What is a Food Processor?
Here you’ll find our research for the best food processor. Also, an explanation of a food processor vs a blender.
A food processor is one neat kitchen appliance. It speeds up the job of food preparation, exponentially. The primary function of this machine is to take care of the repetitive and mundane tasks of cutting, dicing etc of food.
When we think of a food processor, we mostly think of an electric appliance, with a motor. Having said that, there are some manual devices that can do some of the tasks (like a mandolin), but none are as versatile as a motorized food processor.
Some folks think that a blender and a food processor are almost the same. They are not. A food processor has interchangeable cutting disks and blades, a wider bowl, that’s shorter, and doesn’t require liquid to do it’s job, unlike a blender which requires some liquid to aid in getting the food around the blade.
Feel free to read on down below, and we hope this will assist you in finding the best food processor.
#5 – Hamilton Beach Professional Dicing Food Processor with 14-Cup BPA-Free Bowl (70825)
This is a well rounded and commercial quality machine, and comes with 5 attachments….which enable this Hamilton Beach to slice from thick to thin, Dice cubes, shred various foods, knead dough etc, chop, mix things and create puree.
Pretty versatile. Not to mention, there’s a storage case, and a limited 5 year warranty. The BPA – Free bowl has a 14 cup volume, pour spout & leak free seal, and a lid that snaps tightly to the bowl utilizing the heavy-duty die-cast locking arm. There’s also a high liquid capacity, of 8-cups.
The unit has two speeds plus pulse and easy-to-read function icons make it easy to operate, via the electronic touch pad, which has LED indicator lights. A handy storage container keeps accessories organized and safe. Clean up is a snap as the lid, blades, and bowl can safely go in the dishwasher.
A handy feature is the 3-in-1 Big Mouth feed tube. This eliminates the need to to do much pre-cutting. Place whole foods, or smaller pieces without hassle…it’s your choice. There are also a couple of smaller/narrower tubes, which help in holding thinner foods in an upright position.
The unit weighs just over 15 lbs, and feels solid. If price were the only consideration, this Hamilton Beach Professional Dicing Food Processor with 14-Cup BPA-Free Bow, just might be the best food processor!
Overall reviews have been very favorable, considering the price point and the abilities of this food processor.
For more details, visit Amazon here….
#4 – KitchenAid KFP1466OB 14-Cup Food Processor with Exact Slice System and Dicing Kit – Onyx Black
KitchenAid quality here in the KFP1466OB. Awesome reviews from most people who own this commercial-style food processor.
Features a hands-free dicing kit (which is an advanced dicing mechanism being debuted on this machine), which first slices, and then dices for ease of food processing. This feature is an industry first.
KitchenAid’s Exact Slice System offers optimized speeds, and can go from a thick slice to a thin slice with one slide of the external lever.
There’s a 2-in-1 Feed Tube that lets you choose which size of the opening (the wider or narrower opening) to use while you’re in a continuous shredding or cutting scenario.
Enjoy the precision of handling harder or softer foods via the Pulse, Low or High speed choices.
The KitchenAid KFP1466OB comes with a fair bit of accessories.
Included are the 14-Cup Work Bowl, 4-Cup Work Bowl, Lid with Feed Tube, Lid without Feed Tube, Adjustable Slicing Disc, Reversible Shredding Disc, Multipurpose Blade, Multipurpose Blade for the 4-Cup Work Bowl, a Dough Blade, the Dicing Kit, Clean Out Tool, and of course the Storage Case.
Even though this 14-Cup Food Processor with Exact Slice System and Dicing Kit comes in at #4, you still wouldn’t go wrong with this KitchenAid. It’s a high quality food processor.
#3 – Cuisinart DLC-8SBCY Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Chrome
The Cuisinart DLC-8SBCY Pro Custom is a very nice medium-end machine, with terrific consumer reviews.
This Cuisinart food processor has an 11-cup work bowl, and a really great sized feed tube. You can slice whole veggies and fruits, no problem.
Kneading dough for bread etc. is a snap with the powerful motor.
Comes with various stainless steel discs for slicing/shredding, medium and thin, and a chopping blade.
The motor has a full 5-year warranty, while the rest of the machine comes with a limited 3-year warranty.
The Cuisinart DLC-8SBCY Pro Custom comes in at 16.3 lbs, which is a comfortable weight, yet you know there’s something solid there. We’re not fond of flimsy machines, which is why this Cuisinart made our list…finding the best food processor.
Learn more from Amazon, click here…
#2 –Braun FP3020 12 Cup Food Processor Ultra Quiet Powerful motor, includes 7 Attachment Blades + Chopper and Citrus Juicer , Made in Europe with German Engineering
One of the highest rated food processors, this Braun FP3020 12 Cup Food Processor.
made with German precision and engineering. It’s designed to slice, whisk, chop, knead, and/or use the juicer attachment for a delicious, vitamin-filled beverage.
Dual Control system with variable speed. There are also 11 preset speeds. Food processing starts at any of the speeds you choose to start at. This gives you much more control over the evenness of the process.
Every part of the FP3020 is dishwasher safe (except the heavy part, with the motor), so this Braun food processor is easy to clean.
600 watt ultra quiet, powerful motor, but can deliver a peak 900 watts, when required.
It has a 12-cup dry food capacity, and a 9-cup wet ingredients/liquids capacity.
There are built-in safety features (such as the FP3020 won’t turn on, unless the lid is locked in), and more.
There’s a generous set of accessories too. Here’s a quick list: a Citrus juicer attachment, two shredding blades, one slicing blade, one Ultimate kugel Potato Latkes blade, and a whipping and kneading accessory.
There are more items available, but must be purchased separately. This Braun comes in, at a paltry 10.1 lbs. It’s a light-weight, but packs a punch, and most consumers love this one!
#1 – Breville BFP800BSXL Sous Chef Food Processor, Black Sesame
Okay, so we’re down to the number one pick in finding the best food processor.
People are in love with the Breville BFP800BSXL Sous Chef Food Processor.
Having said that, it’s not a bargain-priced kitchen appliance, but you really get what you pay for in this department.
Out of the box, you get 5 multi-function discs, and 3 blades.
A very clever design, with an ultra wide 5.5 inch feed tube/chute. This eliminates the need to pre-cut over 90% of fruits and vegetables.
There are two processing bowls. Both are BPA-free. One is a 16 cup (3.8L) large bowl, and the other is a 2.5 cup (600ml) small bowl.
There’s a count-up and count-down auto timer, in a convenient LCD display.
Included is a storage box for the accessories. It can be safely stored, either vertically or horizontally, depending on your storage limitations and requirements.
This is a 23 lb machine…this is no joke! When you move this guy around, you know you’ve got a serious piece of kitchen equipment in your hands. Usually, this kind of weight is heavily contributed by the motor. It’s a satisfying feeling, when you lift up the BFP800BSXL!
This Breville Sous Chef Food Processor is not a new machine. It’s been around for a few years, and continues to get rave reviews.
As previously mentioned, it’s not a cheap machine either.
When this Breville was originally designed, it was maybe ahead of it’s time, as it still wows consumers even today. In some consumer electronic circles, they describe things as being future-proof. The Breville BFP800BSXL just may fit that bill!
In all seriousness though, it was simply, a well designed and well thought out food processor, with high-quality parts. A winning combination!
The Best Food Processor – Final Thoughts
Well, it’s pretty clear in any category or product that you buy, that you get what you pay for. The food processor world, is no exception.
The odd time, you may find a product that is of good quality, but is lesser known, and therefore priced lower to overcome the associated apprehension of buying something that no one has ever heard of.
In this case the Breville BFP800BSXL Sous Chef Food Processor is the right decision for a serious cook/chef. It’s the kind of machine that you will have for years, or even decades, and definitely rates as our pick for the best food processor!
When searching for small appliances, sometimes it’s a bit of a jungle out there. Who know what’s right or wrong, or what features are wise to look out for, or to stay away from…
So we wrote the Ultimate Small Appliance Buying Guide to help you along. Good Luck!