By Brittany Rowland

This excellent 13-cup food processor from KitchenAid comes with three different bowls in the box so you’ll always have just the right amount of work space. The work bowl holds 13-cups, the chef’s bowl holds 10-cups, and the mini bowl holds 4. The three different power modes are low, high, and pulse with an adjustable slicing disc. These features alone will suffice for just about any kitchen it can find. It quickly dices, purees, minces, and liquefies any fruits, vegetables, or nuts you throw in it. For such a large, powerful machine, it runs very quietly because of the durable sealed housing. If there’s one downside, it’s that small quantities of food don’t chop as efficiently and tend to bing off the walls. In the end, this versatile kitchen machine is going to perform very well. It can be found for around $190 from most online retailers.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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Back to Top Food Processors

By Brittany Rowland

We found that the best food processors possess some important factors and convenient features, including:

1. Durable stainless steel blades that won’t wear down or become dull
2. Easy to disassemble parts that are safe for the dishwasher
3. A sturdy base that can be easily wiped clean
4. Slicing and shredding discs
5. A wide feed tube that fits large foods easily

What size food processor to buy depends on your family size and how regularly you plan to use the appliance. Singles and couples may be satisfied with a miniature model that holds just a few cups of food. Larger families should look for large-capacity food processors, some of which can hold up to 14 cups of food. Also consider how much you’ll use the food processor as you look at models with various special features and wattage levels: Don’t pay extra for features or power you don’t need.

Food Processor Buying Guide

Features to Look For When You Purchase a Food Processor

A food processor can save you lots of time and work in the kitchen. Today’s most versatile models offer chopping, grating, slicing, grinding, mincing, and pureeing features: essentially doing everything that you would otherwise have to do by hand. High-end models even have convenient accessories and features, like juicers and reversible slicing discs.

What’s extremely important, however, is that you carefully consider how you plan to use your food processor. The last thing you need is to spend all that money on an appliance that just sits on the counter taking up space and collecting dust. The happier you are with the food processor’s functions and capabilities, the more likely you are to use it on a regular basis. Here are some factors to consider as you shop for the perfect model.

Bowl Capacity

You don’t need the biggest bowl available if you have a small or average size family. Medium-size food processors, which hold up to 7 cups of food, are usually adequate. Only spring for the largest size if you have a huge family, cook in large quantities, or regularly entertain company.

Stainless steel blades
This is a must-have feature. Stainless steel is the most durable and effective material when it comes to blades. They are strong enough to slice through even the toughest foods and won’t rust or wear down. Consider models that offer multiple blades for added versatility.

Wattage

The higher the wattage, the more powerful the food processor. The most expensive models cost so much because they have enough watts to quickly and efficiently pulverize any type of food. If you plan to use your food processor heavily, don’t buy a model with less than 750 watts or it just won’t last as long as you’d like.

Versatile functions
The more functions a model performs, the more value you’ll get out of the appliance. Food processors often come with various blades, discs, and other accessories that cover a range of functions. Some save you even more time by performing several functions at once. You should feel comfortable that you’re getting your full money’s worth with a food processor. See if the manufacturer has additional discs and blades for purchase.

Juicing

If you are a fan of fruit and vegetable juice, consider a food processor with handy juicer accessory.

Dishwasher-safe parts

Keeping the food processor clean will be so much easier if you can simply throw the bowl, lid, and blades in the dishwasher. Check to see if a model has any small crevices that could trap food and require extra brushing or cleaning.

Warranties
Read the warranty details carefully to see if a manufacturer will replace or repair a faulty model. Sometimes a replacement part is all that’s necessary, but be sure that it won’t cost almost the price of a new machine.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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More Food Processors

Some of the high-end food processor models come with a dizzying array of blades, slicing discs, and other accessories that promise to make your kitchen work easier. Indeed they can, provided that you know what each accessory is for and when to use it.

S-blade

The S-blade is the most basic feature of the food processor, found in virtually every model. It gets its name from the two curved blades that extend from the center. This blade is responsible for most of the chopping, slicing, grinding, and grating your food processor will perform. The best blades are stainless steel because they stay sharp and don’t break or rust.

Dough Blade

Similar to the S-blade in shape, the dough blade has straighter edges good for kneading and mixing dough for bread. The dough blade is either metal or a durable plastic.

Egg Whip

With two wide paddles, the egg whip spins around and beats or whips eggs quickly. This accessory can be useful for whipping egg whites for special sauces, creams, and dessert recipes.

Juicer

A citrus juicer is a dome-shaped top that goes on the shaft and squeezes the juice from fruits like grapefruit, lemons, or oranges. Another type of juicer strains the juice from fruits when they pass through the feed chute. It collects the pulp while leaving the juices at the bottom of the bowl.

Slicing Discs

A flat metal disc with an upraised row of fine teeth, the Julienne disc cuts food into long, thin ribbons.
A French fry disc looks much the same but its serrated edges are wider, yielding thicker slices of food.

Spatula

Some food processors come with a spatula to thoroughly scrape food mixes from the bowl.

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1. Always choose the right blade for the specific function you want. The S-blade handles most chopping, slicing, and grinding, but there are other blades and discs that cover other specialized functions.
2. Food processors do most of the work for you, but there is still some prep work required to make the food taste just right. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before feeding them into the chute. Cut off any unwanted parts like stems, leaves, and skin.
3. Do not overload the bowl all at once. Fill to the marked level and process the food a bit to make it smaller and finer. You can then add additional ingredients through the chute as the machine is running.
4. Don’t just turn on the food processor unless you want the food turned to a mushy puree. Use the pulse button in short bursts until you have the food at just the right consistency.
5. You can grind nuts all the way down to a thin buttery consistency. Let it run to just about how you want it, then pulse it a few times until you’re satisfied with the smoothness of the mixture.
6. Shredding cheese with the pulse button is easy. Again, don’t leave the machine running unless you want the cheese to be mush. For even better shredding results, let the cheese sit in the freezer for 20 minutes before processing it.

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As we chose our top 10 blenders, we had several considerations in mind, such as: 1. Blending jar capacity and material, 2. Sturdiness of construction, 3. Ease of use and cleaning, 4. Number of controls, preprogrammed settings, and pulse option, 5. Noisiness, 6. How easily it crushes ices and large food items, and 7. Resistance to leaks and spills. The best blenders have a motor … [more]

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There are several different types of juicers that handle different functions. Centrifugal juicers are the most common and range from $50 to $200. Masticating juicers are quieter, heavier, and more expensive, typically running up to $350. Some of the most expensive juice … [more]

By Brittany Rowland

A college student or a couple just starting out in a small apartment will appreciate this miniature food processor from Proctor Silex. With a 1.5-cup bowl, it holds just the smallest portions of food, but that’s plenty for one or two people. The food processor cuts down on kitchen time by effectively chopping up vegetables, fruits, meats, nuts, and chocolate. Perfect for preparing a quick dip or a smoothie, this model has a fresh, modern design and is easy to use and clean. Best of all, it’s available for only $18.49.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

For a mid-size food processor for the surprisingly low price of $28.95, you get some effective chopping, mincing, and grating action with this Black & Decker model. With an attractive black base, rounded in shape and secured to the counter with suction-cup legs, it’s a visually appealing appliance as well. The stainless steel blades do their job nicely, as does the disc that handles both slicing and shredding, making your kitchen tasks much easier. For the most part this machine is simple to clean, because the parts are safe for the dishwasher; however, some food bits may have to be scraped out of a crevice just under the food chute.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

A handy little device to have in the kitchen, the 3.5-cup KitchenAid KFC3511WH food processor saves you time performing simple cooking tasks: chopping, mixing, and pureeing veggies, nuts, and whatever else. The bowl’s small size makes it ideal for small families who like some assistance preparing dips, sauces, and dressings with little clean-up effort. The base is sturdy and simple to wipe down; the bowl and blade simply go in the dishwasher. If there’s one factor we were not satisfied with, it’s the potential for some spills when the mixture is really smooth. However, for the function it provides and the low cost of $39.99, this food processor has a great value for small households.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

For a medium-size food processor at a low price of $31, this Hamilton Beach model holds up well against a lot of use. Able to chop, grind, and grate up to eight cups of food, it’s ideal for the average family who likes to save time in the kitchen. Its clean, modern design is visually appealing and doesn’t take up much space on the counter or in the cabinet. All the parts conveniently fit in the bowl for easy storage. We were relieved to find the controls extremely user-friendly, with a single dial that has a pulse option. All in all, this model fulfills its functions more than satisfactorily for a reasonable price.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

If you’re looking for a compact, no-fuss food processor, you’ll be pleased with this Cuisinart mini model in sleek black chrome. Only eight inches tall, it nevertheless chops and minces small portions of food quite efficiently. You’ll just have a little prep work beforehand, cutting large food items into smaller pieces before feeding it into the processor. The motor works fine as long as you don’t run it for too long, and we could actually feel some power behind it because we held the top down as it worked. For just $29.95, this is an efficient little worker ideal for couples or small families.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

With a generous 10-cup bowl, this Hamilton Beach food processor handles just about any type of food, processing it quickly and uniformly. An added advantage is that it chops and minces small quantities just as well as large ones without splattering it to the sides. The design is clean and simple, with a single silver dial that has two speeds and a pulse option. The lid snaps into place with no fuss or complicated mechanisms. A solid, secure base keeps it in place as it runs, and with a 500-watt motor it works smoothly with not too much noise or shaking. For $34.95, this is a well-designed model that looks like it will hold up well over time.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

With three work bowls, the largest holding 12 cups, this KitchenAid food processor has one of the most powerful and effective motors I’ve seen. It quickly dices, purees, minces, and liquefies any fruits, vegetables, or nuts you throw in it. A dough blade makes kneading bread dough simple and fast. For such a large, powerful machine, it runs very quietly because of the durable sealed housing. If there’s one downside, it’s that small quantities of food don’t chop as efficiently and tend to bing off the walls. However, its overall precision and number of convenient accessories make this a worthy purchase, reasonably priced at $199.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

A medium-size appliance for an affordable price ($99.95), this Cuisinart food processor has the power to handle complicated tasks while still small enough not to take over all your counter space. It cuts food into fairly uniform pieces and kneads and mixes bread well. As long as you feed food into it a bit at a time, you won’t overload it or strain the motor. For a food processor, it’s not horribly loud, which is always a plus. Overall, we were impressed with this mid-size model’s capabilities and amazed at the very reasonable price.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

The rounded design of this Cuisinart model’s base adds an attractive touch to an already sleek food processor. The large capacity of the work bowl holds up to 3 pounds of dough for easy bread making. A good design feature is the wide feed tube, which allows you to drop in whole fruits and vegetables, saving you time cutting them up in advance. The touchpad controls are thankfully straightforward, labeled on, off, pulse, and dough. Overall, this Cuisinart food processor is a powerful behemoth capable of handling all the tasks you throw at it, all for $234.95.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

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By Brittany Rowland

A large, well-designed food processor from KitchenAid, this model can handle any chopping, pureeing, and grinding needs you have; it even kneads and mixes dough. While the vast 12-cup bowl handles the heavy-duty work, there’s an additional 4-cup bowl for smaller tasks like chopping spices. All the bowls, blades, and discs are dishwasher-safe, making clean-up a breeze. Best of all, the food processor runs quietly thanks to its durable sealed housing, so you won’t drive family or guests away from the kitchen whenever you use it. A versatile, reliable model for only $249.99, this KitchenAid food processor runs like a champ.

Brittany Rowland researches new developments in Appliances, Kitchen and CE products features with a vigor to which few would aspire… but someone has to do it. See more about Brittany

Prices

With three work bowls, the largest holding 12 cups, this KitchenAid food processor has one of the most powerful and effective motors I’ve seen. It quickly dices, purees, minces, and liquefies any fruits, vegetables, or nuts you throw in it. A dough blade makes kneading bread dough simple and fast. For such a large, powerful machine, it runs very quietly because of the durable sealed housing. If there’s one downside, it’s that small quantities of food don’t chop as efficiently and tend to bing off the walls. However, its overall precision and number of convenient accessories make this a worthy purchase, reasonably priced at $199.