Working in restaurant kitchens for over three decades, I sort of became used to a certain design of commercial food processors. The base size, bowl size, and attachments were all familiar. They also provided facilities to work with ingredients while the processor was in use, which was particularly handy for making batches of mayonnaise and more. The attachments would usually fit into a bin or a drawer, and the base stayed on a tabletop or tucked away on an under-shelf basket or closet.

Because of these experiences, home food processors left a lot to be desired. I’ve encountered oddly shaped bowls that offered little access to the food inside them while the machine ran. Second, even the tiniest restaurant kitchens I’ve worked in had more room to store the base and attachments than my home kitchen. The Breville Sous Chef 9 solved both of these problems when I put it to the test.

Breville Sous Chef 9

First, the Sous Chef 9 has a reasonably-shaped, round bowl and base with no annoyingly hidden safety switches. The safety switch is front and center, under the feed chute, which, unlike some other brands I’ve tried, isn’t located at the back or side of the bowl — it’s right there in front of you, next to the on/off/pulse switches.  

Storing food processors and attachments in a tiny kitchen can be laughable. Many manufacturers place the blade spindle on the base, requiring top and side clearance to avoid damage to the hardest-working part of the processor. But the Sous Chef 9’s spindle detaches, so you can store it with the rest of the attachments in a caddy. The caddy has molded, color-coded slots and forms to hold the blade, dough blade, slicer, and grater, and it’s still compact enough to fit inside the processor’s bowl. The attachments don’t take up excessive drawer space, and it’s hard to misplace them when they have a dedicated spot. 

Last night, I made Slow-Grilled Cauliflower with Tahina and Zhough and chicken kofta, and I decided to use the Sous Chef 9 for the sauces and some of the prep work. The 9-cup bowl was more than ample for processing herbs and garlic to make zhough, and the blade easily chopped and emulsified garlic, tahini, and lemon for the tahina. I also needed grated onions for the kofta, and the grater attachment was an easy swap out for the blade, which handled the onions in a fraction of the time it would take by hand. The feed chute is about 4.5 inches wide, which allows you to fit fairly sizable pieces of food into the slicer or grater attachments. 

A few nights before, I made pizza dough using the dough blade, which made short work of the mixing without overworking the dough. The best part of both nights? The Sous Chef 9 was incredibly easy to hand wash, with no annoying, hard-to-reach nooks where food could hide. Plus, it’s safe to put the bowl in the top rack of the dishwasher should you want that option.

The assembled height is 14.5 inches high, so the whole unit can conveniently slide into a cabinet, and you don’t need a lot of clearance to fit it onto a shelf or on your countertop. At its widest point, it measures 9.25 inches. Don’t mistake its small size for lack of muscle, as the Sous Chef 9 has a powerful 625-watt motor, and the entire package comes with a 30-year warranty. 

After several test drives, I’m happy with the Sous Chef 9. Its capacity is great for home use, and its components are easy to use. More importantly, it’s useful because the food inside doesn’t exist in isolation, and it’s easy to toss in a few garlic cloves or stream in olive oil while the machine runs. It’s also easy to store, packing the bowl and accessories together while avoiding damage to the blade spindle and not requiring excessive drawer, counter, or shelf space.

Shop More Food Processors at Amazon:

Breville Sous Chef 12-Cup Food Processor

KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor

Cuisinart 9-Cup Continuous Feed Food Processor