Every kitchen can benefit from having a good food processor. They are one of those appliances that once you’ve got one, you’ll wonder how you ever managed to meal prep without it.
Food processors can streamline the whole meal-prepping process. They can chop, grate, pulse, blend, slice, shred and puree, all at the touch of a button. Food processors can take on tasks that would take ages to do by hand and get it all done in mere seconds.
When choosing the best food processor for you there are a couple of key features to consider. First of all, check out the variety of attachments that come with your processor, while some come with a wide range from grating discs to dough hooks others just come with a standard blade that will chop, slice and pulse. What type of foods you are going to use in your food processors should help you decide which attachments you need.
Also, look at the bowl size, if you’re going to be preparing food for a large family then you will need a bigger bowl, while if it’s just for you and someone else, you could get away with a smaller version.
Investing in a food processor will upgrade your whole cooking experience. It will save you time and effort, and hopefully inspire you to get creative with your cooking, making them a must-have for any modern kitchen. We’ve tested a whole host of different food processors to bring you just the best ones to buy right now.
How we tested
We’ve tested food processors from the likes of KitchenAid, Ninja and ProCook to find out which ones are worth a spot in your kitchen. We rated each machine on how easy it was to put together, the speed of the machine and how well it performed simple chopping, grating and slicing tasks.
For standardisation, each machine was tested using carrots and other hard vegetables to see the results. In addition to food preparation, we assessed noise levels, how they looked and whether they had a good range of attachments. And since money is tight, we also rated each food processor on whether it offered value for money.
The best food processors for 2024 are:
Ninja food processor with auto-IQ BN650UK
This Ninja food processor is everything you could want and more. It’s compact but still has a generous 2.1l chopping bowl, and it’s easy to put together. Changing the blades is simple, although you do have to be careful not to cut your hands as they are really sharp.
Although it has two settings, this food processor also has auto settings – so, you can select chop, puree, slice and mix and when it senses that it’s completed the job it’ll automatically stop on its own. These auto settings worked really well to get even slices and chunks. What’s more, the bowls and attachments do detach and are dishwasher-friendly for easy cleaning.
Buy now £99.00, Amazon.co.uk
Salter EK5114BGRY marino food compact chopper
The Salter food processor has a 500ml capacity and is perfect for smaller kitchens or anyone who wants something compact that doesn’t have to be stored away after use.
It is very simple to put together and comes with one multi-blade tool that will chop and slice its way through even the toughest veggie and with two adjustable speed options you can get the perfect texture every time. The chopping bowl is detachable so it’s easy to clean, but it’s also dishwasher-safe if you don’t fancy getting your hands dirty. We also can’t ignore how stylish it is – in our opinion, this sleek and stylish processor would look good in any kitchen.
Buy now £27.99, Amazon.co.uk
KitchenAid artisan 4l food processor
There is nothing that this food processor from KitchenAid cannot do. It has three work bowls plus 15 accessories including two multipurpose blades, a dough blade, a slicing disc, a reverse slicing disc, a parmesan grater, a lemon squeezer and just so much more.
Certainly not the smallest on our list, so you will need a fair bit of room for it but the accessories do come in a handy storage case so they won’t be left hanging around. It made light work of our vegetables, chopping, slicing and dicing within mili seconds, and it’s really powerful – the moment you turn it on, the job is done.
It does take some getting used to though and it can be quite fiddly to get together but that is down to the sheer amount of blades and accessories that come with it. Once you get the hang of it all, it’ll be effortless. Everything is also dishwasher proof so you don’t have to worry about cleaning up afterwards. While this is a pricey option, it does so much that you’ll never need to buy another gadget again.
Buy now £409.00, Amazon.co.uk
KitchenAid go
If you want total flexibility, this battery-operated food processor from KitchenAid is perfect. It has a generous 1.18l cutting bowl and even though it’s battery-powered, it makes light work of chopping and pureeing – it absolutely blitzed through carrots and potatoes. It also comes with a whisk attachment which is perfect for eggs, batter or anything else. This food processor has two-speed options and a pulse function, so you can get your cut just right.
If you’re on the move, this one is a great pick – maybe you want to take it to work, or you have a mobile home. It does come with one battery but you can buy spares. The battery lasts for ages, the official stats are you get 25 minutes of non-stop chopping but in the real world, we used it multiple times over several weeks and have yet to charge it up. The battery is a fast charger and uses USB-C so you’ll get it fully charged within three hours. It’s compact enough to leave on the countertop, store away or take with you when you’re on the move.
Buy now £179.00, Kitchenaid.co.uk
ProCook mini chopper and food processor
Despite its small stature the ProCook mini chopper and food processor can whizz through anything you put in there. It has two settings and a pulse function and it really excels at making bases for soups or sauces. The handy suctioned feet on the base means it won’t move around when in action – because even though it’s just 300W, this chopper is powerful. It chops, grates and purees so quickly that you’ll save tons of time than if you were meal prepping by hand. Easy to put together and clean, the bowls can be washed in the dishwasher if needed.
Buy now £49.00, Procook.co.uk
Cusinart 3l expert prep pro
The Cuisinart is a must-have for anyone who loves to cook and prepare healthy meals. This food processor can do everything from chopping and dicing to making dough. It also has a spiralizing disc so if you’re on a healthy eating plan then making veggie noodles has never been easier. The food processor also comes with a range of other attachments, including multiple blades, discs, dough hooks and dicers. The multiple disks mean you can dice, grate and chop fruits and veggies to whatever thickness or thinness you like.
There are two modes and even the first mode is powerful enough to chop a carrot in next to no time, however, if you want anything finely chopped setting two will do it in seconds. The actual base of this food processor is compact, so it won’t take up too much room on your counter, but what does make this so bulky is the multiple bowls and attachments, which you’ll have to find a spot for.
It can take a little time to get your head around the different attachments, what they do and where they go, but once you’ve figured it out, it’s really easy to use. The parts are dishwasher safe but a quick rinse will easily clean the bowls as nothing seems to stick to them.
Buy now £149.00, Amazon.co.uk
Ninja professional stackable processor
This is a small processor, it comes with just one multi-blade which slices and dices through even the toughest of vegetables. It only has one power setting, you can push lightly for a pulse effect or keep it pushed down for a full chopping and puree function. It’s small and compact, so it's easy to store when not in use, but if you want to leave it on the countertop, it won’t take up too much space. It’s simple to put together and even easier to clean, although it’s dishwasher safe you can just hand wash it as a quick rinse and it’s completely clean.
If you like to prep meals then this is the perfect solution. It comes with two sealable stackable pots so you can blitz your items and store them in the fridge for future use.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Daewoo 2l food processor and 1.8l blender combo
This food processor is a good all-in-one solution if you want a machine to help with food prep and a blender to make soups and smoothies. It has two speed settings and even on the lowest setting it really glides through tough veggies. The pulse function gives you good control over what kind of texture or size you want from what you’re blending. It’s easy to put together and switching the cutting discs is also simple enough but it can be a little fiddly to start. The bowls are detachable for easy cleaning, although we’d recommend hand washing over using the dishwasher.
Buy now £59.99, Daewooelectricals.com
Food processor FAQs
What’s the difference between a food processor and a blender?
While these appliances look similar – motorised bases with a number of power settings, clear bodies, rotating blades – they do differ in purpose. A food processor is a versatile electric machine that allows you to prepare a range of food in different ways; from chopping or cutting to mixing dough, it can get multiple cooking jobs done. This type of machine is best suited for food that will end up mostly solid, while a blender is best suited for blending solid ingredients into a liquid.
What size food processor do I need?
The bowl size of the food processors we tested range from 1.3l to 3.9l – as a rule, the bigger the machine, the more features they have. For most households, a food processor with a 2l capacity is more than enough to let you do all the basic tasks you need to complete.
What can a food processor do?
A food processor can be used for a range of kitchen tasks, including chopping onions, shredding herbs, grinding spices and nuts. But, it can also be useful when for a variety of recipes, such as cake batter, making dough or blending cauliflower into rice. The capabilities of a food processor will also vary depending on the different accessories and attachments your food processor comes with.
The verdict: Food processors
No matter what your budget there are food processors that will suit your needs. Although some of the higher-end food processors are a hefty investment, if you spend a lot of time cooking and doing food prep they are well worth the money. Our top pick is the Ninja food processor with auto-IQ BN650UK, it does everything you need and still manages to be compact enough to sit on any countertop. If of course, you do have a bit of cash to splash then the KitchenAid artisan 4l food processor, this is a powerhouse of a machine that has so many attachments that we struggled to find a task that it couldn’t do.
However, if you want something powerful but a lot easier on the pocket, we fully recommend the ProCook mini chopper and food processor. It has grating blades as well as a multi-blade so you can still get a variety of tasks done and it’s lightweight and compact, ideal for smaller spaces.
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