We Tested the Best Food Processors for Chopping and Grating Ingredients Like a Pro Chef
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Our winner was the Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
People / Russell Kilgore
Even if your knife skills are on par with Bobby Flay’s, having a food processor on hand in the kitchen makes quick work of chopping, slicing, and dicing ingredients.
“Why exert yourself and potentially open up yourself to injury?” asks Anna Vocino, the founder of Eat Happy Kitchen and author of two cookbooks: Eat Happy and Eat Happy Two. “To me, there's no upside to manually chopping ingredients unless your recipe only calls for chopping two cloves of garlic.”
For Vocino, a food processor is like having a second set of hands in the kitchen. “If you pick the right food processor, it will be like having your own personal sous chef with you in the kitchen,” she says. She notes that food processors have come a long way in the last few years, which means you’ve got lots of choices depending on what you want yours to do for you in the kitchen.
Whether you aspire to have all top-of-the-line kitchen appliances like Martha Stewart and Ina Garten or simply want to give your chopping hand a rest from time to time, our list of the best food processors will help you narrow down your options.
Our PEOPLE Tested team tried out more than a dozen food processors, testing each one’s mettle when it came to chopping onions, slicing zucchini, grating cheddar, and even mixing up mayo. If you didn’t realize that one kitchen appliance could do all of that work, then you’re in for a treat.
Keep scrolling to learn about the best food processors PEOPLE tested.
Best Overall: Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
Pros
Large food bowl means you can chop more ingredients at once
Simple to use with just two buttons
Fairly easy setup once you get the hang of it
Cons
Shredding and slicing blades are not adjustable
Some smaller parts need to be hand washed
The Cuisinart tops our best food processors list because it is so simple to use: it’s got just two responsive buttons that make quick work of ingredients.
It’s easy to use, though if you’re new to food processors, you might find it a bit tricky at first to insert the attachments; we found it got easier with practice. Once you get the hang of it, setup is fairly simple. It chopped up onions very well and it gave cheese an even shred.
The 14-cup bowl holds a lot of ingredients that the Cuisinart took on like a champ. The blade didn’t fully reach when small quantities of ingredients are used, though. We found the shred and slice attachments worked well, though we were disappointed that there was no feature for grating.
The larger components and attachments were easy to clean, but we found the smaller pieces to be a bit of a challenge, thanks to the smaller nooks and crannies that can capture food residue. This is common to many food processors, though, so washing the attachments and the blade (carefully!) by hand is best.
Price at time of publish: $179.98 (orig. $249.95)
Dimensions: 9.38 x 12.5 x 15 inches | Wattage: 720 watts | Capacity: 14 cups | Accessories: Slicing disc, shredding disc, chopping blade, spatula, recipe booklet
Related: The 6 Best Knife Sharpeners of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Best Budget: Black+Decker PowerPro Wide-Mouth 10-Cup Food Processor
Pros
Easy to use with only three buttons
Larger blade attachment works quickly and efficiently
Design of bowl makes it easy to wipe down
Cons
Food can get trapped in the lid during use
Not entirely consistent in chopping
Black & Decker has long been a household name in the, well, household. So it makes sense that this budget-friendly food processor would make our list.
For starters, it’s super easy to use. There's only three buttons and everything twists to lock and unlock easily. We loved the bevel design of the bowl because it's easier to wipe down the sides to capture all the food, plus the larger blade attachment makes processing the food quick and easy.
In general, it’s easy to clean, though food does get trapped between the edge of the lid. The double plunger doesn’t come apart, so be sure to wash and air dry it thoroughly so you have any issues with mildew.
It’s got two speeds plus a pulse button, which is everything you could want for slicing and dicing like a pro. We did find that some pieces weren't fully chopped and the shreds of cheese weren't entirely consistent, but if you're OK with some slight imperfections in your chopping, this food processor will be fine for your kitchen needs.
Price at time of publish: $74.79
Dimensions: 11 x 9.63 x 16.63 inches | Wattage: 500 watts | Capacity: 10 cups | Accessories: Chopping blade and shredding disc
Best Investment: Breville 16-Cup Sous Chef Peel & Dice Food Processor
Pros
Comes with several accessories and attachments
Large capacity at 16 cups
Dishwasher-safe attachments
Cons
Doesn't come with a grater attachment
Takes a bit of time to set up
If your culinary skills at home demand a more high-end appliance, the Breville Sous Chef could be the option for you. We admired the sleek but simple design that is quite user friendly, although it took us a bit of time to set it up with its multiple attachments and parts.
Overall, we found that it was pretty consistent with both chopping and slicing. The two levels of blades were very efficient at picking up smaller amounts of food and liquids — like the egg yolks that we used to make mayo. For the high price tag, we were surprised that there was no grater attachment included. The removable pieces are dishwasher safe, but be sure to carefully air dry them to avoid mildew.
Price at time of publish: $549.95
Dimensions: 8 x 10.25 x 17.75 inches | Wattage: 1200 | Capacity: 16 cups | Accessories: 0.5-cup mixing bowl, dicing kit, peeling disc, 5 slicing discs, 3 blades, spatula, cleaning brush, storage box
Best for Vitamix: Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor Attachment
Pros
Everything but the base is dishwasher safe
Saves you from buying a separate appliance if you already have a Vitamix blender
Design is simple and functional
Cons
Blades nearly puree certain foods versus chopping them
Lots of parts can make cleaning up a bit time-consuming if you don't have a dishwasher
If you're already in love with your Vitamix, then it makes sense to get a food processor attachment for it. We liked the very simple, highly functional design that can be easily switched among different speeds. The timer on the base is helpful so that you can keep an eye on how long you’re slicing and chopping.
During testing, we found the Vitamix attachment rather self-explanatory — and even better, it was easy to clean. Yes, there are a lot of parts to this processor which can make cleaning a bit of a chore; however, everything but the base is dishwasher safe, so that can take some of the work out of the equation.
The only major complaint is that the blades might be too effective. Even on a low speed, the onions came out practically pureed while everything else was almost flawless. It's worth noting that this is only compatible with Vitamix Ascent and Venturist models.
Price at time of publish: $185.70 (orig. $199.95)
Dimensions: 8.5 x 12.75 x 11.75 inches | Capacity: 12 cups dry, 9 cups wet | Accessories: Bowl, lid, 2 plungers (large and small), multipurpose blade, 2 slice/shred discs, disc storage case, owner’s manual
Related: The 8 Best Air Fryers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Best for Beginners: KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor
Pros
Available in several colors
Easy-to-use buttons and attachments
Bowl is easy to clean
Cons
Dicing kit is a bit tricky to use at first
We simply loved the KitchenAid food processor's overall design and found it to be very user-friendly. The buttons and attachments were self explanatory, though things get a little more intricate when you’re setting it up for dicing. But for regular tasks, we found it to be incredibly easy to use, though there is a bit of work involved to clean it, especially since the plunger has an oil drip.
The KitchenAid comes with a lot of accessories, including a dough blade and various blades, including a reversible shredding disc and an adjustable slicing disc. We must have adjusted the disc just right because the zucchini was sliced to perfection. The mayo turned out to have a perfect consistency, too. The onion did come out a bit uneven and there was some cheese left between the blade and the lid.
The work bowl is easy to clean — just add some water and a couple of drops of dish soap to clean it out, along with the blades. Overall, this was an excellent food processor for the price.
Price at time of publish: $199.95
Dimensions: 8.7 x 10.25 x 17.43 inches | Capacity: 13 cups | Accessories: Bowl, multipurpose blade, adjustable slicing disc, reversible shredding disc, dough blade, storage caddy
Best for Experts: Ninja Professional Plus Food Processor
Pros
Consistently chops large quantities of ingredients
Most parts are dishwasher safe
Four automatic preset buttons
Cons
No slow pour hole
Lid was a bit complicated to figure out
The streamlined design of this Ninja food processor was quite attractive, thought it might be trying too hard with how many pieces were in the lid. The lid was a bit complicated, and it didn't have a slow pour hole in the plunger.
The Ninja might chop and slice all the things, but it’s not the most straightforward to use, which is why we recommend it for more seasoned home chefs. If you've never used a food processor before, you’ll likely have an even bigger learning curve.
Overall, though, we found this to be an extremely effective food processor. It took on large quantities of ingredients with consistent results, though it might struggle to capture food in smaller quantities. Everything besides the blade can go in is dishwasher friendly, which makes cleaning less of a challenge. However, there were lots of places that water could collect in the pieces overall, so keep that in mind when air drying.
Price at time of publish: $99.99 (orig. $119.99)
Dimensions: 7.76 x 9.88 x 16.02 inches | Wattage: 1000 watts (1200 watts for 96 oz.) | Capacity: 72-oz. bowl (also comes in 96 oz.) | Accessories: Quad chopping blade, dough blade, slicing and shredding disc, recipe guide
Best Manual: Zyliss Easy Pull Manual Food Processor
Pros
Budget-friendly option
Easy-to-use that's great for occasional use
Quick and painless setup
Chopped onions really well
Cons
Didn't chop all ingredients consistently during tests
Not ideal for large quantities of food or if you're planning to use often
If you don't mind putting in a little bit of elbow grease with your food processing, this manual food processor from Zyliss one could be for you. It's easy to get the Zyliss going — just pull the cord like you're trying to start a push mower. It was easy to use and clean up was a breeze, if only for the fact that it's small and there are very few parts for food to get stuck in.
While it couldn't make it through all of the food tests, it did chop onions very well. However, if you've got a ton of onions to chop or things to mix, choose another food processor on our list. Still, the Zyliss is an ideal budget-friendly food processor to have on hand, especially if you only need it for a few tasks don't want to commit to a more expensive or electric one.
Price at time of publish: $39.95 (orig. $42.95)
Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.2 inches | Capacity: 25 oz.
Related: The 8 Best Portable Blenders of 2023, According to Culinary Experts
Things to Consider Before Buying a Food Processor
Size
Mixing bowl size is a big factor to consider when shopping for the best food processor for your culinary needs. If you chop an onion or two every so often, you can get by with a smaller bowl (or our manual option, the Zyliss Easy Pull Food Processor). But if you make ratatouille on the regular, you’ll want one that has a large bowl to accommodate all those fresh veggies, like the Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor or the Breville Sous Chef.
Type
Most of the winners on our best food processor list are electric, but don’t discount manual ones like the Zyliss Easy Pull Food Processor. While you might get tired if you have to chop pounds upon pounds of veggies, it’s perfect for slicing and dicing the odd ingredient every now and then.
Pricing
Like with all kitchen gadgets and appliances, you’ll likely want to base your budget for a food processor on how much you plan to use it. If you don’t mind chopping but would prefer the option of an appliance doing it for you from time to time, go with a budget-friendly model like the Black + Decker PowerPro Wide-Mouth 10-Cup Food Processor, Plan on using your food processor daily, maybe even multiple times? Treat yourself to the Breville Sous Chef.
“Full-size food processors can cost $200–300, and they are often advanced with lots of bells and whistles,” says Vocino. “If you make that investment, they are worth it over time.”
People / Russell Kilgore
How We Tested
Our PEOPLE Tested team spent a day in our lab testing out 20 different food processors to see how they chopped, sliced, and grated onions, zucchini, and cheddar (noting any machines that didn't include specific attachments for these functions). We also mixed up mayonnaise to see how the food processors fared with wet ingredients. After testing each food processor's functionalities, we then disassembled and noted how easy the parts were to clean and if anything was dishwasher safe (and if so, how they fared in the dishwasher). Following our tests, we then rated each food processor on a scale of 1 to 5 based on five attribute categories: design, ease of use, ease of cleaning, effectiveness, and value. The final rating is an average of each attribute rating; the top-performing food processors then made it on this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many speeds should a food processor have?
A basic on/off button is all you really need to chop and grate ingredients. Some food processors have high/low speeds, which is good for control, but a pulse button is even better for quick and light chopping or grating.
What is a good wattage for a food processor?
The higher the wattage of your food processor, the harder it works to chop ingredients. Food processors typically range between 400 and 1000 watts. You will want to take into account the types of food you’ll be preparing to determine how strong a food processor you’ll need.
What is the pulse function on a food processor?
The pulse button — which is often found on blenders, as well — provides short bursts of chopping and power. It is a good option if you want to give your ingredients a rougher chop as opposed to a puree that you’ll get at a different speed.
Why Trust PEOPLE?
Barbara Bellesi Zito is a freelance writer whose work has also appeared in Health.com, Forbes Advisor, BELLA Magazine, Apartment Therapy, The Motley Fool, Martha Stewart Living, and Insider. To bring you this review, she consulted our testers about their experiences with a range of foot processors, taking into account such details as size, type, design, ease of use, ease of cleaning, effectiveness, and price. While researching food processors, we spoke with Anna Vocino, the founder of Eat Happy Kitchen.
What Is PEOPLE Tested?
We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.
But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.
In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.
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