Finally, we cleaned the bowls, lids, disks, and food pressers of each model by hand—eight times. The Cuisinart Custom Cup Food Processor has been our top pick since because it does everything a great food processor should do, without any unnecessary extras. With one blade, one grating disk, and one slicing disk, this cup processor excelled at nearly every chopping and shredding task we attempted, working as well as or better than costly machines with more attachments.
This model is easy to clean, and the attachments store neatly inside the bowl, preventing clutter. In our tests, the Cuisinart evenly chopped almost everything, including juicy tomatoes. The only exception was almonds—more on that in the Flaws but not dealbreakers section, below.
The grating disk also shredded soft mozzarella cheese without getting gummed up. And we made a firmer, more stable mayonnaise in the Cuisinart than in any other full-size model we tested. The Cuisinart has a strong motor and a heavy base roughly 18 pounds with the bowl on that keeps it stable. Making pizza dough was our most motor-intensive test, and the Custom 14 kneaded it effortlessly, without wiggling across the counter like some other processors we tried.
By comparison, we found that the cup Cuisinart we tested was a little too small, particularly when processing wet ingredients. At first the Cuisinart seemed kind of puny next to some other models, which boasted nesting bowls, taller bases, and big boxes of attachments.
We love that it comes with only one bowl and two operating buttons: pulse and on. It also comes with only the most useful attachments: a stainless-steel chopping blade and disks for shredding and slicing.
Earlier versions of the Cuisinart Custom 14 included a dough blade, and you can still purchase one through the Cuisinart website. But we find dough blades unnecessary and have successfully prepared doughs using regular chopping blades for years. We cleaned each model eight times, so we were achingly familiar with the gunk that can get trapped in more-complicated lids. By contrast, our upgrade pick, the Breville Sous Chef 16 Pro , comes with a plethora of disks and accessories, requiring more storage space.
At only 15 inches tall, the Cuisinart should also fit under most cupboards. We like its slightly retro, sleek design, and the base is also available in several colors each of which has a different model number. Most were evenly chopped, but there were a handful of nuts that remained in large pieces.
But you can buy additional slicing disks through Cuisinart if you want them. Another staffer who admitted to being a little rough on her machine just replaced her Cuisinart with a new one after 11 years of use. Meanwhile, senior kitchen and appliance editor Marguerite Preston still uses a decades-old Cuisinart Custom 14 that she inherited from her parents.
For small chopping tasks, the inexpensive KitchenAid 3. It evenly chops a range of ingredients, including tough jumbo carrots.
In our tests, this processor even performed better than the mini bowl attachments that come with some of the larger processors. To operate it, you squeeze a tab on the top of the handle, which we found more comfortable to do than holding down buttons on the base of the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus. The KitchenAid chopped more evenly than the other mini processors we tested, and it did so quickly.
It diced onions more consistently than the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus, and it chopped a quartered tomato evenly—we had to cut a tomato into smaller pieces to get the same results using other models. The Food Chopper also minced parsley cleanly, whereas the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus tore it, causing it to oxidize faster. Full-size processors are best for chopping nuts. However, at just under 2 pounds, it has a slightly heavier base than other mini models, which helps keep it stable.
This KitchenAid also excels at emulsifications. With this method, the mayonnaise comes together without your having to control the flow of oil. This KitchenAid comes with relatively few parts and it disassembles easily for cleaning. The machine adjusts automatically to the food being processed, while a choice of small or large feed chute allows you to keep vegetables upright. This means you can control the flow of ingredients. The adjustable slicing disc meanwhile, created even slices of aubergine.
The only downside is that the food processor parts are not all dishwasher-safe. Last year we saw some great Black Friday food processor deals on top brands that feature front and centre in this guide. One such model was the Ninja, which always sees excellent seasonal promotions that bump the price right down.
Other brands that occasionally offer some seriously great promotions include Magic Bullet and also Russell Hobbs. Food processors vary greatly in price and amount of accessories, so how much you spend will depend on how much you plan to use it and what it needs to be able to do. However, keen cooks and those who like to make batches for the freezer will get more use from the extra kit.
Some food processors may also be able to double up as a stand mixer, blender or mini chopper, making them a better value all-in-one buy. Decide where your food processor will live. Similarly, check the height as not all food processors are low enough to fit under kitchen wall cabinets. If you plan to store it in a cupboard, check how much it weighs.
One of the defining features of modern food processors is how much kit they can potentially come with. There will be a dough hook for kneading, which works by stretching the dough rather than slicing through it. Then there might be one or two discs with a spindle, which will shred, slice and grate cheese and vegetables.
A citrus press may be included. The size of your food processor bowl will affect how much you can prep in one go. The largest can be up to four litres — ideal if you batch cook or have a big family — but for everyday jobs 1. Storage is a key consideration if your food processor comes with lots of kit. Look for designs that allow you to store tools inside the bowl or that come with boxes or cases.
Variable speeds allow you to control how much you process your food and give greater versatility. For example, a pulse option is good for foods that only need rough chopping, such as nuts. Remember that how a food processor is designed can have as much bearing on its performance.
Look for models where most or all parts can be popped in the dishwasher. Look out for crevices in the tools where food can become trapped. Some plastic parts and tools may be top rack-safe only, so check before you put them on a hot wash.
See our guide on how to clean a blender or food processor for more guidance. Food processors can be noisy — but some are more than others. Look for food processors with an induction motor for quieter processing. As a plus, induction motors also tend to be more reliable. The processor itself is robust and a good weight, and — with the addition of rubber suction cup feet — stays relatively still while processing, although when grating hard cheese, it did move slightly and was rather noisy.
The controls are straightforward with the dial having two speed settings, pulse and off. Equally the set-up instructions were easy to follow and the machine was up and running in about 10 minutes — most of that time was spent sifting through all the attachments to sort out what was what.
The attachments are not as substantial as the more expensive machines but made short work of all the punishing processes it was put through, with little wastage. There is no storage with this processor though and with so many attachments — jugs, bowls etc. The blades and the slicing discs, as would be expected, are super sharp and with no distinctive safe storage, accidents can happen, as a cut finger here bears testament. The Tefal processor has an impressive range of attachments, which at this price is a bargain.
There is also an in-bowl storage box and the cord winds neatly away, making this an excellent space-saving processor. The w motor and large three-litre bowl means the Tefal can tackle hefty loads and quantities, and in every test it performed exceptionally well, evenly and with little or no waste. There is also a series of pre-programmed tasks found on the control panel, which intuitively chooses the motor speed most suited to the task. However, the instructions supplied with the processor are complicated to work through, with page after page of tiny drawings and text is kept to a minimum.
With patience, good eyesight, plenty of time and some knowledge of food processing, it is possible to work it out though. Anyone new to using a food processor would possibly struggle to get the answer they need, which is a shame as this is an excellent machine and offers excellent value for money. The KitchenAid shines on style and performs extremely well. The instructions are straightforward, with the processor up and running within minutes, and the innovative one-click, twist-free bowl and latched lid locking system was the best lock of all the processors tested, making this both a secure and safe machine to use.
The discs and blades store inside the bowl, which can be a faff as they need to be removed every time, but cleverly inserted so sharp edges are facing down to prevent slicing fingers when removing them.
The cable is stored in the base too, all of which makes the KitchenAid neat and tidy on the worktop. Do not be put off by the watt motor either; this machine packs a punch with its smooth, quiet and powerful delivery, with two speeds and pulse delivered by the simple push down buttons. The KitchenAid performed well in all functions, with a variety of slicing thicknesses, grating hard cheese into fluffy clouds and producing delicate shreds of vegetables through to hefty chunks.
Key specs — Size: 17 x 21 x We also measure noise, because while all models are noisy, some are much more grating than others. If the food processor comes with slicing attachments, we test the slicing blade using mushrooms and celery, and the shredding blade with cheddar. Check our food processor and food chopper ratings and buying guide for more details. The touch buttons are easy to wipe clean. This food processor is 18 inches high and weighs 19 pounds, factors to consider if you plan to lift it out of a cupboard or cabinet with each use.
Add the included accessory storage case, and you can see how this model will eat up storage space in addition to a chunk of money. The warranty is for one year, but the motor is covered for 25 years, the longest in our ratings. Available in brushed aluminum, red, and black. It has a cup capacity and stands almost 16 inches high. The warranty covers three years; five for the motor.
Available in brushed stainless, copper, and stainless mixed with black or white.
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