I take advantage of my meals processor on a weekly foundation to make every part from home made hummus to rapidly chopping veggies for salads to making nut butters. I contemplate it my sous chef within the kitchen! One of the best meals processors make simple work of a wide range of kitchen duties, and know the way essential it’s to decide on one which works persistently and reliably.
Whereas all meals processors provide 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 cherished 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 record, I thought of capability, ease of storage, and sturdiness, in addition to my private expertise from utilizing others previously.
Beneath are the perfect meals processors that will help you out within the kitchen.
My Prime 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 Price range: Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor – $44.97 at Amazon
- Greatest Fundamental: Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor – $119 at Walmart
- Greatest Giant 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
Opinions 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 take advantage of it on a regular basis! Not solely does it make clean 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 newcomers and no-fuss dwelling cooks. There’s a big feed tube that makes it simple so as to add substances, and it contains a typical 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
- Giant feed chute to attenuate prep
- Smooth, stainless-steel design
The Cons:
- No pace settings
- Costly
What Others Are Saying:
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor was named the perfect meals processor by Wirecutter, The Spruce Eats, and Bon Appetit. It additionally has greater than 19,000 evaluations on Amazon, with a mean ranking 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 dimension for chopping greens or making dressing. It solely has two settings—chop and grind—so it’s fairly easy 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 slicing by more durable meals, but it surely’s nice for fundamental prep and simple 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
- Straightforward to retailer
- Price range-friendly value
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Meals Processor was named finest small by Good Housekeeping. It additionally has virtually 30,000 evaluations on Amazon with a 4.6-star ranking.
Purchase the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Meals Processor:
3. Greatest Price range: Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor
For those who don’t plan to make use of your meals processor each day like me, you may want a cheaper 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 very good 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 constantly scapes the edges of the bowl whilst you’re utilizing it, so that you don’t should cease to wash the edges with a spatula.
Its rounded design does make it a bit bulkier than among 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 pace settings
- Constructed-in scraper attachment
- Price range-friendly value
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor has a mean 4.6-star ranking 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 are glorious for newcomers or anybody who doesn’t need a number 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 applications (chop, puree, dough, and disk), plus three handbook 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 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 applications (chop, dough, puree, disc) and three handbook 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 perfect energy and Meals Community named it the perfect worth choice. The Ninja XL Meals Processor additionally has over 11,400 evaluations on Amazon and a 4.7-star ranking.
Purchase the Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor:
5. Greatest Giant Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional
In case you have an enormous household, for those who meal prep, or for those who usually entertain, you might need to contemplate a larger-capacity meals processor that may make an enormous portion of home made pesto directly.. Whereas this meals processor is a bit dear, it has a number of helpful options. For starters, it has a beneficiant 16-cup capability and a particularly highly effective motor that may lower 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 perfect 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 ranking 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 really 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 facility and reliability of a Vitamix, and two kitchen home equipment in a single. The set contains the A3500 sequence 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 record, 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 pace management and pulse, so you have got 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 pace management, pulse
The Professionals:
- Variable pace 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 perfect attachment, and Critical Eats calls it the perfect 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. In the end, it didn’t make the record 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 on the lookout for a smaller choice. The KitchenAid 7-Cup Meals Processor is offered at Amazon for $55.71.
Black + Decker 8-Cup Meals Processor
For those who’re solely utilizing your meals processor often, this budget-friendly meals processor may very well be a very good choice for you. However for those who plan to make use of it usually, I like to recommend investing just a little extra in a single that may final you for a very long time. This one additionally tends to provide 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 offered at Amazon for $39.99.
GE 12-Cup Meals Processor
This GE 12-Cup Meals Processor has loads going for it. It contains 4 slicing discs and stackable feeding tubes that allow you to modify the dimensions 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 record of winners as a result of I’ve extra expertise with the opposite manufacturers and fashions, but it surely may very well be a very good choice for dwelling cooks, particularly at this cheap value. The GE 12-Cup Meals Processor is offered 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. Nonetheless, in my view, it doesn’t stand out amongst different fashions on this dimension vary. Plus, it’s pricier than similar-size choices with out a number of additional options to justify the upper value. The Breville Sous Chef 12 is offered at Amazon for $251.10.
Why You Can Belief Me
I’m Gina, the creator 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 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 popularity. 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 Take into account Earlier than Shopping for a Meals Processor
Meals processors serve the identical fundamental goal of mixing and chopping, however all of them have options that make them stand out from each other. Listed below are a very powerful issues to contemplate when deciding which one is finest in your kitchen.
Capability: Meals processors include completely different bowl sizes. You need the bowl to be large enough 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 may also be bigger. Most dwelling 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 need to take into consideration general dimension, particularly for those who’re planning to maintain it in your countertop. Examine the scale of the meals processor you’re contemplating and ensure you’re comfy with the area it takes up.
Settings: All meals processors have fundamental settings—usually on/off and pulse choices—however you might discover some with superior options like a dough-kneading blade. Take into account your commonest cooking wants and slender down your decisions that means. Usually, extra options imply the next 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 usually include various varieties of blades and a few even have completely different dimension bowls to accommodate different-size kitchen duties. Take into consideration what equipment you’ll have to make the kitchen equipment best 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 pace 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 varieties of meals.
Can You Use a Blender as a Meals Processor?
You need to use a blender instead of a meals processor for some kitchen duties, however you received’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 will also be used to puree. For those who solely have a blender, make sure that to make use of a pulse operate 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 will shred carrots or contemporary cheese or rapidly chop onions. Some meals processors even have attachments that may knead dough, and so they 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 you might not get a constant grind such as you would with a devoted espresso grinder. Moreover, meals processors don’t allow you to management the dimensions 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, ensure you use the heartbeat operate and verify on them each 3 to five seconds till you attain your required outcome. Simply word that the espresso odor might linger.
The Greatest Recipes for Meals Processors
Meals processors could be a useful kitchen device for thus many recipes. I take advantage of mine typically 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.