5 Best Food Processors to Buy Right Now
I’ve owned a Cuisinart food processor for over 5 years now. It’s one of those kitchen tools I didn’t think I needed until I got one. Now I can’t imagine making salsa, pizza dough, or even a simple coleslaw without it.
If you’re still chopping onions by hand and crying your eyes out, you need a food processor. The right one saves you 30-45 minutes of prep time per meal. The wrong one sits in your cabinet collecting dust.
I’ve tested and compared all 5 models on this list. Here are my honest picks for the best food processors you can buy in 2026.
Best Food Processors
Picking the right food processor comes down to 3 things: capacity, ease of use, and how easy it is to clean. I don’t care how many attachments a processor ships with if I have to fight the lid every time I use it.
I’ve ranked these from best overall to most budget-friendly. If you’re in a hurry, grab the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY. It’s the one I use at home, and it handles everything I throw at it.
Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY
Product B01AXM4WV2
This is the one I own, and it’s my top pick. The Cuisinart Custom 14 handles just about everything: slicing tomatoes, chopping onions, kneading pizza dough into a smooth ball. I’ve used it weekly for years and it hasn’t slowed down.
The controls are dead simple. Two levers: one for pulse, one for continuous run. You get chopping, mixing, and dough blades, plus shredding and slicing discs. Attaching the discs to the stem inside the bowl can be a little fiddly the first few times, but you’ll get used to it.
One thing I love: this processor is quiet. You can hold a conversation in the kitchen while it’s running. The feed chute locks at the rear of the bowl, which is slightly annoying for loading food, but it gives you a clear view of what’s happening inside. The chute is wide enough to fit a whole beefsteak tomato, so you won’t spend time pre-cutting ingredients.
Cleanup is a breeze. Cuisinart is the only brand I know that actually encourages you to put all the parts in the dishwasher. Not just “dishwasher safe” with a wink, they genuinely mean it. It comes in white, black with stainless accents, or full brushed stainless steel.
The only real weakness? Mozzarella shredding. It shreds, but the pieces come out uneven. To be fair, I haven’t found a single food processor that does mozzarella well. It’s a sticky cheese problem, not a Cuisinart problem.
Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef 16 Pro
Product B005I6ZKCE
The Breville Sous Chef 16 Pro is expensive. I won’t sugarcoat that. But if you cook for a family of 4+ or regularly batch-prep meals, the 16-cup capacity is worth every dollar.
This thing is built like a tank. It comes with 5 discs, 2 blades, a cleaning brush, a spatula, and a 2.5-cup mini bowl that turns it into a small chopper for quick jobs. The three lighted control buttons (on/off, pulse, run) look great, and the LCD timer that counts up or down is genuinely useful. When a recipe says “knead for 2 minutes,” you don’t have to watch the clock.
I’m a fan of the wide food chute. You can drop in a whole small pepper without halving it first. The reversible shredding disc goes from paper-thin to about a third of an inch thick. And the julienne and French fry blades are a nice touch. No more slicing potatoes twice to get strips.
Here’s my honest frustration with it: this processor is huge. It won’t fit under most kitchen cabinets, and it’s too heavy to move in and out of storage regularly. You need a dedicated counter spot for it. Also, Breville recommends hand-washing all the parts, which is a pain if you’re used to tossing everything in the dishwasher.
If you have the counter space and the budget, the Breville is the premium pick. If not, the Cuisinart above gives you 90% of the performance at a lower price.
KitchenAid KFCB519
Product B08BR11L1P
This one is different from the rest. The KitchenAid KFCB519 is a cordless, battery-powered 5-cup mini chopper. It’s not a replacement for a full-size food processor, and you shouldn’t buy it expecting that.
What it’s great for: quick chopping, grinding hard cheese, pureeing small batches, and whipping. I used it to chop onions for a salad and the pieces came out perfectly even. It handles toasted almonds and parmesan well too. Charges fully in about 2 hours, and the cordless design means you can use it anywhere, even outdoors.
Zero assembly required, which I appreciate. It also has child safety locks, so you don’t have to worry about kids accidentally turning it on. The 5-cup bowl fits one tomato or one medium onion at a time, so you’ll definitely work in batches for larger meals.
The downsides are real though. You can’t knead dough with it. You can’t shred cheese. There’s no feed chute, so you have to load everything before you start processing. If you need a full-featured food processor, skip this and get the Cuisinart above. But if you want a quick, portable chopper for everyday prep work, this KitchenAid is hard to beat.
Hamilton Beach Stack and Snap Food Processor
Product B0797PHBCL
The Hamilton Beach is the budget pick on this list, and it performs like one. It gets the job done for chopping, mincing, slicing, and shredding, but the results aren’t as clean as the Cuisinart or Breville. When I tried parsley, it came out wet and mashed. Pepperoni edges looked slightly ragged. Not terrible, but noticeable.
My biggest complaint is the lid. It’s a pain to lock into place. You have to wrestle a large locking arm up over the lid and snap it down before you can start. The lever controls aren’t great either. It kneads dough fine, but the whole unit rocks back and forth while working, which doesn’t inspire confidence.
You get a reversible shredding disc, a slicing disc with 6 thickness settings, and a dough blade. There’s a bowl scraper attachment too, but it doesn’t reach the bottom edge where food actually builds up, so it’s mostly useless. On the plus side, everything is dishwasher safe, and it comes with a storage box for the accessories that tucks under the processor when not in use.
I’d only recommend this if you’re on a tight budget and don’t use a food processor more than once or twice a week. For regular use, spend the extra money on the Cuisinart.
Cuisinart Stainless Steel 13-Cup Food Processor
Product B01I46VPNC
This is Cuisinart’s second entry on this list, and it earned its spot. The 13-cup stainless steel model is a workhorse for bigger cooking sessions. I’ve used it to mince herbs, knead pizza dough, and slice potatoes for au gratin, and it nailed all three.
The parts lock together with a turn-and-click mechanism that feels solid and easy to figure out. The feed tube is positioned at the front (not the back like the DFP-14), which makes loading ingredients much more convenient. It’s wide enough for a block of mozzarella, but you can narrow it down to hold a single pepperoni stick.
You get a lot in the box: a 13-cup bowl, a 4.5-cup bowl, chopping and kneading blades, a reversible shredding disc, a slicing disc with 7 thickness levels, and a plastic spatula. There’s also a storage case for all the accessories. Dicing and spiralizer attachments are available separately, though they come with a bunch of small parts that are annoying to assemble and store.
The main downside is size. Like the Breville, this processor takes up real counter space. It’s dishwasher safe, but you’ll need to find room in the top rack for the large bowl. If you want a full-featured Cuisinart with a bigger bowl than the DFP-14 and a front-loading feed tube, this is a solid upgrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size food processor do I actually need?
For most home cooks, a 13-14 cup processor covers everything. If you cook for 1-2 people and mostly chop vegetables, a 5-cup mini chopper like the KitchenAid is enough. If you regularly batch-prep meals or cook for a large family, go with a 16-cup model like the Breville.
Can a food processor replace a blender?
Not really. Food processors chop, slice, shred, and knead. Blenders puree liquids and make smoothies. A food processor won’t give you a smooth soup or a well-blended smoothie. You need both if you want the best results. I keep a food processor and a blender in my kitchen and use them for completely different tasks.
How long do food processors last?
A good food processor from Cuisinart or Breville can easily last 8-10 years with regular use. Budget models typically last 3-5 years. The motor is rarely the problem. It’s usually the bowl, lid, or blade that wears out first. Cuisinart sells replacement parts, which is one reason I recommend them over lesser-known brands.
Are food processors dishwasher safe?
Most food processor bowls, lids, and blades are top-rack dishwasher safe. Cuisinart actively encourages dishwasher cleaning for all removable parts. Breville recommends hand-washing, which is a downside if you hate doing dishes. Always check the manual for your specific model before putting anything in the dishwasher.
Is a food processor worth buying on a tight budget?
Yes, but don’t go too cheap. Budget models under $40 tend to have weak motors and flimsy parts that break within a year. The Hamilton Beach on this list is a decent budget option. You can also look for previous-generation Cuisinart models on sale during Prime Day or Black Friday to get a premium processor at a lower price.
What’s the difference between a food processor and a food chopper?
A food chopper is usually smaller (3-5 cups) and can only chop and mince. A food processor has a larger bowl, more powerful motor, and can also slice, shred, knead dough, and puree. If you only need to chop onions and garlic, a chopper is fine. For anything beyond that, get a full food processor.
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