Bosch MUM59340GB Kitchen Machine review: superb food processor is also a stand mixer

The Bosch MUM59340GB Kitchen Machine review in a sentence: this sleek, 2-in-1 food processor and stand mixer offers so much more than your average kitchen gadget. It's like having a robot sous chef who lives in your cupboard or in pride of place on your worktop. 

Whether you fancy yourself a bit of a pro chef in the kitchen or simply loathe the prepping, you’ll need one of the best food processors you can buy. And if you don’t want a traditional style food processor mixer, the Bosch MUM59340GB looks rather promising. Not only can it rustle up some hummus or soup, but can also grind meat, blend smoothies, make citrus juice, and mix up tasty bakes. 

With a whopping 1000 Watts of power and plenty of features – and attachments; there's 13 of them –  can it deliver top-rated results? I put the the Bosch MUM59340GB to the test to find out, and I was seriously impressed… 

BOSCH MUM59340GB KITCHEN MACHINE REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The Bosch MUM59340GB Kitchen Machine is priced at a reasonable £299 and at time of writing was going for just £229 at Amazon. It's also available in the UK from other major retailers such as John Lewis and Currys. In Australia it can be found for around AU$550, again at Amazon.

Unfortunately, it’s not available in the USA. Try our guide to the best KitchenAid mixer instead…

BOSCH MUM59340GB KITCHEN MACHINE REVIEW: DESIGN AND FEATURES

The Bosch MUM59340GB may not exactly be a stylish bit of kit, but it looks like it means business and is well designed. Despite the air of seriousness and fairly substantial bulk, its anthracite colour and stainless steel detail give it a sleek, modern appearance.

It’s easy to set up but weighing 7.5kg and at 282 x 280 x 271 mm, may be slightly bulky for smaller worktops or those with low-hanging cabinetry.

Nevertheless, the whole package is impressive, and much like a Mary Poppins bag of surprises, consists of the mixer stand and 13 attachments (yes, 13!). These include the food processor attachment, three discs, blender jug, meat grinder, and citrus press amongst many, to cover all your culinary needs. In addition, the mixer stand comes with a 3.9 litre, stainless steel, mixing bowl and handy splatter guard. A neat accessory bag sits inside it, containing a patisserie set of a flexi stirring whisk with silicon edge, metal beating whisk and kneading hook with gear protector. You can’t get much more than that!

All attachments are cleverly attached onto the machine by several power ports hidden under removable flaps. It also has an automatic, retractable cord, so it doesn’t get in the way or need winding up after use. The only thing you’d really need is ample room to store all the 13 attachments, but it’s still more practical than having 10-plus separate appliances.

BOSCH MUM59340GB KITCHEN MACHINE REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

The Bosch MUM59340GB is straightforward to use with its ‘Easy Arm Lift’ operation. Simply push the chrome button at the side to release the mixing arm up and down to quickly switch over your attachments. The food processer, blender and citrus press all fit snugly at the top of the arm, with the stand bowl and parts underneath.

Once you add ingredients into the food processor, turn the red, illuminated control dial on the side to start. You can choose from a 1-7 power scale, or the ‘manual’ quick pulse setting, which is handy for soups and smoothies. I had started with a lower speed of 3-5 before gradually increasing to about 6 for processing tasks. The fine grating disc was impressive, quickly grating carrots and all essential ingredients for my homemade coleslaw. While the continuous shredder was ideal for slicing and dicing large quantities in no time. Both were simple to swap over without a fuss. I also used the citrus press to make an impressive, fresh, grapefruit juice in just minutes.

Another notable feature of the Bosch MUM59340GB is its ‘planetary mixing action’, meaning both the head and attachments move together in figure-8 movements. This made a big difference when handling large cake mixtures or kneading bread with ease, managing to pick up every trace of mixture around the bowl. Unlike other food processors, the Bosch MUM59340GB is surprisingly quiet, even at a high speed, which is always refreshing for the ears.

What’s more, the machine is strong and sturdy at handling powerful speeds without the odd wobble on the worktop.

In all honesty, it’s hard to fault the Bosch MUM59340GB performance. if I had to be picky, mixing batters at high speed can get a little messy, but this is where the splatter guard comes in handy. Overall, you can’t beat its versatility, impressive power and superior results.

BOSCH MUM59340GB KITCHEN MACHINE REVIEW: VERDICT

If you’re after a powerful, all-rounder that does so much more than just food processing, the Bosch MUM59340GB is ideal. It’s incredibly easy to use and offers extra features to make life easier in the kitchen. Not only is it powerful to chop, dice and slice but it makes citrus juice, mince, soups and great-tasting cakes and treats.

If you’re short on space, this may take up quite a bit of room – especially with the abundance of attachments to stash. However, the Bosch MUM59340GB pretty much does all the tough, prep jobs that you don’t have to do, making it a worthwhile investment.