10 Best Food Processors

Kitchen & Food 0 Comments

If you chop, slice, shred, grate, or puree often when cooking, then a food processor is a valuable appliance for you. These versatile machines make these repetitive time-consuming tasks much easier and faster, but finding the best food processor for your needs can be tricky. There are dozens of different models from several manufacturers ranging in price from around $30 to over $400.

Some of the important things to look for when purchasing a food processor include the size of the feed chute, the capacity of the unit, how well it performs each task like chopping and grating, how loud the machine is, the size of space it will take on your counter, and additional attachments like slicing and shredding discs or a dough blade.

Below is our list of the top 10 best food processors. Below those food processor reviews we provide a comparison chart so you can easily compare one food processor versus another. If you need more help or info see our Food Processor Buying Guide.

9.4
#1)

Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor

Breville BFP800XL Find on Amazon
Our choice for the best food processor is the Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef. This thing is amazing, in fact it scored the highest rating from the leading consumer magazine by a lot, however it is also the most expensive food processor on our list at about $320. It has the most capacity of any model on our list at 16 cups plus a wide feed chute and 1200 watt motor that can handle almost anything thrown at it. About the only slight weakness we could find is in kneading dough. In testing it was as good or superior to every other model on this list at chopping, slicing, shredding, pureeing, and grating.

The BFP800XL includes two bowls – the large 16 cup processing bowl and a 2.5 cup mini bowl for small jobs. It also comes with 8 discs or blades for numerous prep options, all housed in a storage unit. The slicing disc can be set to 24 different settings from 0.3mm to 8.0mm.

Overall we highly recommend the Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef for all users, but for occasional users or more budget conscious consumers there are cheaper options available. Buyers should also be aware that the Breville BFP800XL is a large appliance and will take up a lot of space compared to some of the more compact models on our list.

9.2
#2)

Cuisinart FP-14DCN Elite Collection 2.0 Food Processor

Cuisinart FP-14DCN Find on Amazon
The $223 Cuisinart FP-14DCN Elite Collection 2.0 food processor improves upon the popular and amazing Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY which appears on our list in the 4th position. The FP-14DCN combines a larger 14 cup bowl with a smaller 4.5 cup work bowl nested inside to allow for any batch sizes. Meanwhile the 1300 watt peak motor provides more than enough power to handle any task you throw at it – whether you pureeing, slicing, chopping, or shredding. It is also pretty decent at kneading dough.

The FP-14DCN’s electronic touchpad control panel offers four selections for on, off, dough, and pulse. Accessories include a stainless-steel adjustable slicing disc (0 to 10 mm), a stainless-steel reversible shredding disc (fine/medium), a large and small stainless-steel chopping/mixing blade, and a dough blade.

The one thing buyers should pay attention to is the size of this appliance to make sure you have room for it. Weighing 20 pounds and with dimensions of 17″ x 11.25″ x 11.75″ it is one of the largest food processors on our list and takes up a lot of space. As long as you have space for it, we are sure you won’t be disappointed in the Cuisinart FP-14DCN’s performance.

9.2
#3)

Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor

Breville BFP660SIL Find on Amazon
The $240 Breville Sous Chef BFP660SIL is a cheaper and more compact option over the BFP800XL. Despite the smaller size and price, you won’t notice much of a drop off in terms of performance. It has a little bit less capacity at 12 cups and comes with a 1000 watt motor that is still plenty powerful. The BFO660SIL is very thoughtfully designed and it just works easily and efficiently. Some other features include a 5-inch wide feed chute and 30 different slicing widths.

We would recommend the Breville Sous Chef BFP660SIL to all users except those who want the absolute best or who do not want to spend almost $250 on a food processor.

9.1
#4)

Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor

Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY Find on Amazon
We think the $162 Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor is the best food processor under $200. It is a pretty basic machine with just two buttons, On and Pulse, and one bowl size, however the performance is superior to any other models in this price range.

The DFP-14BCNY only comes with a a stainless-steel chopping blade and shredding and slicing disks.

If you need a food processor with tons of versatility or variety of discs and blades then the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY might not be for you. However, if you just want solid performance to chop, slice, shred or grate and don’t want to pay over $200 then this is the perfect choice.

9.1
#5)

Cuisinart FP-12BCN Elite Collection 2.0 Food Processor

Cuisinart FP-12BCN Find on Amazon
Another outstanding choice under $200 is the $173 Cuisinart FP-12BCN Elite Collection 2.0 Food Processor. We really like the FP-12BCN because it is one of, if not the quietest food processor you can buy. The performance is not quite up to par with the top two choices on this list, but with its 1000 watt peak motor it is comparable to the Breville BFP660SIL.

The FP-12BCN comes with a 4 cup bowl, a 12 cup bowl, an adjustable slicing disc, adjustable shredding disc, large and small chopping/mixing blades, and a dough blade. So if you are considering the DFP-14BCNY, but wish it had a few more attachments to be more versatile then you might instead consider the FP-12BCN.

There are few minor complaints about the Cuisinart FP-12BCN from users. The machine can be turned on despite the lid not being locked down, so you can make a mess if you don’t absolutely get it locked down all around. It also is hard to clean the gasket in the top and food can get stuck there. However, these inconveniences don’t really detract too much from an otherwise excellent appliance.

9
#6)

Cuisinart DLC-2009CHBMY Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor

Cuisinart DLC-2009CHBMY Find on Amazon
Priced at $131, our choice for the best food processor under $150 is the Cuisinart DLC-2009CHBMY Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor. It is a good value buy because of its cost and at this size it is perfect for anyone preparing small meals while taking up less room on your countertop with dimensions of 14.75″ x 7.75″ x 10.13″.

The DLC-2009CHBMY comes with a 600 watt motor that handles all tasks quite well, except for chopping which we would describe as only average. It includes a slicer disc, shredding disc, and chopping blade.

Overall we would recommend the Cuisinart Prep Plus DLC-2009CHBMY for all users except those who want a larger or more powerful model.

8.9
#7)

Cuisinart DLC-8SY Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor

Cuisinart DLC-8SY Find on Amazon
The Cuisinart DLC-8SY is a solid 11 cup capacity food processor that is available for about $130. While it can still handle all the tasks like chopping shredding, pureeing, slicing, and kneading, the 625 watt motor is a definite step down from the top performers on this list and you would notice the difference.

The DLC-8SY comes with a chopping/mixing/kneading blade, a 2mm slicing disc, a 4mm slicing disc, and a shredding disc.

Overall the Cuisinart DLC-8SY is very simple to use and the wide feed tube is a nice feature. The performance does not match more expensive models, but for occasional users it will still perform well enough for you.

8.5
#8)

Hamilton Beach 70730 Food Processor

Hamilton Beach 70730 Find on Amazon
At the time of writing the $45 Hamilton Beach 70730 Food Processor was the best selling food processor on Amazon, however it also was out of stock. If that is still the case you might want to consider the Hamilton Beach 70760 instead.

At that price it makes the Hamilton Beach 70730 the best food processor under $100 and one of the best cheap food processors you can buy. It has a 450 watt motor, 2 speeds plus pulse, 10 cup capacity, chopping blade, and a reversible slicing/shredding disc. It also has a unique built-in scraper attachment that scrapes the sides of the bowl, which means you don’t have to stop the machine, remove the lid, and scrape with a spatula.

If you are looking for a cheap food processor that still works good, the the Hamilton Beach 70730 is for you.

It is also available at BestBuy.com.

8.4
#9)

Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor

Cuisinart FP-8SV Find on Amazon
Another solid choice for a food processor that costs less than $100 is the $73 Cuisinart Elemental FP-8SV. This compact model has an 8 cup capacity bowl and comes with reversible shredding and slicing discs. It can handle most tasks, but with a 350 watt motor it can struggle with some things.

One downside is that the Elemental FP-8SV is a bit harder to clean than some other models because the center post does not come apart, but you still need to clean that part of the machine.

8
#10)

Cuisinart DLC-2A Mini Prep Plus

Cuisinart DLC-2A Find on Amazon
The DLC-2A Mini Prep Plus only has a 3 cup capacity and a 250 watt motor, but it also only costs about $32 and comes in a huge variety of colors. It excels at blending even textures and emulsifications.

For small food prep or chopping jobs we really like this model, especially if you already have a larger model but don’t want to set it up just to chop onion. However, the capacity and power of the DLC-2A Mini Prep Plus really limits its applications.

Best Food Processor Comparison Chart

Food Processor Rating Best Price Capacity
(Cups)		 Watts Number of
Speeds		 Chopping/Mixing
Blade		 Shredding
Blade		 Slicing
Blade		 Combo Shredding/Slicing
Reversible Blade		 Dough
Blade		 Weight
(lbs)		 Dimensions
(H” x W” x D”)
Breville BFP800XL 9.4 $319.96 16 1200 2 Yes Yes – Reversible Yes – adjustable Yes 19.3 18″ x 8″ x 11″
Cuisinart FP-14DCN 9.2 $222.77 14 1300 3 (On, Dough, Pulse) Yes – 2 Sizes Yes – Reversible Yes – adjustable Yes 20 17″ x 11.25″ x 11.75″
Breville BFP660SIL 9.2 $239.99 12 1000 2 Yes Yes – Reversible Yes – adjustable Yes 15.9 17″ x 7.5″ x 9.5″
Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 9.1 $161.94 14 720 1 Yes Yes Yes No 17.3 14.8″ x 7.9″ x 11″
Cuisinart FP-12BCN 9.1 $172.98 12 1000 2 Yes Yes – Reversible Yes – adjustable Yes 19 16″ x 7.5″ x 10.75″
Cuisinart DLC-2009CHBMY 9.0 $130.99 9 600 2 Yes Yes Yes No 11.7 14.75″ x 7.75″ x 10.13″
Cuisinart DLC-8SY 8.9 $129.99 11 625 1 Yes Yes Yes – (2mm/4mm) No 17 14.5″ x 7″ x 11.25″
Hamilton Beach 70730 8.5 $44.99 10 450 2 Yes No No Yes No 4.6 15.47″ x 10.25″ x 8.43″
Cuisinart FP-8SV 8.4 $72.92 8 350 2 Yes Yes – Reversible Yes – adjustable No 10 15.2″ x 7.6″ x 9.6″
Cuisinart DLC-2A 8.0 $31.99 3 250 2 (Chop, Grind) Yes No No No 3 9.25″ x 5″ x 7″

Food Processor Buying Guide

If you make a lot of homemade dips or salsas and do a lot of chopping, slicing, shredding, mincing, or grating then we highly recommend getting a food processor. A lot of people ask if they really need one or can they just use a blender. The answer in the vast majority of situations is no, with the biggest difference being that blenders need some liquid to work properly and food processors are designed to work on solid or liquid ingredients.

Here are some items to look for when shopping for a new food processor:

  • Capacity – Listed dry capacities range greatly from less than 5 cups up to and over 20 cups. For the most versatility we recommend a large capacity of at least 9 cups with 11-14 cups being preferred. Remember that if you are processing liquid food products then the capacity is about one half of the listed dry capacity. If you know you will only be processing small quantities then you can get away with a smaller capacity unit. Some models also have a smaller bowl that fits inside of the main container.
  • Feed Chute – Look for a wide feed tube to handle larger foods like potatoes or cucumbers.
  • Power & Speeds – Power is measured in watts, but that combined with the motor efficiency determine overall power of the machine. In general the higher wattage the better. Most models come with 1 or 2 speeds and a pulse button which pauses the machine for a brief moment to handle certain tasks better.
  • Uses & Attachments – Most models come with different blades to handle each task – chopping, slicing, shredding, mixing, and kneading. You want to make sure the appliance you are looking at can handle each task you will use it for since some do not have a kneading blade for making dough. We recommend looking at user reviews of each product to see how they perform in each area.
  • Cleaning – You want a model that is easy to take apart and clean and that has dishwasher safe parts.
  • Noise – Many machines are really noisy, so a quieter model usually will cost more, but they are available.
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