Top 5 compared
The best food processors
Shredded cheese, sliced vegetables and dips in minutes, rather than a morning at the cutting board.
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The top 5 at a glance
A food processor takes on the jobs that are slow by hand: a pile of carrots shredded for coleslaw, onions chopped for a pot of chili, a batch of hummus. A steel blade in the bowl chops, mixes and purées, while discs at the top slice and shred whatever goes down the feed tube.
Most knead dough as well, with the chopping blade or a dough blade of their own, while the Hamilton Beach and KitchenAid have no dough tool. Controls run from a plain On and Off/Pulse to presets that time the job for you, and short pulses give the most control over a coarse chop.
What matters
- A bowl to match the household: 7 cups suits one or two.
- A wide feed tube, so vegetables need less cutting first.
- Dishwasher-safe parts, since cleaning is the chore.
- Power for heavy jobs like dough and hard cheese.
#1Ninja PrecisionPro Food Processor (9-cup, BZ601)
$75–$100
Four Auto-iQ presets, for chopping, slicing and shredding, purée and dough, take the timing out of the job, so pizza dough or a bowl of hummus comes out right without guessing how long to run it. The 9-cup bowl has a large feed chute, and 1000 peak watts gets through hard cheese and raw carrots.
What owners say: Owners say it speeds up meal prep and comes apart easily for washing, and one turns a wedge of Parmesan to crumbs in about two seconds. The weak spot is the shredding disc, which has broken for some, and durability in general is mixed.
A closer look: Every attachment works in the one 9-cup bowl, so the kit stays a small stack in the cabinet. Press Dough for bread or pizza and let the preset decide when to stop, and feed vegetables down the chute with the pusher, keeping the pressure steady for even slices.
- All attachments share one bowl
- Handles hard cheese and carrots
- BPA-free parts
Best for: Hands-off chopping and dough
- Bowl size
- 9 cups
- Power
- 1000W peak
- Speeds and presets
- 4 presets, 3 speeds
- Slicing and grating
- Reversible slice/shred
- Feed tube
- Large chute
- Dough tool
- Yes
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
#2Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor (DFP-14BCNY)
$150–$200
A 14-cup bowl and a heavy 720W motor for cooking in quantity: it slices and shreds through an extra-wide feed tube and kneads dough with its chopping blade. Cuisinart showed its first food processor, a reworked French Magimix, at a Chicago trade show in 1973.
What owners say: Owners find it steady on the counter even with heavy loads, quiet for its power and easy to clean. Some had plastic parts crack after a year, and not everyone thinks it’s worth what it costs.
A closer look: There are just two buttons, On and Off/Pulse, so it’s simple to run; short pulses keep chopped onions from turning to mush. The slicing and shredding discs are fixed sizes rather than adjustable, and the disc stem lifts out so everything washes properly.
- 5-year motor warranty
- Detachable disc stem
- Weighs 18 lb
Best for: Big batches and family cooking
- Bowl size
- 14 cups
- Power
- 720W
- Speeds and presets
- On and off/pulse
- Slicing and grating
- 4mm slice, medium shred
- Feed tube
- Extra-wide, two pushers
- Dough tool
- With the chopping blade
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
#3Cuisinart Pro Classic 7-Cup Food Processor (DLC-10SYP1)
$100–$150
A smaller Cuisinart for smaller households: the 7-cup bowl suits cooking for one or two, and the 600W motor is built to knead batch after batch of thick dough. The extra-large feed tube takes whole fruit and vegetables, with a small insert for slicing narrow ones neatly.
What owners say: Owners say it’s the right size for two and compact enough to live on the counter, yet strong enough that one makes ice cream in it. Some found the plastic parts wore and cracked over time.
A closer look: One metal blade chops, mixes and kneads, so there’s less to store; for bread, let it run until the dough gathers into a ball. Slip the small pusher insert into the feed tube for a single carrot or zucchini so it stands upright and slices evenly.
- 5-year motor warranty
- Detachable disc stem
- Spatula included
Best for: Small households that bake bread
- Bowl size
- 7 cups
- Power
- 600W
- Speeds and presets
- On and off/pulse
- Slicing and grating
- 4mm slice, medium shred
- Feed tube
- Extra-large, small insert
- Dough tool
- With the chopping blade
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- No
#4Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor with Bowl Scraper (70730)
$50–$75
A built-in scraper sweeps the sides of the 10-cup bowl while it runs, so there’s no stopping to dig in with a spatula, and the big feed chute takes chunky vegetables without much cutting first. Two speeds and pulse cover delicate mixes and tough jobs alike.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use and to clean, with plenty of power: one makes almond butter in it, another chops vegetables finely for baking. Durability is the doubt, with several breaking after about two years.
A closer look: Move the scraper handle side to side while it runs to push food back toward the blade, which helps dips and nut butters come out even. The bowl, lid and blades all go in the dishwasher, and the bowl takes a family-sized batch of hummus or pesto.
- Built-in bowl scraper
- 1-year warranty
Best for: Hummus, pesto and almond butter
- Bowl size
- 10 cups
- Power
- 450W
- Speeds and presets
- 2 speeds and pulse
- Slicing and grating
- Reversible slice/shred
- Feed tube
- Big chute
- Dough tool
- No
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
#5KitchenAid 7-Cup Food Processor (KFP0718)
$75–$100
Everything packs away inside the 7-cup bowl, blade and disc included, so it takes up one small spot in the cabinet. The bowl clicks on without twisting, the lid latches, and the 2-in-1 feed tube takes anything from cucumbers to potatoes.
What owners say: Owners find it simple to use and like how little counter space it needs; they’re divided on how well it shreds cheese and on how long it keeps going.
A closer look: For a quick clean between jobs, run it with warm water and a drop or two of dish soap in the bowl, then rinse; the bowl, lid and blade also go in the dishwasher. With no dough tool, it suits salsa, slaw and shredded vegetables more than bread.
- Blade and disc store inside
- Bowl clicks on, no twisting
- Latched lid
- Weighs 6.6 lb
Best for: Kitchens short on cabinet space
- Bowl size
- 7 cups
- Power
- 300W
- Speeds and presets
- 2 speeds and pulse
- Slicing and grating
- Reversible slice/shred
- Feed tube
- 2-in-1
- Dough tool
- No
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Ninja PrecisionPro | #2Cuisinart 14-cup | #3Cuisinart 7-cup | #4Hamilton Beach 10-cup | #5KitchenAid KFP0718 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Biggest bowl | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $150–$200 | $100–$150 | $50–$75 | $75–$100 |
| Bowl size | 9 cups | 14 cups | 7 cups | 10 cups | 7 cups |
| Power | 1000W peak | 720W | 600W | 450W | 300W |
| Speeds and presets | 4 presets, 3 speeds | On and off/pulse | On and off/pulse | 2 speeds and pulse | 2 speeds and pulse |
| Slicing and grating | Reversible slice/shred | 4mm slice, medium shred | 4mm slice, medium shred | Reversible slice/shred | Reversible slice/shred |
| Feed tube | Large chute | Extra-wide, two pushers | Extra-large, small insert | Big chute | 2-in-1 |
| Dough tool | Yes | With the chopping blade | With the chopping blade | No | No |
| Dishwasher-safe parts | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Hands-off chopping and dough | Big batches and family cooking | Small households that bake bread | Hummus, pesto and almond butter | Kitchens short on cabinet space |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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