With a food processor you can primarily chop, cut, grate, and puree food, but also knead. Robust blades and a high wattage chop even nuts quickly; you don’t need a big budget for a good food processor.
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We’ve picked the best models on the market and given you tips on what to look for when buying a food processor so you can make sure you've got the best of the best to meet your culinary needs.
Check out our review of the best food processors:
The best food processors
1 of 7Magimix 5200XL Food Processor
Best food processor for durabilityThis food processor has a large capacity, with a 3.6L bowl – perfect for preparing family meals, whether you're chopping, kneading, grating, slicing, whisking or blending. Magimix claim it can knead two loaves of bread worth of dough at a time! There are just three control buttons making it easy and straightforward to use.The facts:Scope: Plastic mixing bowl (large 3.6L capacity) with safety lid and feed chute; three control buttons; medium-sized bowl (2.6L) and small bowl (1.2L); stainless steel knife blade. Accessories: Comes with a recipe book and Magimix app; egg whisk; dough blade, two slicing discs, two grating discs, a BlenderMix ring, citrus press, spatula, and storage box. Power: 1,100WRating: 4.4 out of 5 stars on AmazonOne reviewer said, "We have had this for about nine months, it's almost industrial. I have a smaller alternative make that's not so heavy that I use more often, but if it's large quantities of hard stuff this is the one to use. To grind peanuts for peanut butter this mixer is a dream, 500g of peanuts at once, 20 - 30 seconds - instant peanut butter. It weighs a ton but it will take on any requirements you have."
2 of 7Cuisinart ECH4U Prep Pro
Best food processor for small processing One to consider if you're short on space and don't have a large group of people to cook for, this is a great mini food processor and chopper. Perfect for preparing dips, breadcrumbs and dressings, with a 900ml capacity.The facts:Scope: Plastic bowl (900ml capacity), stainless steel bladeAccessories: Dishwasher safe bowl, lid with drizzle holes, blades and spatulaPower: 250WRating: 4.5 out of 5 stars on AmazonOne reviewer said, "I use this for making Hummus - it's brilliant. The 'chop' and 'grind' buttons rotate the blade in opposite directions for maximum effect. The bowl takes a can of chickpeas and about half a can of other ingredients with ease. I love the fact that the bowl and blade can go in the dishwasher, unlike a previous model I owned. I am delighted I bought this."
3 of 7Kenwood MultiPro Compact FDP301WH Food Processor
Best value food processorCompact but practical, the Kenwood Multi-Pro has a reversible blade for slicing and shredding, with two speeds plus a pulse setting, and an additional jug blender too, for when you want to make soups and smoothies. It has 800W of power and the bowl is 1.2L in capacity. The facts: Scope: Plastic bowl (1.2L capacity), stainless steel knife bladeAccessories: Blender (1.2L), emulsifying tool, slicing discPower: 800WRating: 4.1 out of 5 stars on AmazonOne reviewer said, "Easy to use, very good value, numerous different cutting blades to do various things, powerful motor, very pleased with my purchase."
4 of 7Russell Hobbs Retro Food Processor
Most stylish food processorThe compact vintage food processor from Russel Hobbs is eye-catching and functional. A removable stainless steel knife, a stainless steel disc for cutting, and a rasp disc, as well as 850 watts of power - all these components have already convinced many Amazon customers of its quality. The facts: Scope: Plastic mixing bowl (1.7L capacity) with safety lid and filling aid, removable, 2-bladed stainless steel knife Accessories: blender attachment made of plastic (1.5L capacity), stainless steel disc for cutting and grating, emulsifying insert and dough tool made of plastic Power: 850 watts Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon Reviewers said, "Stylish little machine, easy to put together and clean and seems to be very good at its job. Very pleased." And, "Looks beautiful compared to other blenders and processors in this price range, so far had no issues with it and happy I spent that little bit extra as I keep it out on my counter all of the time."
5 of 7Grundig Mini Food Processor
Best mini food processorAre you looking for a handy but powerful shredder? Then how about this food processor from Grundig. This small kitchen appliance impresses with 450 watts of power and effortlessly chops all types of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Four robust stainless steel knives even chop ice cubes effortlessly. The facts:Scope: Handy mini shredder with one-hand operationPower: 450 watt motorAccessories: Four powerful stainless steel knives for chopping, chopping or pureeingRating: 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon
6 of 7Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor BN800UK Auto-iQ
Best food processor overallThe Ninja food processor is a high-performance appliance, being three things in one – a food processor, a blender, and an individual blender for making smoothies and blitzing up nuts. It's powerful with 1,200W, and comes with a slicing blade, chopping blade, and a dough blade for when you're in the mood for making bread. The facts:Scope: Plastic mixing bowl (1.8L capacity), with lid and feed chute Accessories: 1.8L Food Processor Bowl, 2.1L Jug, 700ml Cup with Lid, Pro Extractor Blade, Stacked Blade, Chopping Blade, Dough Tool, Slicing/Grating Disc, Recipe GuidePower: 1,200WRating: 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon One happy customer said, "Fantastic best food processor I have ever bought. So multi-functional I love all the range of programs. Money very well spent."
£199.00
7 of 7AAUU Multifunctional 3.5L Food Processor
Recommended for larger processingAre you looking for a food processor that can process a slightly larger amount of food? Then you might like this Multifunctional 3.5L Food Processor. With this baby, you can easily chop, whip, blend, slice and shred. With a capacity of 3.5 litres, the bowl as room for larger quantities of food than others. Three different speed settings allow total control with no fuss and confusion with many buttons. The facts:Scope: 3.5-litre plastic bowl with lid, two feed chutes and three stainless steel discs Accessories: 3.5-litre bowl, three stainless steel discs, two knife blades, whisk attachment, bowl scraper, 2 feed tubes with pushers Power: 1,100WRating: 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon An enthusiastic customer writes, "Very impressed with this product and how easy it was to set up as well, and how many different functions it is capable of performing. Overall, I used this processor for several days, I mainly used this to make smoothies and blend vegetables and meat together and I couldn't be happier with my purchase, would definitely recommend!"
How does a traditional food processor differ from a stand mixer?
Depending on the equipment and performance, both kitchen appliances are suitable for shredding as well as kneading, whipping, or pureeing. But what exactly distinguishes the two machines?
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A traditional food processor is fundamentally different in that the drive protrudes from underneath into the bowl, whereas a stand mixer has a swivel arm that folds into the bowl from above. Attachments or dough hooks can be placed on the drive shaft of a food processor. Their bowls are usually smaller than those of stand mixers.
The functions of a food processor
Stir or knead dough: Instead of a swivel arm as featured in a stand mixer, the blades of the food processor rotate constantly and ensure a smooth dough.
Chopping nuts: A food processor is able to produce a creamy nut butter.
Puree: Whether soups, smoothies or even pesto, this device works in no time.
Chopping: Vegetables, such as onions or carrots, fresh herbs or even fruit - thanks to the strong stainless steel knife, a food processor chops everything really quickly and very finely.
Grating: If you like grated cheese, you’ll save a lot of time and muscle strength with the grater disc supplied.
Making minced meat: Yes, you can make minced meat in your food processor - provided your device has enough power.
Beating: Homemade mayonnaise becomes child's play with a food processor.
Things to consider before buying a food processor
The bowls supplied with food processors are normally of low capacity. The standard is around one litre, while stand mixers can offer up to three litres in volume. In addition to volume, you should also think about the following:
The crowd: Family household or single? Large stand mixers that take up a lot of space in your kitchen are only worthwhile for larger quantities.
Your own aspiration: How often will you use your food processor? Once a week or just a couple of times a year? If you use your food processor a lot, invest a little more in the purchase and buy a high-quality device.
Which functions are important to you? Do you primarily want to stir dough? Then perhaps consider a stand mixer instead. These are equipped with a foldable dough hook and are usually even better for kneading than a food processor.
If, on the other hand, you primarily want to shred vegetables, nuts, and fruit, then you will certainly find the right food processor for you.
The strengths of a food processor are that it can shred, chop, beat and puree very well. No matter whether you’re making homemade salad dressings, sauces, peanut butter, or perfectly chopped vegetables, a food processor is your first choice. Many devices are compact, but this does mean you compromise on capacity.
So if you'll primarily be using it to make cakes, then you might be better off choosing a stand mixer. These have a larger mixing bowl, excellent kneading hooks and are usually superior to food processors for kneading and stirring.
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Sophie Knight is Editor of WhatsTheBest and Contributing Editor for Mother&Baby, Closer, Heat, Yours, and Empire websites.
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