Best Food Processors

Large-capacity food processors are more versatile

While Cuisinart and KitchenAid run neck-and-neck as the best food processors, Cuisinart has an edge, with twice as many products in this category.

One standout, the Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus DLC-2011 (*Est. $160), is named as a top choice in five professional reviews. This food processor also receives praise from users. One professional review gives the Cuisinart DLC-2011 props for performing very well on all of its tests, but it is especially good at kneading bread dough and pureeing -- two tasks that trip up lesser food processors. Food & Wine even describes the Cuisinart DLC-2011 as "the mother of all food processors."

Wired also applauds the design improvements of the newer Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus over the more dated Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 DLC-8S (*Est. $150), including a smooth touchpad with a continuous-on button, pulse button and dough setting. Wired's editors say the Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus processor's dough-control feature "turns out flaky tart shells." Additionally, Good Housekeeping's editors praise the Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus for cutting "everything into perfect, even pieces."

The Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus comes with a medium slicing disc, shredding disc, chopping/mixing blade and dough blade. Cuisinart's 10-year warranty on the motor and limited three-year warranty on the unit surpasses that of other manufacturers.

That said, one kitchen and food magazine isn't a fan of the way the blades activate on the Cuisinart food processor -- food must be cut small enough to fit at least halfway down the tube, because the blade won't activate until the pusher is halfway through. Instead, its editors feel the KitchenAid KFP750 (*Est. $180) does a better job at slicing vegetables.

The 12-Cup KitchenAid KFP750, which costs slightly more than the Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus DLC-2011, is repeatedly praised in both professional reviews, as well as in Cooking.com and Amazon.com owner reviews. The KitchenAid KFP750 comes with a 4-cup mini bowl for smaller tasks.and it has a slightly larger overall capacity than the Cuisinart 11-cup food processors The KitchenAid KFP750 is included in reviews by Cook's Illustrated and ConsumerReports.org.

Overall, reviews for the KitchenAid KFP750 aren't quite as solid. While all reviews say it does a great job chopping, shredding and slicing, we found divergent reviews when it comes to kneading dough. One magazine's tests finds it to be weak in this area, while another magazine, in an equally thorough test, says the KitchenAid food processor has no trouble with dough. Food & Wine is the tiebreaker: Editors acknowledge the KitchenAid 12-Cup with an "honorable mention," but prefer the Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus overall. The reason: Editors complain that the KitchenAid's bowls "are hard to detach from the base."

There are plenty of positive owner reviews for the KitchenAid 12-Cup on Amazon.com, and it receives a near-perfect rating of 4.8 stars by 155 owners on Cooking.com. This food processor is available in five colors and comes with a multipurpose blade, dough blade, fine slicing disc, medium slicing disc and shredding disc. KitchenAid backs its product with a one-year warranty -- shorter than the three-year warranty offered by Cuisinart for its food processor.

Compact food processors for smaller jobs

Compact food processors cost a lot less and are easier to store. Consumers strapped for counter and cabinet space will be happy to know they don't have to sacrifice quality with the 7-Cup KitchenAid KFP720 (*Est. $90) or the similar KitchenAid KFP715 (*Est. $90) (the KRP720 includes a mini-bowl attachment while the KFP715 doesn't).

In one professional review of the KitchenAid KFP715, testers say this compact food processor rivals larger models in its abilities. It's quieter than most food processors, is exceptional at slicing and does a great job chopping, shredding and pureeing. However, those looking for a food processor to make dough should know that one professional review found this model to be just average in that respect.

Editors at Good Housekeeping give the 7-Cup KitchenAid KFP720 a thumbs-up, saying it is "powerful enough to handle tough tasks such as slicing pepperoni." Additionally, they appreciate the convenience of its mini-bowl attachment for quick jobs like chopping herbs.

More than 160 owners give this compact food processor an average of 4.4 stars at Amazon.com. Owners praise its quietness and ease of use, but a few complain that KitchenAid doesn't sell accessory blades for it. At Cooking.com, another 50 owners give the KitchenAid KFP720 an average of 4.6 stars. They describe it as a dependable smaller food processor that's easy to clean. A handful of contributors at Target.com give the KitchenAid KFP720 a perfect rating.

The Cuisinart Pro Classic DLC-10S (*Est. $100) is another 7-cup food processor. It's similarly priced to the KitchenAid KFP720, but it doesn't come with a mini-bowl attachment. It does, however, include a dough blade and is backed by a longer warranty of three years on parts and five years on the motor. The Pro Classic is not covered in any professional reviews we found, but it is similar to the larger Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 DLC-8S discussed previously. The Cuisinart Prep 9 DLC-2009 (*Est. $135) is another small-sized food processor, but it was not included in any of the comparative reviews we found.