When shopping for a food processor, you’ll find that they come in many different shapes and sizes. Selecting one out of the hundreds of models out there is no easy task. But we think we can help you with that. Either you’re looking to buy a new food processor because you currently don’t have one, or the one you have just isn’t cutting it (no pun intended) and you’re looking for a replacement. In any case, one thing is for certain and that is that they are a must have appliance for anybody who wants to save time doing mundane and repetitive tasks like chopping, dicing, slicing, mincing, grinding and shredding.
Food processors are the workhorses of the kitchen, and make chopping vegetables, mincing herbs, and pureeing veggies and fruits a breeze. Investing in a good, high-quality food processor is one of the best investments you can make, and you will easilly recoup the money spent on one via the time saved not having to do so many of the aforementioned kitchen chores.
After painstakingly analyzing, reviewing and comparing a number of different food processors, we chose three units that we considered to be the cream of the crop.
Best Overall: Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor
The Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef is, in our opinion, the best food processor currently on the market. It is our top pick and we give it our highest recommendation. This ultra-modern, state-of-the art food processor can hold up to 16 cups of vegetables, fruit, nuts or cheese. It also comes with a 2.5 cup mini-processing bowl with accompanying food pusher for smaller food processing jobs. This unit has an extremely powerful 1200-watt motor that will allow you to easily slice through just about anything you put in it. The Breville’s extra wide 5.5″ feed chute allows you to put whole fruits into the food processor without having to pre-cut them.
This is an extremely versatile food processer that comes with 8 different blades and discs that can be set to 24 different slice settings. This gives you the ability to very precisely control how thick your slices will be. The disc set also includes a French fry cutting disc, a reversible shredding disc, a julienne disc, and a whisking disc. You also get a number of different blades including a dough blade and a micro-serrated “S” blade. And the great thing is that the unit comes with its own blade container where you can neatly store all of your blades and discs in, making it much easer to find them the next time you need them.
Additionally, the build quality of this food processor is simply superb. The base is constructed of solid die-cast metal, making it very durable and sturdy. It’s also very aesthetically pleasing and has fully digital controls that are simple to use, as well as a built-in LCD display. Read reviews on Amazon >
Best Value: Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY Food Processor
If you’re looking to get the best “bang for your buck” then look no further than the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY. This product is loaded with value. This large-capacity food processor can hold up to 14 cups of sliced fruit or veggies, and up to 3 pounds of flour – that’s right, you can even knead dough with this food processor using the dough blade accessory that it comes with. The Cuisinart’s powerful 720 watt motor allows it easilly slice through any kind of produce or knead even the heaviest of doughs. The motor is also surprisingly quiet, much quieter than many of the other models of food processors out there.
This versatile food processor comes with 4 unique blades that allow you to slice, shredd, chop or knead. It also comes with a small and large “pusher”, a spatula, instruction video and a very useful recipe book. The unit also features an extra large feed tube that allows you to fit large fruits and vegetables into it, minimizing the need of having to cut them with a knife first, as you can easilly fit whole onions and potatoes into it without a problem. Additionally, the Cuisinart DFP-14’s work bowl is easy to clean and is made out of a high-quality Lexan plastic material that is cold and heat resistant, shatter resistant, BPA/toxin free and dishwasher-safe.
Priced at just under $180, this is certainly not the cheapest food processor out there. However, this is easily the best food processor you can buy for under $200 and we think it’s worth every penny, especially when you take into consideration its quality, features, accessories, price, and the fact that it’s made by the #1 brand in kitchen appliances, Cuisinart. Read reviews on Amazon >
Best Budget Model: Hamilton Beach 70730 Bowl Scraper Food Processor
The Hamilton Beach 70730 Bowl Scraper is a very affordably priced food processor at just under $60, so it’s a great choice if you’re tight on cash, but still want to get a decent quality machine that won’t break down after a month.
One of the best features of the Hamilton Beach is that it has a built-in scraper that scrapes the food off the side of the bowl. If you’ve ever used a food processor before, then you know how food can easilly stick to the inside walls of the bowl where the blade can’t reach. Well, the Hamilton Beach 70730 has solved this problem via the use of a little contraption that sits on top of the blade shaft that acts like a spatula and scrapes food off the bowl. This means you can continue processing your food without you having to stop to dislodge food from the sides of the bowl.
This large 10 cup capacity food processor comes with a disc blade for shredding and slicing, and an “S” blade for mixing, pureeing and chopping. Measuring 10″ x 10″ x 15″, it’s also fairly compact as well, making it easy for you store on your countertop or in your cupboard. The unit is very easy to clean as well, as you can simply just throw the bowl into your dishwasher when your done using it. The processor’s 450-watt motor is fairly strong as well, allowing you to chop or dice nuts, garlic, meat and vegetables with ease. And with a price of just over $50, we feel it’s actually underpriced. In fact, it’s probably a better machine than a lot of other food processors that cost twice as much. So if you’re looking for a deal, then you won’t find a better one than the Hamilton Beach 70730. Read reviews on Amazon >
How To Choose The Best Food Processor
Construction and Design
There are a number of design elements one must consider before selecting a food processor. One important factor is weight. It’s better to pick a design that has a heay, solid chassis, as this will prevent the unit from moving around the counter. It’s also a good indicator of the food processor’s quality – heavier ones tend to be more durably built than the lighter, flimsier ones.
Also, look for safety features like whether the unit’s bowl locks safely into the base of the food processor and whether the blades can turn without the bowl being locked into position. Another consideration is the size of its feed tube. A wide feed tube will allow you to fit larger food items into it without having to cut it with a knife, saving you time. How complicated or simple the controls are and how quiet the food processor’s motor is are also important considerations when deciding on a food processor. A relatively quiet and simple-to-use food processor is much better than a noisy one that has a whole bunch of extraneous buttons on it that you’ll never use.
Power and Speed
Food processors generally have 2 or 3 different speed settings and a one touch “pulse” function. This last function is very important because it’s very easy to accidentally over-process your food and the pulse function will help you avoid that. Tapping the pulse button repeatedly until your vegetables are just the right size you want them is one of the best ways to use a food processor.
Size and Capacity
Food processors come in many different sizes and the unit’s capacity is generally measured in “cups”, i.e. how many cups of food it can hold, which ranges from 1.5 cups on the small side to up to 20 cups. If you live alone and typically only cook enough food for yourself, then a 2 to 4 cup capacity food processor may be sufficient. However, for larger families a 6 to 10 cup food processor is recommended. And if you’re planning to cook for large groups of people then you shoud strong consider purchasing a 12 cup or larger capacity food processor. Ideally, you should have one smaller food processor for everyday use and a larger one for special occasions.
Accessories and Attachments
Accessories are a very important component of shopping for a food processor, as they allow you to perform a wide variety of cooking tasks. Some accessories will even allow you to use your food processor like a stand mixer by giving it the capability to mix dough, while other attachments will allow you to use your food processor like a juicer. Interchangeable blades can allow you to select between the different cutting types like slicing, dicing, shredding or mincing. Some food processors even come with carrying cases that hold all of your different accessories and blades, so that you can keep them all tidy and organized.
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