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    Most of the Year I Cook for Two. Should I Use a Full-Sized Food Processor?

    A large food processor is probably overkill. Here are better options

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    food processor annick vanderschelden photography

    Full-sized food processors aren’t just overkill if you're making small portions, they're not ideal because their bowls are too big to chop the food well, says CR product testing leader Tara Casaregola.

    Some larger models, such as the Breville and Magimix below, include multiple sizes of bowls and attachments, allowing them to handle big tasks, like kneading dough, and small jobs, like chopping up a handful of herbs.

    More on Food Processors

    A more compact 4- or 5-cup model would also be a good option for a small family. Many of the food processors in our ratings that come in this size, including the Oster models below, also happen to come with small blender attachments, so you'll be getting two appliances in one.

    But you may be able to get by without a food processor altogether. A small food chopper has sharp blades to help speed up meal prep without taking up much counter space. The two top-rated choppers below performed well in our lab tests.

    Full-Sized Food Processors With Mini Bowls


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    Smaller Food Processor/Blender Combos

    Food Choppers

    Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the December 2020 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.


    Perry Santanachote

    Perry Santanachote

    As a multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports, Perry Santanachote covered a range of trends—from parasite cleanses to pickleball paddles. Perry was also a main producer of our Outside the Labs content, evaluating products in her tiny Manhattan apartment.