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A food processor is a versatile kitchen appliance that can grind a variety of ingredients to simplify your meal preparation process. Unlike blenders, which require liquid to operate, food processors work with or without liquid. To help you in your search, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best food processors on Amazon and created this buying guide. Keep reading to learn about our top recommendations.
Top 5 Food Processors
- Most Powerful: Ninja Mega Kitchen System Food Processor
- Largest Capacity: Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor
- Best Warranty: Cuisinart Mini Food Processor
- Best Color Options: KitchenAid KFC3516ER Food Chopper
- Best Wireless Processor: Kocbelle Wireless Electric Food Processor
Most Powerful: Ninja Mega Kitchen System Food Processor
This Ninja food processor comes with an assortment of accessories, including a 75-ounce pitcher, a 54-ounce bowl, and two 16-ounce cups. It also makes quick work of fruits, vegetables, dough, and more with its powerful 1,500-watt motor.
Key Features
- 1,500 watts
- 72-ounce maximum capacity
- 9.2 pounds
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Customers praised the variety of accessories that this food processor came with. They also said that the processor doubled as a blender. Customers who weren’t satisfied with their purchase complained that it was loud.
Largest Capacity: Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor
This Hamilton Beach food processor can chop, shred, and slice a variety of foods with its two speeds, pulse capability, 10-cup bowl, and 450-watt motor. It also comes with a scraper attachment that scrapes the sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the food stays close to the blade for easy blending.
Key Features
- 450 watts
- 10-cup capacity
- 4.7 pounds
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
From creating homemade pie dough to whipping butter, users raved about how convenient this food processor was for a variety of kitchen tasks. However, some users complained that the lid didn’t fit correctly, which caused spillage when it was used with liquids.
Best Warranty: Cuisinart Mini Food Processor
This miniature food processor from Cuisinart is an affordable and compact product that’s designed to meet your smaller processing needs. It even comes with an 18-month warranty to ensure that it stays in working condition for the beginning of its life.
Key Features
- 250 watts
- Three-cup capacity
- 2.3 pounds
- 18-month warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Customers praised this food processor’s sturdy construction, as it stayed firmly on the counter during use. They also said that it worked well for grinding spices. However, customers who rated this appliance poorly complained that it had a low-quality stainless steel blade that broke after a few uses.
Best Color Options: KitchenAid KFC3516ER Food Chopper
This compact 3.5-cup food processor features two-speed settings and a pulse function to help you chop, mix, and puree your favorite foods. Available in various colors, from red to orange to pink, this food processor is customizable to match the coffee maker, toaster, and other appliances on your kitchen counter.
Key Features
- 240 watts
- 3.5-cup capacity
- 2.7 pounds
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Customers said that this food processor could cut through tough foods, such as nuts, despite its lower price point and power rating. However, multiple customers said that their food processor emitted smoke when it was used on higher settings.
Best Wireless Processor: Kocbelle Wireless Electric Food Processor
This rechargeable food processor can chop vegetables, meats, and other foods in seconds. Thanks to its compact size that’s smaller than a can of soda, you can bring it with you on vacations or business trips.
Key Features
- 150 watts
- 1.3-cup capacity
- 1.98 pounds
What Customers Are Saying
Customers raved about how easy this food processor was to use, as they put their ingredients inside and pressed the button. However, some customers complained that the blade was too dull to cut through tougher foods.
Buyer’s Guide
Make an informed food processor purchase by considering these four factors.
Power
Its motor’s wattage measures a food processor’s power. Standard-sized food processors usually have between 500 and 1,200 watts, though some compact models, such as the Cuisinart Mini Food Processor, are less powerful. A low-wattage processor should do the job if you want to chop small, soft foods, such as berries or herbs. A high-wattage model may be a better fit if you need a processor to puree dense vegetables or slice large quantities of food.
Capacity
The capacity of a food processor refers to how much food it can hold in its included container. Most food processors have a capacity between five and 10 cups, though compact models, such as the Kocbelle Wireless Electric Food Processor, have a more limited capacity.
Settings
Food processors usually come with a variety of settings that allow you to control their speed and function. For example, the Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor has a low speed, high speed, and pulse function.
Accessories
Food processors can come with accessories to help you during the chopping or blending process. Common accessories include bowls, pitchers, travel cups, and scrapers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a food processor and a blender?
A food processor is designed to tackle various preparation tasks, including pureeing, blending, chopping, and slicing. A blender is solely designed to pulverize dry and liquid ingredients into a single mixture.
Can I put ice in a food processor?
Yes. Use the pulse setting to prevent burnout, and attach your strongest blade to prevent dulling and distortion.
What size food processor should I buy?
This depends on the amount of food preparation you’ll be doing. If you want a food processor to chop small ingredients, a lower-capacity product, such as the Cuisinart Mini Food Processor, should work. However, if you’re preparing a meal for several people, a high-capacity processor, such as the Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor, may be a better option.
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We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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