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; and you don’t need a big budget for a good food processor.
We’ve picked the best models on the market and give you tips on what to look for when buying a food processor.
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?
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.
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The best food processors at a glance:
Magimix 5200XL Food Processor
Cuisinart ECH4U Prep Pro Food Processor
Kenwood MultiPro Compact FDP301WH Food Processor
RUSSELL HOBBS Retro Food Processor
Grundig Mini Food Processor
Ninja Food Processor BL682UK2 Auto-iQ
Philips Viva Compact Food Processor
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Best Food Processors
1 of 7Cuisinart ECH4U Prep Pro
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.One reviewer said: "Great little Machine for a single person. Does a great job grinding, chopping and blending to a smooth sauce."The facts: Mixing bowl 900ml, one speed and pulse button, chopping and grinding blade, blade lock, drizzle hole in the lid.Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon
2 of 7Kenwood MultiPro Compact FDP301WH Food Processor
Compact 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. One reviewer said: "Easy to use, very good value, numerous different cutting blades to do various things, powerful motor, very pleased with my purchase."The facts: Scope: plastic bowl (1.2L capacity), stainless steel knife bladeAccessories: blender (1.2L), emulsifying tool, slicing discPower: 800WRating: 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon
3 of 7RUSSELL HOBBS Retro Food Processor
The 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 (1.7 l capacity) with safety lid and filling aid, removable, 2-bladed stainless steel knife Accessories: blender attachment made of plastic (1.5 l 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
4 of 7Philips Viva Compact Food Processor
Are you looking for a food processor that can process a slightly larger amount of food? Then you might like the Philips Viva Compact. With this baby you can easily chop, whip, knead and puree. With a capacity of 2.1 litres, the bowl has room for larger quantities of food than others. Three different cutting inserts, dough hooks and cutting knives ensure a wide range of uses. An enthusiastic customer writes: " Had it for a while now, and I love it. Good power, good speed, various accesories, though I've only used the blade :) I chop everything in it, never liked chopping veggies and now Philips does it for me. I make hummus using it and it's so smooth and yummy!" The facts: Power: 800 watts and innovative PowerChop technology (a special combination of blade shape, cutting angle and inner container) Scope: Food Processor, three cutting inserts, dough hook, cutting knife, warranty card, operating instructions Special features: Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon
5 of 7Magimix 5200XL Food Processor
This 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.One 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."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 Amazon
6 of 7Grundig Mini Food Processor
Are 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 and 450 watts of power even chop ice cubes effortlessly. The facts:Scope: Handy mini shredder with one-hand operationPower: 450 watt motorEquipment: Four powerful stainless steel knives for chopping, chopping or pureeing. Dishwasher safeRating: 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon
7 of 7Ninja Food Processor BL682UK2 Auto-iQ
The Ninja food process 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 1,500W, and comes with a crushing blade, chopping blade, and a dough blade for when you're in the mood for making bread. One happy customer said: "I think it is the best money I've spent in my life! I have been through few cheaper food processors (none of them lasted for long) and after reading reviews I decided to try the Ninja. I made hummus within few seconds, made energy bars; strawberry milkshake with frozen strawberries - it goes through frozen food within seconds!" The facts:Scope: plastic mixing bowl (1.8L capacity), with lid and feed chute Accessories: blender jug (2.1L capacity) with lid; crushing blade, chopping blade and dough blade; two blender cupsPower: 1,500WRating: 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon
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
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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.
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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 home-made 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.