A quality, versatile food processor makes it easy to prep for a diverse range of meals that might otherwise be too time-consuming to tackle.
Best Food Processors Roundup
Check out our top food processors for beginners and experienced home cooks alike.
Breville Sous Chef 16
Consistent and reliable performance helping you to present beautiful dishes that are full of flavor.
Our Choice
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Save Time
Take the hard work out of any meal preparation. A three-feed chute means you can choose any size to fit the produce you’re using without having to chop it up beforehand.
Premium Features
The peeler disc can peel up to 7 potatoes at a time and all sorts of fresh produce, such as beetroot, carrot and sweet potato.
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Budget
Hamilton Beach 12 Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor
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Best Value
KitchenAid KFP0918CU Easy Store Food Processor
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Complete Set
Ninja Mega Kitchen System Blender/Food Processor
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Best Overall
Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor
Cooking at home is already a fairly time consuming and labor intensive task. Especially, if like me, you’re not always in the mood to do it.
With that said, I still come across delicious recipes that I’d love to try but simply don’t have the time. That’s where a great food processor (or possibly a blender) comes in.
Admittedly, the line between food processors and blenders seems to be blurring as great, hybrid blender/food processor type appliances, like Ninja’s Mega Kitchen System, become more popular.
Here’s a quick rule of thumb to help you decide:
- Buy a blender if you want to make smoothies and soups
- Buy a food processor if you want a diverse range of meal preparation chores like grating, shredding, chopping and even making dough.
Slicing, dicing, mixing, chopping and all sorts of other meal prep chores can be handled with little to no hassle. This means you’re free to explore new recipes and ideas and become the gourmet chef you always knew you could be.
To help you choose the best food processor we’ve focused on models that have proven to deliver excellent value for money – over a range of price points. Only ones that are popular, with excellent reviews are included in our top 10 list.
1. Ninja Mega Kitchen System
Ninja’s Mega Kitchen System (BL770) Blender/Food Processor blurs the lines between food processors and blenders by giving you both in one comprehensive package, so you don’t have to choose.
Because the blender and food processor bowls share the same base this is actually a great space saving option if you need to fit both into your kitchen.
Features
- 72 oz crushing pitcher
- 8 cup food processor bowl
- Make up to 2 lbs of dough in 30 seconds
- Two 16 oz Nutri Ninja cups
- Dishwasher safe and BPA free
- 30 recipe guide
If you’re looking to keep cool this summer and don’t yet have a portable air con unit, Ninja’s crushing pitcher can turn ice and a few fruits and berries into a frozen smoothie in a matter of seconds.
What People Say
Owners loved the fact that the 1500W base had more than enough power to handle anything you throw at it in a matter of seconds. It’s also a great ‘value for money’ option as it comes packed with a wide range of features but is still cheaper than most other high-end options.
2. Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor
Cuisinart’s 14-Cup Food Processor in brushed stainless steel is an attractive addition to any kitchen and is perfect for catering to large families or social gatherings.
A must-have for entertainers.
Features
- 14 Cup Work Bowl
- Powerful 720 Watt Motor
- Extra Large Feed Tube
- Stainless Steel Blades
- 7 Food Prep Functions
- Single Touch Operation
- 3 year limited warranty
- Recipes included
With great size comes great versatility and you can expect mix, chop, slice, shred, knead, emulsify, puree, and mix dough with reliable results over and over again.
What People Say
A lot of people commented on how well this handled a diverse array of foodstuffs, from big blocks of cheese to whole bags of onions. Many reviewers also spoke about the old adage, “you get what you pay for”, and were delighted with the overall performance (especially the whisper quiet operation) despite the higher price tag.
3. Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor
Hamilton Beach’s 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor is an easy to operate option that can process decent volumes of food with modest features and more modest price tag.
Features
- 450 Watt motor
- 2 speeds, plus pulse control
- Stack and Snap design requires no difficult twisting or locking
- 12 cup capacity
- Sealed bowl helps prevent leaks when mixing liquids
- BPA free in all food zones
- Stainless steel blades
- Large feed chute
- Function guide
This is the perfect food processor for newcomers because it does away with complex construction and a million different settings, configuration and options. Put the bowl on the base and the lid on the bowl and away you go.
What People Say
Not surprisingly a lot of owners recommend buying this model as an affordable, no-frills option that will get the job done quickly and reliably. With nearly 90% of reviews at four out of five and higher, it’s arguably the best option at the budget end of the spectrum.
4. Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor
Breville’s BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor might be the only thing you need in your kitchen because it comes with a huge array of features that will have you churning out everything from french fries to nut butter.
Features
- 5 multi function discs and 3 blades
- 5.5″ super wide feed chute
- 2 BPA free processing bowls – 16 cup and 2.5 cup
- LCD display displays count up and count down auto timer
- Accessory storage box
- Heavy duty induction motor
It’s about time someone invented a food processor that doesn’t require you to first pre-process a whole bunch of food beforehand. The super wide feed tube is big enough to fit pretty much any type of fruit or vegetable without first requiring you to chop them up.
Any food processor that handles food prep from start to finish gets my vote.
What People Say
Overwhelmingly positive reviews about this high-end processor – with around 80% giving it five out of five stars – mention the solid, sturdy design and construction, ease of use, and the fact that it is incredibly quiet. A lot of owners also shared some of the weird and wonderful things they made from the diverse range of blades and bowls.
5. KitchenAid KFP1466CU 14-Cup Food Processor
KitchenAid’s KFP1466CU 14-Cup Food Processor puts the power of chef-like professional slicing precision at your control with their ExactSlice System.
An easy-to-use slider let’s you effortlessly adjust between thick or thin slices. Perfect for people like me who are fussy about the thickness of their veggies when it comes to my favorite dish.
Features
- Hands-free dicing
- ExactSlice System
- High, low & pulse speed options
- 2-in-1 feed tube
- 14-Cup Work Bowl
- 4-Cup Work Bowl
- 1 year hassle free warranty
Not only can you expect great slices but this little beauty is also a master dicer. If you spend a lot of time chopping vegetables – especially if you have a home veggie garden and can/preserve a lot of food seasonally – this is probably the one to go for.
What People Say
I think the attribute that impressed reviewers the most was ability to cut wafer thin slices of vegetables – almost see-through. One reviewer called it sorcery. Apart from that, most praise was fairly widespread with a few people loving its stylish red looks in their kitchen, while others appreciated the amount of time saved.
6. BLACK+DECKER 8-Cup Food Processor
BLACK+DECKER’s 8-Cup Food Processor is a handy, lightweight affordable option that can chop, slice or shred a range of foodstuffs, including cheese.
Features
- 450 Watts
- Stainless steel blade, slicer & shredder
- 8 Cup work bowl
- Food chute with pusher
- Dishwasher safe removable parts
- Safety interlocking system
Because it is quite a bit smaller than most other units in this list it’s a great choice for kitchens with a premium on space. Compact and easy to store on the counter, or will likely fit into one of your cabinets when not in use.
What People Say
Apart from being light and compact, most people found it to be intuitive and easy to use. For the price, the vast majority of owners rate this as excellent value for money. it’s not going to compete with some of the high-end processors but quite a few people commented on how well it dealt with things like ice and frozen fruit.
7. Breville Sous Chef 16 Food Processor
Breville’s Sous Chef 16Food Processor, like the smaller Sous Chef mentioned earlier in the list, is a full featured, high-end food processor that can get any job done.
Features
- 1200 Watt high torque induction motor
- Mini processing bowl – 2.5 Cups
- Precision dicing attachment
- S-blade system
- Variable slicing disc
- Peeler
- Easy storage
- 3 feed chutes
At last. A food processor after my own heart!
If peeling potatoes is the last thing you feel like doing before being able to start cooking dinner, this is the option for you. It can peel up to 7 potatoes at a time. Enough to feed the whole family in no time flat.
What People Say
Despite the heftier price tag over 90% of reviewers gave this four stars or more. That’s high price from a lot of people who spent a lot of money. In fact, it seems like a lot f people bought this specifically to test Breville’s pretty big claims about what it can do – expecting it to fail but delighted it can actually do what’s promised.
8. KitchenAid KFP0918CU Easy Store Food Processor
KitchenAid’s 9 Cup Easy Store Food Processor is a fantastic middle-of-the-road option for people who still want a simple, lightweight system that’s easy to use but at the same time need a bit more power and versatility for their cooking than an entry level offering.
Features
- Easy to use with a one-click, twist-free bowl assembly
- Easy to clean
- Sealed, leak-resistant work bowl
- Dishwasher-safe bowl, lid & accessories.
- In-bowl accessory storage and convenient cord wrap
- 3 speed options – high, low and pulse
- Illuminated LED controls
One of the nicest features (that you won’t find in many other comparable models) is the small oil drizzle opening that helps with making sauces and dressing without having to transfer to a separate bowl to mix manually.
What People Say
A lot of owners are extremely happy with the performance of this mid-range unit as well as how easy it is to assemble and use – and store. In particular it handles a wide range of veg with ease – although you’ll still need to cut up larger foodstuffs like potatoes before being able to get them into the chute.
9. Braun FP3020 12 Cup Food Processor
Braun’s 12 Cup Food Processor delivers what you’d expect from German engineering – super quiet and energy efficient, backed up by a 1 year warranty – plus a few surprise features that might be the deciding factor for you.
Features
- 600 Watt motor
- Juicer attachment
- DualControl system with variable speed
- Dishwasher safe
- Ultra quiet
- Energy efficient
- One year warranty
Plenty of features and attachments (be warned, the french fry accessory is sold separately) mean you can become just about as creative as you like.
In particular, the citrus juicer is an add-on feature that makes breakfast in bed a real possibility – provided you drop enough hints at how easy the freshly squeezed juice is to make.
What People Say
It’s a small thing, but a lot of reviewers raved about the fact that there are no small spaces to catch food and make it hard to clean without having to use a toothpick. Good design makes all the difference. Owners also loved the small bowl insert that helps with slow- volume dishes, like nut butters.
10. Cuisinart FP-13DSV Elemental 13 Cup Food Processor
Cuisinart’s Elemental 13 Cup Food Processor is an attractive and stylish addition to any kitchen and comes packed with some seriously advanced features that make it extremely safe and effective to use.
Features
- 550 Watt motor
- 13 Cup large bowl and 4.5 Cup small bowl
- Dicing disc with 10 mm grid plus cleaning tool
- SealTight Advantage system
- Patented Blade Lock system
- Removable parts are dishwasher safe
- Electronic touchpad controls
- 3 speed – high, low and pulse
Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. The fact that Cuisinart includes a special cleaning tool to keep the dicing disk operating optimally is something worth mentioning because the longer it keeps working well, the more value for money you derive from the purchase.
What People Say
Easy to assemble and very well built are common early-phase praise for this item. thereafter owners tend to get more adventurous and start talking about how their peanut butter comes out perfectly every time. Many reviewers point out that this is a large unit so is suitable for bigger families.
So that’s our round up of the best food processors for aspiring chefs, part time cooks and masterful home cooks alike. Hopefully it’s helped you decide on the right one to suit your budget and help you explore your creative cooking side.
If you are still chopping, slicing or dicing by hand then it’s probably worth thinking about how much more you’ll enjoy cooking once prep time is essentially taken out of the equation.
Less hassle and effort making dinner leaves more time to explore flavors and try new dishes.
