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The Cuisinart food processor was a revolutionary kitchen appliance when it was introduced in America (and sold in the UK as the “Magimix”) in the early 1970s. In just a few short years it had a permanent place on the counter of any serious home cook, and the word “Cuisinart” became synonymous with this powerful and versatile machine.
Food processors are still an integral feature of most kitchens, and Cuisinart is still among the top-selling brands worldwide. But nearly every major appliance manufacturer now offers at least one line of food processors, at very different price points and with very different features.
The best food processor list for April, 2024 has been compiled by Groom+Style below – enjoy!
1. Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DC
Cuisinart didn’t just sit on its laurels after dominating the food processor market. It continued to develop new product concepts, and the FP-14DC is a perfect example; it can function as three unique processors without requiring any additional space on your counter.
They accomplish this feat with an innovative bowl design. The large 14-cup work bowl functions in the same way it does on all food processors, but there are also smaller 11-cup and 4 ½-cup bowls, either of which can fit right inside the larger one and be sealed tightly to the processor with the same lid. This allows you to use the Elite Collection’s large bowl for full-scale processing, the medium-sized one to shred cheese or the small one to simply chop up some mushrooms. All have convenient pour spouts and lock tightly into the assembly lid.
[youtube id=”2yU_rjQjjo4″ width=”750″ height=”340″ position=”left”]The machine itself is a beast with an energy-efficient 1000-watt peak power induction motor and has the usual on, pulse and off buttons as well as a “dough” button for more difficult jobs. A nice feature is the wide-mouth feed tube and pusher which allow you to put large ingredients into the processor without having to chop them by hand first. There’s also the assortment of accessories you would expect with any Cuisinart: small and large mixing/chopping blades, an adjustable slicing disc with six positions, and a reversible shredding disc. The blades also lock onto the unit, an improvement over past models.
All of the food processors this company has produced over the years have been top-quality, durable, and expensive. The FP-14DC is all three – and the best option on the market. More info on the Cuisinart Elite Collection FP-14DC:
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2. Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor
The Sous Chef has a bigger bowl than the Cuisinart Elite, more blades and discs, a more powerful motor, and the same wide-feed chute. That would make it sound like a better food processor than the Cuisinart – and it probably is. Then why is it only ranked #2 on this list? Quite simply, it’s more expensive than the Elite FP-14DC and we don’t feel the extra power and blades are worth the extra cost for most home cooks.
Having said that, this is a terrific food processor and well worth the price if you’re going to be doing things like making French fries or julienning carrots, since the Breville’s attachments include whisking, reversible shredding, French fry, julienne and slicing discs (the latter with 24 different settings), plus dough, mini and serrated S blades. There is also a 2.5-cup mini-bowl similar to the small one on the Cuisinart, and an LCD display and timer not offered by the less-expensive competitor. The modern metallic look is attractive, too.
If you use a food processor for the normal kitchen tasks most people undertake, you don’t need this machine. But if you give your processor a real workout on a daily basis or would like to use it for projects which require extra “finesse,” the Sous Chef is the machine for you. Looking closer at the Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor:
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3. Braun K650 Multiquick Food Processor
A more affordable option which will last a while and take care of most kitchen jobs, the Braun Multiquick is worth a long look. Since you’re paying less, you naturally get a little less; the bowl has a 9-cup capacity, and the motor is a less robust one with 600-watts of power.
However, you get a surprising amount of flexibility with this machine. Unlike higher-end units, you can select from 14 different processing speeds in addition to a “soft pulse” mode, and there are seven attachments, including four slicing options (fine shredder, coarse grater, fine slicer and cheese grater), a cream blade and a citrus press. The safety lock on the Braun is also one of the best we’ve seen.
The Multiquick food processor isn’t as sturdy as the Cuisinart and Breville (to put it another way, it’s not as strong or heavy as a boat anchor), it’s larger because of a space-hogging design, and it won’t handle some arduous jobs as efficiently as those competitors. For a less-pricey everyday kitchen appliance that won’t break down quickly and will chop vegetables, whip cream and shred soft cheese, though, it’s the best choice we’ve found. Specifications of the Braun K650 Multiquick Food Processor:
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4. Black & Decker FP1600B Food Processor
Not everyone uses a food processor often enough to lay out hundreds of dollars for an appliance which will spend most of its time taking up space. The Black & Decker FP1600B is perfect for those who only need a processor on occasion, since it performs most of the necessary functions pretty well at a very reasonable price.
We would honestly expect to pay a lot more for what this machine has to offer: an 8-cup bowl, 450-watts of power, and stainless steel chopping blade and reversible shredding/slicing disc. It’s about the size of a blender so it can be moved to a pantry or cabinet easily, although it has a modern look which will suit most kitchens where the food processor is left on the counter.
The Black & Decker is quite noisy, and won’t perform up to the level of the more expensive food processors when trying to do fine chopping or grate hard cheese. But for about the same price that you’d spend to buy the ingredients for a fancy dinner, it’s a great buy. Getting specific on the Black & Decker FP1600B Food Processor:
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5. Ninja Master Prep QB900
Many people have a huge food processor on their counter, but only use it to make smoothies or chop vegetables for omelets. In that case, there’s no need to spend a ton of money for a top-of-the-line machine; the Ninja Master Prep was designed expressly for that type of work.
There are two bowls included with this food processor, a 6-cup pitcher and a smaller 2-cup prep bowl. And since the “guts” of the Ninja blender are on the top of the unit, it’s simple to attach either bowl to the actual processor. The 400-watt motor is just fine for chopping small amounts of fruits or veggies and makes a terrific smoothie after the ingredients are ready. It’s possible to slice or grate foods with the Master Prep as well, although you shouldn’t expect master chef results on tougher assignments.
If you need a full-featured food processor, this isn’t the way to go. If you want to replace the smoothie maker, the blender and the small electric chopper or mini-prep machine in your kitchen with one lightweight appliance that is very reasonably priced then the Ninja blender QB900 will do the trick. The key specifications of the Ninja Master Prep QB900:
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Changed your mind and are more interested in Blenders now, no problems just read Groom+Styles Top 5 Best Blender Review. Or alternatively, you can change your focus to the top 5 best juicers on the market. To perhaps gets some more ideas about the benefits of having a food processor and cooking at home more, see our article on eating at home vs. eating out.
