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A food processor is a kitchen appliance that quickly and easily chop, slice shred, grind, and puree almost any food. Some models can assist the home cook in making juices, beating cake batter, kneading bread dough, beating egg whites, and grinding meats and vegetables.
Introduced in 1973 by American engineer Carl Sontheimer who adapted a French industrial blender for the home cook. Once the consumer realized what a valuable and useful appliance the food processor could be the appliance took off.
edge out KitchenAid and Cuisinart run neck-and-neck as the best food processors. We saw a bit more mention of Cuisinart models in general, in part because Cuisinart's product line is a bit more extensive with respect to bowl sizes and accessories. In the most recent comparative reviews, however, KitchenAid's full-sized 12-cup KFP750 (*est. $180) and KitchenAid KFP760 (*est. $220)Cuisinart's 11-cup Pro Custom 11 DLC-8S (*est. $170) and DLC-2011 (*est. $200) food processors. Owners are also fans of KitchenAid; the KitchenAid KFP750 has received more than 100 high user ratings at Amazon.com. Owners praise this food processor for its solid construction and power. Other reviews say the two manufacturers are very evenly matched, and although some give KitchenAid the edge, others are fiercely loyal to Cuisinart. While we've included the 12-cup KitchenAid KFP750 in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers as the best all-around food processor, the Cuisinart DLC-2014 appears to be a good alternative if you want a larger, 14-cup bowl size, since KitchenAid does not currently produce a model that big. Editors at Cook's Illustrated, however, don't like the design of the feed tube on either Cuisinart food processor.
The top-of-the-line KitchenAid Professional KFP760 (*est. $220) has a 12-cup capacity and comes with three bowls, including a mini-bowl that fits inside the main container for smaller jobs. This model also has an extra-wide feed tube. One caveat, says Cook's Illustrated, is that the food processor only operates with the use of the plunger, which must be inserted halfway into the feed tube. This makes extra work of processing long items, which will need to be cut in half as a result -- negating some of the benefit of the wide feed tube. The KitchenAid food processor comes with a number of blades and attachments to suit just about any need, including three additional blade discs, a dough blade and an egg whip. It also ships with a small juice press.
KitchenAid makes several variations on the KFP760 food processor. The similar KitchenAid KFP750 (*est. $180) doesn't have the extra wide feed tube of the KFP760, but still has a 12-cup capacity and offers dual tall feed tubes. This food processor is the top choice in an eight-model roundup at Cook’s Illustrated. Editors appreciate the KitchenAid KFP750 as the only machine tested that worked well across the board, and the only food processor that diced parsley. Reviewers prefer this machine's tube since you don't have to use a plunger in conjunction with the feed tube. The KitchenAid KFP750 comes with one less bowl and skips the juice attachment but is available in five colors. We've included this food processor in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers since reviews say its feed tube works a bit better than the tube on the more expensive KitchenAid KFP760. The KitchenAid KFPM770 (*est. $270) food processor comes in a brushed-nickel finish and has the same power wattage and accessories as the KitchenAid KFP760. It doesn't come with a juice press.
If your quantity needs surpass that of the 12-cup KitchenAid KFP670, the Cuisinart DLC-2014 (*est. $300) food processor may suit you. To give you an idea of its size, Consumer Guide states that "the oversized work bowl can handle up to fourteen cups of shredded cheese, enough batter for five eight-inch layer cakes, or dough for ninety cookies in a single batch." This is really a machine for those who entertain or for large families. This food processor replaces the older Cuisinart DLC-7 and has a more rounded base, wider feed tube assembly and a dough button. Cuisinart has pinned a long warranty on this model -- longer than on the KitchenAid food processor, which sports a one-year warranty. The Cuisinart has a three-year full warranty and a ten-year warranty on the motor. This is the largest food processor you can buy -- so large that one of the main complaints we read is that it may be more than the average kitchen requires. We read some concerns that replacement parts are expensive.
The Cuisinart DLC-2014 food processor comes with a chopping blade and a dough blade, but you don't get a juice press or any extra bowls for smaller jobs. You do, however, get a 45-minute instructional video to teach you how to use it.
If you don't need a huge capacity bowl (or a huge machine on your counter), several smaller food processors also perform well in reviews, including the 7-cup KitchenAid KFP710 (*est. $130) , which gets excellent reviews from Good Housekeeping and high ratings from users at Amazon.com. Even though its capacity is smaller, the KFP710 food processor still has a full-size feed tube. This all-purpose model comes with an all-purpose blade, plus a shredding/slicing disc. Owners say the KitchenAid KFP710 food processor is easy to use and a good size for couples, small families or those with limited counter space.
Reviewers say the 7-cup Cuisinart DLC-5 (*est. $100) and the 7-cup Cuisinart DLC-10S (*est. $100) food processors both do a fine job handling the basics, including kneading dough. These are both excellent choices for someone who cooks for a small to medium family and doesn't have large capacity needs. They also take up less space on your countertop, which can be a significant consideration depending on the clearance of your cabinets and the size of your kitchen. The Cuisinart DLC-10S food processor has a larger feed tube than the DLC-5, and it comes with an instructional video. Any of these three smaller food processors would be a good choice. We've included the Cuisinart DLC-10S in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers for its larger feed tube (compared to the Cuisinart DLC-5) and longer three-year warranty (compared to the KitchenAid KFP-710).
If you're interested in getting more functionality out of your food processor, the Cuisinart SmartPower Duet Blender/Food Processor (*est. $70) comes with a base unit plus a food processor bowl and a blender pitcher.
The Cuisinart Duet earns praise in reviews for its versatility, but some owners report their machines stopped working after just a few months. In addition, users criticize Cuisinart for poor customer service, a complaint we found in reviews of other machines from this brand. The blender function works better than the food processor, reviews say. The Cuisinart Duet gets somewhat better overall ratings at Cooking.com, where the most recent reviews are positive on the whole, with consumers praising its space-saving ingenuity but complaining of its loud noise. At Amazon.com, however, reviews are much more mixed. About 125 owners contribute to this model's low average score of just 2.5 (out of five). The most consistent complaints are for noise and for breakage; many owners report that some of the plastic parts can snap.
The less expensive Oster 6646 Osterizer 12-Speed Blender (*est. $40) comes with a 5-cup blender jar and a 1-cup food processing jar. This combo machine gets better reviews overall than the Cuisinart Duet, but some owners say their unit didn’t work properly or at all. Most owners say this model is better as a blender. The food processor bowl is very small. Also receiving decent reviews is the Hamilton Beach 52654 Blender/Food Processor Combo (*est. $40) , another blender that comes with a small chopper bowl. We didn't yet find as many reviews for this newcomer, but so far it’s receiving positive feedback on the whole.
Best mini food processors
If you're cooking for one or two people, or making small quantities of dips and dressings and don't need a large food processor, there are several smaller choppers on the market. These generally have a 3- or 4-cup capacity and are meant for smaller, simpler tasks, such as chopping celery and mincing garlic.
The Vegetarian Times reports that the small, budget-priced Hamilton Beach ShortCut Micro Food Processor (*est. $30) is the only model in testing that didn't leak while pureeing soup -- even the top-rated (but discontinued) KitchenAid Professional leaked a bit. For small families who don't expect their needs to extend much beyond basic slicing and chopping tasks, the 3-cup Hamilton Beach is a good value. Unfortunately, we saw some negative reviews written by owners posting to Amazon.com who say this mini food processor does not hold up well in the long run.
Another option is the 21-ounce Cuisinart DLC-1 Mini-Prep (*est. $30) . In testing, the 2.5-cup Cuisinart outperformed other small food processors in chopping and pureeing. Owners posting comments to opinion sites are more positive about this mini food processor than the Hamilton Beach ShortCut above.
The KitchenAid Chef's Chopper KFC3100 (*est. $40) also receives good reviews. Cook's Illustrated calls it the "best of the bunch" in its report on mini food processors. Owners posting to Amazon.com and Epinions give it nearly five out of five stars -- a notch above the Hamilton Beach and Cuisinart mini choppers -- and we've included it in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers for that reason. Black & Decker’s mini model, the MFP200 MiniPro Plus (*est. $20) , gets poor reviews for its small food chute and dispensing spout, which owners say can shoot food onto the countertop.
Although the small Hamilton Beach ShortCut does a fine job in professional tests, full-sized Hamilton Beach models don't fare as well. In one test, full-sized Hamilton Beach processors labored over heavier-duty tasks, "walking" across the countertop, which can become genuinely hazardous should the machine inch over the edge. As with the ShortCut, owners posting to Amazon.com report some problems with overheating motors and noise level. Hamilton Beach has a few other models, the Change-a-Bowl Slicer/Shredder (*est. $40) and the Chef Prep Chopper (*est. $60). The Change-a-Bowl can shred food directly into interchangeable, 48-ounce bowls to keep ingredients separated. The Chef Prep adjusts to the quantity of food you need to prepare. It can handle a quarter cup of nuts or three cups of tomatoes.
Important Features: Food processors
The following is what experts say about choosing a food processor:
Performance is more important than extra features. All food processors can chop, slice, shred and puree foods. Optional attachments like juicers, egg beaters, cream whippers, dough kneaders, French-fry cutters and julienne blades are nice extras, but can be purchased later. It's much easier to buy more blades than it is to buy another machine.
Don't get caught up in the number of speeds -- one speed plus pulse is all you need.
A 4- to 7-cup capacity is adequate, but a 9- to 12-cup bowl size is even better. Most of the complaints about 4- to 7-cup models at consumer voting sites like Epinions resulted from problems caused by too-small bowls. Professional tests often find bowl capacity to be somewhat less than advertised. Also, keep in mind that advertised food processor capacities measure dry ingredients only, and an open-topped tube limits liquid volume to about half of the advertised capacity.
Heavy food processors are more difficult to haul out of a cupboard, but they're also more stable. Weightier machines are less likely to shake or scoot across the counter during a big job, and they also tend to be quieter. Reviewers agree that major projects like baking bread, making your own pasta or chopping heavy vegetables require a heavy machine.
Consider counter space when selecting your food processor. You may want to measure the clearance between your countertop and cabinets, as well as the space actually available on your countertop before you purchase a machine. Larger machines are heavier and take up more physical space.
Reviewers offer a few tips for effective food processing. Cut food into equal-size pieces, use short pulses, scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary, and avoid processing frozen or hard foods that can damage the blades. Also, using the feed tube maximizes efficiency. Be sure to apply only light pressure on soft foods and firmer pressure on harder foods. Most new machines come with a dough knife but take caution when using it. Even the most powerful processor may be no match for thick dough. Leave this job to your mixer or bread maker, as experts say food processors may stall.
