A food processor is a must have in your kitchen if you enjoy making lots of fresh meals, snacks and baked goods. Finding the best food processor that can take away the time consuming duties of dicing, cutting, crushing and mincing, just to name a few things, out of the preparation of your recipes is a must in today’s busy life styles.
Food processors can cost as little as $50 for a small unit to a few hundred if you’re looking for one that can be used everyday and withstand the daily tasks you have planned for it! They can be used for grinding meats, making nut butters, kneading doughs, making purees and so much more.
If you’re just looking to shred some veggies for a salad or crush some nuts for baking the perfect cookie recipe then you won’t need a higher end food processor. You should be considering a lower priced, but still great quality food processor. Let’s dive into some of the things to consider before you buy.
What Should You Consider Before Investing in The Best Food Processor For You
- How large of a feeding chute do you need to accommodate your ingredients to be processed? If your going to be using smaller ingredients like herbs, nuts, carrots, celery, etc., then a smaller chute will work just fine for you. However, if you’re going to be pushing zucchini’s or other larger produce chunks through the chute, you’ll need to make sure that it can accomodate your needs.
- What blades do you want included with your food processor? Are you looking to dice, shred, slice or grate your ingredients? Some food processors offer a larger variety of blades to complete these tasks while some only offer a basic blade allowing you to shred or slice in one size.
- You’ll want to make sure that your food processor offers a pulsing action so that you can control the amount of chopping or pureing of your ingredients.
- How large do you need? The food processors come in a wide range of sizes allowing them to be compatible in everyone’s kitchen no matter how small or large your kitchen is. You can find a small 4 cup machine or a machine that can handle up to 20 cups of ingredients per use. The size you choose is completely a personal choice for you, the cook.
- Make sure the motor is strong enough to handle the jobs that you intend to use it for. If you’re looking to make doughs with your food processor you will need a 600 watt motor at least, to complete the job efficiently without worrying about burning out the motor.
- You’ll want to make sure that your machine is dishwasher safe so that your cleanup is as easy as your ingredient preparation was using your food processor. Keep in mind that your blades shouldn’t be put in a dishwasher they should be hand washed keeping your blades from becoming dull.
- Some food processors have push buttons instead of a smooth touchpad for your controls. You should really consider only buying one with the smooth touchpad controls because your cleanup is much easier and you won’t need to worry about food getting stuck between the buttons.
- What is the warranty on the food processor that your interested in? Majority of the food processors out there have at least a limited 1 year warranty. Larger brands like kitchenaid and cuisinart offer extended warranties which also cover the motors if they burn out. If you find that the food processor you choose has one of the extended warranties and that the motor is covered on it, you can bet that it’s a very good appliance that will last.
- Make sure that the food processor that you choose has a wider base so that it’s not wobbly when you’re using it. Just keep in mind that your pushing ingredients through a shoot and you don’t need to be balancing your food processor while trying to push your ingredients steadily through the chute.
- The final thing to consider before investing in your food processor is that you absolutely love the color and design of it. This is a larger kitchen appliance and can be a bit pricey depending on what you need it to do for you so you want it to make you smile when you look at it on your countertop.
What Can You Expect In Each Food Processor Review?
How Much It Weighs | The weight of the base unit is important because it will keep the food processor steadier while in use/it is better the heavier it is especially when using heavier ingredients such as doughs |
How Strong The Motor Is | The stronger the motor the better it can do the jobs of kneading, grinding and chopping heavy ingredients such as, doughs, meats and frozen foods |
What Size The Feed Chute Is | The feeding chute size will matter to those wanting to use larger whole ingredients such as squash, cucumbers, bricks of cheese, etc., the larger the feed chute the less prep work is needed to make them the right size to fit |
What Blades Are Included | Depending on the models food processors can come with more blade varieties to do more things. So pay attention to the included blades so that you know you’re getting a food processor that will do what you need |
How Many Cups Does It Hold | Food processors come in different sizes and the sizes are measured by how many cups of ingredients it can hold. The sizes can vary from a 2 cup capacity up to 20+ cups |
What Is The Warranty Offered | This is important to protect your purchase in case something goes wrong. Some of the food processors offer only a limited warranty but others will give you the option to purchase an extended warranty |
What Colors Are Available | The colors are important for a lot of us so that a larger appliance will blend with our kitchen decor especially if it will be left out on the countertop |
What Are Our Top Picks For a Food Processor?
Taking all the considerations that are mentioned above I have compiled the top 5 food processors for you to take a peek at and see if any are the one you need in your kitchen.
What Does The Breville Sous Chef Pro Offer?
Weight: 26 LBS
Dimensions: 12.2"D x 12.91"W x 6.5"H
Motor Strength: 1450 Watt
Feed Chute Size: 5.5" Extra Wide
Included Blades: 6
How Many Cups: 16 Cup & 2.5 Cup
Offered Warranty: Yes-1 Year Limited + Purchase Options For Extended
Available Colors: Stainless Steel
The Breville sous chef pro is a very powerful food processor with many enjoyable features for those looking to use this for numerous cooking jobs.
The extra large feeding tube is large enough to fit an entire baking potato, whole tomatoes and a 1 lb block of cheese.
This comes with 6 blades
- Micro-Serrated S Blade
- Adjustable Slicing Disk
- Reversible Shredder Disk
- French Frie Disk
- Dough Blade
- Mini Blade
- Main Spindle
- Mini Spindle
This offers 2 separate bowl sizes, the large 16 cup and the small 2.5 cup bowl. The mini spindle and mini blade go with the small bowl and the other attachments go with the large bowl.
There is an included storage container to keep all of your attachments in one place.
There are 24 available settings including a timer as well as the on/off, pause and pulse buttons.
The only downside to this machine is that it's not dishwasher safe all pieces are hand wash only.
- Comes with 6 blades to accomodate all cooking challenges
- 2 bowls 16 cup & 2.5 cup
- A micro-serrated s blade makes cutting so much easier
- Large 5.5" feed chute can fit a whole large potato
- Powerful 1450 watt motor
- This is not dishwasher safe
What Does The Cuisinart Food Processor Offer?
Weight: 18 LBS
Dimensions: 11"D x 7.9"W x 14.8"H
Motor Strength: 720 Watt
Feed Chute Size: Extra Large
Included Blades: 3
How Many Cups: 14 Cups
Offered Warranty: Yes-5 Year Limited On Motor & 3 Year On Parts + Purchase Options For Extended
Available Colors: Black-Navy-Stainless Steel
The Cuisinart food processor offers a 14 cup bowl along with 3 cutting blades. The cutting blades are:
- slicing disk
- medium shredding disk
- chopping/mixing blade
This has basic functions for easy use, on/off and pulse. The extra wide feeding tube can fit whole blocks of cheese, veggies and large cuts of meat keeping the prep work low.
The motor is 750 watts allowing for foods to be cut, shredded, diced, pureed and kneaded easily and efficiently.
- Large 14 cup capacity
- Extra wide feed chute
- Easy on/off pulse button choices
- Setting up the cutting disks can be difficult
What Does The Nutribullet Triple Prep System Offer?
Weight: 4 LBS
Dimensions: 8"D x 7.75"W x 8.75"H
Motor Strength: 1500 Watt
Feed Chute Size: Large
Included Blades: 4
How Many Cups: 7 Cups
Offered Warranty: Yes-1 Year Limited + Purchase Options For Extended
Available Colors: Black
The Nutribullet triple prep system offers multiple appliances in one box.
First there is the 7 cup food processor which has the ability to cut, dice, shred and knead dough with the 4 blades. The blades fit into the food processor bowl for easy storage when not in use.
Second there is a 64 oz blender attachment along with 2 24 oz to go cups with lids.
This is programmed with vessel recognition so when the different attachments are used the base unit can tell which one is attached and will display settings to use for the specific attachment.
This has a full digital display with chop, dough, dip, low, medium and high options.
All accessories are dishwasher safe except for the base unit.
- 3 systems in 1 (food processor, blender and single serve to go cups
- 4 cutting blades to choose from
- 7 cup food processor bowl
- Fully digital display for easy use
- The light 4 lb weight could make it unsteady when using for kneading doughs
What Does The Ninja Professional XL Food Processor Offer?
Weight: 12.3 LBS
Dimensions: 8.7"D x 10.7"W x 17.5"H
Motor Strength: 1200 Watt
Feed Chute Size: Extra Large
Included Blades: 4
How Many Cups: 12 Cups
Offered Warranty: No, Purchase Options Are Available
Available Colors: Silver
The Ninja professional XL food processor offers 4 blades.
- Dough Blade
- Chopping Blade
- Adjustable Slicing Disk
- Reversible Shredding Disk
The adjustable slicing disk allows the ability to have extra thick cuts all the way to paper thin cuts.
The extra large feed chute has 3 removable food pusher parts so that it fits whatever food you choose perfectly.
There are 4 auto IQ preset settings that will pulse and rest the foods so that they are perfect. The preset options include, puree, chop, dough and disk.
- 4 auto IQ preset settings to puree, chop and knead dough with the press of 1 button
- Adjustable slicing blade allows for cutting thick to paper thin slices
- XL feeding chute has a 3 piece food pusher to adjust accordingly to what is being put through
- Dishwasher safe
- This product doesn't state a warranty but there is one available for purchase.
What Does The KitchenAid Food Processor Offer?
Weight: 9.7 LBS
Dimensions: 8.75"D x 10.25"W x 17.44"H
Motor Strength: 500 Watt
Feed Chute Size: Large
Included Blades: 4
How Many Cups: 13 Cups
Offered Warranty: Yes-1 Year Limited + Purchase Options For Extended
Available Colors: Contour Silver/Empire Red/Matte Black/Onyx Black/White
The KitchenAid food processor offers a 13 cup capacity bowl and 4 cutting blades.
- multi purpose blade
- dough blade
- adjustable slicing disk
- reversible shredding disk
The adjustable slicing disk gives the ability to adjust how thick or thin foods are cut from the outside of the unit so it can be adjusted while slicing.
This has simple controls for on/off and pulse making it very easy to use.
There is a storage caddy that fits all of the accessories and stores inside of the 13 cup bowl.
There is also a variety of colors to choose from to fit your kitchen decor if you want to leave it out on your kitchen counters.
- Adjustable slicing on the outside of the lid allowing for easy adjustment while in use
- Storage caddy holds all the pieces and stores inside the 13 cup bowl
- Large 13 cup capacity
- The feed chute isn't as large as the other models so you may need to prep your foods to fit into the feeding tube
Some Common Questions & Answers About Food Processors
- Can you grind meat in a food processor?
- Can you put ice in a food processor?
- Is a food processor the same as a food chopper?
- Can you use a food processor as a blender?
- Which is better a food processor or a blender?
Can You Grind Meat In A Food Processor?
Yes, you can grind meat with a food processor. It is recommended that you chill the blade that you’re using in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using to grind the meat.
It is also recommended that you cut the meat you are going to grind in 1-2″ cubes and put into your freezer for about an hour. You will still want the meat to be softer inside, not completely frozen and the edges of the cubed meat should be firm to the touch. This will make the meat blend well together and thoroughly.
This will grind your meat into a hamburger consistancy and give you the ability to mix different meats together for different flavors as well as let you control the amount of fats that are in the final product.
Can You Put Ice In A Food Processor?
Yes, you can use ice in your food processor. The finished product will be like ice they use for slushies and can be used for mixed drinks, smoothies and flavored ice treats.
Is A Food Processor The Same As A Food Chopper?
No, the food processor and the food chopper are not the same thing but they have similarities.
A food chopper is a smaller, basic appliance that typically come with only 1 blade to chop and dice your foods. It has the capabilities of making purees, dicing and chopping foods just like a food processor. These are typically smaller than standard food processors and cheaper. If you only need to chop and dice and don’t care about the slicing, grinding and shredding capabilities that a food processor offers then you would be just fine with a food chopper.
A food processor comes with at least 2 blades, one for shredding, (typically reversible for 2 sizes) and one for dicing along with a chopping blade. Some food processor models can also come with a dough blade to knead doughs and a french frie cutting disk.
Some of the key differences between the food chopper and a food processor are the food processors have a feeding tube to continually add ingredients while it’s on. The food choppers have a lid that goes on after you add your ingredients that you want chopped. The food processors also have stronger motors to handle larger amounts of foods and tasks such as kneading dough, making cookie batters and grinding meats.
Can You Use A Food Processor As A Blender?
Yes, you can use a food processor as a blender but you won’t get the same texture for smoothies, purees and sauces that you do with a blender.
A food processor has different blades compared to a blender. The food processors blades are flatter than a blender’s blade which have curved sharper edged blades to crush and chop ingredients until they are creamy smooth.
A food processor handles drier, firm ingredients very well to chop, shred, slice and grind ingredients together. The food processor will handle ice much like a blender crushing it into fine ice for things like slushies.
If you are looking for a kitchen appliance that can make milkshakes, smoothies and other creamy drinks then you will be better off with a blender, that’s what they are intended to do.
Which Is Better A Food Processor Or A Blender?
This really a matter of what you want to make. If you are looking to make purees, sauces, creamy dips, smoothies and milkshake type foods then you will want to have a blender. The blender has the blades to break foods for these types of foods easily with the sharp pointed, curved blades.
If you are looking for the ability to shred, dice, chop, grind and make doughs easily and quickly then a food processor is what you will need. The food processors come with multiple blades to make all of these jobs easy and quick with minimal effort.
Thank You For Visiting Device Gourmet
If you have anything you would like to share with everyone about your experience with any of the food processors we reviewed or want to tell us about one that you have and what you like about it, please leave a comment below and share with us.
If you have a questions about food processors that you would like to know before purchasing one, please leave it below and we will do our best to help you.
Have a great day! 🙂
I appreciate this information on different food processors as it makes it much easier to compare. I have tried a few, but this information is extremely helpful for my next purchase. I will also share this with friends and family who are in the market for a food processor.
Thank you Joseph