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Excelled at almost every task, chopping and slicing as well as a razor sharp knife, as well as kneading dough into a smooth elastic ball. Shredding mozzarella was the only chore at which it faltered. Read More
For the money, you can’t beat this easy to set up machine. It chops, minces, slices, and even kneads dough beautifully. Read More
This large food processor excels at every task, even kneading. It comes with a small bowl and an accessory case that includes an adjustable slicing disc and reversible shredding disc. Read More
The Cuisinart Complete Chef Cooking Food Processor is a fully functioning food processor that also works as a multicooker. Read More
In addition to top notch performance it offers every imaginable bell and whistle and then some. If you cook often in large quantities and have the change, this 16-cup machine is worth the money. Read More
When you’re cooking up a storm, a large capacity, high-quality food processor is a must-have. In mere moments, it can chop vegetables or blitz a bunch of parsley into dust, and some can even knead bread dough for you.
With the best food processors, you’ll have no trouble slicing spuds thinly for scalloped potatoes, shredding carrots for salads, or grinding peanuts and almonds to make your own nut butters.
We've recently retested the best food processors and added new products to this guide, confirming the Cuisinart "Custom 14" DFP-14BCNY (available at Amazon for $223.00) is still the top food chopper on the market. It gives top-notch performance without hogging too much kitchen counter space. With 14 cups of capacity, it's perfect for home cooks. However, if you’re looking for a more stripped-down experience, we've got plenty of other great options.
This Cuisinart excelled at almost every task, from chopping onions and slicing tomatoes to kneading pizza dough.
This Black and Decker cut a complete stick of pepperoni into perfectly even rounds.
Excels at every task
Feed tube adjusts to 3 widths
Includes accessory storage space
Takes up a lot of room
Bowl and chopping blades clip into place
Attractive design
Multi-function, including cooking
Doesn’t shred mozzarella evenly
Doesn’t chop well when bowl is full
Huge 16-cup capacity
Comes with five discs and three blades
Wide chute that cuts french fries
Takes up large space
Hard to be stored away
Minces, slices, and kneads dough exceptionally well
Easy to use
All parts are dishwasher safe
Small feed tube
Battery-powered
Easy to use
Chops and slices well
Small capacity
Lack of accessories
Excels at chopping and mincing
Attractive
All parts store inside bowl
Small capacity
Stalls when kneading dough
Lightweight
Can mince parsley and grind almonds finely
Can't cut meats or tomatoes evenly
Can't knead doughs
Good at all tasks
Includes storage box
Tricky to operate
We pulverized, minced, and chopped our way through lots of food while testing food processors.
Hi, I'm Sharon Franke, and I’ve been reviewing kitchen equipment for upwards of 30 years. Before that, I worked as a professional chef in New York City restaurants for seven years. Now, most of my cooking is done on weekends in my small apartment kitchen. While I’m a whiz with a knife, I wouldn’t want to live without my food processor for tasks like finely chopping veggies for a tabbouleh or preparing pastry dough for tarts and quiches.
And I’m Lindsay Mattison, a trained professional chef and dinner party enthusiast. I’m the type of person that uses every single pot and pan in the house when I’m cooking dinner (and, I’ll probably dirty up all the tasting spoons and mise en place bowls, too).
To find the best food processors, we first tested a handful over the course of a few weeks. More than a year later, we reevaluated the products and added more to test. Each appliance was rated on how well it chopped onions, minced parsley, ground almonds, sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese, and cut potatoes into julienne strips. In those that were designed to knead dough, we made pizza dough, too.
Since these machines can be complicated at times—especially if this is your first time food processing—we spent a lot of time poring over each of its manuals. Did it explain how to use the processor thoroughly, or did we still have to experiment to determine how to assemble the parts, use the attachments, and process specific foods?
We also considered whether it was easy to lock the lid onto the work bowl and use the controls and how much of a racket it created when running.
While we didn’t include size in our ratings, we took it into consideration as once you see what it can do, you may want to give your food processor a permanent place on your countertop. We also checked whether or not these food choppers include a storage case.
A food processor is a kitchen appliance that's known for quickly chopping all your large foods into mini bits. But it can do more than chop—it mixes, purees, emulsifies, grates, and shreds all your ingredients.
Blender or food processor? Or both? The answer comes down to what you need out of your appliances.
Food processors are a go-to tool when doing meal prep. They chop, pulse, and puree ingredients, and they're great for making pesto, pasta sauce, pastry and cookie dough.
Need to slice and grate? Then grab your processor. The same is true for chopping vegetables.
Sure, blenders are great for smoothies, but there are a lot of other reasons to own one. If your dishes or drinks are heavily liquid-based and don’t require different consistencies, then a blender should be your choice. In addition to making crushed ice, they're great for soups, frozen drinks and pureeing fruits.
Food processors are a versatile kitchen tool that can drastically cut your meal prep time by doing the hard work for you. Here are a few things to consider when shopping for a food processor.
Price: Some food processors cost hundreds of dollars, but those high-end models may also come with more advanced options. For instance, the Cuisinart Complete Chef Cooking Food Processor (available at Amazon for $223.00) not only chops and purees, it also works as a multicooker. But you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a good processor. Our Best Value pick, the Black and Decker 3-in-1 Easy Assembly 8-Cup Food Processor, outperformed some of the pricier models we tested.
Power: There’s a reason that we took power into account when we tested food processors. You want your machine to be able to chop vegetables and mince herbs, while also being able to shred a block of cheese. Processors designed to knead bread doughs shouldn’t jump around while you’re working your ingredients together.
Capacity: The working bowls of food processors can range, but there’s a perfect size for any cook. Mini choppers are great for smaller jobs. Large-capacity processors might be a better fit for people who do more cooking. Some processors we reviewed—like our top pick, the Cuisinart “Custom 14”—come with a big bowl and a smaller one, so they can be right for whatever chopping job you need.
Food processors can take some work to clean. There are a lot of pieces to remove and soak. All the pieces are removable, and many can go in the dishwasher.
However, some units have nooks and crannies that are difficult to fully clean. There are a few easy-to-clean models available if you're not one for careful scrubbing.
Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.
Sharon Franke
Contributor
Sharon has been testing kitchen equipment for the past 30 years. Before becoming a cooking tools maven, she worked as a professional chef in New York City restaurants for seven years.
Kate Tully Ellsworth is the Executive Editor of Partner Content at Reviewed. She oversees editorial partner content that focuses on brands and products our editorial team and tested and loved. She also oversees Pets, Streaming, Sleep, and Hobbies. You can find her work on Reviewed, USA Today, Taste of Home, Reader's Digest, and The Family Handyman. Kate got her degree in English writing from Belmont University and enjoys writing about how to shop, where to shop, and when to shop. Her passions include Star Wars, baking, and the Great British Bake Off. She's based in Nashville, TN.
Valerie Li Stack is a senior staff writer for Kitchen & Cooking. She is an experienced home cook with a passion for experimenting with the cuisines of countries she's visited. Driven by an interest in food science, Valerie approaches the culinary scene with a firm grasp of cooking processes and extensive knowledge of ingredients. She believes food speaks to all people regardless of language and cultural background.
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