Argos-
The Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor is not a small machine by any means - the main bowl has a 3.9l capacity, and it comes with a 1250W motor - so it’s for serious home cooks who need to prep for big dinners.
But like machines of this size, it comes with a fair few accessories to help you make the most of it.
In addition to the cutting blade and slicing/grating discs that you get with smaller models, it also comes with extras like a Julienne disc for cutting vegetables into matchsticks, a dough hook for kneading, a juicing attachment, and a whisk.
On top of that, you also have a blender attachment for liquidating soups and smoothies and a mini chopper for smaller chopping tasks.
Pros
- It’s fast and powerful
- Lots of accessories to experiment with
- Multiple speed settings
Cons
- It takes a while to assemble
Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor review: What attachments does it come with?
- 3.9l plastic mixing bowl with separate chopping blade
- 1.5 litre blender
- Mini chopper with integrated blade
- Reversible slicing (thick and thin) disc
- Reversible grating (coarse and fine) disc
- Julienne disc
- Metal dough hook
- Stainless steel whisk
- Citrus press
Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor review: first impressions
The Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor comes with so many extra bits that it can be daunting when you first open the box.
There’s a fairly easy-to-understand illustrated guide with details on how to assemble the machine for each task, but it can still be confusing because the parts aren’t always labelled.
For example, there are two very similar attachments - one for connecting the dough hook and one for just about everything else - but it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart from the illustrated guide.
It also takes slightly longer to put together compared to smaller food processors I tested, like the and the , because of the attachments I mentioned earlier.
Even if you just wanted to chop some food, you had to put the bowl on the machine, insert the right attachment, and then install the chopping blade on top of that.
It means more washing up at the end, although all the removable elements are dishwasher-safe.
That said, once you do have everything in place, you have a hugely powerful machine at hand.
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Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor review: functions
The Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor whizzed through the chopping tasks I gave it in no time.
Unlike other food processors, which feature just low, high and pulse speed functions, the speed is adjusted using a dial.
Turn counterclockwise from Off, and you have M, a sort of manual pulse function that turns the machine on at full speed.
Turn clockwise from Off, and you can gradually increase the speed from Low to Max.
After Max, you have Pulse, where the machine automatically starts and stops at full speed. This is handy if you’re making things like milkshakes, where you need time for the contents to settle down.
I found that vegetables in the large bowl were cut into fine, even pieces very quickly.
Because the machine is so powerful, it’s actually quite hard to achieve a rough chop, so you have to play around with the amount of vegetables you add and the length of time you have the machine on.
- Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G, for £100 from Argos-
The mini chopper is similarly efficient and can get foods close to a puree. You can use it on everything from smaller quantities of vegetables for sauces to hard cheeses and meat, but despite its shape, you can’t use it on things like coffee beans or spices.
The one issue I found was that there were no markers for the maximum amount of food you could add.
I found it would snugly fit the contents of a 400g can of chickpeas, but I had to start and stop the machine several times to make sure it was blending evenly - I did get very smooth hummus at the end of it, though.
The blades in the mini chopper are integrated, which means cleaning under them can be a bit of a pain. You can "pre-clean" it using the machine by adding water and a little bit of washing-up liquid and switching it on for a few seconds.
Finally, there’s the 1.5l blender, which is suitable for hot or cold ingredients, making it great for ice-cold frappes or piping-hot soups.
I used it to make smoothies with a mix of frozen and fresh ingredients, and the results were smooth and silky every time.
Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor review: Is it good for slicing and grating?
The Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor comes with three discs: a reversible thick/thin slicer, a reversible coarse/fine grater and a julienne disc.
This function took a while to set up - you have to install the attachment, the nest for the discs and then the disc itself - but once that’s all done, it was easy to use.
I found that the slicer and grater discs powered through vegetables very quickly and produced nice, even results, even on harder vegetables like carrots.
For those who love cooking stir fry, the julienne disc will be a welcome addition. It managed to cut carrots into perfect matchsticks in just a matter of seconds, saving valuable time and effort.
Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor review: Is it good for kneading dough?
The Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G food processor comes with a metal dough hook, which can be used to work harder doughs.
I tested a brioche recipe on it, which is a wetter dough, and it brought the ingredients together very quickly.
However, because the dough hook only rotates in a circular motion rather than a planetary one like bigger stand mixers, I found that the dough tended to stick to the middle rather than move around.
So while all the ingredients were combined, the dough wasn’t being worked enough to help the gluten develop.
This meant that the dough had to be kneaded by hand for a bit after it was removed from the machine.
You also have to add all the ingredients when the bowl is already docked, which can get messy.
Bosch MultiTalent 8 food processor review: the other accessories
- Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G, for £100 from Argos-
The Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G food processor also comes with a juicing attachment and a whisk.
The juicer was pretty straightforward - the conical reamer forces the juice out from any citrus fruits you use while a strainer catches any stray pips.
I found that the whisk was really efficient at everything from making batter to whisking egg whites as it rotates on an axis while rotating around the bowl.
If you are making the batter, though, you'll need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides and corners to ensure everything is mixed in.
Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G food processor: final verdict
Overall, I really liked how fast and efficient the Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G food processor was.
Its best features are the slicing/grating/julienne discs, as they produce consistent results every time.
Our only gripe is that it takes longer to assemble than smaller machines, and there are more bits to wash up - but if you don’t mind or have a dishwasher, this makes a great option for big families.
You can also read our Ninja Foodi Mini Multi-Cooker review.
For more air fryer options, we've rounded up some of the best air fryers on the market.
Where can I buy the Bosch MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G food processor?
Since Bosh is such a household name, it doesn't take too much searching around to find the MultiTalent 8 MC812M853G food processor. Pop into your local electrical device store, and you'll probably spot one.
If you're just looking to make your purchase from the comfort of your couch, here's a quick list of retailers you can find the food processor at:
Is there an alternative to the Cuisinart 1.9L Easy Prep Pro?
If you're wondering what other alternatives are available, you'll be pleased to know there are quite a few options available.
However, it's worth noting that specific models will vary greatly depending on your budget and requirements.
There's strong competition, too, as Ninja, Kitchen Aid, Hamilton and Cuisinart create extremely popular food processors, so you're sure to find something that caters to your budget and requirements.
Remember to consider things like power, capacity, what you plan to use it for, and the cost before parting with your money.
Here are some of the alternative options currently out there: