The Magimix 5200XL is the food processor serious cooks quietly recommend to each other. It is French-built, unfashionably plain and priced well above the supermarket-brand competition, but it comes with a 30-year motor guarantee and a three-bowl system designed for people who process food in volume rather than once a month. This review looks at whether that combination justifies the money in a UK kitchen.
Prices below are approximate and move often between colours and retailers, so check the live listing before you buy.
Magimix 5200XL: the essentials at a glance
- Best for: batch cooks, large families and anyone who wants one processor to last decades.
- Bowls: three nested bowls (large, medium and mini) in one machine, so you can switch tasks without washing up in between.
- Motor: 1100W induction motor with a 30-year motor guarantee and a 3-year parts guarantee, according to the Amazon listing.
- Capacity: 3.6 litre main bowl. The listing says it grates 1.4kg of carrots in one go and kneads up to 1.2kg of bread dough.
- Price: typically in the region of £340 to £450 depending on colour and retailer. Check the live listing.
- Skip it if: you only chop an onion now and then. A cheaper compact processor will do that job.
The 5200XL sits in the middle of the Magimix range. It is big enough for family cooking without the worktop footprint of the largest models, and it is the size we would point most UK households at when they ask for one processor to do everything.
The three-bowl system: gimmick or genuinely useful?
Most food processors give you one bowl and leave you to wash it between jobs. The 5200XL nests three: a large main bowl, a medium bowl and a small one for herbs, nuts and sauces. In practice it means you can grate cheese in one bowl, chop parsley in the small one and finish with a batch of hummus without a wash in the middle.
For a household that cooks from scratch most evenings, this is the feature that makes the price make sense. If you process one thing at a time, it matters less, though the small bowl is still handy for small quantities that get lost in a big bowl.
The bowls are BPA-free and the parts are largely dishwasher friendly, which matters more than it sounds when you use the machine daily. Check the manual for which parts should be hand washed, in particular the blades.
Blades, discs and processing performance
For everyday jobs, think coleslaw for the family, grated cheese for a lasagne, a week of chopped onions for the freezer, and batches of pesto or hummus. These are the jobs where a big bowl and a sharp blade save real time, and where cheaper machines start to labour or leave uneven pieces.
One caution: the machine does not liquidise. It will blend soups and sauces reasonably, but if smoothies and ice are your main use, a proper blender will do a better job. Our Blender vs Food Processor guide explains where the line falls.
The blades are where a Magimix earns its reputation. The listing describes them as ultra-sharp, and the shape and weight of the metal blade and the grating and slicing discs are noticeably more substantial than on budget models. That shows up as cleaner cuts on onions and carrots, and less of the mush you get when a blunt blade tears rather than slices.
The extra wide feed tube saves a lot of chopping, since a whole potato or a large block of cheese goes in without being cut down first. The controls are deliberately simple: three buttons, with the power adjusting itself to the task.
Dough is the other headline use. The motor is built to knead bread and pastry dough in the main bowl, and it will do larger batches than a compact processor. It is not a replacement for a stand mixer if you bake every week, but it copes well with pizza dough and shortcrust.
It is also quiet for the category. Magimix is Quiet Mark approved, which is a fair description of how it sounds compared with cheaper, higher-pitched machines.
Build, guarantee and living with it
Cleaning is straightforward if you rinse the bowl straight after use. The lids and seals come apart for washing, and the smooth bowl walls do not trap food. Wipe the motor base with a damp cloth and keep water away from the drive shaft.
Running costs are negligible. The motor draws far less than a kettle for the few minutes you use it, so the real cost is the purchase price, not the electricity bill.
This is a heavy, well-made machine that stays put on the worktop. The 30-year motor guarantee is the strongest single argument for buying one: spread over even a decade of use, the cost per year is modest, and spare parts such as bowls and discs are widely available in the UK.
Consider storage before you buy. With the bowls, discs and lids, it takes up a fair amount of cupboard space, and the base is best left on the worktop if you can spare it. The dimensions on the Amazon listing are roughly 21cm deep, 26cm wide and 44.5cm tall.
Some accessories, such as extra blades and the juicing attachments, are sold separately or in Premium bundles, so read the listing carefully to see exactly what is in the box.
Is the Magimix 5200XL worth it?
If you batch cook, feed a big household, or want one machine to last for decades, yes. The three bowls, the blade quality and the guarantee make it a genuine long-term purchase rather than an appliance you replace every few years.
If you use a food processor only occasionally, or you are working to a tight budget, it is more machine than you need. A cheaper compact model will handle occasional chopping and grating for a fraction of the price.
- Buy the 5200XL if you cook in volume and value durability.
- Skip it if your use is occasional or space is very tight.
For more options, see our Magimix vs Kenwood comparison, our Blender vs Food Processor guide, and our Kenwood Multipro Express review.
Magimix 5200XL Food Processor, Black (3.6L)
The 5200XL in black is the version we have linked: 3.6 litre main bowl, three bowls in total, 1100W motor and the 30-year motor guarantee. It was rated around 4.5 out of 5 across more than 500 ratings when we checked. Colours and bundles vary, so confirm what is included on the live listing.
FAQ
Q: Is the Magimix 5200XL worth the money?
A: For regular batch cooking, yes. The build quality, three bowls and 30-year motor guarantee mean it should outlast several cheaper machines. For occasional use, no.
Q: Can it knead bread dough?
A: Yes. The listing says it kneads up to 1.2kg of dough. It suits pizza and bread doughs, though a stand mixer is better if you bake constantly.
Q: Is it dishwasher safe?
A: Most bowls and accessories are, but check the manual, and hand wash the blades to keep them sharp.
Q: How long is the guarantee?
A: The listing states a 30-year guarantee on the motor and 3 years on parts.
Q: How noisy is it?
A: Quieter than most rivals; it is Quiet Mark approved, though any processor is loud when crushing ice or chopping nuts.
Weighing up the options? See our round-up of the best food processors in the UK.
