Preparing ingredients for a recipe can be time-consuming, which is when a food processor comes in handy to help you chop vegetables, grate cheese, mix dough and more. To find the best food processor out there, I tested nine models by making pico de gallo and hummus. During my testing, I considered each food processor’s ease of setup and use, efficiency and efficacy in their chop and puree functions, noise level, size and price to find the best one for different budgets, recipe needs and small spaces.
Our Picks
What's the best food processor overall?
The best food processor overall is the KitchenAid KFP1318CU, which produced a perfect hummus quickly and with less noise than the other food processors I tested. It's also super easy to store.
Best food processors of 2025
Pros
- Has a 13-cup capacity for larger recipes
- Comes with 2 discs for slicing and shredding
- Includes a dough hook
Cons
- Costs $200
- Dimensions may not work in smaller spaces
Why we like it: KitchenAid is a beloved brand for kitchen appliances and its 13-cup food processor checked all of my boxes with features I found desirable. The puree function tended to be more of a metric than chop among the food processors in this lineup, and while all the models I tested here eventually produced a perfectly worthy hummus, this KitchenAid model did so quickly and with less noise than any other model, churning out a silky puree that was nearly restaurant-quality in its texture.
Who is it best for: Food processors can be fussy with the locking bowls and lids that ensure safety measures are in place to prevent blades from spinning out of control but this model's lightweight, stacked design allows for particularly easy assembly. This is not nothing when considering whether it's worth the effort to take the food processor in and out of the cabinet. The fussier the mechanics, the more likely you are to forgo the food processor and just go the manual route.
Some of my favorite features of this model have to do with its easy storage capacity: The slicing/shredding discs and dough hook all fit in a compartment that fits within the bowl and the base of the model includes a coil for wrapping the cord -- very few models are this self-contained with all of their parts -- making this a food processor that's always worth employing.
Who should not get it: If you don't have the space to fit an 8.7 x 10.25 x 17.43-inch food processor, this isn't the food processor for you. Also, if your budget is less than $200, you'll want to go with another pick.
Pros
- Less than $60
- Comes with double-sided disc and dough hook
- Has 12-cup capacity
Cons
- Middle-of-the-road power at 450 watts
Why we like it: If you simply plug "food processor" into an Amazon search, this is the model that comes up as the bestseller and achieves a favorable 4.6 out of 5 in more than 35,000 ratings on the site. Listing for about $60, and frequently discounted to only $40, it's easy to see why it would be a bestseller, but this Hamilton Beach model is much more than just its price tag. It's the closest to "plug and play" you can get with this kind of appliance, with an extremely easy setup.
Who is it best for: At 450 watts, it's squarely in the middle of available motor muscle among food processors, but it was plenty powerful, producing evenly diced pico de gallo in about seven pulses. Its dial functionality is unusual among food processors, which mostly rely on buttons, but the dial settings were completely intuitive and easy to operate. Perhaps its best feature is the built-in bowl scraper, which prevents having to continually open the lid to scrape down the sides. If you're already a regular food processor user, you'll understand the value of this.
Who should not get it: If you're looking for a food processor with more or less than a 12-cup capacity, this Hamilton Beach one isn't for you.
Pros
- Has a 3.5-cup capacity for small spaces
- Does not have discs or dough hook
- Affordable at $60
Cons
- Has the lowest power at 240 watts
Why we like it: File this under small but mighty. This KitchenAid Food Chopper is too modest, in my opinion, by not calling itself a food processor and it's the best model for those with limited counter space. It doesn't include slicing and shredding discs like the other models in this list but performs the chopping and pureeing functions equal to just about all of them, including a full pint of perfectly smooth hummus, in a machine scarcely the size of a French-press coffee pot.
Who is it best for: The cord easily winds up inside the base, making this a terrific option for people whose storage space is the limiting factor. If decor is also a consideration you make when choosing kitchen appliances, this model also comes in a variety of bright, KitchenAid colors.
Who should not get it: Anyone looking for a larger food processor with a capacity higher than 3.5 cups and power over 240 watts should go for a different model on this list. This model also doesn't come with multiple discs or a dough hook.
Pros
- Offers 1,000 watts of power, the highest on this list
- Priced in the middle at $100
- Has a medium capacity of 9 cups
- Comes with double-sided disc and dough hook
Cons
- Not for those who can't fit a 7.76 x 9.88 x 16.02 food processor in their space
Why we like it: Ninja has made a name for itself in the smoothie game so it's no surprise that it also is a worthy contender in food processors. This Ninja Professional model has among the highest user satisfaction ratings on Amazon, at 4.8 out of 5, with more than 5,000 ratings. Its lock-and-release lid inspires confidence and is easy to operate, and the bowl has a built-in measuring cup, which is a nice feature.
Who is it best for: The chopping mechanism has two S-blades, ensuring efficiency. It was perhaps the loudest of the models I tested, but the mark of the real Ninja here is that it offers 1,000 watts of power for about $100, delivering pico de gallo in scarcely two hits of the pulse button. Speaking of this function, this is the only model that offers a separate chop button, which pulses the blades three times in a row. At 9 cups and a modest footprint, the Ninja Professional is an ideal option for those who can't justify a larger model but have greater needs than the micro models can offer.
Who should not get it: This food processor isn't for anyone who wants a capacity larger than 9 cups or wants to spend less than $100.
Pros
- A heavy-duty food processor
- Great for grinding homemade nut butter
Cons
- Weighs 18 lbs, the second-heaviest on the list
- Does not come with a dough hook
- Costs $200
Why we like it: At 18 pounds, with sparse buttons for basically on/puree and off/pulse, this Cuisinart Custom model is a tank and the best heavy-duty food processor we tested. For many, it is the prototype of what you think of when you hear the words "food processor." It also tops the list of many review sites, but be aware that its heft does not inspire regularly pulling it out of the cabinet, which runs you the risk of not using it as often as the lighter-on-their-feet models here.
Who is it best for: For me, its bowl and lid were a bit fussy to align, but its sturdiness combined with big power here makes it the ideal candidate if you imagine your greatest use for a food processor would be grinding homemade nut butter, or some other task that requires power food processing and extended use.
Who should not get it: At 18 pounds, this is the second-heaviest food processor on this list, so it would not be suitable for someone who can't lift heavy objects. It also doesn't come with a dough hook, making it not the best pick for bakers. If you want to spend less than $200, this is also not your ideal food processor.
Pros
- Great for feeding large crowds with its 14-cup capacity
- Second highest power at 950 watts
- Comes with 4 discs
Cons
- Weighs 23.8 lbs, the heaviest on this list
- Costs $400
Why we like it: If you're routinely serving extended family or a football team or are considering starting a catering or food truck operation, the Magimix 4200XL may suit your needs. It's a professional-grade food processor with a price tag just above that of your largest home models. This is a serious food processor that carries a serious footprint -- the box weighs nearly 25 pounds -- and while the processor itself isn't above average in size for food processors of similar volume, the additional slicing and shredding discs and kneading paddle come in their own separate carrying case.
Who is it best for: At 14 cups, it's at the large end of the large spectrum but also includes a separate mini bowl for smaller jobs and a medium bowl for dough. Despite all the bells and whistles, getting past the packaging was the most difficult part, and the mechanism itself was extremely intuitive, resembling the classic Cuisinart Custom with just three bar-shaped buttons: auto, off and pulse. Given its 720 watts of power, it's no surprise that this machine churned out restaurant-quality hummus in less than a minute, and did so with just an average whir. A built-in bowl-scraping mechanism is also included, which is worth the price tag here alone.
Who should not get it: Because this is the most expensive food processor on this list, it wouldn't be good for anyone looking to spend less than $400. It's also the second heaviest on this list (after the Cuisinart Custom DFP-14BCNY), so it would not be for someone who can't or doesn't want to lift 23.8 pounds whenever they pull out their processor.
The best food processors compared
| KitchenAid KFP1318CU | Hamilton Beach 70730 | KitchenAid Food Chopper KFC3516 | Ninja Professional BN601 | Cuisinart Custom DFP-14BCNY | Magimix 4200XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 13 cups | 10 cups | 3.5 cups | 9 cups | 14 cups | 14 cups |
| Dimensions (D x W x H) | 8.7 x 10.25 x 17.43 | 8.43 x 10.25 x 15.47 | 5.6 x 7 x 8.7 | 7.76 x 9.88 x 16.02 | 9.38 x 12.5 x 15 | 10.24 x 8.27 x 15.35 |
| Power | 500 watts | 450 watts | 240 watts | 1,000 watts | 720 watts | 950 watts |
| Slice/Shred | 2 discs | Double-sided disc | Not available | Double-sided disc | 2 discs | 4 discs |
| Dough hook | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Weight | 9.7 lbs | 4.7 lbs | 2.7 lbs | 7.65 lbs | 18 lbs | 23.8 lbs |
| Price | $200 | $60 | $60 | $100 | $239 | $400 |
Other food processors we tested
In addition to those recommended above, we also tested these food processors in the $100 to $400 range.
- Cuisinart Elemental FP-11GMP1 : There's a reason this model has a place on this list, as I really liked its overall ease of use, features and function. In a head-to-head matchup with the similarly priced, sized and weighted KitchenAid model, the KitchenAid won out for its storage-friendly design. If you're a Cuisinart brand loyalist and prefer something more lightweight than the Cuisinart Custom model, consider this my stamp of approval.
- Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 70725A: Hamilton Beach consistently makes small appliances that overdeliver for their price point and this Stack and Snap food processor model is another good budget buy. It's perhaps on the louder side among food processors but several features, besides its $55 price, make this an excellent option for those who might consider themselves merely food processor-curious. The stacking feature, similar to the KitchenAid, prevents the novice from undue swearing during assembly.
- Ninja Smart Screen Blender and Food Processor (Out of Stock): We tested this hybrid model in a separate round of testing. The Ninja kit comes with a blending bowl, processor bowl and travel cup. With a smaller (5-cup) bowl capacity, results were inconsistent. The Ninja Smart Screen blender and food processor are ones to avoid if your priority is food processing.
How we test food processors
As a culinary school-trained home cook, I've logged countless hours using these handy kitchen sidekicks. To find the best food processors available in 2025, I tested nine popular models in terms of their ease of setup and use, as well as efficiency and efficacy in their two primary functions. There are also many blender-food processor hybrids available, but for this list, I was focused on single-purpose food processors.
The list of food processor models I chose to test was assembled based on a combination of previous CNET food processor picks and those that have also been well-vetted and appear on multiple review sites' best lists. I also considered best-selling and consistently highly rated models at major retailer sites such as Amazon, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Williams-Sonoma.
The Cuisinart Custom is a bit of a tank but it passed our performance tests with flying colors.
I was primarily concerned with each food processor's chop and puree functions. I tested the same pico de gallo and hummus recipe on each of them, looking for ease and intuitiveness of use, and consistency in the end product: whether the veggies were uniformly chopped and the hummus consistently smooth. I tested the shred and slice capabilities, where applicable, with carrots, looking again for ease of use and uniformity. (If I am honest, while I found the shredding feature of a food processor to be well worth it, especially where shred-heavy recipes like carrot cake or latkes are concerned, I'd probably pass on any of these food processors for a mandoline for slicing.) I also considered other factors such as noise level while operating, ease of setup and storage capabilities.
I repeated each recipe twice using each machine, with the same ingredients in the same amounts across all brands.
Factors to consider
While all the food processors I tested can basically complete the job of chopping, pureeing, shredding and slicing, they come in various sizes and bowl volumes with a range of additional features and price points. If size or price are limiting factors for you, the decision is going to become very easy as you'll be able to quickly narrow the field to smaller and less expensive models. If price doesn't matter much, and you have unlimited cabinet space for storage, a good place to begin might be by considering what sort of use you imagine you have for a food processor on a regular basis.
KitchenAid's 8-cup food chopper is a perfect food processor for those with limited counter and storage space.
Food processor size and weight
There are no standard sizes for food processors but they are typically categorized based on their bowl volumes: small models in the 3- to 6-cup range, medium in the 7- to 10-cup range, and large in the 10- to 13-cup range. Lightweight models weigh between 5 and 10 pounds, whereas heavier-duty models can be 15 pounds and more. The lighter models tend to have suction feet on the base, to prevent movement while the food processor is operating.
The Hamilton Beach 7073 can be had for $40 and is our pick for the best budget food processor.
Food processor functions
Food processors are primarily used to chop or dice and puree, with an S-shaped, rotating blade doing the work. Shredding and slicing are other typical uses, but different food processors may include two-sided discs for these functions, or separate discs for each, and may include a separate anchor pin that holds these discs in place, where the main S-blade is removed. Short doughs such as pie crusts can be made in a food processor, but kneaded doughs are also possible, with several of the models here offering separate, plastic S-blades for this purpose.
Speeds
Most recipes involving food processors specify mixing or chopping at either a high or low speed and for that reason, you'll want a processor with at least two speeds and a powerful motor. The most common configuration is a low, high and pulse option. There are some food processors with just one speed, but that's extremely limiting so look for a food processor with at least some range of speeds.
Attachments
While your food processor is primarily two spinning blades, plenty of other attachments can expand your processor's capabilities. Some come with multiple attachments like discs for grating, shredding and slicing, dough blades for kneading bread dough, and attachments for whipping cream, chopping nuts, juicing fruits or dicing vegetables. If you know what tasks you'll do most often, be sure to check that your processor includes the blades and attachments you'll need, such as the right mixing blade, chopping blade, slicing blade or citrus juicer. Some food processor models, like the Magimix, come with a lot of these attachments, while for others they must be purchased separately. Depending on your food processing needs, this may be something to consider. Remember, attachments shouldn't be difficult to clean, and you should definitely check whether they can go in the dishwasher.
