I exploit my meals processor on a weekly foundation to make all the things from do-it-yourself hummus to shortly chopping veggies for salads to making nut butters. I contemplate it my sous chef within the kitchen! The perfect meals processors make straightforward work of a wide range of kitchen duties, and understand how vital it’s to decide on one which works persistently and reliably.

Whereas all meals processors supply the identical primary perform 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 slim down the checklist, I thought-about capability, ease of storage, and sturdiness, in addition to my private expertise from utilizing others prior to now. 

Beneath are the perfect meals processors that can assist you out within the kitchen.

My High Picks:

1. What’s in My Kitchen: Cuisinart 14-Cup Meals Processor – $199.50 at Amazon
2. My Favourite Mini: Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Meals Processor – $36.71 at Walmart
3. Greatest Price range: Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor – $44.97 at Amazon
4. Greatest Fundamental: Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor – $119 at Walmart
5. Greatest Massive Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional – $374.99 at Amazon
6. 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 exploit it on a regular basis! Not solely does it make easy sauces and creamy nut butters, but it surely’s sufficiently big to accommodate bigger portions and has massive, paddle-style controls that make it straightforward to make use of. There are solely two settings—on and pulse—so it’s good for newbies and no-fuss house cooks. There’s a big feed tube that makes it straightforward so as to add components, and it consists of a typical slicing disc, a medium shredding disc, and a stainless-steel chopping and mixing blade, so you should utilize 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 Execs:

• Constant outcomes
• Massive feed chute to reduce prep
• Modern, stainless-steel design

The Cons:

• No velocity 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 opinions on Amazon, with a median 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 best dimension 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 the only option for making nut butters or chopping by means of tougher meals, but it surely’s nice for primary 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 Execs:

• Easy operation
• Straightforward to retailer
• Price range-friendly worth

The Cons:

What Others Are Saying:

The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Meals Processor was named greatest small by Good Housekeeping. It additionally has nearly 30,000 opinions 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

If you happen to don’t plan to make use of your meals processor every day like me, you may want a cheaper possibility. 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 capability, plus three settings—two speeds and a pulse mode—that make straightforward work of most kitchen duties. It features a chopping blade and a slicing/shredding disc, however one characteristic I actually love is the built-in scraper attachment. This constantly scapes the edges of the bowl when you’re utilizing it, so that you don’t should cease to scrub the edges with a spatula. 

Its rounded design does make it a bit bulkier than a few of the different sleeker fashions, however should you 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 Execs:

• Various velocity settings
• Constructed-in scraper attachment
• Price range-friendly worth

The Cons:

What Others Are Saying:

The Hamilton Seaside 10-Cup Meals Processor has a median 4.6-star ranking from greater than 40,000 opinions 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 might be wonderful for newbies or anybody who doesn’t need numerous 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 straightforward to make use of. It comes with 4 preset packages (chop, puree, dough, and disk), plus three handbook 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 dimension can accommodate massive 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 handbook settings (low, excessive, pulse)

The Execs:

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 possibility. The Ninja XL Meals Processor additionally has over 11,400 opinions on Amazon and a 4.7-star ranking.

Purchase the Ninja Skilled XL Meals Processor:

5. Greatest Massive Capability: Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional

When you’ve got a giant household, should you meal prep, or should you repeatedly entertain, you could wish to contemplate a larger-capacity meals processor that may make a giant portion of do-it-yourself pesto without delay.. Whereas this meals processor is a bit dear, it has numerous helpful options. For starters, it has a beneficiant 16-cup capability and an especially highly effective motor that may lower by means of 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 Execs:

• Massive 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 greatest general, and Meals and Wine named it greatest splurge. The Breville Sous Chef 16 Professional additionally has a median 4.6-star ranking from over 2,600 opinions 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 should 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 sequence base and motor, which is the blender I exploit, 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 checklist, that allow you to make all the things 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 may have 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 Execs:

• Variable velocity management
• Versatile and handy
• Contains many slicing discs

The Cons:

What Others Are Saying:

The Spruce Eats named the Vitamix Meals Processor Attachment the perfect attachment, and Severe 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 checklist 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 possibility. The KitchenAid 7-Cup Meals Processor is obtainable at Amazon for $55.71.

Black + Decker 8-Cup Meals Processor

 If you happen to’re solely utilizing your meals processor often, this budget-friendly meals processor may very well be possibility for you. However should you plan to make use of it repeatedly, I like to recommend investing slightly extra in a single that can final you for a very long time. This one additionally tends to present uneven cuts, which might not be a giant deal, but it surely relies upon what you’re utilizing it for. The Black + Decker 8-Cup Meals Processor is obtainable at Amazon for $39.99.

GE 12-Cup Meals Processor

This GE 12-Cup Meals Processor has quite a bit going for it. It consists of 4 slicing discs and stackable feeding tubes that allow you to regulate the dimensions 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 checklist of winners as a result of I’ve extra expertise with the opposite manufacturers and fashions, but it surely may very well be possibility for house cooks, particularly at this affordable worth. The GE 12-Cup Meals Processor is obtainable 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 possibility. It has three chute sizes, a variable slicing disc, and a security cease characteristic. Nonetheless, for my part, it doesn’t stand out amongst different fashions on this dimension vary. Plus, it’s pricier than similar-size choices with out numerous additional options to justify the upper price. The Breville Sous Chef 12 is obtainable 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-about capability, general dimension, and model status. 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.

The whole lot 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 primary objective of mixing and chopping, however all of them have options that make them stand out from each other. Listed here are a very powerful issues to think about when deciding which one is greatest to your kitchen.

Capability: Meals processors include totally different bowl sizes. You need the bowl to be sufficiently big to deal with all of your wants, however bigger isn’t all the time higher. If you happen to go too large, it won’t be capable to successfully course of smaller portions of meals because the blade may even be bigger. Most house 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 dimension for smaller duties.

General dimension: Along with the capability, you’ll wish to take into consideration general dimension, particularly should you’re planning to maintain it in your countertop. Verify the size of the meals processor you’re contemplating and be sure to’re snug with the area it takes up.

Settings: All meals processors have primary settings—usually on/off and pulse choices—however you could discover some with superior options like a dough-kneading blade. Take into account your most typical cooking wants and slim down your decisions that approach. Usually, extra options imply a better price, so should you don’t want all of the bells and whistles, you possibly can skip them in favor of a cheaper price tag.

Equipment: Meals processors usually include various forms of blades and a few even have totally different dimension 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 possibility that covers these bases.

What’s a Meals Processor?

A meals processor is a flexible kitchen equipment that helps velocity 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 forms of meals.

Can You Use a Blender as a Meals Processor? 

You should utilize a blender rather than a meals processor for some kitchen duties, however you received’t get the very same outcomes. Blenders are designed to liquefy components, so that they’re greatest for wetter recipes and liquid-based components. Meals processors can shred and slice dry components, which a blender can’t do, and can be used to puree. If you happen to solely have a blender, make certain to make use of a pulse perform or manually pulse the machine to keep away from turning your components into soup.

What Does a Meals Processor Do? 

Meals processors chop, shred, slice, and grind various kinds of meals. For instance, they’ll shred carrots or contemporary cheese or shortly 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 you could 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 automated drip machine. If you happen to do use a meals processor to grind your espresso beans, be sure to use the heart beat perform and verify on them each 3 to five seconds till you attain your required end result. Simply observe that the espresso scent might linger. 

The Greatest Recipes for Meals Processors

Meals processors generally is a useful kitchen software for therefore many recipes. I exploit mine usually to shortly chop greens, put together dressings and sauces, and make nut butters. Listed here are just a few of my go-to recipes, however you should utilize this versatile kitchen software for prep too:

Costs have been correct at time of publication.