The very best meals processors for 2021: KitchenAid, Cuisinart, and extra

Deciding on the very best meals processor to fit your chopping, dicing, grinding and meals prep wants may be difficult. From motor energy to capability, attachments and total worth, we’re right here to assist discover the very best choices available on the market. Seems, the very best meals processors aren’t all the time the costliest.

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In the case of kitchen countertop home equipment, a high-quality meals processor is among the most versatile, designed to perform specialised duties rapidly within the kitchen.

A high-performance meals processor can really feel like your individual private sous chef, saving you on time and effort spent laboring over a given recipe. And it does not even must be massive: Small meals processor and even mini meals processor choices want solely a pointy blade to get the job finished.

Relying on the attachment, processor with a strong motor can simply shred arduous or comfortable cheeses, grind nuts into powder, knead bread dough or pizza dough, make a pie crust, cube and slice vegetables and fruit or make butter and spreads. You possibly can even make emulsions and soups proper within the working bowl with the assistance of a top quality meals processor in your kitchen. As with something, there are stark variations in motor efficiency, the general sturdiness and the price of the machine.

You additionally need to remember how straightforward to scrub the meals processor is. Some or all of its parts could also be dishwasher protected. Even when you must hand-wash the chopping blade, with the ability to toss the feed chute or predominant container within the dishwasher could also be a boon.

I examined seven, representing main manufacturers and greatest sellers in response to Amazon, Goal and Walmart meals processor evaluations. You possibly can choose a meals processor up for as little as $25 or splurge massive on an costly professional mannequin for upward of $600. The meals processors I examined fall squarely within the center, within the $100 to $200 vary made for normal residence use. There are additionally mini fashions and extra-large meals processors however these are all common in measurement — between 10- and 14-cup capacities. 

How we check meals processors

Whereas meals processors can carry out many alternative duties, I selected exams that represented the core features of a meals processor. Most individuals use these kitchen home equipment to mix, chop, puree and shred. 

Narrowed down to those key features, I selected hummus, pico de gallo, almond butter and shredding parmesan for the check kitchen duties. These recipes provide a mixture of mixing, chopping, shredding and pureeing to offer me a really feel for the efficiency of every mannequin. 

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Hummus is an effective indicator of how highly effective the meals processor’s motor is and thus how effectively the equipment can mix substances collectively into one easy dish. Pico illustrated how straightforward it’s for the chopping blade to get a uniformly chopped dish made up of substances in various textures and hardnesses. 

Almond butter permits me to check the meals processor’s skill to puree one thing like a tough almond right into a nut butter consistency. It additionally permits me to run the processor for an prolonged time period to see if there are overheating points or noise and vibration complaints. I used 16 ounces of almonds in every check. 

A shredding check requires a pleasant massive block of parmesan, one of many hardest cheeses. This exams the grating disc efficiency in addition to the usability of the mouth’s width and the meals processor’s meals pusher.

I attempted my hand at performing every of those in every of those meals processors. Every recipe was repeated twice in every machine utilizing the identical substances in the identical quantities throughout all manufacturers. This is the way it all shook out and my suggestion for the three greatest meals processors accessible.

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It is not fairly (not even a bit), however this $180 German meals processor from Braun’s Tribute Assortment had the very best outcomes by far when it got here to mixing and chopping. The hummus from the Braun meals processor was the smoothest of any I made in my testing. After I used the Braun FP3020 as a meals chopper to make Pico de Gallo, it got here out uniform and finely chopped with out leaving an excessive amount of juice pooled within the backside of the bowl.

The 12-cup bowl is giant sufficient for households and with 15 speeds you will have loads of management over your processing. The flexibility to fine-tune the velocity got here in further helpful once I grated a tough block of parmesan. On excessive, it was uncontrollable in most meals processors, however with the velocity at, say, a 6 or Eight out of 15 within the Braun, I might regular the cheese and information it higher by means of the feed tube whereas nonetheless getting grate.

You may additionally get seven attachments to assist make being a house chef straightforward. The attachments are good for slicing greens, kneading dough, shredding, whipping, juicing and mixing. $180 is on the higher finish of our worth vary, however the Amazon worth on the time of this posting put it at an affordable $164 — not too shabby for a kitchen equipment that helps in every kind of cooking and meals prep.

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We examined a number of Cuisinart fashions and this one wins for its stability of efficiency, worth and options. This Cuisinart meals processor carried out effectively in our meals processor evaluate exams. 

Hummus with the Cuisinart FP-11SV was easy and well-blended. 4 pulses labored as a meals chopper for chopping up my pico de gallo substances effectively and though getting almonds to a butter consistency took considerably longer on this mannequin (about 10 minutes on common in comparison with different fashions), the end result was a easy and well-mixed. 

Shredding cheese was a bit difficult because the mouth of this processor’s meals chute is small in comparison with different fashions. I needed to trim down my wedge of parmesan fairly a bit to slot in the chute. Nonetheless, you do get considerate extras like a disc with two shredding measurement choices (tremendous or medium) and suction cups on the underside of the processors to assist it keep regular in your countertop.

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KitchenAid is a basic model and whereas its stand mixers are beloved, I can not say the identical for the corporate’s meals processor choices. This 11-cup KitchenAid meals processor mannequin labored effectively, but it surely wasn’t the very best performer in mixing and chopping. Nonetheless, you’ll get a number of attachments and it is a good meals processor for shredding and slicing because it comes with a number of discs for various shred and slice sizes. 

Hummus on this mannequin was a easy, well-blended consistency with even taste. 5 pulses of the chopping blade did the trick as a meals chopper for my pico de gallo greens and almond butter was simply processed, although the machine did warmth up within the 18 minutes it took to course of the almonds into nut butter, leaving me with questions in regards to the motor. This KitchenAid mannequin does have an computerized shut-off to forestall motor burnout, however that warmth nonetheless made me nervous. 

Shredding and slicing is the place KitchenAid actually shines. There is a reversible shredding disc choice and an externally adjustable slicing disc that corresponds with a slider on the entrance of the bottom, so you may get actually particular slice sizes. 

There’s additionally a pleasant storage case included, so you do not find yourself throwing all these blades into your bowl when it isn’t in use. It has a basic type and like every good KitchenAid equipment, it is available in a number of finishes. The value varies relying on which end you select. The silver mannequin I examined has a urged retail of $250, however the white mannequin is presently on sale at Amazon for $160. 

Different meals processors we examined

Along with the three advisable above, we examined 4 different meals processors within the $100 to $200 vary. 

Price contemplating, however not so good as the highest picks above:

• Hamilton Seaside Skilled Dicing Meals Processor: I used to be impressed by the design of this meals processor, but it surely wasn’t the winner in efficiency and I discovered the button labels and noise stage to be a bit bothersome. At $200, I can not advocate it over better-performing fashions. 
• Cuisinart DFP-14BKSY Customized 14-Cup Meals Processor: This Cuisinart mannequin carried out effectively sufficient, however you will solely get one velocity choice and only one sized shredding disc. The meals processors advisable above provide extra on your cash.

Not advisable:

• Ninja Sensible Display Blender and Processor: This equipment comes with a mixing bowl, processing bowl and a journey cup. With a smaller (five-cup) bowl capability, inconsistent and underperforming outcomes. The Ninja Sensible Display is a small meals processor unit I’d keep away from in case your precedence is meals processing.
• Oster Designed for Life 14-Cup Meals Processor: This meals processor simply did not carry out effectively. Hummus had a number of unchopped chickpeas in it and the gusty airflow out of the entrance of the machine was sufficient to blow round gadgets on my countertop. One other meals processor I’d keep away from.

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What to search for when shopping for a meals processor

Selecting the very best meals processor for you means contemplating all of the options you will want on your favourite recipes and customary residence chef kitchen duties. 

Capability

Meals processors are available in many alternative sizes and volumes. The scale of the meals processor relies on the dimensions of the work bowl. I examined fashions starting from 11- to 14-cup capability, however you may get meals processors that include mini bowl and mini chopper choices and as small as three cups. For a family with two or extra individuals, I would advocate no less than an 8-cup mannequin and when you’ve got the cupboard space, spring for a big meals processor, simply in case. 

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Speeds

Most recipes involving meals processors specify mixing or chopping at both a excessive or low velocity and for that cause, you will need a processor with no less than two speeds and a strong motor. The commonest configuration is a low, excessive and pulse choice. There are some meals processors with only one velocity, however that is extraordinarily limiting relating to having management over your meals so search for a meals processor with no less than some vary of speeds.

My prime meals processor choose, the Braun FP3020 has 15 particular person speeds on one dial. That is rather more than most individuals will ever want, however the choice to essentially zero into a selected velocity provides the choice for precision. 

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Attachments

Whereas your meals processor is primarily two spinning blades, there are a number of different attachments that may broaden your processor’s skills. Some include a number of attachments like discs for grating, shredding and slicing, dough blades for kneading bread dough, whipping cream and attachments for chopping nuts, juicing fruits or dicing greens. If you understand the duties you will do most frequently, be sure you test that your processor contains the blades and attachments you will want, comparable to the correct mixing blade, chopping blade, slicing blade or citrus juicer. Some meals processor fashions, just like the Braun, include a number of these attachments whereas others have to be bought individually so relying in your meals processing wants this can be one thing to contemplate. Bear in mind, attachments should not be troublesome to scrub and you need to positively test if they’ll go within the dishwasher.

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Supplies

You might also wish to think about the supplies from which the meals processor is made. Should you plan to make use of it usually and are maybe not essentially the most cautious chef within the kitchen think about a sturdy stainless-steel meals processor versus one with a plastic base which can be inexpensive however extra susceptible to breakage. Most meals processor bowls are constituted of a tough plastic that’s straightforward to scrub and dishwasher protected however some are extra sturdy than others. You probably have the chance to the touch and maintain the meals processor ensure that the plastic bowl and its lid are powerful sufficient to deal with being knocked round with out cracking.

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