11 Absolute Best Food Processors Ranked, According To Reviews

A reliable food processor is a must-have for avid home cooks. They slice, grate, chop, and mix, and can be used to churn out anything from guac and pesto to pie crust and doughs. Powerful motors, wide work bowls, and a bevy of attachments can really make the most of this kitchen workhorse. On the other hand, flimsy plastic and motors with low wattage can leave you stranded with tons of prep to do and a dinner party fast approaching.

With so many sites to comb through and reviews to read, picking out this specialty appliance can be totally daunting. Who has the time? I do! I'm a passionate home cook who started working the pulse function on my mom's '90s Cuisinart as soon as I could reach to lock the lid in place, and I've run point on many a Thanksgiving prep session.

I scoured all the top retail sites to find the highest-rated options, then dug deep into reviews across the web to put these food processors in order. I focused on full-size food processors, ranging from 7 to 16 cups in capacity, and also took budget into account. While this selection of food processors is ranked (peek the top spot, plus more on methodology, at the end!), any of these models would be a great choice based on your budget and your needs.

With a price starting under $42 as of this writing, the Black + Decker Easy Assembly 8-Cup Food Processor is the least expensive food processor on our list, with the public opinion to match. The 8-cup bowl is a good mid-sized option for those with a smaller kitchen or who are focused on food prep over more involved cooking projects. The 450-watt motor is also middle-of-the-road compared to competitors, and top rack dishwasher-safe components (all removable parts, including blades and bowls!) are great for easy clean-up.

The durability and overall functionality of this model are where it starts to lose points. The motor base features suction cups to hold it in place while in use, but, as one reviewer noted, it is so light that it still bounces all over the place. Multiple reviewers also noted that the work bowl was chipped or cracked before being removed from the box, questioning how long the pieces will work. Another reviewer found pieces of plastic that had broken off of the machine in the food they had been shredding — definitely not what you want to find in your coleslaw. This tendency toward chips and cracks earned the Black + Decker Easy Assembly food processor the lowest spot on the list.

Any avid home cook will tell you that kitchen counter space is prime real estate, so a small appliance that is actually small immediately catches our attention. Enter the Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor, with a footprint of only 8.2 by 9.5 inches. (The food processor is about 16 inches tall to make up for that narrow base.) This model gets its name from the unique assembly method. Instead of twisting the bowl and lid on to lock them in place, each piece is simply stacked and clipped. The larger feed tube piece does need to be inserted and clipped in place before the motor will start, providing the same safety as a twist-and-lock design. It also comes in three sizes. The 10- and 12-cup models both have 450-watt motors, while the 14-cup version is 500 watts.

Reviewers who love the Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap are consistent. One reviewer said that it was easy to use, assemble, and clean. Sounds great, so why the low rating? First, the motor's power is lower than similarly sized models. Multiple reviewers from both Target and Walmart noted how quickly the motor died. Durability is also in question, with many commenters noting that pieces broke after only a few uses. The price — starting at $59.99 — is tempting, though, and the ease of assembly gives it slightly higher marks.

GE may not be the first brand you think of when you're looking for countertop appliances, but this departure from dishwashers and refrigerators is worth considering. Starting at $159, the GE 12-Cup Food Processor With Accessories does a lot. In addition to the standard blade and shredding and slicing discs, you'll find french fry and grating discs, a dough blade, a wavy emulsifier disk for dressings and sauces, a mini chopping bowl, and a spatula. The 12-cup bowl is great for hefty projects, and the bowl and accessories are dishwasher-safe.

While the GE website touts the benefits of the food processors stacking feed tubes, designed to allow you to adjust the opening for small, medium, and large ingredients, it doesn't seem to live up to the hype. Multiple Amazon reviewers wish the feed tube was larger, noting that it is too narrow for foods like whole potatoes. Customers also pointed out the diameter of the disc attachments, noting that they are significantly smaller than the diameter of the work bowl and allow large pieces of food to slip around the disc and into the work bowl instead of being grated. The 550-watt motor is moderately powerful compared to the competition, but purchasers also noted that the plastic components connecting the blades to the motor broke easily.

If you've got space on your countertop for your food processor to live full-time, the NutriChef Multifunction Food Processor is definitely the best-looking model in the bunch. At first glance, you might even mistake it for a high-end coffee maker, and it comes in two colors (blue and gray) so you can match your decor. The unit is 7.48 by 13.7 inches, which isn't huge given the capacity — 12 cups for dry ingredients and nine cups for wet. The 600-watt motor is plenty powerful, though it's lower than other models of a similar size. The variety of blades and attachments enables this machine to blend, emulsify, slice, shred, knead, and even juice citrus, and the attachments are dishwasher-safe. The NutriChef food processor starts at $79.99.

A reviewer on Amazon noted that they felt it was a great bargain for the price, but many commented that it can be challenging to figure out how to use this food processor. Users also have mixed opinions on the lid and bowl locking mechanisms, with some reviewers loving how secure the lock is while others struggled to either lock or unlock the bowl and lid. The food processor gets high marks for grating cheese and shredding vegetables, but for tougher projects like kneading dough, one user comments that it sounded like a gear stripping.

Unless your cabinets are the kitchen equivalent of Mary Poppins' carpet bag, small appliances can take up a lot of space. Coffee maker, toaster, blender, air fryer, food processor, stand mixer ... You need a separate kitchen to store it all. Which is why Vitamix's Food Processor Attachment could be just the food processor for you.

Instead of a standalone model, this attachment pairs exclusively with Vitamix Ascent and Venturist models to expand on the motor's capabilities. Great news if you're in the market for both a blender and a food processor, but not so great if you've perfected your Vitamix skills on an older model. The base uses Self-Detect technology, so the settings adjust to work with whatever is attached to the motor.

It has a 12-cup capacity and self-contained storage for the blade and shredding discs (taking up even less precious cabinet space), and two food chute sizes. Fans love the versatility of the single-motor model, though one customer noted that the machine is quite tall because it sits atop the tall Vitamix base. Detractors have questioned the durability of the mixing bowl, as well as difficulties with the motor properly recognizing the food processor attachment — a notable downside when that technology is necessary for the attachment to be used at all. Plus, at $249.99 for the attachment alone, a full Vitamix food processor set-up is pretty pricey.

KitchenAid is a tried and trusted brand for kitchen appliances of all sizes, and the brand's food processors follow suit. We've put this food processor to the test in the past, and our testers praised the adjustable slicing blade and its even, reliable shredding. With three sizes on the market — 7, 9, and 13-cup models — it's easy to find the food processor that is right for your needs and your cabinet space. The KitchenAid Food Processor starts at $99.99.

While the motor is a bit less powerful than other models — the 7 and 9-cup models have a 250-watt motor, and the 13-cup model has a 500-watt motor — reviewers find the power to be more than sufficient. It has two speeds and a pulse function, and larger models have additional accessories. The blades and discs can be stacked and stored inside the work bowl for convenience and safety. One reviewer noted that it made prep faster and cleanup easier. While some reviewers loved that the lid lifted instead of twisting on and off, others were frustrated by the extra steps it took to close, operate, and open the work bowl during use. Some also had mixed opinions about the durability of plastic pieces, including the handle and work bowl.

Cuisinart's Core Custom Food Processors are set apart from other Cuisinart models based on design and functionality. This model is available in two sizes — 10 cups and 500 watts or 13 cups and 650 watts — and in four colors with a sleek, streamlined silhouette. The Cuisinart Core Custom 10-Cup Food Processor starts at $179.95, which includes chopping, shredding, and slicing accessories. The custom part of the name comes from the additional available accessories for both models, including a juicer, 4.5 cup work bowl insert, dicing attachment, and blender pitcher.

At about 15 pounds assembled, Core Custom food processors are notably lighter than Cuisinart's Elite model (19 pounds). Suction cups on the feet of the motor help keep it in place on the countertop. While the additional accessories are nice to have, some reviewers were disappointed that they had to purchase additional items to increase the food processor's functionality. Some also noted that the motor wasn't powerful enough, especially compared to older models.

If you're in the market for a high-powered food processor that can handle big projects, be sure to check out the Cuisinart Elite Collection 12-Cup Food Processor. If you need all that and are also in the market for a good deal, you'll be happy to know this is the only food processor available at Costco (for about ⅔ the price of other retail stores, where it usually costs $299.95). 

Cuisinart's food processors kick off the top half of our ranking, and for good reason. They're powerful, durable, and have a great reputation (we all know how particular Costco is about the items offered). Cuisinart's Elite food processor model has a 1,000-watt motor, a nesting 4-cup work bowl for smaller volumes, and a wide feeding tube for larger ingredients. Critics of this model called out how heavy the food processor is (19 pounds when fully assembled), though not everyone saw that as a fault. One reviewer noted it had impressive power and the components fit together well. Another praised the gasket around the lid for leak-proof mixing — though some noticed leaking when the gasket was not properly sealed.

The Cuisinart Custom Food Processor is the model I grew up using. It's large (11 or 14 cups), powerful (625 or 720 watts, respectively), and simple (only two functions, "on" and "pulse") — though the contemporary model's sleek brushed stainless steel base looks a lot nicer than the white plastic version my mom had in her kitchen. The extra-large feed tube is ideal for slicing and grating potatoes, apples, carrots, and more, while the pulse function is ideal for working butter into flour for pie crusts or kneading dough.

Most reviews are glowing, with many reviewers purchasing a new version of the same model after using their first food processor for decades. One reviewer noted that this was replacing their 35-year-old Cuisinart that still runs, but whose attachments had seen their last day — a true testament to the machine's longevity. Another loved that specialty attachments from older models still fit the newest version. If you've ever used an old-school Cuisinart food processor, you know how tricky it can be to get the bowl and lid properly locked — a complaint that persists with this model after 50 years. Multiple reviewers struggled to get the lid to lock properly (a must to enable the machine to turn on) and wound up getting replacement lids. But all in all, this food processor continues to live up to the hype.

If you want a food processor with serious power but don't want to spend a fortune, Ninja has your back. The 9-cup version has 850 watts of power (it peaks at 1,000 watts at maximum power) and costs $119.99, while the 12-Cup Ninja Professional XL Food Processor has 1,000 watts of power, peaks at 1,200 watts, and costs $189.99. Other brands with comparable power are almost double the price.

This model offers puree, chop, and dough preset functions and a variety of speeds, as well as an ample bowl size. Reviewers say the food processor is the perfect size for a family and saves a lot of time in the kitchen. Others love that the motor is particularly quiet. A separate accessory box does keep the blades organized, but requires extra space for storage. A few reviewers had issues with the center spindle that turns the shredding and slicing blades, citing concerns about low-quality plastic pieces.

While it is a splurge, the Breville Paradice Food Processor takes top ranking regardless of price. This food processor has it all: colorful blades and attachments that fit into an in-bowl storage caddy. A wide feed chute ideal for larger foods. A clever dicing attachment (hence the machine's punny name) that uses a grid and blade to turn food into perfect ½-inch cubes. And a powerful motor (625 watts for the 9-cup model and a whopping 1,450 watts for the 16-cup model). The 16-cup version also includes extra features, including 8-millimeter, 12-millimeter, and 16-millimeter dicing attachments, an adjustable slicing disc with 24 settings, a smaller work bowl insert, and a wider 5.5-inch feed chute.

Rather dice by hand? Opt for the Breville Sous Chef Food Processor instead. It has all the other trimmings, and you can always purchase a dicing accessory separately. This food processor is heavy — the 9-cup Paradice weighs just under 16 pounds fully assembled, and the 9-cup Sous Chef is just under 14 pounds — but the built-in storage does cut down on bulk. Aside from a few reviews noting broken bowls and difficulty sourcing replacement parts, almost every review is glowing. The 16-cup Sous Chef is $399.99, while the 16-cup Paradice is $699.95 as of this writing. As one reviewer noted, the appliance comes at a justifiable premium, given its performance and durability. It's hard to argue with that.

These food processors are ranked based on price, availability, functions and features, and user reviews. Reviews were sourced from major retailers, in particular Amazon, Target, Walmart, Costco, Crate & Barrel, and Williams Sonoma. Only full-sized food processors with over a 7-cup capacity were included in the ranking. Food processors that came in multiple sizes or multiple variations of the same model were grouped together as an individual listing.

When evaluating each food processor, I focused on ease of use, durability, ease of cleaning and storage, functionality, and issues with broken and replacement parts. I compared bowl size, wattage, and included and available attachments. I also considered price, which ranged from around $40 to $700, but price was either a perk or caveat, and not a reason for a food processor's placement in the ranking.