I exploit my meals processor on a weekly foundation to make every thing from home made hummus to rapidly chopping veggies for salads to creating nut butters. I think about it my sous chef within the kitchen! The very best meals processors make straightforward work of quite a lot of kitchen duties, and understand how necessary it’s to decide on one which works persistently and reliably.
Whereas all meals processors supply the identical fundamental perform of chopping and grinding or slicing and shredding, they don’t all carry out the identical. I’ve personally used and beloved my Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor for years, however I’ve discovered a number of different worthwhile choices that may work higher in your kitchen To slender down the record, I thought of capability, ease of storage, and sturdiness, in addition to my private expertise from utilizing others up to now.
Beneath are one of the best meals processors that will help you out within the kitchen.
My High Picks:
- What’s in My Kitchen: Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor – $199.50 at Amazon
- My Favourite Mini: Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Meals Processor – $36.71 at Walmart
- Greatest Funds: Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor – $44.97 at Amazon
- Greatest Primary: Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor – $119 at Walmart
- Greatest Massive Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional – $374.99 at Amazon
- Greatest Blender and Meals Processor Combo: Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System – $899.95 at Amazon
Opinions of The Greatest Meals Processors
1. What’s in My Kitchen: Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor has been a staple in my kitchen for a number of years, and I exploit it on a regular basis! Not solely does it make clean sauces and creamy nut butters, but it surely’s sufficiently big to accommodate bigger portions and has giant, paddle-style controls that make it straightforward to make use of. There are solely two settings—on and pulse—so it’s good for newcomers and no-fuss house cooks. There’s a big feed tube that makes it straightforward so as to add elements, and it contains an ordinary slicing disc, a medium shredding disc, and a chrome steel chopping and mixing blade, so you need to use it instead of a mandoline slicer or field grater, too.
The Specs:
- Capability: 14 cups
- Dimensions: 11 x 7.9 x 14.8 inches
- Weight: 16 kilos
- Settings: On, pulse
The Professionals:
- Constant outcomes
- Massive feed chute to attenuate prep
- Smooth, stainless-steel design
The Cons:
- No velocity settings
- Costly
What Others Are Saying:
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor was named one of the best meals processor by Wirecutter, The Spruce Eats, and Bon Appetit. It additionally has greater than 19,000 opinions on Amazon, with a mean score of 4.6 stars.
Purchase the Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor:
2. My Favourite Mini: Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor
I like utilizing my Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Meals Processor for smaller duties, like chopping cucumbers to make Tzatziki Sauce. With its 3-cup capability, it’s the best dimension for chopping greens or making dressing. It solely has two settings—chop and grind—so it’s fairly easy to make use of. The motor is much less highly effective than the full-size fashions, so this isn’t your best option for making nut butters or reducing by way of tougher meals, but it surely’s nice for fundamental prep and simple to retailer.
The Specs:
- Capability: 3 cups
- Dimensions: 5.0 x 7.0 x 9.25 inches
- Weight: 2.5 kilos
- Settings: Chop, grind
The Professionals:
- Easy operation
- Simple to retailer
- Funds-friendly worth
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Meals Processor was named finest small by Good Housekeeping. It additionally has virtually 30,000 opinions on Amazon with a 4.6-star score.
Purchase the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Meals Processor:
3. Greatest Funds: Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor
Should you don’t plan to make use of your meals processor each day like me, you may want a cheaper possibility. This budget-friendly 10-cup meals processor from Hamilton Seaside does the trick for infrequent use. The motor isn’t as highly effective as some others, but it surely has a great capability, plus three settings—two speeds and a pulse mode—that make straightforward work of most kitchen duties. It features a chopping blade and a slicing/shredding disc, however one characteristic I actually love is the built-in scraper attachment. This repeatedly scapes the perimeters of the bowl whilst you’re utilizing it, so that you don’t must cease to wash the perimeters with a spatula.
Its rounded design does make it a bit bulkier than among the different sleeker fashions, however in case you plan to retailer it in a pantry or cupboard as a substitute of in your counter, that shouldn’t be an issue.
The Specs:
- Capability: 10 cups
- Dimensions: 15.47 x 10.25 x 8.43 inches
- Weight: 4.7 kilos
- Settings: Two speeds, pulse
The Professionals:
- Various velocity settings
- Constructed-in scraper attachment
- Funds-friendly worth
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor has a mean 4.6-star score from greater than 40,000 opinions on Amazon.
Purchase the Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor:
4. Greatest Primary: Ninja Professional XL Food Processor
Ninja makes nice user-friendly kitchen home equipment which are wonderful for newcomers or anybody who doesn’t need plenty of fuss. I like this meals processor as a result of it’s versatile—there are two blades in addition to slicing discs—but it’s straightforward to make use of. It comes with 4 preset applications (chop, puree, dough, and disk), plus three handbook settings (low, excessive, and pulse). The additional-large feed chute means you possibly can drop bigger items of meals in with out chopping an excessive amount of, and the 12-cup dimension can accommodate giant recipes and household meal prep.
- Capability: 12 cups
- Dimensions: 17.5 x 10.7 x 8.7 inches
- Weight: 10.9 kilos
- Settings: 4 preset applications (chop, dough, puree, disc) and three handbook settings (low, excessive, pulse)
The Professionals:
The Specs:
- Versatile settings
- Additional-large chute for much less prep
- Can accommodate bigger recipes
The Cons:
- Bigger footprint than others
What Others Are Saying:
The Spruce Eats named it one of the best energy and Food Network named it one of the best worth possibility. The Ninja XL Meals Processor additionally has over 11,400 opinions on Amazon and a 4.7-star score.
Purchase the Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor:
5. Greatest Massive Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Pro
When you’ve got an enormous household, in case you meal prep, or in case you repeatedly entertain, you could wish to think about a larger-capacity meals processor that may make an enormous portion of home made pesto directly.. Whereas this meals processor is a bit dear, it has plenty of helpful options. For starters, it has a beneficiant 16-cup capability and a particularly highly effective motor that may reduce by way of just about something you throw at it. There are two feed chutes to get exact cuts for different-sized meals, and it features a variable slicing disc that has 24 settings, from further skinny to eight millimeters thick. It additionally comes with a 2.5-cup mini-processing bowl for smaller jobs, so that you’re getting the equal of two machines in a single.
The Specs:
- Capability: 16 cups
- Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.9 x 17.5 inches
- Weight: 19.7 kilos
- Settings: On and pulse
The Professionals:
- Massive capability
- Versatile with two feed chutes and variable slicing
- Comes with a smaller processing bowl
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
Wirecutter calls it one of the best improve, Food Network named it finest general, and Food and Wine named it finest splurge. The Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional additionally has a mean 4.6-star score from over 2,600 opinions on Amazon.
Purchase the Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional:
6. Greatest Blender and Meals Processor Combo: Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System
I like my Vitamix blender, and in case you want a blender and a meals processor, the Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System is a winner. It’s an funding, however you’re getting the ability and reliability of a Vitamix, and two kitchen home equipment in a single. The set contains the A3500 collection base and motor, which is the blender I exploit, plus a 12-cup meals processor bowl and a 64-ounce blender jar. You’ll additionally get 4 slicing blades, which is greater than different choices on the record, that allow you to make every thing from small shreds to thick slices.
As a result of the meals processor works from the identical base because the blender, you’ll get all the identical settings, like variable velocity management and pulse, so you may have extra management over consistency. All whereas saving on storage!
The Specs:
- Capability: 12 cups
- Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 17 inches
- Weight: 12 kilos
- Settings: Variable velocity management, pulse
The Professionals:
- Variable velocity management
- Versatile and handy
- Consists of many slicing discs
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Spruce Eats named the Vitamix Meals Processor Attachment one of the best attachment, and Serious Eats calls it one of the best space-saving meals processor.
Purchase the Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System:
Different Meals Processors to Contemplate
KitchenAid 7-Cup Food Processor
KitchenAid makes high-quality small home equipment, and it is a nice meals processor. It has three-speed choices, and the equipment neatly stack inside for storage, which is a pleasant contact. Finally, it didn’t make the record as a result of the 7-cup capability could also be limiting for some, and it’s not fairly a mini meals processor, so it’s not compact sufficient for these in search of a smaller possibility. The KitchenAid 7-Cup Meals Processor is on the market at Amazon for $55.71.
Black + Decker 8-Cup Food Processor
Should you’re solely utilizing your meals processor often, this budget-friendly meals processor might be a great possibility for you. However in case you plan to make use of it repeatedly, I like to recommend investing just a little extra in a single that can final you for a very long time. This one additionally tends to provide uneven cuts, which is probably not an enormous deal, but it surely relies upon what you’re utilizing it for. The Black + Decker 8-Cup Meals Processor is on the market at Amazon for $39.99.
GE 12-Cup Food Processor
This GE 12-Cup Meals Processor has loads going for it. It contains 4 slicing discs and stackable feeding tubes that allow you to alter the scale of the chute. Plus, it has a robust motor and a 12-cup capability that can work for many on a regular basis kitchen duties. It didn’t make my record of winners as a result of I’ve extra expertise with the opposite manufacturers and fashions, but it surely might be a great possibility for house cooks, particularly at this affordable worth. The GE 12-Cup Meals Processor is on the market at Amazon for $112.95.
Breville Sous Chef 12
A smaller model of the Sous Chef 16 Professional, the Breville Sous Chef 12 is an effective possibility. It has three chute sizes, a variable slicing disc, and a security cease characteristic. Nevertheless, for my part, it doesn’t stand out amongst different fashions on this dimension vary. Plus, it’s pricier than similar-size choices with out plenty of further options to justify the upper value. The Breville Sous Chef 12 is on the market at Amazon for $251.10.
Why You Can Belief Me
I’m Gina, the creator and recipe developer behind Skinnytaste, which options my favourite wholesome, family-friendly recipes made with actual meals. I like discovering methods to make cooking and meal prep simpler, and my Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor is a staple in my kitchen for rushing up my chopping and mixing duties.
In my a few years of recipe creation for Skinnytaste, I’ve used a number of different meals processors, so I do know what to search for and what to keep away from. When narrowing down the choices, I thought of capability, general dimension, and model status. For meals processors that I haven’t tried myself, I relied on opinions from actual customers on Amazon and the outcomes from skilled product testers at main cooking publications.
The whole lot to Know Earlier than Shopping for a Meals Processor
What to Contemplate Earlier than Shopping for a Meals Processor
Meals processors serve the identical fundamental function of mixing and chopping, however all of them have options that make them stand out from each other. Listed below are a very powerful issues to contemplate when deciding which one is finest in your kitchen.
Capability: Meals processors include totally different bowl sizes. You need the bowl to be sufficiently big to deal with all of your wants, however bigger isn’t all the time higher. Should you go too large, it may not be capable of successfully course of smaller portions of meals because the blade can even be bigger. Most house cooks ought to purpose for a capability of round 9 to 14 cups for on a regular basis wants, and I like to make use of a mini 3-cup dimension for smaller duties.
General dimension: Along with the capability, you’ll wish to take into consideration general dimension, particularly in case you’re planning to maintain it in your countertop. Test the size of the meals processor you’re contemplating and be sure you’re comfy with the house it takes up.
Settings: All meals processors have fundamental settings—usually on/off and pulse choices—however you could discover some with superior options like a dough-kneading blade. Contemplate your commonest cooking wants and slender down your decisions that approach. Usually, extra options imply a better value, so in case you don’t want all of the bells and whistles, you possibly can skip them in favor of a cheaper price tag.
Equipment: Meals processors usually include various varieties of blades and a few even have totally different dimension bowls to accommodate different-size kitchen duties. Take into consideration what equipment you’ll must make the kitchen equipment handiest for you, and select an possibility that covers these bases.
What’s a Meals Processor?
A meals processor is a flexible kitchen equipment that helps velocity up meals prep and may make on a regular basis duties a lot simpler. Relying on the included blades, meals processors can chop, shred, slice, grind, and puree all varieties of meals.
Can You Use a Blender as a Meals Processor?
You need to use a blender instead of a meals processor for some kitchen duties, however you received’t get the very same outcomes. Blenders are designed to liquefy elements, in order that they’re finest for wetter recipes and liquid-based elements. Meals processors can shred and slice dry elements, which a blender can’t do, and will also be used to puree. Should you solely have a blender, be certain that to make use of a pulse perform or manually pulse the machine to keep away from turning your elements into soup.
What Does a Meals Processor Do?
Meals processors chop, shred, slice, and grind various kinds of meals. For instance, they will shred carrots or contemporary cheese or rapidly chop onions. Some meals processors even have attachments that may knead dough, they usually can mix and puree meals, just like a blender.
Can You Grind Espresso Beans in a Meals Processor?
Sure, you possibly can grind espresso beans in a meals processor, however you could not get a constant grind such as you would with a devoted espresso grinder. Moreover, meals processors don’t allow you to management the scale of the grind, so it may be troublesome to get precisely what you need for a French press versus an automated drip machine. Should you do use a meals processor to grind your espresso beans, be sure you use the heart beat perform and examine on them each 3 to five seconds till you attain your required end result. Simply observe that the espresso scent might linger.
The Greatest Recipes for Meals Processors
Meals processors is usually a useful kitchen instrument for therefore many recipes. I exploit mine usually to rapidly chop greens, put together dressings and sauces, and make nut butters. Listed below are a number of of my go-to recipes, however you need to use this versatile kitchen instrument for prep too:
Costs had been correct at time of publication.
Supply: Skinny Taste
