Magimix Compact 3200 XL Review

The Magimix Compact 3200 XL is a rockstar of a food processor, handling all our chopping, slicing, and pureeing tests with ease. Its multiple bowl and blade sizes make finding the perfect tool for the job a breeze, and the included storage compartment keeps your kitchen clean too.

Performance Comparison

Chopping

Chopping food is a fundamental task for food processors. The ability to chop ingredients into clean and usable bits of food (not mush) is what differentiates a quality machine from the rest. The Magimix performed admirably, scoring well above the pack in this category.

Our chopping test used the "pulse" button on each model to chop onions, carrots, and nuts. We compared the ability to chop effectively and the level of control of the pulse button.

The Magimix pulse button was responsive and stopped quickly after release, allowing precise control over the chopping time to avoid over-processing food. Depending on the bowl and blade size, of which there are three, the Magimix chopped food into small pieces with great texture, although there were occasional larger chunks that remained in the bowl. Our onion was chopped in five pulses and had great uniformity, while the carrot only took three pulses but had a chunk that refused to chop. Nuts were chopped finely after five pulses and completely chopped at seven; however, these were not as uniform in size as with other models.

Mixing

The Magimix Compact earned high marks in all of our mixing tests. It handled pizza dough, mayonnaise, and made exceptional pie crust with ease.

It made pizza dough with an even consistency that kneaded nicely by hand after removing from the mixing bowl. For the mayonnaise mixing test, we used the included mini mixing bowl, and though the mayonnaise was not quite as fluffy as other models, it still earned near-perfect marks. Lastly, the pie crust earned high marks as well, taking 5-10 pulses to churn out a perfect pie crust with no chunks or poofs of flour. The responsiveness of the pulse button aided that process. The crusts were easy to roll and held their form well when baked.

Pureeing

Our pureeing test rated each of these home kitchen appliances ability to produce hummus, nut butter, tomato sauce, and apple sauce. The finished foods were all ranked by a panel of testers. We also examined the quality of the bowls in a leak test, filling each bowl to its maximum fill line with water and running it to check for leaks.

The Magimix once again tied as a pack leader in our pureeing tests. Its hummus came out creamy and smooth after only two minutes of pureeing, with no signs of struggle by the machine. The nut butter ultimately turned out smooth and ultra-creamy, although it took 15 minutes to get there, with a brief stop to stir around the contents of the bowl. Similarly, it cruised through the tomato sauce and applesauce tests, producing both with ease and in a timely fashion.

We noticed a slight leakage during testing when watery foods, such as applesauce, were packed above the blade mounting tube. The same was true during our leak test. Once the blade is mounted in the bowl, there is no airtight or waterproof seal. So a slight leakage can occur if the bowl is filled to maximum capacity with a liquid.

Shredding

The Magimix scored in the middle of the pack based on its shredding performance. It has four different disks that can only be used in the midi bowl, which affected its performance in this metric.

In order to fit the cheese into the midi bowl and feeding tube, it first had to be cut into 1.5-inch cubes before being fed into the processor. Once it got going, this device shredded all of the cheese, leaving behind zero chunks. There was some fluctuation in the shredding size, and our tester occasionally had to use the pusher top to distribute cheese around during processing. The final results yielded a split between some picture-perfect shredded cheese and a finely shredded consistency.

We were able to put whole potatoes in the Magimix without needing pre-processing work, and no chunks were left behind after shredding. However, some bits of the shredded potato were wet and slimy, and long sections of potato skin were left in the bowl. Despite some useable shredded potato, the overall quality and wetness was disappointing.

The Magimix excelled at cutting carrots. We fed the carrots in using the small tube opening, and there were crisp clean cuts through all the carrots. Some slices were slightly thinner than others, but the results were almost picture-perfect.

Slicing

Our slicing tests rated each machine's ability to adjust the slicing disk and its ability to slice three foods: tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini. It comes with various feeding tubes, which are convenient to accommodate different sizes of food.

The Magimix comes with two slicing disc options, 2mm and 4mm, that enabled us to easily change the desired thickness of our food slices. During the tomato test, the tomatoes were sliced thinly, with minimal juice created. Our testers noticed that the best results came from smaller-sized tomatoes, whereas large tomatoes had to be cut in half before slicing, creating more tomato juice.

The Magimix Compact sliced potatoes cleanly and of a consistent thickness. No potato got stuck or wasted during the slicing test. The zucchini test is where the Magimix really shined, effortlessly slicing down a large zucchini into perfect circular slices.

Cleaning

The Magimix is relatively easy to wash and clean, aided by the fact that it doesn't trap too much excess food during processing. All parts and accessories are top-rack dishwasher safe; however, it is recommended by the manual to hand wash only.

The blades have a medium shaft length, making even the smallest blade option safe and easy to handle while cleaning. Using a bottle brush aids in cleaning the blade insertion area where the blades attach to the stem of the machine. The bottle brush again came in handy when cleaning the bowls. Although it was easy to clean all three bowls by hand, the brush helped reach hard-to-access crevices. Lastly, when cleaning the lid, a bottle brush is necessary to thoroughly clean the long feeding chutes built into the lid. The lack of harsh angles on the lid streamlines the cleaning process, although grooves and nooks throughout did result in clogging of batter or dough that required extra attention during cleaning. It's worth noting that this processor does come with a plastic spatula to help clean that works just fine.

Should You Buy the Magimix Compact 3200 XL?

The Magimix is one of the best food processors in our testing lineup. It is on par with our leading processor in mixing, pureeing, slicing, and cleaning. Although it does not stand out in any one metric, its consistent above-average performance places it well ahead of all other competition. If you like the Magimix Compact 3200 XL features, it is an excellent choice.

What Other Food Processors Should You Consider?

While the Magimix Compact 3200 XL established solid performance as a leading food processor, there are other options that you might consider. If money is no object and you want the best of the best, the Breville Sous Chef 16 Pro is sure to stand out in your kitchen. If you're looking to save a couple of bucks, both the Braun Tribute Collection and Cuisinart Elemental 13-Cup are high performers in a more affordable price range. Lastly, if saving space is the name of your game, the Ninja Professional Food Processor is a smaller option that does not sacrifice performance.