The food processor is one of the most versatile tools in any home cook’s collection of small kitchen appliances. From pesto to salsa fresca, it can turn an arduous knife task into a job finished at the push of a button. The best food processors will cut down your prepping time, so you’ll spend less time making your signature spinach dip and more time enjoying it.
Professional chefs are also fans of food processors. Juan Ocampo, the executive chef at Village Vine in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, loves using his food processor both at home and at work. “Food processors are versatile and essential for any kitchen worth cooking in,” he says.
To find the best food processors, we put 20 top-rated models from brands like Breville, Cuisinart, and KitchenAid through various tests and rated them across categories, from speed and blade sharpness to clean up.
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We love this model from Cuisinart and continue to give it excellent marks across the board. It’s quick, efficient, powerful, and, perhaps most importantly, straightforward. There are only two buttons and no fussing with confusing settings — the on button keeps the blades spinning, and the off/pulse button runs them only while you hold it down.
We got evenly chopped onion, shredded cheese, and sliced zucchini with the Cuisinart’s attachments, and we got them safely thanks to a large plunger for pushing food down the chute. There’s also a little hole in the plunger that is perfect for slowly drizzling oil into homemade mayonnaise and other emulsified sauces. Our big complaint about this model is that its shredding blade lacks smaller grating holes, and the slicer isn’t adjustable, giving you less versatility than other processors. Cleaning is easy as the blades, bowl, and lid can all go in the dishwasher, and the price is reasonable, at almost exactly average among the models we tested.
You’ll find this model in lots of home kitchens, including in our editors’. “I’ve had this food processor for years,” says Senior Commerce Editor Dana Fouchia. “It’s beyond durable, reliable, and up for just about any challenge I’ve thrown at it.”
Dimensions: 11 x 7.9 x 14.8 inches | Capacity: 14 cups | Power: 720 watts | Includes: Chopping blade, medium shredding disc, slicing disc | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
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PHOTO: Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
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Despite its budget price, the Ninja Professional Plus can do quite a lot. It includes the standard chopping, shredding, and slicing tools, along with a dull plastic blade for dough. It also offers three different speed settings to let you choose from slow kneading, medium speed for coarse chopping, or high speed for fine mincing and even pureeing soft fruits. On top of that, everything but the base is dishwasher-safe.
However, this machine isn’t the most efficient. Small amounts can get stuck beneath the high-mounted blade, as when we tried to whip up egg yolk and mustard before starting to add the oil for mayonnaise. The shredding blade also could only shred about half of the 2-ounce blocks of cheese we put in before the rest got lodged in the lid. But with larger amounts of onion and zucchini, we got clean, even cuts.
Dimensions: 7.76 x 9.88 x 16.02 inches | Capacity: 9 cups | Power: 1,000 watts | Speed Settings: 3 | Includes: Chopping blade, dough blade, reversible shredding/slicing disc | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
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The Breville Sous Chef lives up to its name, with an array of attachments and accessories for all kinds of food-prep tasks. It has the chopping, slicing, and grating blades you’d expect in almost any food processor, but it also includes a dough-kneading blade, a tool for dicing, a disc specialized for perfect French fries, a rotating peeler, and even a whisk disc for whipping egg whites in its 16-cup bowl. Plus, you get a separate mini-bowl with a tiny blade for small jobs.
We got even slicing, shredding, and dicing throughout our tests, and we appreciated the timer mode for precise chopping texture. Cleanup is also simple: Place the removable parts into the dishwasher, and wipe the base clean with a damp cloth. With a price more than double that of the Cuisinart above, however, the Sous Chef could be overkill for the average cook. But if you’re willing to drop the cash, this machine is the most multifunctional of all the models we tested.
Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 18 inches | Capacity: 16 cups (large bowl), 2.5 cups (small bowl) | Power: 1,200 watts | Includes: Chopping blade, dough blade, reversible shredding disc, adjustable slicing disc, peeling disc, julienne disc, French fry disc, whisking disc, dicing kit, mini blade | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
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This inexpensive, easy-to-use model did a great job with uniform grating, slicing, dicing, and mixing.
KitchenAid is perhaps known best for its stand mixers — the brand makes three of our six favorite models — but we trust it for all kinds of appliances. KitchenAid’s 13-cup food processor has everything you’d expect in a quality machine, plus the bonus of a dicing kit, all at a nice price. The design is intuitive, operation is simple, and, as a bonus, all the parts are dishwasher-safe. There are also two speed choices, a rarity in lower-cost machines.
We saw an even grate on the cheese, uniform zucchini slices, and silky-smooth aioli, but chopping onions was a bit of a letdown. The super-powerful blade worked quickly but not evenly. While some of the onion was chopped perfectly, other bits were almost pureed. By adjusting the speed and using pulse mode carefully, you can probably get more even results, but other food processors won’t need as much fine-tuning.
Dimensions: 8.7 x 10.25 x 17.43 inches | Capacity: 13 cups | Includes: Chopping blade, dough blade, reversible shredding disc, adjustable slicing disc, dicing kit | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
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This food processor is small, quick, efficient, and inexpensive.
While this model wasn’t part of our full-size food processor tests, it took the top spot when we put mini food processors head-to-head. The design of the KitchenAid 3.5-Cup Food Chopper is simple, and its powerful blades can do a lot. The tiny machine features two speeds — a slower chop and a faster puree — and there’s even a “drizzle basin” in the lid that slowly adds oil for a classic food-processor recipe like pesto. If you have a small kitchen or usually cook small portions, it’s a great addition to the kitchen. The price is low, and you can even choose from several bright color options to match your kitchen personality.
Of course, the downside to a small food processor is that it’s…small. A couple of large tomatoes could fill the bowl to the brim, which isn’t optimal if you plan to make a big batch of something like salsa. You also don’t get a shredding or slicing blade or any accessories besides the standard chopping blade.
Dimensions: 5.6 x 7 x 8.7 inches | Capacity: 3.5 cups | Power: 240 watts | Speed Settings: 2 | Includes: Chopping blade | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Our Favorite Food Processor
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor is our favorite for its simple design and consistent performance. For a machine that packs lots of power and multiple functions into a small and more affordable package, consider the Ninja Professional Plus Food Processor instead.
How We Tested Food Processors
Food & Wine /Russell Kilgore
To choose our favorite food processors, we chose 20 top models to pit head-to-head in a series of tests.
- Setup test: We unboxed each model and attempted to put it together — without consulting the instruction manual if possible. Models that assembled and disassembled quickly and intuitively received high scores, while we dinged those with a lot of confusing parts and procedures.
- Chopping test: Using the standard chopping blade, we processed a peeled and quartered red onion in each machine for exactly 10 seconds. We examined the results, looking for an even texture and clean cuts. Food processors that had trouble with chopping often had large pieces get stuck beneath the blade, or a dull blade that crushed the onion rather than chop it.
- Slicing test: To test slicing discs, we sliced zucchini, using the thinnest, thickest, and middle settings with adjustable blades. We checked whether the slices came out in equal sizes, and if any didn’t cut completely through. We also weighed the zucchini before and after slicing to measure the amount lost via crushing or getting trapped in the bowl.
- Shredding/grating test: We used each food processor’s shredding blade to shred a 2-ounce block of cheddar cheese, weighing the results to see how efficiently they handled the entire piece. We also looked at the evenness of texture post-shredding. If a machine included a smaller grating blade, we repeated the test with a 2-ounce block of harder Parmesan.
- Mixing test: Food processor blades aren’t just for cutting; to measure their ability to mix, we used each machine to combine egg yolk and oil into mayonnaise. Poor blade design made some models unable to reach the small amounts of ingredients, while others had clever features in the lid that helped drizzle the oil in slowly for proper emulsification.
- Cleaning test: In between each round of testing, we thoroughly washed the bowls, blades, and other parts following the included directions. We ran dishwasher-safe components through the dishwasher and looked for any wear and tear, and we hand-washed all the other items, noting features that made sharp parts safer to handle. We also looked at whether any parts held onto the water and needed extra shaking out or drying before we could move on.
Our final ratings also took into account size and capacity, and the quantity and usefulness of extra functions, blades, and other attachments. After rating the food processors on all other categories, we revealed the retail prices to consider value for money. At the time of testing, the 20 models ranged in cost from $36.95 to $753, with an average of $244.42.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Do I Need a Food Processor If I Have a Blender?
If you’ve already got a powerful blender, you might be wondering why you’d need to spend the money on another appliance that does some of the same things. There is an overlap between the functions of food processors and blenders, but the truth is that they work very differently. A food processor has a large, sharp blade that spins comparatively slowly to cut ingredients into evenly sized pieces. The longer you run the motor, the smaller the pieces become, but a good food processor should keep the pieces even throughout the process.
A blender, on the other hand, uses a smaller, duller blade that spins very quickly to break items apart more than cut them up. It’s meant to make smooth-textured mixtures without any chunks, as in a smoothie or silky tomato soup. It’s also good for crushing ice, as the rapidly spinning blades break large cubes into bits before they can melt.
The truth is that you probably need both a food processor and a blender in your kitchen. If you want to rough-chop onion for salsa and also create velvety purees, very few appliances can do both effectively. A space-saving puree alternative could be a small personal blender or an immersion blender that doesn’t need a dedicated pitcher.
Factors to Consider
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Capacity
Pesto for one or a big bowl of party dip? What size food processor will best suit your needs depends on what type of projects you want to use it for and how big your household is. Small and inexpensive models might hold only a few cups, while large models are big enough for a gallon (16 cups) or more. If you fill a food processor bowl all the way to the brim you’re likely to get spillage, so you should always leave a little bit of room. However, a huge machine won’t effectively chop or mix tiny amounts, which can get stuck underneath the blades or against the walls of the bowl. Plus, a bigger food processor takes up more space on the counter and in the cabinet.
Power (and Power Source)
Most food processors use an electric motor to spin their blades, with a higher wattage indicating more power. But different sizes and blade designs can be more or less effective with the same amount of power, so you can’t just look at the number of watts.
There are also some manual food processors, which use muscle power to turn the blades, often via a crank, pull-cord, or simply by pushing down on the top. These models are often tiny and very inexpensive, potentially good for small jobs. We’ve tested a few manual models and found that the cost savings simply isn’t worth the amount of effort required, especially compared to small electric models that aren’t very much more expensive.
Features and Accessories
Beyond the standard chopping, shredding, and slicing, food processors can offer all sorts of additional functions. Shredding blades often flip over to offer a coarse and fine side, and some slicing blades can adjust their thickness for different kinds of slices. Other common accessories include a dull plastic dough blade for kneading bread or pizza dough; a julienne slicer for French fries; and a dicing blade that can cut even cubes. Food processors that include more of these tend to cost more and might not be worth it if you won’t use all the extras.
Another feature to pay attention to is the control panel. The simplest food processors have only a pulse mode, where you have to hold down a button to run the machine, while other have an on setting that keeps the blades going by itself. Higher-end machines can even have automatic timers. Multiple speed settings can increase a food processor’s versatility, as well: Slow speeds are good for kneading dough and controlled large-chopping, and fast speeds can mince garlic or puree fruit with ease.
Cleanup
Nobody likes to clean up, but some food processor models make things easier than others. Some machines have dishwasher-safe pieces, especially plastic bowls and lids. Blades can be dishwasher-safe, too, but harsh detergents and high temperatures might dull and damage them. It’s good to note if a brand says parts are dishwasher-safe but recommends hand-washing; this can indicate that you should keep metal parts out of the dishwasher.
One part of an electric food processor that should never go in the sink or dishwasher is the motor base. Water immersion can short out the parts and ruin the machine. If the base spills or spatters, you should unplug it and then wipe it down with a sponge or paper towel.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a food processor used for?
It’s an almost endless list. Food processors can make quick work of cumbersome cutting tasks like chopping nuts, making breadcrumbs, and DIY cauliflower rice in your food processor. Mince onion, carrot, and celery for a classic Italian Bolognese in the time it takes to heat the pan!
A food processor can also replace a box grater, mandoline, and even a chef’s knife for many kinds of slicing tasks. A food processor is also a hand tool for high-speed mixing of sauces like homemade aioli, pesto, vinaigrette, and more with just a few pulses. Thicker, paste-like items (think hummus) also come together quickly in a food processor, whereas a blender might struggle to do so fully without extra liquid. Many models also include a kneading blade you can use for pizza dough and other bready items. It may not, however, replace all the tasks that a blender or a food mill can handle.
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What’s the difference between a food processor and a food chopper?
A food processor and food chopper are basically the same thing, but a chopper is smaller, often powered manually, and doesn’t include as many accessories. A food chopper is usually very inexpensive and great for simple tasks like rough-chopping carrots and potatoes or prepping ingredients for a salad. But it’s not the best for quickly reducing ingredients into tiny mince, or for mixing up smooth sauces like Hollandaise — the speed and power of an electric food processor is better.
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Is there anything that shouldn’t be prepped with a food processor?
Food processors are very versatile, but their blades aren’t meant to handle hard bits. Spices and coffee beans are major no-nos that can dull or even chip the blade. (You want a spice grinder or coffee grinder for these.) Frozen foods, meat with bones, and anything with a pit or tough seeds shouldn’t go in the food processor, either, and you should stick to plastic, silicone, and other non-metal utensils to keep from scratching the blade and bowl.
It’s also a bad idea to process foods that are very hot. Something like roasted nuts fresh from the oven can even melt the plastic, and processing a near-boiling soup or sauce can build up pressure inside the sealed bowl and cause spatters. And you shouldn’t fill the bowl more than about three-quarters of the way: Always leave some room for ingredients to mix around.
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How do you clean a food processor?
It’s always best to defer to the user manual. You’ll specific instructions for your model there, including which parts (if any) are dishwasher-safe. But as a general rule, you should start by unplugging the machine and disassembling all its pieces. You can generally hand-wash everything but the motor base with warm, soapy water and then rinse clean. It’s important to let all the parts air-dry completely after washing, as moisture can get trapped in small nooks and crannies and lead to mold or damage.
To clean off the base, just wipe down the surface with a dry or slightly dampened cloth. Make sure to give careful attention to crevices around buttons and other areas where parts connect, as these can collect bits of food.
Other Food Processors We Tested
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Strong Contenders
Magimix Food Processor ($549 at Nutrimill)
We loved the Magimix’s variety of bowls and attachments, which made switching jobs incredibly easy and allowed for easy cleanup. The potential use cases for this powerful machine are practically limitless. However, we did encounter some problems with the processor trapping food and making some uneven cuts, and it’s quite expensive.
GE 12-Cup Food Processor ($160 at Amazon)
This GE model was incredibly simple and intuitive to use, with attachments that are easy to snap on and off. But we noticed some inconsistencies in how it chopped some of our veggies and found it to be pretty easy to accidentally knick yourself on the sharp blade and attachments while washing.
Cuisinart Elemental 13-Cup Food Processor ($200 at Amazon)
We found this unit to be straightforward and user-friendly, with all the basic features and performance you’d expect from a standard food processor. If it had a lower price, it probably would have made our list of winners, but it’s a little expensive for what you get.
Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor Attachment ($250 at Amazon)
Vitamix makes some of the world’s best blenders, at sky-high prices to match. If you already own one, this attachment makes your existing blender into an all-purpose chopping machine. But if you don’t, it’s not worth buying a Vitamix blender just so you can use the brand’s food processor.
Black & Decker Power Pro Wide-Mouth 10-Cup Food Processor ($74 at Amazon)
We loved how well the value-priced Power Pro emulsified everything we tried without even having to scrape down the sides. However, we did have some issues with uneven cuts and food items getting stuck under or shredded by the blade.
Breville Sous Chef 12-Cup Food Processor ($300 at Amazon)
This smaller, cheaper cousin of the 16-cup Sous Chef we named our best splurge is not only smaller but also comes with less versatility. You get fewer accessories in addition to the lower capacity, and it doesn’t include the mini-bowl we liked in the 16-cup version. If you’re going to drop the money for a high-end Breville, we say you should go for the gusto with the highest-end version.
What Didn’t Make the List
Food processors can span a wide variety of price ranges and features, and the same goes for all the models we tested. A few were simply too expensive to make it onto our list with just average performance, while others lacked functionality and features we felt were necessary to make them worthwhile. A few cheap models simply did a poor job of cutting anything. The machines that we considered include Waring, OXO, Hamilton Beach, and Oster, as well as additional models from brands that did make the list.
Our Expertise
Commer writer Nick DeSimone wrote and compiled this piece. They have spent nearly a decade working in professional kitchens and have used nearly every brand and model of food processor during that time. Nick also used data collected by our Food & Wine professional product testers. Our testers are dedicated culinary professionals who are committed to unbiased, thorough testing.