I exploit my meals processor on a weekly foundation to make every little thing from do-it-yourself hummus to shortly chopping veggies for salads to making nut butters. I take into account it my sous chef within the kitchen! The very best meals processors make straightforward work of a wide range of kitchen duties, and know the way necessary it’s to decide on one which works persistently and reliably.
Whereas all meals processors supply the identical primary perform of chopping and grinding or slicing and shredding, they don’t all carry out the identical. I’ve personally used and liked my Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor for years, however I’ve discovered a number of different worthwhile choices which may work higher in your kitchen To slim down the checklist, I thought of capability, ease of storage, and sturdiness, in addition to my private expertise from utilizing others prior to now.
Beneath are the most effective meals processors that can assist 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 Fundamental: 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
Critiques of The Greatest Meals Processors
1. What’s in My Kitchen: Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals 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 easy sauces and creamy nut butters, but it surely’s sufficiently big to accommodate bigger portions and has massive, paddle-style controls that make it straightforward to make use of. There are solely two settings—on and pulse—so it’s good for rookies and no-fuss residence cooks. There’s a big feed tube that makes it straightforward so as to add substances, and it consists of an ordinary slicing disc, a medium shredding disc, and a stainless-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
- Modern, chrome steel design
The Cons:
- No velocity settings
- Costly
What Others Are Saying:
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor was named the most effective meals processor by Wirecutter, The Spruce Eats, and Bon Appetit. It additionally has greater than 19,000 evaluations 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 Meals 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 simple 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 chopping by means of more durable meals, but it surely’s nice for primary prep and straightforward 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:
- Simple 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 nearly 30,000 evaluations on Amazon with a 4.6-star score.
Purchase the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Meals Processor:
3. Greatest Funds: Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor
For those who don’t plan to make use of your meals processor day by day like me, you may want a inexpensive choice. 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 superb 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 constantly scapes the edges of the bowl when you’re utilizing it, so that you don’t must cease to scrub the edges with a spatula.
Its rounded design does make it a bit bulkier than a number of the different sleeker fashions, however for those who 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 evaluations on Amazon.
Purchase the Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor:
4. Greatest Fundamental: Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor
Ninja makes nice user-friendly kitchen home equipment which might be glorious for rookies or anybody who doesn’t need loads 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 guide settings (low, excessive, and pulse). The additional-large feed chute means you’ll be able to drop bigger items of meals in with out chopping an excessive amount of, and the 12-cup dimension can accommodate massive 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 guide settings (low, excessive, pulse)
The Professionals:
The Specs:
- Versatile settings
- Further-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 the most effective energy and Meals Community named it the most effective worth choice. The Ninja XL Meals Processor additionally has over 11,400 evaluations on Amazon and a 4.7-star score.
Purchase the Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor:
5. Greatest Massive Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional
When you’ve got an enormous household, for those who meal prep, or for those who frequently entertain, it’s possible you’ll wish to take into account a larger-capacity meals processor that may make an enormous portion of do-it-yourself pesto without delay.. Whereas this meals processor is a bit dear, it has loads of helpful options. For starters, it has a beneficiant 16-cup capability and an especially highly effective motor that may lower by means 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 the most effective improve, Meals Community named it finest general, and Meals and Wine named it finest splurge. The Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional additionally has a mean 4.6-star score from over 2,600 evaluations 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 for those who 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 consists of 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 checklist, that allow you to make every little 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’ve 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
- Contains many slicing discs
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Spruce Eats named the Vitamix Meals Processor Attachment the most effective attachment, and Critical Eats calls it the most effective space-saving meals processor.
Purchase the Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System:
Different Meals Processors to Think about
KitchenAid 7-Cup Meals Processor
KitchenAid makes high-quality small home equipment, and this can be a nice meals processor. It has three-speed choices, and the equipment neatly stack inside for storage, which is a pleasant contact. In the end, it didn’t make the checklist 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 choice. The KitchenAid 7-Cup Meals Processor is accessible at Amazon for $55.71.
Black + Decker 8-Cup Meals Processor
For those who’re solely utilizing your meals processor sometimes, this budget-friendly meals processor could possibly be a superb choice for you. However for those who plan to make use of it frequently, I like to recommend investing somewhat extra in a single that may final you for a very long time. This one additionally tends to present 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 accessible at Amazon for $39.99.
GE 12-Cup Meals Processor
This GE 12-Cup Meals Processor has so much going for it. It consists of 4 slicing discs and stackable feeding tubes that allow you to modify the scale of the chute. Plus, it has a robust motor and a 12-cup capability that may work for many on a regular basis kitchen duties. It didn’t make my checklist of winners as a result of I’ve extra expertise with the opposite manufacturers and fashions, but it surely could possibly be a superb choice for residence cooks, particularly at this affordable worth. The GE 12-Cup Meals Processor is accessible 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 efficient choice. It has three chute sizes, a variable slicing disc, and a security cease characteristic. Nonetheless, 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 loads of further options to justify the upper value. The Breville Sous Chef 12 is accessible at Amazon for $251.10.
Why You Can Belief Me
I’m Gina, the writer 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 Meals 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 fame. For meals processors that I haven’t tried myself, I relied on evaluations from actual customers on Amazon and the outcomes from skilled product testers at main cooking publications.
Every part to Know Earlier than Shopping for a Meals Processor
What to Think about Earlier than Shopping for a Meals Processor
Meals processors serve the identical primary goal of mixing and chopping, however all of them have options that make them stand out from each other. Listed here are a very powerful issues to think about 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 at all times higher. For those who go too massive, it may not be capable to successfully course of smaller portions of meals because the blade can even be bigger. Most residence cooks ought to intention 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.
Total dimension: Along with the capability, you’ll wish to take into consideration general dimension, particularly for those who’re planning to maintain it in your countertop. Test the scale of the meals processor you’re contemplating and be sure you’re snug with the area it takes up.
Settings: All meals processors have primary settings—sometimes on/off and pulse choices—however it’s possible you’ll discover some with superior options like a dough-kneading blade. Think about your commonest cooking wants and slim down your selections that approach. Typically, extra options imply a better value, so for those who don’t want all of the bells and whistles, you’ll be able to skip them in favor of a lower cost tag.
Equipment: Meals processors sometimes include various sorts of blades and a few even have totally different dimension bowls to accommodate different-size kitchen duties. Take into consideration what equipment you’ll have to make the kitchen equipment handiest for you, and select an choice 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 sorts of meals.
Can You Use a Blender as a Meals Processor?
You should utilize a blender instead of a meals processor for some kitchen duties, however you gained’t get the very same outcomes. Blenders are designed to liquefy substances, so that they’re finest for wetter recipes and liquid-based substances. Meals processors can shred and slice dry substances, which a blender can not do, and can be used to puree. For those who solely have a blender, make sure that to make use of a pulse perform or manually pulse the machine to keep away from turning your substances into soup.
What Does a Meals Processor Do?
Meals processors chop, shred, slice, and grind several types of meals. For instance, they’ll shred carrots or recent cheese or shortly chop onions. Some meals processors even have attachments that may knead dough, they usually can mix and puree meals, much like a blender.
Can You Grind Espresso Beans in a Meals Processor?
Sure, you’ll be able to grind espresso beans in a meals processor, however it’s possible you’ll 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. For those who do use a meals processor to grind your espresso beans, be sure you use the heart beat perform and test on them each 3 to five seconds till you attain your required consequence. Simply word that the espresso odor might linger.
The Greatest Recipes for Meals Processors
Meals processors generally is a useful kitchen device for therefore many recipes. I exploit mine usually to shortly chop greens, put together dressings and sauces, and make nut butters. Listed here are a number of of my go-to recipes, however you need to use this versatile kitchen device for prep too:
Costs had been correct at time of publication.