We put a range of food processors to the test by chopping, slicing and dicing a range of ingredients as well as making pastes, sauces and kneading doughs. Read on to find out which models came top.
Best food processors at a glance
- Best food processor: Sage the Paradice 9, £299.95
- Best small food processor: Kenwood MultiPro Go food processor, £49
- Best Ninja food processor: Ninja Food Processor with Auto-IQ BN650UK, £79.99
- Best Magimix food processor: Magimix 4200XL 18473 food processor, £418.95
- Best 2-in-1 food processor: Bosch CreationLine Kitchen Machine, £247.50
- Best 3-in-1 food processor: Ninja 3-in-1 food processor with Auto IQ, £199.99
- Best food processor with built-in scales: Kenwood MultiPro Express Weigh+ food processor, £150
- Best basic food processor: Cuisinart FP8U Easy Prep Pro, £139.99
- Best compact food processor: KitchenAid 2.1-litre food processor, £219.99
- Best food processor and blender: Russell Hobbs Desire food processor, £73.99
- Best food processor and blender: Magic Bullet Kitchen Express, £69.99
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Best food processors to buy in 2024
Sage the Paradice 9 food processor
Best food processor
Pros:
- In-built storage caddy
- Powerful motor with 30-year warranty
- Range of accessories
- Good capacity without being too bulky
- Cord storage
Cons:
- Dicer blade doesn’t catch all ingredients
Star rating: 5/5
Owning a food processor with lots of attachments can be a huge win in terms of versatility, but less so when it comes to storage – especially if you have a small kitchen. Sage has gone some way to solving this with its newest model, the Paradice 9, which melds a roomy 2.1-litre capacity with a compact, well-thought-out design.
This is all thanks to the integrated storage caddy, which slots neatly on top of the food processor when it’s not in use. Navigating where each part sits takes some practice (we advise using the manual for guidance), but the attachments are colour-coded and there are clear markings on the bowl and lid too.
One speed setting and a pulse function are selectable on the front of the food processor, and in test we found the motor was powerful and efficient – blitzing through ingredients in just a few seconds. The dicer blade had some difficulty pushing through all the onion, leaving around half a centimetre stuck at the top, but otherwise produced uniform results.
- Wattage: 650W
- Working capacity: 2.1L
- Accessories: one bowl, chopping ‘s’ blade, reversible shredder (coarse and fine), adjustable slicer (15 levels), dough blade, 12mm dicing blade
Kenwood MultiPro Go food processor
Best small food processor
Pros:
- Compact
- Attractive
- Integrated cord storage
- Intuitive
- Express serve attachment saves time and effort
- Good value
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
If you’re after a no-frills food processor, this compact Kenwood model handles the basics brilliantly. It comes with an express serve bowl attachment, so you can process ingredients from the bowl into the pan. The wrap-around cord storage ensures its footprint stays minimal.
Despite its small size, it has a powerful motor that dices, slices and grates with ease. While we found the lack of handle on the bowl frustrating, its silicone feet help keep it firmly on the worktop.
There’s just one speed and a pulse function for shorter bursts of power, but what this food processor lacks in versatility, it more than makes up for in efficiency, intuitiveness and style.
- Wattage: 650W
- Working capacity: 1.3L
- Accessories: two bowls, chopping blade, reversible disc for slicing and grating, express serve disc
Read our full Kenwood MultiPro Go food processor review.
Ninja Food Processor with Auto-IQ BN650UK
Best Ninja food processor
Pros:
- Good selection of presets
- Measurements and markers up the side of the mixing bowl
- Powerful performance
- Compact design
- Comes with everything you’d need for everyday processing
Cons:
- Loud
- Short one-year guarantee
Star rating: 5/5
Ninja is well known for its powerful pieces of kitchen kit, and this model, despite the low price tag, delivers impressive performance with oomph.
The BN650UK is Ninja’s budget food processor offering and as such it doesn’t come with all the added extras such as blender jugs and takeaway cups. But if you’re looking for a food processor that performs basic chopping, grating, kneading and slicing tasks exceptionally well, this Ninja is a must-buy.
This model comes with four Auto IQ presets for chopping, puréeing, slicing and mixing, as well as the usual low, high and pulse manual settings. We couldn’t fault the results as this model worked its way through every test with absolute ease. For added convenience the bowl and attachments are dishwasher-safe (top rack only). Our only minor gripe was that it is rather loud.
- Wattage: 850W
- Working capacity: 2.1L
- Accessories: chopping blade, dough blade, reversible slicing/grating disc
Magimix 4200XL 18473 food processor
Best Magimix food processor
Pros:
- Robust
- High-quality efficient machine
- Great recipe book
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
This impressive food processor from Magimix will take care of most processing jobs needed in the kitchen, from shredding and grating, to blending, puréeing and slicing. It can also handle a very good rapid-knead pizza dough and much more. This well-made machine, with a clever three-bowl system, makes it one of the most versatile on our test. The controls are simple, straightforward and so good-looking you will not want to put this in the cupboard.
- Wattage: 950W
- Working capacity: 1.3L
- Accessories: three bowls, two chopping blades, two grating discs (2mm & 4mm), two slicing discs (2mm & 4mm), BlenderMix ring (for blending), dough blade, egg whisk, spatula, storage box
Read our full Magimix 4200XL 18473 food processor review.
Bosch CreationLine Kitchen Machine
Best 2-in-1 food processor / stand mixer
Pros:
- Integrated scales and timer
- Dishwasher-safe attachments
- BPA-free plastics
Cons:
- Outdated acronym in product name
- Weighs in increments of 5 grams
- Expensive
Star rating: 5/5
Multi-functional appliances make life easier in the kitchen, not least because they save you from having to buy and store multiple machines. Bosch’s MUM5XW10 kitchen machine is a unique stand mixer and food processor hybrid that backs its versatility with easy-to-use integrated scales so ingredients can be weighed directly into the bowl. The touchscreen controls are intuitive to use, its 1000W motor incredibly efficient during testing and with dishwasher-safe attachments, it earned Star Buy status from Good Food experts.
- Wattage: 1000W
- Working capacity: 3.9L
- Accessories: silicone whisk, beating whisk, kneading hook, continuous shredder, grating disc medium-fine, reversible disc for slicing and grating, reversible shredding disc, reversible slicing disc for an extra size, accessory bag
Read our full Bosch CreationLine kitchen machine review.
Ninja 3-in-1 food processor with Auto-IQ
Best 3-in-1 food processor
Pros:
- Intuitive, with fast and excellent results across the board
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
The Ninja 3-in-1 combines three types of food processing into one machine, with a roomy food processor jug, sturdy glass blender and single-serve blender. This can be used for smoothies and juices to go, or to make small amounts of sauces and spice mixes.
It’s a fiercely efficient machine with a 1200-watt motor that can work through ingredients (whether chopped, mixed, grated, sliced, blended or puréed) in seconds. This machine’s IQ to select the correct process for each jug used makes it stand out on our test.
- Wattage: 1200W
- Working capacity: Food processor – 1.8L, blender – 2.1L
- Accessories: Blender jug and lid, stacked chopping blades, blender blades, 700ml cup, reversible slicing/grating disc, disc adapter, dough blade, chopping blade
Read our full Ninja 3-in-1 food processor review.
Kenwood MultiPro Express Weigh+ food processor
Best food processor with built-in scales
Pros:
Cons:
- Confusing amount of accessories
Star rating: 4.5/5
The Kenwood MultiPro lives up to its name, as this multi-functional food processor is stacked with versatility. The 1000-watt motor packs a punch and the many chopping, grating, slicing, shredding, stirring, whisking and blending functions are quick and easy to use once you get your head around the multitude of accessories included. Our favourite has to be the accurate built-in scales, which weighs directly into the jug – this saves so much time and the need for other equipment on a busy work surface.
- Wattage: 1000W
- Working capacity: Food processor – 3L, blender – 1.5L
- Accessories: Glass blender, Express Serve and Express Dice accessories, citrus juicer, metal whisk, 2mm and 4mm reversible slicing/grating discs, extra fine grating disc, chopping blade, dough blade
Read our full Kenwood MultiPro Express Weigh+ review.
Cuisinart FP8U Easy Prep Pro
Best basic food processor
Pros:
- High-quality components
- Attractive design
Cons:
Star rating: 4.5/5
This is a great food processor if you’re looking for a reasonably priced machine that will do the basics with minimum fuss. The components are pared back but highly effective, working through ingredients quickly and efficiently. The materials all feel well-made, from the stylish outer shell to the strong blades.
- Wattage: 350W
- Working capacity: Large bowl – 1.9L, small bowl – 0.7L
- Accessories: Small and large chopping blades, small and large reversible slicing and grating discs
Read our full Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro review.
KitchenAid 2.1-litre food processor
Best compact food processor
Pros:
- Small footprint
- Easy to store
- Innovative reversible stacking discs
- Quiet
- Oil drizzler
Cons:
- Not great at finely blitzing smaller quantities
Star rating: 4.5/5
The KitchenAid’s style and small footprint are the first things we noticed about this machine. It’s compact (about the width of a large kettle), lightweight, easy to unpack and manoeuvre, and sports handy grooves at its base. Non-slip feet keep it stable once settled.
Each component and accessory feel quality-made and built to last. This is a step-down in size from the 3.1L KitchenAid, so better suited to those who don’t want to bulk-blitz ingredients, but do want a practical machine for everyday use.
- Wattage: 250W
- Working capacity: 2.1L
- Accessories: Dough blade, chopping blade, reversible slicing and grating blade, julienne disc, refrigerator lid, whisk accessory
Read our full KitchenAid 2.1L food processor review.
Russell Hobbs Desire food processor
Best food processor and blender
Pros:
- Dishwasher-safe bowls and attachments
- 1.5-litre jug blender
- 2.5-litre food processor bowl
- Non-slip feet, cord storage
Cons:
- 1.5-litre usable capacity within the 2.5-litre food processor bowl
Star rating: 4.5/5
At around £50, this 2-in-1 food processor and blender set offers great versatility for the price. Despite only having one reversible slicing and shredding disk, it over-performs. The simplicity of this model actually plays in its favour.
- Wattage: 600W
- Working capacity: Food processor – 1.5L, blender – 1.5L
- Accessories: chopping blade, slicing/shredding disc, dough blade, creaming disc
Read our full Russell Hobbs Desire food processor review.
Magic Bullet Kitchen Express
Best small food processor and blender
Pros:
Cons:
- No storage for all the bits and pieces
Star rating: 4.5/5
The Magic Bullet Express is a compact, multi-use processor and blender all in one machine that takes up little space. The sturdy machine comes with a generous work bowl for its size, plus a separate small blender attachment that neatly fits onto one of the two tall cups for smoothies using the to-go lid. The processor also has a reversible slice or shred disc. Packed with a powerful 250-watt motor, this is not only a versatile machine, but a pretty ferocious one, too.
- Wattage: 250W
- Working capacity: Food processor – 0.83L, blender – 0.8L
- Accessories: Chopping blade, reversible slicing and shredding disc, blender blade, two travel cups
Read our full Magic Bullet Kitchen Express review.
Other food processors tested and rated
What is a food processor?
A food processor is an appliance designed to act as an extra pair of hands in the kitchen. One key benefit of a food processor is that it’s a multitasker, often coming with various accessories and functions. Almost all use a rotating gear to turn their various accessories, which will typically include extra discs for slicing or grating, alongside the main blade arrays for chopping or mixing.
Some food processors come loaded with additional blender accessories, so you can tick two appliance boxes with one purchase.
Before choosing the best food processor for you, you need to ask yourself which functions you’d like it to perform. All food processors will come with a chopping blade as standard. This can be used for most tasks, including making hummus, cauliflower rice, even homemade tomato sauce. And then there are other attachments to consider. Some of the most common attachments include:
- Dough blade: looking not dissimilar to the chopping blade, this is often made from plastic with a dull edge and shorter arms. As the name suggests, it can be used to knead all kinds of dough.
- Shredding disc: this has teeth like the kind you have on a grater. Ideal for grating cheese, carrot and chocolate while keeping your knuckles safe
- Slicing disc: for super-even slices. On some models only one thickness of slice is available – on higher-end models you’re able to adjust the thickness
The more expensive, premium food processors often come with these additional extras:
- Dicing and French-fry attachments: to produce perfect cubes of hard ingredients or batons for French fries
- Different-sized bowls: an additional small bowl that fits inside the main bowl makes life a lot easier if you’re only looking to process a small quantity of food
You should also consider how much of a technical challenge you are willing to tackle. As a rule, the more functions a food processor has, the more complex it will be to assemble and use correctly.
What can a food processor be used for?
Many of the food processors on this list come with a whole host of attachments. But the majority, as standard, will come with attachments for slicing, grating, chopping and kneading. Some models will come with additional blender or mini chopper attachments, which offer an added level of versatility, but even the core accessories render the humble food processor a truly multi-functional appliance.
- Achieve uniform results with the slicing attachment; you can make: crispy garlic and rosemary slices, boulangere potatoes, dauphinoise potatoes, butternut dauphinoise, fennel dauphinoise, pickled red cabbage, potato and radish salad, coconut chicken with cucumber salad
- Whizz through laborious grating tasks with the grating attachment, make: honey, parsnip and coconut cake, rosti fish cake, walnut and almond muesli with grated apple, grilled corn with garlic mayo and grated cheese, chocolate courgette cake, easy creamy coleslaw, oven-baked rosti cake
- Knead a variety of doughs with the dough blade: homemade pasta, pizza dough, edible cookie dough, vanilla shortbread dough, iced buns with cream and jam, raspberry and almond traybake
Some caveats: we recommend running the food processor on low to avoid being too aggressive with the dough. You’ll likely have to use a smaller quantity than the original recipe as processor bowls have smaller capacities than stand mixers, for example. - The chopping blade is the most versatile of all the attachments and will likely be the most-used. These sharp blades are great for everything from chopping to pureeing. Make: Thai green curry paste, Tom Kerridge’s madras curry paste, chocolate and hazelnut thumbprint cookies, cauliflower rice, frozen tropical fruit yogurt.
There are countless uses for a food processor, a small selection of which have been detailed above. The action of the machine is modified by switching between attachments – so you might set it up with a disc attachment to chop some ingredients, then switch to a blade to mix those ingredients into a sauce or paste. Food processors are multifunctional and multipurpose, and are useful for making sweet and savoury dishes alike.
What does a food processor do?
Depending on the attachment used, a food processor can be used to chop, grate, knead and slice a whole host of ingredients, making them one of the most versatile kitchen appliances. But what’s the difference between a food processor and a blender?
| Feature | Food processor | Blender |
|---|---|---|
| Blades | Food processors come with multiple blades and discs that are interchangable | Blenders come with one fixed blade |
| Bowls | Food processors have short wide bowls, and sometimes come with multiple sizes for large or small tasks | Blenders have a single tall jar to keep ingredients circulating |
| Ingredients | Food processors are ideal for both wet and dry ingredients. Ingredients should be cold or cool, rather than hot | Blenders are generally better for wet ingredients. If the jar is heat-safe, they can be used to blend hot mixes. You may be able to make nut pastes and flours out of dry ingredients if the machine is powerful enough |
As the table shows, although both appliances have the ability to chop and blend, they are two very different bits of kit, and as such are not mutually exclusive. Think of a food processor as an extra pair of hands in the kitchen, the tool you pass off your prep work to or use for chunky dips, purees, as well as dry processing tasks. Choose your blender when you need to achieve smooth liquid results, think: soups, smoothies, cocktails and crushed ice.
How we tested food processors
We tested a variety of different food processors that ranged in price from budget buys to pricier blowout models. We also tested basic models that performed simple chopping and slicing tasks to behemoths that come with a vast variety of different attachments and accessories.
To put each food processor to the test we tested each of their attachments as well as their ease of use, ease of cleaning, as well as other factors like how sturdy they were on the kitchen counter and how much noise they made.
As well as grating and slicing a range of produce (carrots, potatoes, herbs, nuts, onions, breadcrumbs) we also made a pasta dough to put the dough blade to the test, and a Thai green curry paste and classic pesto to test the slicing blade at two different speeds.
We tested the food processors using set criteria and scored each one on the following core areas out of five. The average of all determined the overall star rating they achieved:
- Ease of use: we looked for easy to assemble blades and bowls. We noted whether the food processor was suitable for left and right handed users, depending on what side the handle sat on, the bowl and lid needed to lock into place with ease without being too loose either. We also looked for intuitive controls.
- Performance: after making each dish or preparing each ingredient we checked that the results were what we were looking for. The pasta dough needed to be smooth with a slight spring back, both the curry paste and pesto needed to be processed to a smooth texture with no chunky, un-chopped bits, and we looked for even and consistently sliced and grated ingredients.
- Value for money: we asked whether the performance, ease of use, additional attachments and accessories, and quality of the food processor justified the price.
- Ease of cleaning and upkeep: each food processor needed to be easy to clean, with no difficult-to-access dirt traps. We liked models that offered the added convenience of dishwashing.
- Overall quality of materials: a sturdy, well-weighted base, robust bowl and equally hardy accessories all scored well. If any of the elements felt as though they could easily break or strained when testing, these were marked down.
- Sustainability: we wanted to see food processors arrive with recyclable packaging. We looked for long warranties, and a manual with clear information about spare parts as well as how to easily recycle the food processor after use.
Find out more about how testing works at Good Food by heading over to our how we test page.
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