All In One Food Processors
When I’m not researching dishwashers and blenders or poring over market reports, I’m likely immersed in a juicy crossword puzzle or trying to love exercise. The metal blade chops raw and cooked fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese to the exact consistency you want – from coarse to fine, even to a purée. We also like that you can remove the work bowl with the lid attached. The only task the Cuisinart Custom 14 didn’t excel at was chopping nuts.
The extra-large feed tube slices whole fruit and veggies, while the 720-watt motor is powerful enough to knead bread dough with ease. With a sleek countertop presence in brushed stainless, this food processor comes complete with a stainless steel slicing disc, stainless steel shredding disc and chopping blade. Cuisinart makes one other 13-cup food processor, which also comes with a 4.5-cup nesting bowl. While your food processor is primarily two spinning blades, there are a host of other attachments that can expand your processor’s abilities. Some food processor models, like the Braun, come with a lot of these attachments while others must be purchased separately so 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 if they can go in the dishwasher.
To process small batches of ingredients, you may want to consider getting a mini food processor—even if you already have a full-size version. Mini processors are most useful for tasks such as chopping one onion, preparing salad dressing, or making a small batch of pesto. A mini cuisinart soup maker model will process smaller quantities more efficiently than a full-size model, and its diminutive size means a mini model is easier to move around a counter, store, and clean. Looking for a food processor but don’t have the storage space to donate to a full-sized model?
Even after two zucchini, the large 14-cup mixing bowl starts to feel not so large. The base makes up the bulk of the processor and houses all the excessive weight. At 18 pounds, you’re either going to need lots of counter space to leave it out when it’s not in use, or you’re going to have to gain some muscle to store it. Whatever you decide to do with the base, storing all the small pieces will also be a pain. If you have a small kitchen, storing all the items could prove to be a hassle.
It comes with two size work bowls to handle both small and large tasks. With two speeds and a 10-cup capacity work bowl, this model will meet most kitchen work demands without spending a ton. Donna Currie is a food writer and blogger cuisinart griddler elite specializing in recipes and kitchen gadgets. She covers kitchen tools and gadgets for The Spruce and is the author of Make Ahead Bread. As soon as you’re done with them, wash the blade and any attachments to keep them sharp.
KitchenAid is a classic brand and while its stand mixers are beloved, I can’t say the same for the company’s food processor options. This 11-cup KitchenAid food processor model worked well, but it wasn’t the best cuisinart pots and pans set performer in blending and chopping. However, you will get a lot of attachments and it’s a good food processor for shredding and slicing since it comes with multiple discs for different shred and slice sizes.
This has two speeds plus a pulse option, so you’ll always get the results you want. The proprietary drizzle basin on the lid lets you add oil slowly to make emulsified dressings with ease. Not too big, and not too small, the 13-cup Elemental from Cuisinart comes equipped with two size work bowls to handle any size job—small or large. The design is mid-size, so it doesn’t take up as much room as slightly larger processors. It comes with three different size work bowls, including an impressive extra-large 16-cup capacity, that nest for compact storage.