Food Processor Review

Introduction to Food Processors

We found the best food processor reviews in Consumer Reports and Cook's Illustrated magazines. Consumer Reports features specific advice about what to look for in a food processor. The tests rate fundamental tasks like chopping and slicing, as well as the noise level of the food processors while performing these tasks. The piece also cautions buyers to consider countertop space and not obsess about attachments.

Cook's Illustrated editors test nine full-size food processors for slicing, grinding and pureeing performance. Separate recent Cook's Illustrated reviews look at choppers and mini processors. The tests at Cook's Illustrated are more detailed, but Consumer Reports' evaluations of food processors are more recent.

Articles from Cuisine at Home magazine, Wired, Food & Wine magazine, Real Simple and Good Housekeeping make recommendations on the best food processors, but editors don't tell us much about how models were tested, and none of these publications say anything about food processors that might not have made the cut. For these reasons, Cook's Illustrated and Consumer Reports earn the highest rating on our All Reviews chart with the best multi-product comparisons.

A common thread in reviews is praise for Cuisinart and KitchenAid food processors. No other brands come close to getting consistently high reviews. Although food processors from Sunbeam, Hamilton Beach and Black & Decker cost less, experts and owner opinions suggest they're not bargains over the long term because of durability and performance problems.

For example, we found mixed-to-poor reviews for the 10-cup Black & Decker FP1550 (*Est. $50). This model is a lot less expensive than a KitchenAid or Cuisinart, but most owners say you should pass on this food processor. Most of the owners posting comments to Target.com and Amazon.com say their Black & Decker food processor broke after a few months or even after only a few uses. The Hamilton Beach 70550RL PrepStar Hamilton Beach 70550RL PrepStar (*Est. $50) is also inexpensive, but most user reviews say it's best for light duty, and not the best choice for mixing heavy cookie dough or chopping nuts. Some say the food chute is too small, and we found some durability complaints. If price is your biggest consideration, instead of buying a $50 food processor that may not last long, experts suggest buying a smaller Cuisinart or KitchenAid food processor or chopper, even though you'll spend more initially.

For those interested in saving countertop space, combo machines are emerging as an option with a growing number of brands to choose from. However, the Cuisinart SmartPower Duet Blender (*Est. $80) gets mixed marks. While some owners appreciate that it can be used as either a blender or a food processor, many complain about durability problems and loud noise levels.