I take advantage of my meals processor on a weekly foundation to make every part from do-it-yourself hummus to rapidly chopping veggies for salads to making nut butters. I think about it my sous chef within the kitchen! One of the best meals processors make simple work of a wide range of kitchen duties, and understand how necessary it’s to decide on one which works constantly and reliably.
Whereas all meals processors supply the identical fundamental operate 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 which may work higher in your kitchen To slender down the listing, I thought-about capability, ease of storage, and sturdiness, in addition to my private expertise from utilizing others up to now.
Beneath are the most effective 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
- Finest Funds: Hamilton Seashore 10-Cup Meals Processor – $44.97 at Amazon
- Finest Primary: Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor – $119 at Walmart
- Finest Giant Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional – $374.99 at Amazon
- Finest Blender and Meals Processor Combo: Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System – $899.95 at Amazon
Critiques of The Finest 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 take advantage of it on a regular basis! Not solely does it make easy sauces and creamy nut butters, but it surely’s large enough to accommodate bigger portions and has giant, paddle-style controls that make it simple to make use of. There are solely two settings—on and pulse—so it’s good for freshmen and no-fuss residence cooks. There’s a big feed tube that makes it simple so as to add elements, 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 rather than 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
- Giant feed chute to attenuate prep
- Glossy, stainless-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 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 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 perfect measurement 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 tougher meals, but it surely’s nice for fundamental 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 value
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Meals Processor was named greatest 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. Finest Funds: Hamilton Seashore 10-Cup Meals Processor
For those who don’t plan to make use of your meals processor every day like me, you may want a cheaper choice. This budget-friendly 10-cup meals processor from Hamilton Seashore 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 simple work of most kitchen duties. It features a chopping blade and a slicing/shredding disc, however one function I actually love is the built-in scraper attachment. This repeatedly scapes the perimeters of the bowl when you’re utilizing it, so that you don’t should cease to scrub the perimeters with a spatula.
Its rounded design does make it a bit bulkier than a few of the different sleeker fashions, however in case you plan to retailer it in a pantry or cupboard as an alternative 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 value
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Hamilton Seashore 10-Cup Meals Processor has a mean 4.6-star score from greater than 40,000 opinions on Amazon.
Purchase the Hamilton Seashore 10-Cup Meals Processor:
4. Finest Primary: Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor
Ninja makes nice user-friendly kitchen home equipment which might be wonderful for freshmen or anybody who doesn’t need a whole lot 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 simple to make use of. It comes with 4 preset packages (chop, puree, dough, and disk), plus three guide 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 measurement 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 packages (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 opinions on Amazon and a 4.7-star score.
Purchase the Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor:
5. Finest Giant Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional
If in case you have an enormous household, in case you meal prep, or in case you repeatedly entertain, it’s possible you’ll need to think about a larger-capacity meals processor that may make an enormous portion of do-it-yourself pesto directly.. Whereas this meals processor is a bit expensive, it has a whole lot of helpful options. For starters, it has a beneficiant 16-cup capability and an especially highly effective motor that may minimize by 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 additional 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:
- Giant 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 greatest total, and Meals and Wine named it greatest 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. Finest Blender and Meals Processor Combo: Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System
I really 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 facility 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 take advantage of, 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 listing, that allow you to make every part 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
- Consists of many slicing discs
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Spruce Eats named the Vitamix Meals Processor Attachment the most effective attachment, and Severe Eats calls it the most effective space-saving meals processor.
Purchase the Vitamix A3500 SmartPrep Kitchen System:
Different Meals Processors to Take into account
KitchenAid 7-Cup Meals 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 listing 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 on the market 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 in case you plan to make use of it repeatedly, I like to recommend investing a bit of extra in a single that can final you for a very long time. This one additionally tends to provide uneven cuts, which might not be 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 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 can work for many on a regular basis kitchen duties. It didn’t make my listing 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 value. 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 efficient choice. It has three chute sizes, a variable slicing disc, and a security cease function. Nevertheless, in my view, it doesn’t stand out amongst different fashions on this measurement vary. Plus, it’s pricier than similar-size choices with out a whole lot of additional options to justify the upper price. The Breville Sous Chef 12 is on the market 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 really like discovering methods to make cooking and meal prep simpler, and my Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor is a staple in my kitchen for dashing 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-about capability, total measurement, and model repute. 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.
All the pieces to Know Earlier than Shopping for a Meals Processor
What to Take into account Earlier than Shopping for a Meals Processor
Meals processors serve the identical fundamental objective of mixing and chopping, however all of them have options that make them stand out from each other. Listed below are crucial issues to contemplate when deciding which one is greatest to your kitchen.
Capability: Meals processors include totally different bowl sizes. You need the bowl to be large enough to deal with all of your wants, however bigger isn’t all the time higher. For those who go too massive, it may not be capable of successfully course of smaller portions of meals for the reason that blade may even be bigger. Most residence 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 measurement for smaller duties.
Total measurement: Along with the capability, you’ll need to take into consideration total measurement, particularly in case you’re planning to maintain it in your countertop. Examine the scale of the meals processor you’re contemplating and be sure you’re comfy with the area it takes up.
Settings: All meals processors have fundamental settings—usually on/off and pulse choices—however it’s possible you’ll discover some with superior options like a dough-kneading blade. Take into account your commonest cooking wants and slender down your selections that approach. Typically, extra options imply the next price, so in case you don’t want all of the bells and whistles, you possibly can skip them in favor of a lower cost tag.
Equipment: Meals processors usually include various sorts of blades and a few even have totally different measurement bowls to accommodate different-size kitchen duties. Take into consideration what equipment you’ll have to make the kitchen equipment only 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 might 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 need to use a blender rather than a meals processor for some kitchen duties, however you gained’t get the very same outcomes. Blenders are designed to liquefy elements, in order that they’re greatest for wetter recipes and liquid-based elements. Meals processors can shred and slice dry elements, which a blender can not do, and may also be used to puree. For those who solely have a blender, be certain that to make use of a pulse operate 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 several types of meals. For instance, they’ll 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, much like a blender.
Can You Grind Espresso Beans in a Meals Processor?
Sure, you possibly can 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 computerized drip machine. For those who do use a meals processor to grind your espresso beans, be sure you use the heart beat operate 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 Finest Recipes for Meals Processors
Meals processors generally is a useful kitchen device for thus many recipes. I take advantage of mine usually to rapidly chop greens, put together dressings and sauces, and make nut butters. Listed below are just a few of my go-to recipes, however you need to use this versatile kitchen device for prep too:
Costs have been correct at time of publication.
