Food processor buying guide
Plugs by celebrity chefs have helped to make food processors the fastest-growing small kitchen appliance. But celebrity cachet
doesn't guarantee a meal ticket to the top of our tests. Nor is more power or higher price a sure bet. Some fancy models we
tested actually made more work than they saved.
- Getting started
- Types
- Features
- Brands
Types
Each type of food processor has specific strong points. Full-sized processors typically are more versatile and able to chop and slice foods and knead dough. Mini-choppers look like little food processors, with a capacity of 2 to 3 cups, but they're for small jobs like chopping small quantities of nuts or half an onion.
Food processors
Most food processors easily chop vegetables for soup or stew, slice salad fixings, and shred cheese for tacos. Some models (generally the more expensive ones) can knead bread dough or mix ingredients for baking. Claimed capacities range from about 3 to 14 cups, although actual capacities often varied by one or two cups. The biggest processors tend to be heavy and take up lots of counter space. A midsized model (about 7 cups) should suffice for most tasks. For baking bread, think twice before you buy an inexpensive model. Those we tested that cost $55 or less strained and jumped while kneading dough.
Food choppers
The main differences between food processors and choppers are power and capacity. Smaller, lighter, and less expensive than processors, choppers make quick work of cutting small batches of nuts and herbs that would get lost in a food processor's large bowl. Choppers hold only about 1 to 3 cups. They can be noisy, but you probably won't be using them for long periods.
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