Food Processor Review

Comparing reviews of food processors

Food processors have long been a favorite kitchen countertop appliance for chopping veggies, whipping up a dip or pureeing sauces. However, with the right blade attachments, they can be a big time-saver at tasks like mixing dough, shredding cheese or grinding meat. Food processors are classified by the capacity of the work bowl, which can vary from 3 to 20 cups, but the most popular models fall into the 7- to 11-cup range.

Consumers strapped for counter or cupboard space may prefer compact food processors or combo machines that have a food processor bowl and blender jar that work with a single base. If you need to process smaller quantities, you might consider buying a mini chopper. These devices typically have a 3-cup work bowl, but don't offer additional blade attachments.

We found the best food-processor reviews at ConsumerReports.org and Cook's Illustrated magazine. ConsumerReports.org editors evaluate 32 food processors and 14 mini choppers, judging each product's noise level and ability to complete common kitchen tasks like chopping and slicing. Editors also offer some insightful advice about what to look for in a food processor.

Cook's Illustrated magazine publishes two useful comparison tests: a 2010 review of food processors and a 2005 write-up on mini choppers. In the food-processor review, editors test seven models, ranging from $70 to $335. They chop, grate, slice and grind ingredients and whip up pizza dough and pie crust before picking the best buys. In their review of mini choppers, Cook's Illustrated editors evaluate eight choppers with a 3-cup capacity, using them to chop both wet and dry ingredients. Testers attempt to make curry as well as chop almonds and hard cheese.

The Wall Street Journal and KitchenAudition.com also recommend the best food processors after testing a few models each. Write-ups at KitchenAudition.com are the most thorough we've seen, complete with photos that show what sliced potatoes, shredded cabbage, grated cheese and more actually look like when they come out of the processors.

Which? and Choice magazines, the British and Australian contemporaries of ConsumerReports.org, also review food processors. However, only one recommended model from each source is available in the United States. Food & Wine, Wired, Good Housekeeping and Bon Appétit magazines all make recommendations on the best food processors, but editors don't disclose any details about how models were tested, and none of the publications reveal anything about which food processors do not make the cut.

User feedback is useful for learning about long-term performance in the kitchen, and we found quite a few sources with owner reviews, such as Amazon.com, Cooking.com, Macys.com, Target.com and Epinions.com. In general, Amazon.com and Cooking.com have the most user reviews.

Testing by editors at ConsumerReports.org reveals that budget-priced food processors generally fall down on at least one task -- chopping, slicing, shredding, pureeing or grating. Cook's Illustrated magazine editors also report serious flaws with low-priced processors. In our research, we found that user reviews back up those findings: It's much trickier to identify good-performing food processors under $100.

For example, several owners posting reviews at Amazon.com say the plastic parts on the work bowl of the 8-cup Black & Decker Quick'n Easy FP1450 (*Est. $45) broke right away. In more than two dozen owner-written reviews at Amazon.com, this food processor gets twice as many 1-star reviews as 4- or 5-star scores.

The Oster FPSTFP4250 (*Est. $75) is the cheapest food processor in a leading test, and reviewers say it shows. It's loud, chops and shreds so unevenly that it wastes ingredients, and won't stop chopping immediately when the pulse button is released. This wide-mouth, 11-cup food processor gets just a handful of owner reviews at Amazon.com -- all mediocre or worse.

The Cuisinart SmartPower Duet BFP-10CH (*Est. $115) costs more, but it looks like a good value because it also includes a blender attachment, allowing you to use the same motor to power both the blender blade and food processor blade. But many owners posting to Amazon.com disagree; in fact, more than half of reviewers give it a 1- or 2-star pan. The main complaint is that the blade assembly in the blender breaks, and although some owners say they were able to continue using the food processor attachment, we think it's better to avoid this model entirely.