Buying guide for Best food processors
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Food processors are great for chopping, grinding, slicing and pureeing a wide variety of foods. If you want a single tool that can juice fruits, knead dough and mix thick batter, you will need to find a food processor with the right amount of power and types of accessories to handle food prep.
Choosing a food processor often comes down to your cooking needs and budget. Small processors, commonly known as food choppers, are good for light food preparation and smaller budgets. If you want a food processor that can handle more prep tasks, you’ll find that a full-size model is a better investment.
We have recommendations for the best food processors you should consider when you're ready to add this versatile tool to your cooking collection. Our top pick is the Ninja BN601 Professional 9-Cup Food Processor, which features a powerful motor that can tackle all of your food-prep tasks with ease.
Best food processors available now
Do I need a food processor?
For anyone who regularly cooks at home, a food processor is a great investment.
When preparing meals with fresh vegetables or other ingredients that require chopping, slicing, mincing or shredding, a food processor saves you valuable time. It’s also handy for making homemade salsas and dips.
A food processor grates cheese, too, so you can purchase blocks of cheese instead of more expensive preshredded bags. You can also use a food processor to mix your own mayonnaise, salad dressings and gravies. In many cases, you can whip up cream-based fillings for desserts, too.
Types of food processors
There are two main types of food processors: full-size food processors and small food choppers.
Food chopper
A food chopper has a smaller capacity and less power than a full-size food processor.
As a result, food choppers usually cost less and take up less space on your countertop.
Full-size food processor
A full-size food processor is probably what comes to mind when you think of a food processor.
It can easily chop and slice vegetables, grate cheese and purée dips.
Some models have more advanced capabilities, such as kneading bread dough or juicing fruits and vegetables.
What should you look for when shopping for a food processor?
Bowl size
The best size for your food processor’s bowl or jar depends entirely on how large your household is or how many people you usually cook for. In general, it’s best to choose a bowl that holds at least 8 or 9 cups, like the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor.
However, if you routinely cook for groups larger than four or like to make large batches of food that you can freeze, opt for a model with a bowl that holds 11 to 14 cups, such as the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor or the Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor.
In that same vein, if you’re only cooking for one or using the processor to make small amounts of food, a bowl that holds 3 cups, like the Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper & Mini Food Processor, is usually sufficient. In fact, if you usually make small-batch recipes, a large-capacity food processor isn't the best option because ingredients often get stuck on the sides of oversized bowls when there isn't enough volume of food to fill the container.
Additionally, when looking at food processor bowls, consider choosing a model with a maximum liquid line, such as the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor or the Hamilton Beach Food Processor. This will keep you from adding too much liquid to the machine and causing leaks.
Expert Tip
A small “mini-prep” style processor/chopper is very useful for making pesto and chopping a cup or two of nuts – even for grinding coffee. They're easy to clean and store, think small if your processing needs don’t call for big batches.
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Motor wattage
When it comes to chopping, slicing and shredding, a food processor doesn’t need major power to get the job done. However, if you plan to use the appliance for other tasks, such as kneading dough, you’ll need a stronger motor.
If you only use your food processor for basic tasks, a 500- to 600-watt motor has all the power you need. For kneading dough, grinding meat and other heavy-duty jobs, look for a food processor with a 700-watt or higher motor. The Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor's motor offers 720 watts of power, but the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor is the most powerful food processor on our list, with an impressive 850-watt motor that can handle nearly any food-processing task.
Blades
Food processors typically come with different blades to handle different tasks.
Most include an S-shaped blade for chopping, mincing, and puréeing, as well as a slicing and grating blade.
If you plan to use your food processor to make dough, you’ll want a plastic blade for kneading. Both the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor and the Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System have dough blades that can mix up to 2 pounds in as little as 30 seconds.
Food chute
A food processor has a chute that allows you to add food to the bowl while the appliance is running.
A large food chute that's at least 3 inches wide is usually more convenient because you can put large chunks of vegetables and other foods through the chute without cutting your ingredients beforehand. Large food chutes are typically wide enough to fit whole chunks of potatoes or blocks of cheese. The Hamilton Beach Food Processor has a 3-inch food chute that can cut down on prep time, allowing you to feed larger pieces of food into the bowl.
Small food chutes are usually about 2 inches wide. They are better suited for narrow or small ingredients like carrots, celery or garlic because they chop them without overprocessing until they become mush. The KitchenAid KFP0718CU 7-Cup Food Processor's food chute is just over 2 inches wide, so it can handle these types of food with ease.
Speeds
Most food processors have three settings: on, off, and pulse. The pulse setting allows you to turn on the machine for brief periods so you don’t over chop, purée, or grind your ingredients. Our two top picks, the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor and the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor, both offer three speeds, including a pulse setting.
However, some food processors have additional speed settings to accommodate heavy-duty tasks. If you plan to use your appliance for more than chopping, puréeing, and grating, look for a model with extra speeds. The Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System has four speed settings, including a pulse setting.
Controls
Food processors either have levers, buttons, or digital touchpads for controls.
Levers and buttons are easy to use, though they can be difficult to clean if spills occur.
A touchpad is just as user-friendly, and it’s extremely easy to wipe clean after use. For this reason, it may be worth the extra investment. During testing we loved how easy the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor's touchpad controls were to clean, requiring only a wipe down with a damp cloth to remove food residue.
Expert Tip
Be wary of putting your plastic pieces, like the bowl, in a dishwasher. High water temperatures can cause small lightning-bolt-style internal cracks in the plastic. They won’t affect the integrity of the bowl, but they can compromise the look of your processor.
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Accessories
Some food processors come with work bowls in several sizes, so you can process different ingredients without having to stop and wash the bowl. Depending on how you plan to use your food processor, you may want a model equipped with a juicer and/or whipping attachment.
The Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System is the most versatile model on our list because it not only provides a food processor with a chopping blade and a dough blade but also has a blender pitcher with a stacked blade assembly. If you can't decide between a food processor and a blender, this model offers the best of both worlds.
Cleaning
After you've used your food processor, having to carefully hand clean lots of little nooks and crannies on your machine can be a real drag. Choosing a model that you can clean easily will make life a lot easier.
The Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor and Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System have touchpad controls that easily wipe clean, but nearly all the food processors on our list have dishwasher-safe parts, including the two Ninja models, the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor, the Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor and the Black+Decker 3-in-1 8-Cup Food Processor.
Extra features
For the most versatile food processor, choose a model that has special settings to do blender jobs like making smoothies and crushing ice.
The Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System comes with a powerful motor base and a blender pitcher and a food processing bowl, so it can make smoothies and frozen drinks just by switching out the container.
Food processor prices
Food processors are available at a variety of price points, depending on the size and power of the appliance.
Top-tier food processors
A full-size food processor that can chop, slice, and shred large quantities of food like the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor, the Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor and the Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System, will set you back between $99 and $380.
Mid-range food processors
You can purchase a mid-size food processor, such as the Hamilton Beach Food Processor, for $50 to $99.
Budget food processors
For a small food chopper like the Hamilton Beach Electric Vegetable Chopper & Mini Food Processor, expect to pay between $20 and $40.
Tips and tricks for using your food processor
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Don’t fill up the food processor’s bowl before placing it on the base. The blade won’t fit properly. Set the bowl on the base with the blade in place, then fill the bowl.
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Always cool any cooked foods before placing them in a food processor. If the ingredients are hot, they can discolor and melt the plastic section of the blade.
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Never fill the food processor more than half full with liquid. If there’s too much liquid, it can seep or splash out the sides when you turn the processor on.
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For consistency and even blending of foods, roughly chop up food items before putting them in the food processor’s bowl.
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Remember to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl when you’re puréeing or chopping. Ingredients can stick to the sides and not get puréed or chopped with the rest of the food, leaving you with uneven results.
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While you may think mainly of chopping and slicing veggies in your food processor, don’t overlook it when you need help with sweets. A food processor can break up cookies and graham crackers into crumbs for pie crusts and toppings, whip up cheesecake batter, and chop nuts quickly and effectively.
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Don’t fill a food processor’s bowl all the way to the brim. Ideally, you should fill it to three-fourths of its capacity and then process.
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For the best results, choose a food processor with stainless steel blades. They are the most durable and offer the best performance.
FAQ
Q. Do I need a food processor if I already have a blender?
A. While there’s some overlap between what a food processor and a blender can do depending on what models you have, a blender is typically meant for blending recipes that contain a significant amount of liquid. A food processor is meant for chopping, slicing and grating solid items. You can’t replace a food processor with a basic blender.
Q. What determines how well a food processor chops?
A. A food processor’s pulse speed plays the biggest role in how well it chops. The pulse needs to be strong enough to move the ingredients around the bowl but short enough that it doesn’t completely pulverize the food.
Q. How can I tell if a food processor will be easy to store?
A. For convenience, it’s best to keep your food processor on your countertop. However, if you plan to stash it in a cabinet, the size of its base and bowl are the biggest factors in how easy it will be to store.
Mini food choppers are usually the easiest to store. With full-size models, look for one that comes with a case for its blades and attachments so you don’t have to store them loose in a drawer or cabinet.
Expert Tip
Consider picking up an extra-slim head rubber spatula made for getting into jars. It’s a great tool for emptying the product out of your processor bowl.
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