Best Food Processor Reviews 2018 – (Comprehensive Guide)
Table Of Contents
What will life be without modern day inventions such as food processors? Gone are the days when people spend ridiculous hours trying to get things chopped smoothly for cooking, thereby taking up priceless time that could have been spent organizing other things or even preparing out the final dish. Just imagine how many food recipes would have been useless to people today if there were no food processors. I bet a hand full of recipes will not even make it into my yearly choice if I did not have one of the best food processor. What about those delicious smoothies that are made every morning? They all come to play by just switching on a device in your kitchen after loading it with whatever you want blended or chopped. A food processor is something everyone should have shelved up somewhere in their kitchen. I am going to make sure you never have to face any difficulties during a purchase by providing you with a line-up of the top food processor reviews and buyer’s guide.
What exactly is A Food Processor?
A food processor is a machine which carries out the duty of helping with kitchen chores such as chopping, cutting, shredding, slicing, and blending. The food processor should be able to do all these with absolute flawlessness and perfection. They hold a lot of similarities with a regular blender, but they perform more functions than a blender. A blender is created to handle food and ingredients that have been moderated with water. This means that it will have very limited output or productivity when handling dry ingredients which do not have any liquid base in it. But a good food processor works well for both liquid and dryer substances, and some of the best food processors are capable of even kneading up dough used in making pastries. They are flexible and have all round use. There are different types of food processors out there like mini, commercial, manual and even for making baby food. Let us take a look at the food processors which have ranked high in our selection process and have undoubtedly been proven to do excellent jobs.
Best Food Processors Comparison Table
No | Name | Size | Material | Weight | Dimension | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 14 Cup | Stainless Steel | 17.5 pounds | 12.6 x 16.6 x 9.3 in | ||
 | 10 Cup | Plastic | 6.2 lbs | 8.43 x 10.25 x 15.47 in | ||
 | 11 Cup | Plastic | 1 ounces | 17.75 x 11 x 14.5 in | ||
 | 12 Cup | Plastic | 15.9 lbs | 7.5 x 8.5 x 17 in | ||
 | 13 Cup | Plastic | 19.3 pounds | 11.2 x 21.8 x 17.5 in | ||
 | 8 Cup | Poly-carbonate | 6.65 pounds | 8.63 x 10.63 x 13.25 in | ||
 | 12 Cup | 18/8 Steel | 9.8 lbs | 14.9 x 11.3 x 15.4 in | ||
 | 7 Cup | Plastic | 14.1 pounds | 11.25 x 7 x 13.75 in | ||
 | 13 Cup | Plastic | 18 lbs | 10.88 x 11.81 x 16.62 in | ||
 | 9 Cup | Poly-carbonate | 2.5 kg | 46 x 46 x 26 cm | ||
 | 4 Cup | Plastic | 6.14 lbs | 10.44 x 14.37 x 16.14 in | ||
 | All in One | Plastic | 10.4 pounds | 9.8 x 7 x 17.6 in | ||
 | 8 Cup | Plastic | 9.2 pounds | 9.5 x 8.2 x 17.8 in |
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing Food Processor
Power:
The power or motor of a food processor is one of the parts to look out for in the device. The power determines to a large extent the amount of blending or slicing it can get done at a time. The motor is characterized in “hp” which is short for horsepower. The higher the horsepower, the larger the capacity of the motor, hence the more chores it can handle. The influence of the horsepower is usually evident at the base of the food processor, making it heavier in weight like the ones we have discussed above. The solid base also gives them good balance while in use.
Bowl Size:
The bowl of a food processor determines how much ingredients or food it can accommodate for slicing. The bowl comes in different liters, and they vary depending on the brand of the food processor. Knowing the amount of food processing your device will be carrying out frequently will help you know the precise bowl your processor should have. A larger bowl means you can work in larger batches, but it might not be necessary if you would be processing smaller quantities of food frequently. Most food processor bowls are manufactured with poly carbonate plastic which is highly durable.
Blades:
The blades of a food processor are also determinants of the work the food processor can do as they carry out the primary slicing. Most standard food processors usually have blades that can be changed and used when needed. There are different blades sizes, the large blades are for slicing in bigger chunks, while the smaller blades are for finer cutting, and there are still other blade sizes which you can buy along with your processor for other types of slicing that can come in handy when the need arises. A significant advantage is that the blades of food processors can be sharpened when they get blunt, so you need not get worried over that.
Storage Capacity:
A food processor comes with lots of parts that are dissembled when it gets to the time for washing. Adding that with all the extra accessories of the processor gives you a lot of bits and pieces which should not be left lying around for your safety and the durability of the processor. You also do not want to spend your valuable cooking time searching for one missing part or the other. To avoid this, an extra storage compartment should be available for your food processor. This storage compartment can either is within the food processor, where the parts can be kept inside the food processor itself when you are done using it, or it can be stored in a separate place.
Other Accessories:
There are so many accessories that can be acquired along with a food processor, whatever function you think you need your processor to perform; there is an accessory that can get it done for you with ease. There are hoppers, blending jugs, bowls and much more. One of the most common accessories is the extra blades which also come in various sizes and have different serrations on them. If you are doing a lot of baking, then you can get a dough blade along with your processor.
Food Processors Reviews
1. Cuisinart Food Processor Brushed Stainless Steel
This Cuisinart is one of the top rated food processor that is powered by a 720W motor for easy and fast meal prep. It’s a large food processor that enhances your cooking and allows you to share delicious meals with family and friends. The machine comes with a large 14 cup work bowl, dishwasher safe parts, and extra-large feed chute. Its bowl capacity supports the processing of family size meals in a more dependable manner. Besides, the large feed tube allows the processing of whole ingredients and eliminates the need for pre-cutting. In addition, this food processor features different blades which include: a stainless steel slicing disc, chopping blade, and shredding disc. The blades allow the appliance to perform virtually any task including; chopping, mixing, slicing, kneading, pureeing, emulsifying, shredding, and mixing dough. However, its slicing blades and the shredding discs are not adjustable. The appliance also features a convenient control paddles which offer a single touch experience with the on, off, and pulse settings.
- Pros
- Cons
- Highly durable
- Large capacity bowl
- Dishwasher accessories
- Performs many tasks
The Hamilton Beach 70730 is an incredible appliance designed to cut your preparation time in half. The food processor has two processing speeds and a pulse that put you in complete control. Its powerful 450W motor helps you to work on ingredients with precision. It is one of the best budget food processor that comes with an innovative bowl scraper attachment. You do not have to stop the processor to scrape the side of the bowl when pureeing or chopping. The built-in scraper completes the task for you and allows for continuous food processing. It also comes with reversible disc attachments which are labeled to take the guesswork out of the equation. Also, the food processor comes with different blades for chopping, slicing, and shredding discs. In case if you hate pre-cutting ingredients than this food processor is and ideal choice for you because it is designed with a large feed chute that makes food preparation easy. Besides, with the 10 cups bowl capacity, the appliance accommodates all type of ingredients.
- Pros
- Cons
- Has a built scrapper
- Different blades
- Comes with a processing chart
If you are looking for the best food processor under $100, the Black & Decker is an excellent option. The 11 cup food processor takes your kitchen practice to the next level. It allows you prepare different size of ingredients thanks to the 4 cup and 11 cup bowls. Besides, the wide feed chute makes it easy to feed whole ingredients into the bowl. The food processor has a powerful 800W motor that powers through any ingredients with ease. It also comes with different types of blades including dicing disc, chopping blade, slicing & shredding blade, and dough blade. This allows you to process your ingredients to different levels of thickness. The appliance touch-pad digital control is another praiseworthy feature. The control panel feature clearly marked buttons which make it very user-friendly. Through the controls, you get the convenience of 3 processing speeds plus a pulse option.
- Pros
- Cons
- Easy to use and clean
- Powerful motor
- Digital controls
- Compact storage case
Looking for a large food processor to help you shred, chop, or slice with more options? The Breville Sous Chef is an excellent culinary tool for you. This food processor is driven by an incredibly powerful 1000W induction motor that dictates the power and versatility of the machine. The motor features excellent overload protection and direct drive control capabilities. Its 12 cup bowl capacity allows you to process large batches of food with ease. Whether its grating cheese, slicing vegetables, mixing batter, pureeing soups, or chopping nuts, the Breville BFP660SIL is designed to do every task to perfection. It comes with multiple attachments which include: a stainless steel spindle, reversible shredder, dough blade, an adjustable slicer (with 24 settings), and a micro-serrated S blade. In addition, the food processor comes with a safety interlock system that prevents it from functioning if it’s not properly assembled.
- Pros
- Cons
- 10 year manufacturer warranty for the motor
- Incredibly powerful
- BPA free bowl
- A convenient safety interlock system
The Cuisinart Elemental is a large food processor that comes with two work bowls (a 13 cup and a 4.5 cup). The bowl capacity allows you to process big batches of ingredients without the need for continuous refilling. The machine has an innovatively designed based that doesn’t compromise its performance despite being lightweight. Also, the food processor has an incredible patented locking system which allows the bowls to lock easily and smoothly onto the base. Besides, its wide feed chute allows you to feed whole large ingredients. It eliminates the time needed to pre-cut your ingredients before processing. The Cuisinart FP13DGM comes with adjustable slicing discs which are very sharp. Its shredding blade is reversible and can be adjusted to the small or large shred. All the blades are perfectly designed to deliver superb performance with ease of use. They conveniently allow you to puree, grind, mix, chop, and slice ingredients and perfect your kitchen skills.
- Pros
- Cons
- Easy to clean
- Quiet performance
- Large capacity
It’s amazing how such an inexpensive appliance such as this one can offer you with so many features to help you in your kitchen work. Although compact in size with a capacity of 8 cups and costing under $50, the food processor is packed with features. Included with the appliance are a reversible disc for slicing and shredding and a stainless steel chopping blade which is good enough for mixing, pureeing, chopping and mincing. The controls are simple to operate but produce efficient results with on/off and pulse options. This simple tool is equipped with an efficient 300 watts motor to help you out with a bunch of tasks from chopping onions, herbs or nuts and creating healthy salads and hash browns to mincing meat or shredding a hard block of cheese. After you are done processing, simply throw everything in the dishwasher and you are done! In addition to being dishwasher safe, the parts are also BPA-free for the satisfaction of your mind. Later you can store the parts easily inside the bowl for a compact and neat appearance on your kitchen counter.
- Pros
- Cons
- The construction and the motor are very powerful considering the price of the unit
- User-friendly design
If you wish to enhance the productivity and efficiency of your kitchen with a quality food processor, bringing home this compact, simple and elegant piece of machinery is the right call. Despite its 600 watts powerful motor and large capacity of 12 cups, it will provide you with a silent operation so that you can use it anytime you want without waking the neighbors. One of the great things about this food processor is that you will find several accessories in the box including slicing and shredding discs, chopping blade, kneading disc, potato latkes blade, whipping disc and also a citrus press to start your day with a glass of fresh juice. The wide range of accessories allows you to experiment with a bunch of different recipes to impress your guests. Furthermore, you have complete control over the consistencies and textures with a variable speed control dial. Besides these variable speed options, you can also choose a pre-set speed function for hands free operation or the pulse option for courser results.
- Pros
- Cons
- Processing bowl locks to the base for operation
- Dishwasher safe
- Compact storage
You could call this one the quietest workhorse on our list which comes at an affordable price but gives a power strong enough to even knead dough without a problem. It is the heavy duty motor which provides a 600 watts power to process many different types of ingredients easily and quietly. Whether you want nut butter with homemade bread for breakfast or fresh, healthy salads for lunch or just shredded cheese for topping your favorite pizza, this marvelous device has you covered with a bunch of accessories for almost any task you could possibly think of. Apart from the slicing and shredding discs, there is also a stainless steel multipurpose blade included in the package for chopping, mixing, pureeing, mincing and even kneading dough. The 7 cups work bowl is dishwasher safe along with the rest of the accessories to save you from any hassle and the controls are simple to use with an on/off and pulse paddle.
- Pros
- Cons
- 5 year motor warranty and a 3 year warranty on the unit
- Extra wide feed tube
- Cover and spatula included
This large food processor with a capacity of 13 cups lets you prepare a variety of foods enough for feeding a large family. What distinguishes it from other food processors is the patented Exact Slice System which features an external lever to adjust the thickness of the slices precisely the way you like it depending on the hardness and size of food or simply your preference. Additionally, your preparation work could not be easier with its wide feed tube to allow whole fruits and Ultra Tight Seal to let you benefit from the entire capacity without worrying about any leakage. The motor of 360 watts provides enough power to handle soft and hard ingredients and even knead dough with complete ease. Additionally, the touch controls are easy to clean and just as simple to use with 2 speed settings and a pulse which are enough to create the desired results. The unit will include slicing and shredding discs, dough blade, chopping blade, a smaller 4 cups bowl with mini blade, spatula and also a storage case to keep everything together in one place.
- Pros
- Cons
- Large capacity
- Good at finely slicing fruits and vegetables
- Good at processing soft foods
Standing among the high-end food processors of today’s market, this food processor offers a large capacity of 3.7 liters and a professional-grade motor of 200 watts that is capable of cutting through virtually anything and kneading dough with ease. The slicer available with the unit is adjustable to over 24 settings to achieve precisely the thickness you like. That’s not all since the appliance will also include discs for shredding, julienne cutting, chip cutting and whisking. There is also a strong dough blade, a smaller processing bowl and a mini blade to be used with it. The feed chute is purposefully constructed wide enough to let whole fruits and vegetables through saving you from pre-cutting them and also letting you enjoy wider slices of chips! The control panel is smooth, sleek and convenient to use with a timer setting to let you follow all kinds of recipes with precision. Overall, it is a great tool you could include in your kitchen to cover all your food processing and even blending requirements.
- Pros
- Cons
- Accessory storage case to keep everything in one place
- Strong motor
- Sealed lid to prevent leakage
The Nutri Ninja NN102 is one of the best rated food processor designed to handle all tasks including mixing, chopping, and dough making. The food processor comes with a base and 2 interchangeable Nutri Ninja cups which feature spouts lid. The base houses the powerful 1200W which powers through all the toughest ingredients. Also, its Auto iQ boost processes fresh and wholesome ingredients to deliver flavorful nutrient rich desserts, meals, and snacks. The boost accords the power to dictate the consistency and texture of your foods and drinks including smoothies, nutritious juices, dough, and delectable dips. The food processor also comes with the pro extractor blades. The blades make it easy to break down seeds, whole foods, nuts, ice, and more for unique forms. Besides, its Auto iQ technology comes with intelligent programs that bring timed blending, pulsing, and pausing settings.
- Pros
- Cons
- Powerful motor
- Auto iQ Technology
- BPA free parts which are dishwasher safe
The Ninja Kitchen System is a good food processor that comes with a smart base and four high-performance vessels. All its attachments are dishwasher safe and BPA free. The food processor is specially designed to take the place of your smoothie maker, blender, and deliver superbly as a food processor. It is a well-crafted 4 in 1 appliance engineered to multitask with ease thanks to the support of the 1200W motor. The four incredible vessels include 72oz total crushing blender, Auto spiralizer, 64oz precision processor, and 24oz single serve cup. The food processor features a smart vessel recognition capability. It automatically detects the attached vessel to display a list of preset programs on its user-friendly touchscreen. In total the machines has 12 preset programs which include: smoothie pitcher, extract, smoothie cup, snow cone, frozen drink, ice cream, refresher, dressings, dips, puree, chop, and dough.
- Pros
- Cons
- Incredibly powerful
- 4 in 1 multi-functional
- Smart and user-friendly
The Ninja mega kitchen system is sepcially designed to deliver professional power and performance. Its 1500W motor utilizes the total crushing technology to deliver unparalleled power. In addition, the food processor features sharp blades which power through and pulverize vegetables, whole fruits, and ice with ease. The highly durable stainless steel blades help you to easily process your ingredients into delicious smoothies, dips, and sauces. The high powered motor coupled with the unique blade design ensures optimal nutrient and vitamin extraction. Moreover, the extra-large 8 cup work bowl takes care of all your chopping and kneading needs. In addition to the high capacity bowl, it features a low capacity bowl for extra blending options. It also comes with two 16oz to go containers provided for blended beverages and homemade smoothies.
- Pros
- Cons
- High-speed motor
- Powerful total crushing technology
- Dishwasher and BPA free pitcher
- Comes with a quick start guide
Why buy a food processor in the first place
Before you go pick a food processor from the market, you may begin to wonder if you really need this new equipment in the kitchen. If you are buying one for the first time, you might be even more skeptical if it really has an application in your every day kitchen tasks or is simply a waste of time and money. Your doubts are completely understandable and can only be addressed in one way and that is to discover all the wonderful applications it can have in your kitchen and how it saves your time and energy spent in the kitchen on a daily basis. Here are all the good reasons for owning a food processor:
Grinding solids:
There isn’t an appliance which grinds solid materials better than a food processor. Using the S blade of the food processor, you can grind even the toughest solid ingredients without requiring the addition of even a little liquid to it. Recipes like nut butter, thick dips and dough which use little or no liquid at all are a piece of cake for a good food processor. In case you are thinking you could use your blender to do the job and skip buying a food processor, be informed that blender will ask for at least a little liquid to work and is incapable of producing products such as minced meat.
Perfect Pesto:
If you love pesto, it is a reason enough to own a food processor. There is no better way of making the perfect pesto than grinding the ingredients to your preferred texture using a food processor. A blender can manage making a pesto but will fail at producing the excellent results of a food processor.
Saves time:
There are so many tasks that a food processor can do for you in the kitchen and so many ways in which it can save your time. It does not just make chopping, grinding and mixing faster than if done using any other device, it also helps out with cutting, dicing, slicing and shredding vegetables which is a huge favor for every cook. If you cook often, you would understand that it is the preparation of vegetables that requires the most time in almost every dish that you decide to prepare for dinner. Instead of spending hours cutting vegetables using a knife, you could simply hand over the entire task to a food processor and witness it do the same job in just a small fraction of the time. This huge favor makes it the perfect partner for all busy households.
Makes piecrust easy to make:
Out of the countless applications of a food processor, this is another popular one among the users. If you have ever tried making homemade piecrust you would know that the recipe asks for the integration of cold butter into the rest of the ingredients. This is not an easy task at all if done by hand. Not only will it take a lot of muscle power, it will also take a considerable amount of your time before you can move on to the next step of the recipe. Save yourself the trouble and take out your food processor the next time you plan to make homemade pie. Simply shove all the dry ingredients into the bowl along with the chilled butter and give it a whirl. It will take less than a minute to incorporate everything nicely.
Breadcrumbs:
Another simple recipe that your food processor excels at is the preparation of breadcrumbs. If you own a food processor, you don’t ever have to buy breadcrumbs again. Simply toss some old bread slices into the processing bowl, let it run for a few seconds and it’s done!
Easy cleanup:
Instead of using multiple utensils and tools to prepare the ingredients for a recipe, a food processor lets you do everything in one place. For example, if a recipe calls for multiple processing tasks like kneading dough, slicing onions and carrots and mincing herbs for garnishing, you can do everything using this single versatile appliance instead of dirtying a bunch of different utensils. When everything is done, you can simply toss the detachable components of the food processor in the dishwasher for a trouble-free cleanup.
To put it in simple terms, food processor is a life saver for busy cooks. It can help out in almost all of your everyday kitchen tasks from shredding cheese, slicing vegetables and making baby food to mincing meat and kneading dough. You will see that with the availability of a food processor in the kitchen you will be spending the least possible time in the preparation of food that you would ever have thought was possible and bringing gourmet dishes to the table all the same. In truth, it becomes hard to find a kitchen task that a food processor is incapable of doing. You would do a huge favor to yourself, your kitchen and your family by bringing home the food processor.
What Are the Best Food Processor Brands
In today world, there are too many brands who are manufacturing food processor, but some of them are well know because of their product quality and versatility. Some of them are
Cuisinart Food Processor
Kitchenaid Food Processor
Oster Food Processor
Black and Decker Food Processor
Tips for Using a Food Processor with Care
Without a doubt, these versatile tools are an indispensable part of your home kitchen. For something so valuable and useful, you will of course want to keep it in shape so that it keeps providing up-to-mark performance for many years to come. To keep it in shape, you need to treat it well and be especially careful with its cleanliness and maintenance. In short, treat it well and it will do the same in return. Here are a few tips for to ensure a long life and optimal performance of your food processor:
Process ingredients in small batches:
Never fill up the processing bowl to its rim while processing the ingredients as it could strain the motor. It is best that you cut the larger ingredients into smaller bits and then only fill the bowl to at most half its total capacity in order to process the ingredients. The maximum capacity to which you can fill the container is different for solids and liquids and will also be mentioned in the instruction manual. If you want to process larger quantities of food, you should do so in batches to save your motor any trouble.
Keep it clean:
Keeping the food processor clean will not only keep the food odors away and prevent the food from adhering to it but it will also increase its life. Clean your food processor right after the task is done so that the food doesn’t dry on it and your task is simpler. You need to simply detach all the parts before cleaning them. Now they can also be easily cleaned in a dishwasher but they will last much longer if you wash them by hand. Use hot water, soap and sponge to wash all the parts taking care not to leave any bits and pieces left sticking to the nooks and crannies. Many food processors will include a small cleaning brush to reach these nooks easily. After cleaning up all the parts, let them dry completely before attaching them back again and storing the unit in a clean, dry place.
Avoid processing very hard ingredients:
Generally speaking, food processors and choppers are not suitable for processing very hard ingredients like ice and coffee beans. If the blades of the food processor are not designed for handling such types of ingredients, they may easily be damaged. It is best to leave such jobs for grinders or use a grinding attachment if it is included with the food processor.
Don’t leave the motor running too long:
Another important rule which you need to remember is not to leave the food processor running for a very long duration. If you are preparing recipes like nut butters which take a lot of processing time, you should give the motor breaks in between for it to lose the heat before resuming work again. You can utilize these breaks for scrapping the walls of the processing bowl. Doing so will ensure that the motor doesn’t heat up or burn out.
Oil the blades:
To ensure that the blades of the food processor continue running smoothly, oil them regularly. You may also find some information regarding this in the instruction manual. If you still find that the blades have damaged somehow, replace them immediately.
Besides these few tips which we have mentioned, also make sure that you read the instruction manual before using the device for the first time and then keep those instructions in mind every time you use it. With proper care and maintenance, your food processor will last you many years provided it is from a reputable manufacturer. Thankfully, here in this buyer’s guide you will find only the most durable products with each and every one from the most reliable and reputable manufacturers of kitchen tools. They will only ask for a little bit of consideration from your side to give you the best performance for years to come.
Summary:
A food processor is an integral part of our modern day to day livelihood. It can slice through even the thickest meat or fruits, giving you your desired result in less than half the time it would have taken if you had used a knife or a grater. You can also make your baby food using a food processor. Nursing mothers who prefer to make their own healthier baby food instead of going for a store-bought product can easily take advantage of a food processor puree blade to puree apples, bananas, potatoes, carrots, etc. for their baby. So investing in a best food processor is definitely a plus for you and your family and we hope that after reading our reviews, you should have find the perfect model according to your needs and demands.