The 5 Best Food Processors for Every Budget

Updated 28 Jun 2022

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Finding the correct product can be difficult and time-consuming. You might not have time to do it yourself, so let us help you. RevuuBuddy reviews thousands of items in hundreds of categories, including home appliances, toys, camping supplies, and everything in between.

We compare the most popular brands and models, and we boil them down to the top five to give you the most in-depth and dependable buying recommendation - so you can make the best buying decision possible.

BEST OF THE BEST

How We Tested

These products are recommended based on a thorough research process that aims to cut through the clutter and uncover the best products in this category. We spend hours looking into the elements that matter with the assistance of experts to provide you with these options.

Models Considered

180

Consumers Consulted

Hours Researched

Updated 28 Jun 2022

Written by

Revuu Buddy

Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor

BOTTOMLINE
Top Brand
Our chef's personal favorite is an excellent product from a well-known, dependable company.

PROS
It produces large food chutes. It comes with several user-friendly blades and attachments and a 4-cup bowl.

CONS
It's heavier than lesser variants, but it's still light enough for most people.

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Hamilton Beach Food Processor

BOTTOMLINE
Affordable Yet Capable
A primary, efficient food processor for people on a budget.

PROS
For a high-capacity model, the Vitamix 7500 is lightweight and compact. It's simple to use and store. The function guide indicates which blade to use and which buttons to press. The base is sturdy and doesn't shimmy across counters.

CONS
The motor is of average power. A small number of malfunctions are recorded.

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Ninja 400-Watt Blender/Food Processor

BOTTOMLINE
Easiest to Use
According to our expert, the complete selection of accessories is found at Subway.

PROS
It includes a 7-piece blender that can also be used to crush ice, chop veggies, and more. Frozen blending is far better with this processor than other similarly priced alternatives. Anti-spill splash guard and a handy nonslip base are included. It's a bargain model.

CONS
It's not as strong as many rival products, with a power output of 400 watts.

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KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper

BOTTOMLINE
Compact Design
It's excellent for individuals who don't have adequate space for a bigger processor.

PROS
A tiny machine that runs on little electricity and takes up minimal storage space. It has a 3.5-cup capacity with a drizzle basin for liquid recipes on hand. It's often purchased as a helpful backup processor for smaller jobs. It's simple to use.

CONS
Opening, installing, and tightly securing the cover can be challenging.

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BLACK + DECKER 8-Cup Food Processor

BOTTOMLINE
Best for Beginners
This is a powerful and simple-to-use model. It's an excellent place to start if you're new to brewing.

PROS
Slices, dices, and chops with an extra-sharp stainless steel chopping blade, slicer, and dicer. For easier cleaning, many components are detachable and dishwasher safe. The controls are simple to use. The food chute makes cutting lengthy veggies a breeze.

CONS
At 80-90 decibels, it's comparable to a lawnmower.

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Buying Guide for Best Food Processors

Food processors can chop, grind, slice, and puree a wide range of ingredients. If you want a single device that can handle fruit juicing, dough kneading, and thick batter mixing, you'll need one that includes the appropriate amount of power and attachments for food preparation.

Choosing a food processor is often a matter of personal taste and financial constraint. Small processors, often known as food choppers, are ideal for modest culinary projects on a limited budget. A full-size version is the best option if you want a food processor that can handle multiple preparations.

Once you're ready to invest in one, we've compiled a list of the best food processors to add to your kitchen arsenal.

DO I NEED A FOOD PROCESSOR IN MY KITCHEN?

A food processor is an excellent investment for anyone who cooks at home regularly.

A food processor comes in handy when preparing meals with fresh vegetables or other ingredients that need chopping, slicing, mincing, or shredding. It's also helpful in making homemade salsas and dips.

Cheese may also be grated in a food processor, so you may get blocks of cheese rather than pricey pre-shredded bags. You can also make your own mayonnaise, salad dressings, and gravies in a food processor. You may also use cream to make desserts.

TYPES OF FOOD PROCESSORS

Food processors can be divided into two categories: full-size food processors and mini food choppers.

Food chopper

A food chopper has a lesser grinding capacity and less power than a full-size food processor. As a result, food choppers are typically less expensive and take up less space on your countertop.

Full-size food processor

When you think of a food processor, the term "full-size" is probably what springs to mind. It can chop and slice vegetables, grate cheese, and purée dips with ease.

Some machines are more advanced, such as kneading bread dough or juicing fruits and veggies. Some food processors can only chop ingredients. Others come with specialized attachments that may slice, shred, grind, and more.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WHEN BUYING A FOOD PROCESSOR?

Bowl size

The size of your food processor's bowl or jar is determined by the number of people you prepare for. It's usually better to go with a bowl that can contain at least nine cups.

However, if you like to cook for groups larger than four regularly, or if you want to make bigger batches of food that you can freeze, go for a model with a bowl that holds 11 to 14 cups. If you're only cooking for one person or using the processor to prepare small amounts of food, a three-cup bowl is often enough.

When looking at food processor bowls, consider getting one with a complete liquid line. This will prevent you from overfilling the machine and causing leaks by preventing you from adding too much liquid to it.

EXPERT TIP

A small "mini-prep" style processor/chopper is ideal for making pesto and chopping a cup or two of nuts, as well as grinding coffee. They're simple to maintain and clean, so think tiny if your processing demands aren't enormous.

Revuu Buddy Cooking and Baking Expert

Motor wattage

A food processor doesn't require a great deal of power when it comes to chopping, cutting, and shredding foods. However, if you want to use the device for other tasks such as mixing dough, you'll need a motor with more oomph.

A 500- to the 600-watt motor will suffice for most uses. A food processor with a 700-watt is ideal for kneading dough, grinding meat, and other heavy-duty tasks.

Blades

Most food processors include several blades for a variety of tasks. A chopping, mincing, and puréeing blade is included in most models.

For kneading dough in a food processor, you'll need a plastic blade.

TESTING FOOD PROCESSORS

We spent 79 hours researching food processors and testing the two best in our kitchen to see what they had to offer.

STAFF

Revuu Buddy

Food chute

A food processor's chute allows you to add ingredients as the machine is running.

Suppose you're chopping foods that are larger than the width of your machine. You won't have to chop your ingredients beforehand if they're big enough to fit through a wide chute.

Speeds

Three settings are standard on food processors: on, off, and pulse. The pulse option activates the machine for short periods that you don't OVERCHOP, PURÉE, or GRIND your ingredients.

Some food processors, on the other hand, have extra speed settings for heavy-duty handling operations. Look for a model with different speeds if you want to use your machine for more than just chopping, processing, and grating.

Controls

For operation, food processors have levers, buttons, or digital touchpads. They're simple to use, but spills might be challenging to clean since they have levers and buttons.

Even with the same ease of use and maintenance, a touchpad is just as simple to operate and maintain. As a result, it may be worth paying a little extra.

EXPERT TIP

Be cautious about placing your plastic pieces, such as the bowl, in the dishwasher. High water temperatures can create tiny lightning-bolt-style internal fractures in the plastic. They won't harm the bowl's integrity, but they will affect its appearance.

Revuu Buddy Cooking and Baking Expert

Accessories

Some food processors include multiple-size work bowls, so you may process a variety of ingredients without having to stop and clean the bowl. If you want to juice your fruits and vegetables, for example, a food processor with a juicer and/or whipping attachment will be ideal.

Cleaning

You may never have to clean the food processor if you use it regularly but having to do so carefully would be a pain. If you want to save time and effort, get a machine that's easy to clean.

Extra features

For the most versatile food processor, go for a machine with extra features such as mixing and crushing ice.

FOOD PROCESSOR PRICES

The sizes and power of the appliances available in this category range from small to massive, with prices ranging accordingly.

Top-tier food processors

Small, essential food processors may cost anywhere from $99 and $380.

Mid-range food processors

For under $100, you may buy a mid-size food processor.

Budget food processors

Small food choppers cost between $30 and $40.

FOOD PROCESSORS: EASY PREP TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE SIMPLER

● Before you put the food processor on its base, don't fill up the bowl. The blade won't fit properly if it's full. Fill the dish with water and then place it on the base with the blade in position.

● Before putting anything in a food processor, make sure it's cool. The plastic blade portion can become discolored and melt if the contents are hot.

● Do not fill the food processor more than halfway full with liquid. If there is too much liquid, it may seep or splash out the sides when you turn on the machine.

● Before placing food in the food processor's bowl, roughly chop it.

● When puréeing or chopping food, remember to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl. Ingredients can adhere to the edges of the container and not be mixed with the rest of the contents, resulting in uneven results.

● While you may rely on your food processor for chopping and slicing fruits and veggies, don't forget about it when making desserts. Cookies and crackers can be crumbled in a food processor for pie crusts and toppings, cheesecake batter is whipped up, and nuts chopped swiftly and effectively.

● Don't fill a food processor's bowl to the top. Fill it three-fourths of the way and then process it.

Pick a food processor with stainless steel blades for the best outcomes. They are the most durable and perform the best.

You may use a food processor to shred cheese, make the dough, ground beef, combine spreads, purée baby food, prepare soups, churn butter, whip mayonnaise, and even grate chocolate.

FAQ

Do I really need a food processor if I already have a blender?

A. A blender, on the other hand, is designed for mixing drinks that have a lot of liquid in them. A slight overlap between what a food processor and a blender can accomplish depending on the models you have, but a blender is generally used to mix recipes that contain a lot of liquid. A food processor is designed for chopping, slicing, and grating firm foods. A simple blender can't be used in place of a good food processor.

What factors influence a food processor's chopping performance?

A. The speed at which a food processor's pulse operates has the most influence on how well it chops. The pulse must be powerful enough to move the ingredients around the basin without entirely pulverizing the dish.

How can I determine if a food processor will be simple to store?

A. It's a good idea to keep your food processor on the counter. If you're going to store it in a cabinet, though, the size of its base and bowl are the most significant factors when determining how easy it will be to retrieve.

Mini food choppers are the most simple to store. Look for one with a case for its blades and attachments, so you don't have to keep them loose in a drawer or cabinet if you're buying a full-size version.

EXPERT TIP

If you don't already have one, pick up an extra-slim head rubber spatula designed for jars. It's an excellent way to get the contents of your processor bowl out.

Revuu Buddy Cooking and Baking Expert

6 AWESOME THINGS YOU CAN MAKE WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR

● The pulse function and regular blade are perfect for cutting butter into flour when making pie crust or other pastries.

● A tiny bowl (for example, the 2.5-cup bowl of the Breville) is ideal for chopping little amounts of food without getting the bigger bowl messy.

● In a matter of seconds, use the unique french fry blade attachment to transform whole potatoes into fries. A full potato may be inserted into the extra-large food chute.

● The Breville's julienne disc may "zoodle" veggies for a salad or slaw without hurting your wrists with a manual zoodles.

● With the grating disk, shred a huge chunk of cheese (and not your fingers). The extra-large chute on the Breville makes it unnecessary to pre-cut.

● Make whipped cream or butter in minutes with the emulsifying whisk disk.