Best Food Processors: Which Food Processor Should You Use?
Investing in a food processor for your kitchen can be an incredibly rewarding experience! Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just starting, the vast range of models available will make it easy to find one that meets all your requirements. Don’t hesitate – take the plunge and try; you won’t regret it. It’s like having […]
Investing in a food processor for your kitchen can be an incredibly rewarding experience!
Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just starting, the vast range of models available will make it easy to find one that meets all your requirements.
Don’t hesitate – take the plunge and try; you won’t regret it. It’s like having an extra pair of hands offering so much more than you thought possible.
With this appliance in your kitchen, the possibilities for creating delicious meals are endless!
What Are the 10 Best Food Processors to Buy Right Now?
If you know how to use a food processor, you’ll probably know why you need one, right?
To help you find the right food processor, I have tried and tested these food processors. Each food processor is great in their own right!
1. Best Overall: Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
- SUPERIOR FUNCTION: Cuisinart’s 720-watt motor for our...
- MUST HAVE FEATURES: The 14 cup food processor has an...
What I like
- Slicing potatoes and other veggies is a breeze
- Straightforward design
- Large-capacity processor bowl
- Extra-large feed tube
- Sharp shredding disc
- Dishwasher safe
What I don’t like
- Fewer smart functions
- Confusing to assemble
- Not the easiest to clean
The Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor is not your average food processor. It is one of the best products if you deal with loads and loads of food to process.
It is packed with a 14-cup capacity, enough for any chef or mommy looking to spice up the evening with savory and delicious dishes.
This food processor is versatile, as it can be used when kneading dough, processing ingredients, and many more. I liked this product’s multiple blade adjustments to set up what I’m processing.
While this food processor is as powerful as other models on my list, it doesn’t get too loud when operating is ongoing.
It’s a bit heavy, but this adds up to the convenience of knowing it won’t easily be pushed away if my kids play around the countertop. Overall, it is a great manual food processor with lots of features.
Operation: Manual | Wattage: 720 Watts | Capacity: 14 Cups | Material: Stainless Steel | Item Weight: 1 pound
2. Best Value: Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12-Cup Food Processor
- Dicing - no longer difficult breville’s new dicing...
- Peeled to perfection peeling doesn’t have to be painful....
What I like
- Large food processor bowl
- Sharp blades for easy cutting
- Adjustable slicer with 24 settings
- Built-in safety features to avoid accidental operation
- Very powerful motor
What I don’t like
- Large footprint
- Only has one power setting
The Breville Sous Chef 12 is one of the best food processors to get if you’re looking for some amazing quality processing within the comfort of your home.
Based on my experience, I could breeze through any processing during my food preparation.
Its stainless steel chopping blade was extremely sharp, its large capacity was more than enough, and the fruits and veggies were diced in just a few pulses.
Based on my experiment using this food processor, it passed with flying colors, and I was overly impressed with how quiet the operation was.
I have a baby at home, and it didn’t wake up to the loud noise when I was processing food.
Nevertheless, unlike most food processors with big motors and loud sounds, this food processor dices your food without interrupting anyone.
Operation: Electric | Wattage: 1200 Watts | Capacity: 12 Cups | Material: ABS Plastic | Item Weight: 35 pounds
3. Best Budget: Oster FPSTFP1355 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor
- 500-Watt Motor with 2 Speeds and Pulse Control buttons
- 5" Wide, Large-Mouth Food Chute w/Food Pusher
What I like
- Continuous feed chute for added convenience
- Two-speed settings and a pulse
- Dishwasher-safe
What I don’t like
- Very loud operation
- Foods getting jammed
- Few attachments
The Oster 2-Speed 10-cup food processor might be the right product for people on a budget. Based on my tests, it gave me some of the easiest times for my meal prep.
Its S-shaped blade slice through different fruits and vegetables on a whim. The wide feed tube, dough blade, slicing disc, and reversible shredding disc are so easy to install during installation.
This food processor functions pretty straightforwardly to use. With the price, I firmly believe nothing can beat this food processor from this price segment. All parts are also noted as dishwasher-safe.
The only problem I encountered when using this product was its loud operation. It can wake up a baby. Thankfully, my kitchen is far from my baby’s room.
Operation: Electric | Wattage: 500 Watts | Capacity: 10 Cups | Material: Stainless Steel | Item Weight: 3.24 kilograms
4. Best All-In-One: Ninja BN801 Professional Plus Kitchen System
- MORE FUNCTIONALITY: The Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen...
- POWERFUL CRUSHING: Ninja Total Crushing Blades give you...
What I like
- Quad chopping blade
- Has blender jar
- All-in-one food processor blender combo
- Dishwasher-safe on all accessories and attachments
What I don’t like
- It doesn’t come with any shredding or slicing attachments
The Ninja BN801 Professional Plus Kitchen System is everything you would want from a food processor. Simply put, it is a do-it-all kitchen system that works everything in your favor.
I loved using this food processor blender combo because of its easy-to-use mechanics. It’s a food processor and a blender built into one.
For mommies out there, if you want to mash up your kids’ favorite purée with no hiccups, this All-in-One food process and blender would do the trick.
While I wouldn’t say I like how this food processor consumes large space, it is a great investment if you often find yourself prepping meals for the holidays and occasions within your family.
It does require storage space. The food processor attachment is another key feature that made my life easier. Its double-layered blades easily sliced through ingredients and were particularly useful for smoothies.
Operation: Electric | Wattage: 1500 Watts | Capacity: 8 Cups | Material: Stainless Steel | Item Weight: 8.8 pounds
5. Best Manual Food Processor: Zyliss Easy Pull Food Processor – Pull Chopper and Manual Food Processor
- Simple Food Processor: The stainless steel blades create...
- Versatile Manual Chopper: The wide surface and adjustable...
What I like
- Easy to clean
- Easy and quiet operation
- Good for making baby food
- Sharp blades
- The blade has an adjustable thickness
What I don’t like
- Inconsistent chopping performance
This mini food processor from Zyliss is one of the most straightforward food processors today.
You must pull up the handle, insert fruits and vegetables into the feed tube, and let the food processing magic take over. It’s pretty quick and easy to operate.
The only problem I had when using this mini processor is it was only good for mincing and cutting fruits and veggies. Because this food processor is manual, it can’t keep up with other food processors using electricity.
Nevertheless, this food processor is only good for dicing veggies and fruits. It can’t serve as your food processor if you are kneading bread dough or want to grind coffee beans.
Operation: Manual | Wattage: N/A | Capacity: 3 Cups | Material: Stainless Steel | Item Weight: 13.4 ounces
6. Best Mid-Range: Cuisinart Elemental 13 Cup Food Processor
- SUPERIOR FUNCTION: Cuisinart’s 550-watt motor for our...
- MUST-HAVE FEATURES: SealTight advantage system seals bowl...
What I like
- Good for making baby food
- All parts are dishwasher-safe
- Easy-to-install attachments
- Lightweight and compact
- Rubberized for added convenience
What I don’t like
- Big footprint
If you’re a professional chef or a mom who takes their cooking seriously, then you would know it is better to dice your ingredients than chop them to make some delicious and savory dishes, right?
The Cuisinart Elemental 13 Cup Food Processor has a powerful motor that can keep up with everyday processing tasks.
One feature I liked about this product is the work bowl, as it’s good enough to clean this food processor easily and without problems.
Upon further testing, the dicing attachment pushes ingredients like parmesan cheese, onions, and veggies into evenly-sized shapes. The stainless steel blade is sharp enough to do the trick.
This 13-cup food processor has a storage case to keep things clean and organized in the kitchen.
Lastly, the removable parts are dishwasher-friendly, so you won’t have problems cleaning them in the sink.
Operation: Electric | Wattage: 350 Watts | Capacity: 8 Cups | Material: Plastic | Item Weight: 19.3 pounds
7. Best Vitamix Attachment: Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor
- The food processor attachment eliminates storing another...
- Capacity – 12 c dry; 9 c wet | Material: Plastic
What I like
- Equipped with multiple blade attachments
- All parts are dishwasher-safe
- Small footprint
- Amazing performance
- Feels very durable
What I don’t like
- Quite expensive for just an attachment
- Only compatible with Venturist and Vitamix bases
If you own a Vitamin Blender and don’t want to purchase another kitchen gear, the Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor is a great food processor attachment.
During my tests, this food processor attachment has a base that lets the blender attachment know it is currently processing food, which is a great feature, unlike many food processors.
This food processor attachment features two reversible shredding/slicing discs, slim disc storage, and a multipurpose blade.
During my tests, it performed very well when chopping onions, grating cheese and smoothing hummus. Despite being an attachment, it passed with flying colors and is highly recommended.
Operation: N/A | Wattage: N/A | Capacity: 5 Cups | Material: Plastic | Item Weight: 6.17 pounds
8. Best Compact: KitchenAid KFC3516ER 3.5 Cup Food Chopper
- Quickly chop, mix and puree, every day
- Two speeds and Pulse
What I like
- The very sharp slicing disc
- Great for users with little storage space
- Compact and portable
- Small footprint
What I don’t like
- Low power
The KitchenAid KFC3516ER 3.5 Cup Food Chopper is one of our list’s better food products for users who lack the space to have a full-sized food processor.
Using this food processor is pretty quick and easy. It features two speeds and a pulse for two settings; coarse and fine results. It also has a pour spout, handle, and locking blade for easy serving.
This mini food processor has a very small footprint. After using this food processor, I can slide it into my kitchen drawer, and I’m off to go.
Most food processors can’t offer the portability and ease of use this food processor can bring. The only problem is that it can’t rival automatic electricity-based food processors.
Operation: Automatic, 2-speed | Wattage: 240 Watts | Capacity: 3.5 Cups | Material: Plastic | Item Weight: 2.7 pounds
9. Most Detailed Processor: Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor and Vegetable Chopper
- Prep the freshest ingredients: A powerful 450 watt motor and...
- Simple to assemble and use: Stack and snap design requires...
What I like
- Large feed chute for added convenience
- Easy to use
- Compact and lightweight
- One-touch operation
- Feels durable
What I don’t like
- Limited capacity
The Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor and Vegetable Chopper are quick and easy to use. It has a very simple design, and everything can be snapped in place easily.
During my test, it features a main blade that can easily chop, dice, mix, and puree, and emulsifies everything I feed into it. It has labeled buttons that correspond to different settings as well.
When I finished my task, I encountered no problems or difficulties cleaning this food processor. It doesn’t feel durable but can last a few years, depending on your use.
While it’s not a big drawback, the space between the lid lip and plunger where the food is stored can sometimes be difficult to reach.
Operation: N/A | Wattage: 450 Watts | Capacity: 12 Cups | Material: Plastic | Item Weight: 6.57 pounds
10. Sharpest Blades: GE 12-Cup Food Processor
- POWERFUL 550 WATT FOOD PROCESSOR - Prepare even the toughest...
- 12 CUP CAPACITY JAR WITH HANDLE - There will be enough to go...
What I like
- Easy to assemble
- Lots of attachments for added versatility
- Easy to clean
- Extra-sharp blades
What I don’t like
- Chopping inconsistencies
The best food processor should do what it asks, and the GE 12-Cup Food Processor can make it up for its small size with its amazing chopping and dicing performance that few can rival.
Upon using this food processor, I was delighted about how sharp the blades are and how powerful the motor is. It can slice with ease and breeze past through even with frozen fruit.
However, during further tests, I experienced some chopping inconsistencies where some veggies and fruits differed from my desired cutting.
Still, it’s an amazing food processor, and I wouldn’t mind recommending this to my fellow family, friends, and relatives.
Operation: Electric | Wattage: 550 Watts | Capacity: 12 Cups | Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic | Item Weight: 10 pounds
Quick Comparisons Of Top Food Processors
| Top Food Processors | Operation | Wattage | Capacity | Material | Item Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor | Manual | 720 W | 14 cups | Stainless Steel | 1 lb. |
| Breville Sous Chef 12-Cup Food Processor | Electric | 1200 W | 12 cups | ABS Plastic | 35 lb. |
| Oster 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor | Electric | 500 W | 10 cups | Stainless Steel | 7.14 lb. |
| Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System | Electric | 1500 W | 8 cups | Stainless Steel | 8.8 lb. |
| Zyliss Easy Pull Food Processor | Manual | N/A | 3 cups | Stainless Steel | 0.84 lb. |
| Cuisinart Elemental 13 Cup Food Processor | Electric | 350 W | 13 cups | Plastic | 19.3 lb. |
| Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor | N/A | N/A | 12 cups | Plastic | 6.17 lb. |
| KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper | Automatic, 2-speed | 240 W | 3.5 cups | Plastic | 2.7 lb. |
| Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor and Vegetable Chopper | N/A | 450 W | 12 cups | Plastic | 6.57 lb. |
| GE 12-Cup Food Processor | Electric | 550 W | 12 cups | Stainless Steel, Plastic | 10 lb. |
How Do You Use a Food Processor?
If you’re a first-time user, worry not. To keep things simple, I’ve made a simple list of how to use a food processor in five simple steps.
1. Setting the Base
The motor is located in the base and is also one of the heaviest parts of a typical food processor. Ensure you place your base on a dry and flat surface.
2. Attaching the Work Bowl
The work bowl is the clear plastic case you must attach to your base. These come in various sizes depending on the capacity of your food processor.
Most of the time, you only need to put them on the base and click right into place.
The food processor won’t start for most models unless the work bowl is installed correctly. So, be sure everything clicks into place.
3. Inserting the Drive Adaptor
The drive adaptor is the drive shaft positioned in the middle of the work bowl, wherein the dough blade, food chopper, or chopping disc is inserted.
4. Choosing a Blade
There are three different types of drive adaptors:
- Slicer or Shredder Disc – most models come with this type of drive adaptor and are usually used to make thicker or thinner slices. To install, drive the disc onto the drive adaptor, pushing it down as far as it goes. Lock it on top of the drive shaft and ensure it fits right into the drive adaptor’s hole to secure it. You will hear an audible click once everything is in place.
- Multipurpose or the “S” Blade has two very-sharp angled blades forming the letter “S.” Like the slicer and shredder disc, you have to attach this to the drive shaft and ensure it clicks right into place.
- Dough Blade – most models come with a dough blade for kneading dough and other similar tasks. The ultra-fine sharp edges of this blade allow for kneading dough without problems. This blade attaches to the drive shaft like most blades.
5. Attaching the Bowl Cover
As the name suggests, once everything is set in place and you’re ready to go on about your food preparation, the next thing to do is close the bowl with the cover.
The cover is usually hinged to the bowl and locked in place. Older models require you to slide the lid down until it lines and locks up in a place with the bowl.
Once done, you can insert any of your ingredients into the feed tube. Use the pushers to push down the ingredients, so everything gets into the discs and blades.
What Should You Look For in a Good Food Processor?
What separates a good food processor from a great one? The best food processor should handle everything you throw at it with ease. It should be safe, easy to use, and process foods in less time.
Before you head out to your local store, hold those triggers for a minute. When buying the best food processor, it would be best to consider some things.
Power
As you can see above, a food processor’s power can range from 100 to 1,200 watts.
If you’re looking for a full-size machine, a food processor with 500 watts or more power should be powerful enough to push through any food processing jobs easily.
Weaker motors tend to be gentler, like chopping and slicing fruits, veggies, etc. The only problem with these motors is they are known to cut inconsistently.
Still, there are always exceptions to the rule. It’s just a matter of finding the right one for you.
Manual vs Electric
Most food processors today need electricity to function. But that doesn’t mean a manual processor can’t do the same thing, either.
Manual food processors are ONLY great if you want an easy alternative to having the entire time chopping different kinds of ingredients.
While they can be portable, it can be tedious to work with a manual one. They struggle mightily, especially if what it is doing is not for their intended use.
Electric and automatic models are the standard these days. They can come in various designs, features, attachments, and many more that can make your life easier during food prep.
Although they cost twice, thrice, or even four times compared to a manual one, the ease of use and convenience it brings outweighs the cost. In addition, manual ones require brute force to get your desired results.
Versatility
When you look for a food processor, you will not only be chopping onions with it, right? The best food processor should breeze past whatever ingredients you throw at it.
Choose a food processor that can uniformly slice and dice fruits and veggies or even grind cheese. If you have kids with you, it should also puree soups and sauces like a champ.
If you’re a pastry chef, you want something great when kneading dough or performing emulsions when making mayo.
All these are essential to make your food processor versatile enough to do every task you throw at it.
Accessories
Almost all food processors have a work bowl for pureeing and chopping. However, some of the best ones have separate attachments like slicing or a shredding disc.
For finer tasks, look for a food processor with accessories like a dough blade, storage case, a smaller work bowl, or a blender attachment for smoothies.
In addition, all these accessories should be dishwasher-safe to ensure you won’t have problems the next time you use them.
Settings and Speeds
Most of the time, a food processor only has one setting. But the right one should have a ‘pulse’ setting.
What is pulse setting? In this setting, you incrementally cut food while controlling the chopping blade to avoid over-processing. It is also a nice feature if you want to cut your ingredients uniformly.
The stop-and-go motion allows some unsliced ingredients to go at the bottom and be further processed.
Otherwise, ingredients near the chopping blade will only get finer than the top.
Weight
A heavier base can help when dealing with bigger and bulkier tasks. However, it’s not the case; heaviness doesn’t necessarily translate to raw power.
On the contrary, lighter food processors are relatively more affordable and are easier to move around. Most of the time, weight isn’t a factor when buying a food processor.
Additional Features
The best food processors always have additional features attached to them to sweeten up the deal. For example, a food processor using a stainless steel slicing disc ensures it won’t rust.
In addition, not a lot of food processors come with a dough blade. As a result, cutting up pizza dough might be troublesome to users.
An adjustable slicing disc can help you in many ways; even an egg whisk can do wonders! Look for additional features in a food processor for your intended use.
Most food processors already have these features if you only use them for slicing and dicing fruits and veggies.
Some additional features include a mini bowl, a large work bowl, a storage caddy, or, if you’re lucky enough, it can also have grating disks for cheese!
All these features can help you with your food prep for the family. Also, you want these accessories to be dishwasher-friendly and easily wiped away with a damp cloth.
Warranty
A food processor has a lot of moving parts, which is why having a longer warranty has great benefits.
Always check whether the food processor has a lengthy warranty to ensure you will be given the benefit of using it longer while having the potential to replace a few parts.
Lastly, the motor warranty should differ from the warranty for the accessories and other moving parts.
What Are the Different Sizes of Food Processors, and Which Is the Best?
Aside from features, a food processor has different sizes, which will be important in choosing the right machine.
2- or 4-Cup Models
These models are simply for easy tasks, like chopping fruits, veggies, and small pieces of ingredients. It is commonly used when making baby food, emulsifying to make mayo, or making hummus.
8- or 10-Cup Models
These models are simply the sweet spot. Not too short nor too big. 8 to 10-cup models are great for beginners and intermediate users. Machines of this capacity are great for making pastry dough.
But if you plan to cut through a bread dough, it cannot be easy to do with this capacity as bread doughs typically require larger work bowls.
12- or 14-Cup Models
12 to 14-cup models are the gold standard if you’re asking me. It’s like the sweet spot because it can accommodate anything you throw at it when preparing food for the family.
These models are large and versatile enough. Although higher capacity means higher price, I feel models from this range are great investments.
Most models have various attachments, accessories, and other features that make processing food a breeze.
FAQs Related To Food Processor
You might find some answers below if you have additional questions regarding food processors.
If you’re new to both machines, you must ask yourself what you want to do with the product.
A food processor is great for tasks like grating, slicing, etc. These machines are amazing for making bread pastries and can mostly handle bigger recipes due to their capacities.
On the other hand, a food chopper, as the name suggests, can only chop ingredients for you. In addition, food choppers have a smaller footprint and are easy to store.
One of the main differences is that a food processor is a much more powerful kitchen appliance than a food chopper. Still, the decision is based on what you want to do with this kitchen equipment.
A food processor is the best option for versatility and power. But a food chopper is cheaper if you only use it to cut vegetables and fruits for your salad.
If you want your apples peeled, a food chopper or processor can’t do it effectively. You might want to use the best apple peelers today.
Generally, a blender is used to puree, crush ice, or make smoothies. Most blenders are used for drinking, like making smoothies, milkshakes, fresh juices, and many more.
On the other hand, a food processor can do many tasks. It can slice, grate, dice, shred, and many more. As their name suggests, they are often used when processing ingredients for meal preparations.
You can also opt for the best spiralizer if you’re primarily slicing fruits and veggies for your salad.
If you are looking for a new food processor and have problems choosing the size, the decision boils down to how much food you will prepare.
The right size should fit how many people you have in your household. For example, if you and your husband have a baby, a 2 to 4-cup food processor is more than enough.
However, if there are more than five members in your family, a food processor with a capacity of 8 cups and above is the sweet spot. Nevertheless, this decision is also based on personal preference.
Summary
Here’s a summary of my top picks to help you choose the best food processor.
Best Budget: Oster FPSTFP1355 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor
The Oster FPSTFP1355 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor is great if you’re on a tight budget. It can help you with tasks like chopping, slicing, dicing, etc.
While it doesn’t outperform some of the more expensive food processors on my list, it’s quite a performer if you only compare it to its price segment. It’s a better product than having nothing.
Best Value: Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor
The Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor is the best value because it strikes a good balance of functionality and performance without being too complicated to use.
It is a multipurpose food processor that can do everything you throw at it. In addition, it’s pretty quick and easy to use and doesn’t have a very loud operation.
Best Overall: Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor
Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor is my list’s better food processor overall. It ticks all the boxes you want in your processor without being overly priced.
Performance and price-wise, I feel this food processor is unbeatable. Also, it comes from a reputable brand known for providing some of the best food processors today.
Conclusion
Are you ready to become a master chef in the kitchen? With a food processor, meal prep is easier and more fun than ever.
All the machines have various features, ranging from speed and efficiency to being dishwasher-safe.
So no matter what kind of model you’re looking for – basic or top-of-the-line – this selection of the best food processors has something for everyone.
I’ve been using these incredible pieces of equipment for nearly a decade, so I’m sure that whichever you choose will not disappoint!
Explore each product available and see what they can do for you today! Don’t wait any longer – it’s time to take your cooking skills up a notch!
