Food processor that dices


The best food processors to handle slicing, dicing, and chopping

House & Home

Kitchen

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My grandma is the authority on food, at least in my family. When I mentioned that I was writing about food processors, she had plenty of input. She once bought my uncle a food processor for his birthday two years in a row. And no, she doesn’t think he uses it.

That’s the problem, she says: so many people get food processors as a wedding present or holiday gift and leave them wedged in the corner of the cabinet. But not grandma. She uses hers a few times a week, even to make apple muffins.

To her, a food processor is a necessity of the kitchen. It saves time chopping and dicing ingredients. But choose wisely, as some may take too much time to clean or are too complicated for your needs.

If you just want smoothies and thin dressing, look for a blender. We have a roundup of the best blenders as well as the best single-serve blenders.

Be honest with yourself as you scroll through this list: What will you actually make with this machine? How many people do you usually serve? Is there enough space in that awkward cabinet above the refrigerator?

If you host people frequently or are a potluck fein, you have a tough choice to make. Do you want a food processor large enough to slice in bulk? Or are you usually just feeding a table of four? There are some impressive (and expensive) machines that’ll get you cooking in no time, and there are small models that require a little less budgeting.

Keep your eye on the wattage. The larger the number, the easier it can cut through food. This can save time and frustration.

Another key feature is the attachments. A standard s-shaped blade comes with every model, but some allow you to swap for different types of cuts. The standard blade can do a lot, even make dough. It chops and grinds perfectly, but won’t slice or julienne. My top pick even has a disc to make waffle fries. But these features usually come alongside hefty price tags.

To create this list, I spent hours combing through reviews and suggestions. I’ve watched a lot of America’s Test Kitchen videos on YouTube, and I’ve even scrolled through the food processor Reddit page. The final step is to get a variety of price points, sizes, and designs. Hopefully one of these will suit you.

Breville BFP800XL (opens in a new tab)

Best Of The Best

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Credit: breville

This 26-pound powerhouse is highly praised among culinary enthusiasts. It earns an average of 4.5 stars across most distributors’ websites, and the most common complaint is that the plastic parts aren’t dishwasher safe. Breville’s website says it’s okay to wash them on the top shelf of the dishwasher now and then, but constantly running them through will damage the plastic.

The feed chute on this processor is one of the widest; there’s enough space to drop a potato in sideways. For smaller vegetables, there’s a second, leaner tube. But the blade will only spin if you use the food pusher, a common safety feature.

Most food processors pulse without many tech features, but this one has a timer to make recipes succinct. It can count down if you know how long you want it to spin, or make the timer count up to measure how long is just right. This can be key for making the perfect dough.

The Breville Sous Chef has the delicacy to handle a flaky pie crust but also the power to chop potatoes cleanly and quickly. Its consistency will cut down on waste and wow your guests — you no longer have to call your coleslaw “rustic.”

The BFP800XL holds 16 cups, but there are smaller models in the series if you don’t have quite enough cabinet space. For a smaller batch, Breville includes a 2.5-cup processing bowl that goes inside the larger one. It’s also the perfect size for making dips and sauces.

Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor (opens in a new tab)

Best Value

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Credit: hamilton beach

The standout feature is a manual side-scraper attached to the lid of this food processor. As the machine blends your sauce or dip, you can keep the sides clear by twisting a dial on top. This saves time fumbling with the lid on other models.

The price is the main reason for purchasing this unit. Few processors under $50 have the capacity and slicing/shredding discs of the Hamilton Beach food processor. Plus, the wattage is impressive for a low-end appliance.

The average review on Amazon is 4.5 stars, with a few complaints of a short lifespan. Many of these complaints were after using the product for a year or more. To extend its life, we'd suggest you hand wash the components of the food processor.

Amazon reviewer Josh W. says:

“I do a lot of window shopping before I decide on something. My SO goes nuts because it takes me three months to decide on a kitchen knife. That being said, I did my usual amount of research before buying this thing and my due diligence did not fail me yet again. The scraper is seriously so useful. Being Korean, I make kimchee every couple of months or so - which means a lot of friggin' garlic. This thing is awesome for mincing up some serious amounts of garlic because bigger chunks tend to get stuck at the top and not get minced evenly. The scraper solves that problem. I also tried using it to process crab meat to make it flaky to make California rolls and the motor can handle dry and dense foods like crab meat. I also tried processing chicken breast for chicken salad with it and no problems there either. The control options are pretty basic but if you can handle your own around a kitchen then gadgets with crazy settings only get in the way. With this product, there is absolutely no need to hesitate. The amazing price is just that - an awesome deal.”

Cuisinart CH-4DC Elite Collection 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder (opens in a new tab)

Best Small Food Processor

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Credit: Cuisinart

I usually cook for one, so most food processors seem excessive for my lifestyle. But this one could fit among my shelves of mismatched plates and bowls. It’s less bulky than family-sized processors, but it doesn’t feel flimsy.

The base is die cast metal, making it sturdy enough to avoid wiggling around the countertop. The white and black models have plastic bases, so avoid those if you want the weight of metal.

The blade, which rotates between chopping and grinding, spins and hits the food with the blunt side on the chopping setting while the grinding side should be utilized for harder foods, like almonds.

The blade locks into the base, keeping it safe from tumbling out. It has to be tight for the processor to start up too, so you don’t have to worry when cooking with a little helper.

Amazon reviewer C. Drennan says:

“I do have the full size version of this and I live it, but pulling it out and cleaning is a pain. I bought this smaller version primarily for baby foods. It's small enough that I can leave it on the counter and cleanup is relatively easy as there are only 3 pieces. For normal cooking purposes it won't replace my fill size, mostly because it doesn't have a cheese grater or slicing blade but for everyday use like chopping fruits or veggies, this does the trick.”

KitchenAid KFP0933WH (opens in a new tab)

Best Features

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Credit: KitchenAid

KitchenAid makes a line of food processors with what it calls the “exact slice system.” It’s a sliding adjustment for the slicing disc, located on the base of the processor instead of the disc itself. This way, you can make a slice thicker or thinner without having to disassemble the processor.

The feed tube is split into three sizes, thus eliminating the need to precut the ingredients.

The processor comes with a nine-cup bowl and a 2.5-cup bowl with corresponding blade. It’s great to whip up something quickly for lunch or for the picky eater of the family. My grandma uses smaller bowls when she needs to alter a portion of a meal for someone with food allergies. The group can have the original recipe, but allergies still get accommodated. Use her strategy when dealing with your one keto-dieting friend.

Amazon reviewer Shari B. says:

“After 30 years with a very small "food processor" I tried this actual food processor. It is wonderful! Quiet, quick and easy to clean. I have done items from slicing carrots, celery & napa cabbage to pesto. Cannot wait to try those recipes that I bypassed because of lack of proper food processor.”

Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY (opens in a new tab)

Most Popular Food Processor

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Credit: CuisinarT

When I asked around about food processors, I heard that a lot of people look for Cuisinart. It’s a brand that balances quality with affordability for a lot of consumers. It doesn’t out-perform the Breville (my top pick), but it’s about half the price.

The main drawback is that there are two slicing discs, but neither are adjustable. At this price range, you can usually customize the size of the slice. If you’re as indecisive as I am, it’s nice to not have to worry too much about the thickness of the slice.

The feed chute is wide, a good indication that the processor can handle full vegetables. Usually, you chop things into sections before the machine dices it further. The 720 watts powering the Cuisinart enable it to slice through thicker pieces.

Amazon reviewer Salena Lettera says:

“I did some research before buying this food processor. It's large enough to drop whole apples or potatoes in. It shreds, slices, and chops. Easily cleaned. Comes with everything you need. It doesn't come with a dough blade. The dough blade is pointless, so I wouldn't advise buying one. The regular blade does a better job with dough. It comes with a spatula that fits the inside shape of the work bowl. The shred blade and the slice blade has a counter weight that helps balance as either blade spins. The shred and slice blade should by putting just enough pressure on whatever is being processed to keep in contact with the blade. The blades are sharp and do a very good job, so you don't need to mash down on the food to get it to slice or shred. Just put the food into the feed tube and lightly press on the plastic pusher piece with enough pressure to keep the food in contact with the blade and let the machine do all the work. It's a stable machine that wont hop around on your counter. It's easily cleaned and does a good job.”

Brieftons Express Food Chopper (opens in a new tab)

Best Manual Food Processor

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Credit: Brieftons

Specs

Buying Options

$32.99 from Amazon (opens in a new tab)

It’s okay, Goldilocks. Chopping your produce into bits is too hard. Electric food processors are too bulky. This one may be just right.

This food processor is certainly the odd one out on this list, but it deserves to be here just as much as the electric appliances. The sharp blades slash through fruits and vegetables like the others, only this one is powered by a manual button. Keep pressing until the chop is small enough and voilà, you’re done.

The key benefit of this device is that you can store your food in the bowl. Remove the blade and the handle, and your chopped salad is potluck ready. It’s like Tupperware with a super power.

The downside is that the cuts are less precise than electric models, and it can’t make sauces that require a lot of blending. It can stir and chop, but it will never make you fries.

Amazon reviewer Ronald Kirk says:

“If you have never used one of these, you are missing out. I use this all of the time. We had a food processor and it took up space on the counter, was bulky, and took time to clean it. This thing does the truck in a couple of pulls. The more you pull the finer the chop is...We won't go without one. The best part is when I have to chop onions...no more irritated eyes!”

Ninja Express Chop (opens in a new tab)

Best Compact Design

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Credit: ninja

Ninja expands beyond blenders and brings clever design to food processors with the Express Chop. The power is stored at the top of this device rather than at the base, and food is chopped as it whisks around and through the blades.

It’s a quick and simple approach to food processors, which is perfect for some kitchens. The cuts aren’t going to achieve the precision of more complicated processors, but it should work if your dinner guest isn’t Gordon Ramsay.

Amazon reviewer Zachary Long says:

“This Ninja is surprisingly efficient! We made some homemade hummus finally after being addicted to the premade stuff, and it's ridiculously easy if you have the ingredients you'll wonder why you were paying $5 a tub before. So we made our hummus in the blender, which is the only thing we had, and it came out good, but there's a reason the food processor was invented. The blender is great for a smoothie but it doesn't circulate something more chunky like hummus so we were left with a lot of stirring and hassle, so we grabbed this little Ninja Express to bridge the gap since we haven't had a need for a food processor before and just want it for hummus. On the first blend last night, our chunky hummus came out smooth and silky just like the premade stuff! The blades on this thing are super sharp and made short work of blending a full batch of hummus (about 1.5 cups of beans). The cup and a half of beans pretty much filled this entire ninja so you could probably do about 2 cups at a time max, so this is great for small jobs but check out the larger Ninja offerings for more robust kitchen work. Great for the occasional hummus or other dip!”


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9 Best Food Processors 2022

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

This story was updated in September 2022 to ensure all picks previously tested and vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab were available and in stock.


Using a food processor is like having your own personal sous chef — it will save you from having to do tons of tedious and tiring prep work. A great food processor is able to dice, mince, grind, knead, puree, slice and shred. Whether you want to knead a pizza dough, grate potatoes and slice onions for latkes or puree a pesto, a trusty food processor will make the task faster. There are even blenders with food processor attachments or food processor–blender combos, which will help accomplish more in the kitchen with less equipment or having to decide whether to purchase a blender or food processor.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab we test food processors for consistency and efficiency — we also grade each on ease of use, including readability of owner's manual, assembly, controls and more. Out of over 75 food processors we’ve tested over the years, our top pick of 2022 is the Breville Sous Chef. It's top-of-the-line when it comes to performance, featuring a super powerful motor, a micro-serrated S-blade, an adjustable slicer with 24 settings (ranging from paper-thin to thick-cut), a reversible shredder, a dough blade and more. It aced every test, dicing onions, mincing parsley and uniformly slicing tomatoes in seconds. These are the best food processors you can buy:

Our top picks

You can read more about how we evaluate food processors in our Lab and consumer tests — plus everything you need to know to shop for your new sous-chef — at the end of this guide. Looking for more ways to make food prep a breeze? Check out out guides to small kitchen appliances and the coolest kitchen gadgets any foodie would love.


Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor

Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor

$300 at Amazon

Credit: Breville

Thanks to a super powerful motor, Breville’s Sous Chef is the MVP when it comes to performance. It’s stacked with bells and whistles to give you the ultimate versatility, including a micro-serrated S-blade, an adjustable slicer with 24 settings (ranging from paper-thin to thick-cut), a reversible shredder, a dough blade and more.

This model earned perfect scores in nearly all of our tests, turning out evenly diced onions, minced (read: not bruised) parsley, perfectly ground Parmesan and uniformly sliced tomatoes in seconds. The sleek silver Sous Chef has multiple feeding tubes, one of which is large enough to hold an entire tomato or one-pound block of mozzarella.


Oster 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor

Oster 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor

$80 at Amazon

Credit: Oster
Pros
Cons

Of the food processors we evaluated, the Oster Total Prep was one of the easiest to use. This no-frills black model comes with an S-shaped blade for chopping, a dough blade and a reversible shredding and slicing disc. The lid and feed tube are super simple to assemble. And for quick cleanup, all parts and accessories are dishwasher-safe. In our tests, it evenly processed diced onions and shredded carrots — though it did leave parsley slightly bruised when mincing, this shortcoming is offset by the great price.


Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

$250 at Amazon

Credit: Cuisinart
Pros
Cons

This food processor has a solid base so it didn't move around when kneading dough, and the bowl’s straight edges made it easy to scrape and clean in our tests. It has a simple design and performs well: In our tests, it excelled at chopping onions, mincing parsley and grinding Parmesan cheese, as well as slicing pepperoni and tomatoes. We particularly liked the paddle design of the buttons because they’re wide and operate by pushing down — no fussing with a touchpad. The lid has a large feed tube (for foods like potatoes and cheese) and a smaller one (for skinny items like carrots and celery). The accessories are top rack dishwasher safe.


Magimix Food Processor 14-Cup Chrome

Magimix Food Processor 14-Cup Chrome

$450 at Williams Sonoma

Credit: Magimix
Pros
Cons

Magimix’s food processor with technology from Robot-Coupe (a brand primarily used in restaurants) brings a professional tool to your home kitchen. Featuring 6-cup, 12-cup and 14-cup mixing bowls, it has you covered whether you need to puree a small serving of baby food or knead brioche dough. It comes with two metal blades, a dough blade, two grating disks, two slicing discs, a Blendermix attachment, an egg whisk, a spatula and a storage box. If you want to upgrade this food processor there are additional attachments for purchase that will transform this food processor into a juicer, citrus press, spiralizer and so much more.


Cuisinart 13-Cup Elemental Food Processor

Cuisinart 13-Cup Elemental Food Processor

$200 at Amazon

Credit: Cuisinart
Pros
Cons

This Cuisinart food processor includes interchangeable 13-cup and 4.5-cup work bowls — so you can use it to prep salsa or coleslaw for a large party or just for two. It comes with an adjustable slicing disc, a reversible shredding disc (for medium or fine consistency), a dough blade, a dicing disc, a versatile chopping blade, a cleaning tool and a storage case to hold your accessories. In our tests, this machine earned high scores at nearly every task, including kneading bread dough and shredding mozzarella cheese.


Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor Attachment with SELF-DETECT™

Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor Attachment with SELF-DETECT™

$187 at Amazon

Pros
Cons

Already own a Vitamix blender and don’t want to purchase another piece of kitchen equipment? The Vitamix 12-Cup Food Processor Attachment is a great solution. This attachment comes with a base that lets the blender know you’re using the food processor attachment, a 12-cup work bowl with lid, two food pushers (one large, one small), one S-shaped multi-purpose blade, two reversible slicing/shredding discs and a slim disc storage case. It made smooth hummus and chopped parsley well in our tests. Even more attachments can be purchased for it, including a julienne disc and reversible fine shred and slice disc.


Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

$40 at Amazon

Credit: Cuisinart
Pros
Cons

Looking for a food processor but don’t have the storage space for a full-sized model? This compact option is a smart pick for little kitchens, dorm rooms or those who tend to make small portions. Ranking at the top of our tests, this 3-cup Cuisinart is a great do-it-all size: The chop and grind functions provide versatility to mince ingredients like herbs, onions, and meat or grind spices or beans with the blunt side of the blades.


Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ

Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ

Now 23% Off

$170 at Amazon

Pros
Cons

The Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-IQ is a great option when looking for a food processor–blender combo. You can switch from blending a frozen margarita to chopping salsa just by switching the work bowl. This food processor and blender combo comes with a pitcher, two single-serve cups with spout lids, pro extractor blades, a 64-oz processor bowl, a chopping blade and a dough blade. One thing that we were missing from a traditional food processor was a shredding/grating disc. Reviewers love the suction cups on the bottom of the base for steady blending and that this machine can replace at least 3 pieces of kitchen equipment: full-sized blender, personal blender and food processor.


Thermomix Thermomix® TM6™

Thermomix Thermomix® TM6™

$1,499 at thermomix.com

Credit: Thermomix
Pros
Cons

The Thermomix TM6 offers food processor functions like chopping, grating, crushing, mincing, grinding and milling — all controlled by its touchscreen and large knob. It also offers steaming and sauté functions, as well as unique features like sous-vide and fermentation. There are numerous components that come with the Thermomix like a mixing knife for chopping onions and mincing herbs, a spatula, a butterfly whisk for whipping cream and eggs, a splash guard, a Varoma basket (for steaming), a simmering basket and a mixing bowl. It features an integrated scale for weighing ingredients, a heating system and a touchscreen control panel.

We found that the Thermomix has a larger learning curve than most food processors, but with that came a lot of useful culinary techniques. The biggest downside to the Thermomix is the large price tag, but it can replace about 10 appliances in your kitchen, and the brand offers a complimentary 1-hour introductory tutorial so you can learn how to get the most out of your Thermomix right out of the box. It’s also equipped with thousands of recipes designed specifically for Thermomix via the Cookidoo app. Its smart, connected technology allows for over-the-air software updates that introduce new programs, like bread proofing, and one of its latest innovations is being able to order groceries right through the machine.


How we test food processors

The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab regularly tests food processors for how evenly they're able to dice onions, mince parsley, grind parmesan cheese, shred carrots and mozzarella, slice tomatoes and knead dough. We also take note of how quickly each model performed these tasks and how much food was left unprocessed.

We grade ease of use, evaluating how helpful the owner’s manual is; how easy the blades, chute, and lid are to assemble; the intuitiveness of the controls; the variety of settings offered and the cleanability.


What makes a great food processor?

✔️ Versatility: A top-performing food processor should be able to blitz whole or large pieces of fresh produce — like onions, carrots, herbs or potatoes — into uniform dices or minces in very little time. It should be able to take on tasks like grinding hard cheeses, pureeing soups or sauces, making emulsions like mayo and even kneading dough for bread. When shopping, look for a model that can slice and/or shred foods like tomatoes and cheese.

✔️ Accessories: All food processors come with a work bowl for chopping and pureeing — the best ones will include a slicing and shredding disc as well. Other accessories to look for are a smaller work bowl and blade for finer tasks, a dough blade, a dicing accessory and even a blender attachment for smoothies. Most are top-rack dishwasher safe.

✔️ Settings and speeds: Many food processors have just one speed, but some can have high, medium and low speeds. One must-have: A pulse setting. Pulsing lets you incrementally chop food and control the blade to limit your risk of overprocessing. It’s also great for getting an even chop: The stop-and-go motion allows unprocessed items from the top to fall onto the blade to be processed. Otherwise, items close to the blade just continue to be processed making the bottom more fine than the top.

✔️ Weight: A heavier base helps in terms of performance, but heft doesn't necessarily relate to more power. Lighter materials make food processors more affordable and easier to move around and store. Details like suction cups may seem cheap, but they help keep the base from moving around on the countertop.

✔️ Warranty: Food processors are known as an investment piece, but some people boast that they have had theirs for over 30 years. Before you splurge, take a look at the brand's warranty: The length often varies for motor and accessories.


What size food processor should I get?

Consider the types of tasks you'll be using your food processor for and choose your capacity from there:

✔️ 2- or 4-cup models are for very basic small tasks like chopping herbs, making hummus, pureeing baby food and whipping up dressing or mayo.

✔️ 8-cup models are best for beginners: They're not too big, and not too small. Keep in mind that while they can be used for pastry dough, it would be tough to make bread in this size.

✔️ 12- or 14-cup models are our recommendation for most households. They're versatile and large enough to handle bread dough, and they often come with a second small work bowl for smaller tasks and an assortment of accessories too.