Welcome to this comprehensive review of the best food processors in 2021. Our food processor reviews have been undertaken by the best brains in culinary arts. Each review has been compiled after careful assessment of food processors in both online markets and physical stores. Choosing top quality food processors makes your cooking easier, more fun, and safer, and this article contains tips to help you make the right choice when buying a food processor.
Why You Need a Food Processor in Your Kitchen
Cooking food that requires a blend of many different ingredients can be tough, especially when you have a busy schedule. Each ingredient has a unique way of preparation and doing the preparation manually can be unsafe if you don’t possess top notch knife skills.
Food processors ease the process of preparing food before cooking and guarantee you safety since they eliminate the need of relying solely on a knife to chop, dice, julienne, or slice food items. You can prepare lots of ingredients within minutes when using a food processor using little effort and with no knife handling skills whatsoever.
Another advantage that cooks get when they use a food processor is a well-organized collection of the cut ingredients. Food processors are designed with an easy disposal and collection mechanism of the items that go through the blades. As such, preparing food ingredients using a food processor keeps the kitchen tidy and leaves cooks with little cleanup to do after preparing a meal.
Some cooks confuse food processors with blenders because they have a similar look. The two devices, however, differ in how they function. A blender has blades that swirl around with great speed which reduces hard and soft food items into liquid form. A food processor on the other hand has blades which cut up food items into small pieces without changing their texture or weight.
Factors to Consider When Buying the Best Food Processor for Dough
Capacity
Food processors have different cup capacity, which is measured in cup size or liters. The cup size measurement is the amount of ingredients that the food processor can handle at one go.
You can get food processors that range from 2cup to 12 cup sizes in the market. The capacity of a food processor limits the amount of food ingredients you can prepare at one go. If you cook for a large number of people, the food processor with the largest capacity will serve you better. Smaller food processors are ideal if you are cooking for your small family or roommate.
Different food prep methods
Consider the different ingredient preparation methods supported by the food processor. Functions such as chopping and dicing are standard on most food processors while others have greater capabilities, such as kneading dough and squashing fruits to extract juices.
Additional accessories
Additional accessories that come with some top of the range food processors help you to use more food preparation methods than just cutting up ingredients. As such, look out for processors that come with thin and thick grating attachments, spiralizer discs, smaller blades, juicers, blending accessories, or a dough kneading attachment.
Most Recommended Food Processors for Dough
- Hamilton Beach Compact Food Processor for Dough
- Wattage: 450 watt
- Speeds: 2
- 8 cup capacity
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic, Polycarbonate
- Color: Black
- Price: See Here!
- Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System and Blender for Dough
- Wattage: 1500 watts
- Speeds: 4
- The 8 Cup food Processor bowl
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic
- Color: Black
- Price: See Here!
- Braun FP3020 Food Processor for Dough
- Wattage: 600 watts
- Speeds: 11
- The 12 Cup Food Processor bowl
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic
- Color: White
- Price: See Here!
8 Best Food Processor for Dough:
1. Hamilton Beach Compact Food Processor for Dough
Features
- Powerful motor with 450 watts power output supports varied food preparation methods that include shredding, slicing veggies, pureeing, and chopping
- Large sized chute at the top allows the fitting of large and small food items
- The clear bowl with 8 cup capacity holds enough food items for cooking a reasonably sized meal
- 2 speed control pulse allows cooks to vary the intensity of the cutting blades to match different recipes
- The chute detaches from the bowl and the bowl flips over to cover the base, which reduces the size of the food processor into a compact size for convenient storage.
- Bowl, lid, and blades are all safe for dishwasher cleaning
- Disc blades are reversable for two sided use while the stainless steel blades are S-shaped to handle mixing and pureeing
Overview
The Hamilton Beach is a mid-sized food processor that holds up to 8 cups of ingredients. It comes with a tall and wide chute at the top while the interior features reversable disc slicers with stainless steel blades.
The processor is powered by a powerful 450 watt motor with 2 speed controls. The side has a spacious loop handle while the bottom part houses the motor and has a knob at the front.
What we like:
- Cleans effortlessly in the dishwasher
- Blades support many different food preparation methods
- Occupies little space when in storage
- Supports 2 speed configuration for different recipes
What we don't like:
- Makes a lot of noise when in operation
- Shredder attachment easily breaks
What Customers Are Saying
Consumers commend how this food processor is designed creatively to support a wide range of food preparation methods, making it the best food processor for baking. Many users particularly love the way the bowl fits over the base to reduce the size of the whole appliance into a size that fits inside any shelf.
2. Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System and Blender for Dough
Features
- 8 cup food processing bowl is large enough to hold lots of food contents. It comes with 2 dedicated blades enough for a variety of food processing methods and kneads up to 2 pounds of dough in 30 seconds
- Comes with an extra-large blending pitcher that holds up to 64 oz of food contents enough for pulverizing down ice into snow within seconds
- Extra twin 16 ounce Nutri ninja cups with lids enable the preparation of a single serving of nutritional drinks and are portable to allow you to enjoy taking your drink on the go
- The base houses a 1500 watt motor with four variable speed options that come with preset configurations for kneading dough, blending, crushing, and juicing
- Bowl, pitcher, and nutri cups detach from the base and are safe for dishwasher cleaning
Overview
This is one of the top quality food processors that every commercial or domestic kitchen should consider investing in. It comes with an 8 cup food processing bowl with 2 dedicated blades. You also receive a 72 Oz pitcher and a single serving attachment when you buy this versatile processor. The base has a 1500 watt motor system housed in the interior, which is operated by press buttons with 4 speed variations and pulse control.
What we like:
- Sold with many attachments that help to diversify food preparation
- Parts clean with minimal effort in the dishwasher
- Motor can be varied to 4 different speeds
What we don't like:
- Pitchers and cups don't support mixing very hot liquids
- Blades have no emulsify option for super smooth mixing textures
What Customers Are Saying
Cooks who have this product in their kitchens report loving the 4 speed options that allows them to diversify their menus. The dough kneading option has received many thumbs up for its mess reduction advantage that replaces traditional hand mixing.
3. Braun FP3020 Food Processor for Dough
Features
- Its two control knobs with preset blade speeds ensure you don't have to cycle through different speeds to reach the speed you want to set.
- Its motor runs quietly, enabling you to start up an early breakfast without waking up the entire house
- Parts are all safe for dishwasher cleaning apart from the base that house the electric motor
- The assembly is easy to put together and break apart. It is also compact, which eases storage
- Safety enhancement features prevent the processor from starting up when the parts are not properly locked into place
Overview
When buying a food processor on a tight budget, you should get the best food processor for the money, and that is what the Braun cup processor delivers. German engineering brings a large 12 cup maximum capacity food processing bowl with clear calibration markings.
The bowl has a tall cylindrical chute at the top and comes with multiple blade attachments for diversified food preparation. The base is white in color, concealing motors with 600 watt rating in the interior and features two knobs at the front.
What we like:
- Energy efficient motors consume low power
- Compact in size and fits in small spaces
- Supports many food preparation method
- Reduces messes in the kitchen
What we don't like:
- Instructions for use are not very clear to some users
What Customers Are Saying
Cooks have left many comments expressing their joy after using this food processor. For instance, they say they enjoy using the twin knobs, which are easy to master while the large chute is large enough to accommodate many food items at the same time.
4. Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental Food Processor for Dough
Features
- Base houses a 300 watt motor, which spins the blade effortlessly to cut through soft and hard food items
- 8 cup work bowl is large enough to handle lots of food contents. The calibration marking on the surface are easy to read and will help you to get the right amount of ingredients every time
- Parts that are used in assembly of this processor detach for easy cleaning inside the dishwasher
- A large feed tube at the top enables you to add items easily
- Its compact size, at 7.60 x 9.58 x 15.19 inches, makes it easy to store in a small kitchen
Overview
Kitchens that have limited space can benefit from the best compact food processor, and this is exactly what we consider this product to be. You receive this processor with a single 8 cup work bowl that features clear calibration markings on the transparent body.
The interior of the work bowl has 2 reversible blades while the front part of the base has speed control buttons. The top of the work bowl features a tall cylindrical chute while the front has a spacious loop handle.
What we like:
- Parts detach, which makes it easy to clean the processor either by hand or in the dishwasher
- Compact and ideal for kitchens with limited space
- Has safety measures that prevent accidents and spilling
What we don't like:
- Handle location makes it hard to configure settings on the buttons
What Customers Are Saying
Cooks who operate inside small kitchens appreciate the compactness of this product, which needs little space to store and use. The reversable blades slice and clean easily while the control buttons on the base help to vary blade speed for different methods of preparing food.
5. Oster Food Processor for Dough
Features
- Wide chute makes it easy to feed solid food items into the processor
- Control buttons allow configuration of the blades to different speeds
- Large processing bowl handles lots of food at a go saving you time you spend in preparation
- Parts separate and fit inside the bowl for convenient storage
Overview
This Processor combines large capacity and remarkable functionality while its price is low to make it the best budget food processor. It is powered by a 500 watt motor with 2 options for speed and pulse control. The top has a 5-inch wide chute and the 10-cup bowl houses a reversable slicing disc and dough blade. The front part of the base has 4 black push buttons.
What we like:
- Supports many food preparation methods
- Parts come off and fit inside the bowl for storage
What we don't like:
- The blades are not made for crushing ice
- Covering lid traps moist food particles which are hard to remove
What Customers Are Saying
Users who own this processor like the wide choice of settings it supports while the large capacity bowl is enough for preparing food for a large family.
6. KitchenAid Food Processor for Dough
Features
- External blade adjuster allows you to vary speed and blade precision
- The 3-in-one feeding system allows you to fit both small and large food items into the processor
- High and low settings handles preparing both soft and hard food items
- Ultra tight seal between the bowl and base prevents leaking and reduces messes in the kitchen
Overview
The 11-cup capacity of the processor bowl on this product makes it the best home food processor for a large family. It comes with an externally accessible lever, a 3-in-one feeding system, and high, low and pulse adjustment buttons.
What we like:
- Sturdy body withstands brutal force used when dealing with hard foods
- 11 cup bowl holds lots of food contents enough for many people
- Comes with accessories for dough kneading
What we don't like:
- Requires to be held to reduce movement when it is in operation
What Customers Are Saying
Owners of this home food processor say they are impressed with the way the external blade adjuster works to make precise cuts speedy.
7. Breville Sous Chef Food Processor
Features
- Induction motor consumes less power and has overload control to prevent failing or faltering
- Chute has 3 feed options that prevents tall and narrow foods from tipping over
- Adjustable slicing disc allows up to 24 thickness differentiation, which allows diversified food preparation techniques
- Micro serrated blades deliver swift cutting action and consistent chops
Overview
This is the best small food processor because it is not limited on features to make food preparation easier. It comes with a 12 bowl work bowl fitted with a braking system. It has a 5-inch wide chute at the top and a base with well labeled buttons. Features a 1000 watt motor and connects to the typical 120 volts AC outlet.
What we like:
- Cleans with minimal effort
- Buttons are well labeled
- Strong body with handles vigorous daily use
What we don't like:
- The stock cord that comes in packaging is very short
What Customers Are Saying
Buyers report loving the functionality on this processor, which is easy to understand. The strong body withstands brutal force coming from the interior when cutting up hard foods without cracking or breaking.
8. KLARSTEIN Food Processor, Dough Hook
Features
- 650 watt motor with a planetary mixing system operates quietly and mixes food contents evenly in a short time
- Quick clamping system allows you to swap in between different functions
- 6 speed mixer settings allow you to perform various food prep functions, which include kneading, pureeing, beating, among others.
- Tilt head design makes the mixing bowl accessible
- Suction feet at the base help to make the mixer steady
Overview
The tilt head mechanism and a stainless steel bowl with spill guard make this product the best professional grade food processor. At 14.2 x 15.4 x 9.1 inches, it supports blade speed variation up to 6 different speeds.
What we like:
- Handles many food preparation methods
- Stands steady
- Cleans easily
What we don't like:
- Compatible attachments for replacement are hard to find
What Customers Are Saying
Buyers say they are impressed by how quiet this mixer runs when operating at the top speed. The tilt away design makes cleaning a breeze and the stainless steel bowl is durable and large enough to hold lots of food items.
Learn the difference between food processor and chopper.
Conclusion
Head out and buy the Breville Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor for an amazingly effortless food preparation process at home. We rank this product top among the food processors we reviewed because of its extra large size and the induction motor that is energy efficient and runs quietly.
The feeding mechanism has a uniquely designed chute that prevents large food, such as carrots, from tipping over as they go in and the parts detach for easy cleaning and storage. If that is not your favorite processor, also consider the other items in the review above, which we also think perform well.