A food processor is sold on what it can do, and most people only use three jobs: chopping an onion, shredding a block of cheese and pulsing a dip together. The right size for those jobs is the whole decision. A 1.5-cup chopper that lives in a drawer gets used every day. A 14-cup machine shreds a head of cabbage in one pass and then sits on the counter because it weighs 18 pounds. Buy for the batches you actually make.
We went through the 15 food processors and choppers in our home and kitchen catalog and kept five. This is a comparison of listed specifications and owner reviews, not a lab test; we did not run these machines ourselves. Prices are not printed because they change daily, and every button opens the live Amazon page.
How we picked
- Owner ratings of 4.5 stars or higher with at least 12,000 ratings each, so the average reflects years of ownership rather than a launch promotion.
- Five different sizes and jobs. A mid-size all-rounder, a drawer-size chopper, a 3.5-cup everyday chopper, a 9-cup machine with a dough blade and a 14-cup machine for big batches.
- Full-size and mini models only. Blender and processor combo systems are in the same category, and we left them out because the processor bowl is an accessory, not the main tool.
- Facts from the listing. Wattage, bowl size, speeds, included blades and warranty are quoted from each product page, and we flag the one spec sheet that contradicts its own title.
The picks
The 70730 is the mid-size processor that does the common jobs without a learning curve. The 10-cup bowl holds a batch of salsa or a pound of shredded cheese, the 450-watt motor runs at low or high with a pulse setting, and the reversible disc slices one way and shreds the other. The feature that sets it apart is a scraper arm built into the lid: swing it side to side and it pushes ingredients off the bowl wall and back toward the blade, so you are not opening the lid every thirty seconds.
Owners rate it 4.5 stars across more than 41,000 ratings. They praise how easy the parts are to rinse, that the discs and blade store inside the bowl, and the suction feet that hold it still. One three-year owner who had used pricier brands calls it the best processor they have had. The complaints are small: the rotary speed knob collects grime, and the plastic-geared scraper is a long-term unknown. The listing says the bowl, lid and blades are dishwasher safe and BPA-free.
- Bowl scraper sweeps the sides while the lid stays on, no spatula stops
- Large feed chute takes whole vegetables with less pre-cutting
- Two speeds plus pulse, and the discs store inside the bowl
- 41,400+ ratings at 4.5 stars
- Rotary selector knob is fussier to clean than a simple switch
- The scraper runs on plastic gears, which one long-term owner questions
- One-year warranty, against three years on the Cuisinart
BLACK+DECKER 1.5-Cup Electric Food Chopper, One Touch Pulse, 150W Motor, Stay-Sharp Blade, Dishwasher Safe
If a full-size processor stays in the cabinet because getting it out is a chore, this is the fix. The HC150B is a single button on top of a 1.5-cup bowl, light enough to lift with one hand, with a bi-level stainless blade that reaches the bottom and the middle of the bowl at once. Holes in the lid let you add oil while it runs, which is how you get a smooth vinaigrette or hummus without stopping. The spec table lists the motor at 70 watts while the title says 150, so treat the number loosely; either way it is sized for small jobs.
More than 23,000 owners rate it 4.6 stars. They talk about chopping 50 garlic cloves in five seconds, making a small batch of guacamole and storing it in a drawer. The repeated complaints are about capacity, which is the point of the design, and the blade hub, which is hard to grip when wet. Pulse in two-second bursts; one owner answered a question mid-chop and ended up with pureed bell pepper.
- Costs less than a replacement blade for a full-size processor
- Oil holes in the lid let you drizzle into dressings and hummus while it runs
- All removable parts are dishwasher safe
- 23,300+ ratings at 4.6 stars, the highest average on this page
- 1.5 cups holds one onion or a few cloves of garlic, nothing bigger
- Blade hub is slippery to lift out, several owners want a bigger knob
- Easy to turn vegetables into puree if you hold the button instead of pulsing
The KitchenAid sits between a drawer chopper and a real processor. The 3.5-cup bowl handles two onions, a batch of salsa for four or a jar of pesto, and it has a handle and a pour spout so sauces go straight into the pan. Two speeds plus pulse are what separate it from one-button choppers: owners say onions come out in even pieces instead of half mush and half chunks, and nuts stay chopped rather than turning to powder unless you want that. A drizzle basin in the lid feeds oil in slowly for mayonnaise and dressings.
It holds a 4.5-star average across almost 31,000 ratings and carries an eight-year limited warranty, which is unusual at this size. Owners who hesitated at the price generally say it earned it. The recurring complaint is that the box arrives without a proper manual, so first use is a trip to a video. It does not slice or shred; for that you need a disc machine like the Hamilton Beach.
- Two speeds plus pulse give coarse pico or smooth hummus from the same bowl
- Blade locks in place so you can pour from the spout without it falling out
- Eight-year limited warranty, the longest here
- 30,900+ ratings at 4.5 stars
- Costs several times the Black+Decker for two more cups
- Several owners say no printed manual was in the box
- Still a chopper: no slicing or shredding disc
Ninja Professional Plus Food Processor, 1000PW, 9-Cup, Grey, BN601
The Ninja is the pick for people who want to knead dough and shred hard cheese without buying the biggest machine. The 1,000-peak-watt motor is more than double the Hamilton Beach, and four Auto-iQ presets run the chop, slice, puree and dough programs at the touch of a button, pulsing and pausing on their own. It ships with a chopping blade, a separate dough blade and a slicing and shredding disc, all dishwasher safe, in a 9-cup bowl with a feed chute and pusher.
Owners rate it 4.7 stars across more than 12,500 ratings, the highest of the full-size machines here. Several switched from Cuisinart after lid-locking problems and say the Ninja lid seals better and runs quieter. One made a high-protein chicken nugget mix from two whole breasts in one go. The main gripe is design, not power: the blade has no notch to hold it on the shaft, so it can drop out when you tip the bowl to empty it.
- 1,000 peak watts and a dedicated dough blade for bread and pizza
- One-touch presets run the pulse pattern for you
- Owners report it is quieter than the Cuisinart it often replaces
- 12,500+ ratings at 4.7 stars, the highest-rated full-size pick
- Blade can slide off the shaft when you tip the bowl to pour
- One-year warranty
- Lighter build than the all-stainless Cuisinart
Cuisinart Food Processor, 14-Cup Vegetable Food Chopper for Mincing, Dicing, Shredding, Puree & Kneading Dough, 720-Watt Motor, Stainless Steel, DFP-14BCNY
This is the classic full-size processor, bought by people who cook in quantity. The 14-cup work bowl takes a whole head of cabbage for slaw or dough for two loaves, the extra-large feed tube accepts whole tomatoes and potatoes, and the controls are two buttons: On and Off/Pulse. It comes with a stainless chopping blade, a 4 mm slicing disc and a medium shredding disc, a 36-inch cord and a recipe book. The body is brushed stainless steel and it weighs 18 pounds.
Owners rate it 4.6 stars across more than 15,000 ratings, and the reviews are full of long service: one has run the same model for 33 years, another sliced cucumbers for 28 pints of pickles in under five minutes. The warranty is three years on the whole unit and five on the motor. The complaints are that older versions shipped with four discs and this one ships with two, and that the lid lock takes a minute to learn. The listing itself notes that the slicing and shredding discs are not adjustable.
- 14-cup bowl and an extra-large feed tube for whole vegetables
- Three-year warranty on the unit and five on the motor
- Owners report decades of service from this design
- 15,200+ ratings at 4.6 stars
- The most expensive pick here by a wide margin
- Only two discs in the box; discs are not adjustable
- Weighs 18 lb and stands 14.8 in tall, so it needs a permanent spot
Compare the picks
| Product | Bowl | Motor | Slicing disc | Owner rating | Our score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Beach 70730Hamilton Beach | 10 cups | 450 W | Yes, reversible | 4.5 / 41k+ | 9.0 | See price |
| Black+Decker HC150BBLACK+DECKER | 1.5 cups | 150 W (title) | No | 4.6 / 23k+ | 9.2 | See price |
| KitchenAid KFC3516KitchenAid | 3.5 cups | 240 W | No | 4.5 / 31k+ | 9.0 | See price |
| Ninja Professional Plus BN601Ninja | 9 cups | 1,000 peak W | Yes, plus dough blade | 4.7 / 12.5k+ | 9.4 | See price |
| Cuisinart DFP-14BCNYCuisinart | 14 cups | 720 W | Yes, 4 mm, plus shredder | 4.6 / 15k+ | 9.2 | See price |
What to look for in a food processor
Match the bowl to your batches, not your ambitions. A 1.5-cup chopper holds one onion. A 3.5-cup bowl handles salsa for four. A 9- or 10-cup bowl is the smallest size that makes sense for shredding a block of cheese or a head of cabbage, and 14 cups is for doubling recipes and bread dough. Most owners who complain about size bought too small for the job they had in mind, not too large.
A disc is what turns a chopper into a processor. Choppers like the Black+Decker and KitchenAid have one blade and do one motion: chop, mince, puree. Slicing and shredding need a disc that sits at the top of the bowl with a feed chute above it. Only the Hamilton Beach, Ninja and Cuisinart here include one. If you will ever shred cheese or slice cucumbers, that disc matters more than wattage.
Watts matter for dough and hard cheese. For onions and salsa, 150 to 450 watts is plenty. For kneading dough, grinding nuts into butter or shredding Parmesan, you want more headroom: the Ninja lists 1,000 peak watts and the Cuisinart 720 watts, and both include a dough blade or a dough function in the listing.
Pulse is the control you will use most. Holding the button turns anything into paste in seconds. A pulse setting, or a one-touch pulse button like the Black+Decker, chops in short bursts so you can stop at the texture you want. Two speeds plus pulse, on the Hamilton Beach, KitchenAid and Ninja, is the most useful layout.
Read the warranty, because it varies a lot. Among these five it runs from one year (Hamilton Beach, Ninja) to two (Black+Decker), three plus five on the motor (Cuisinart) and eight years limited on the KitchenAid. For a machine you expect to keep for a decade, that line in the listing is worth a few dollars.
A processor and a blender overlap but do not replace each other. For smoothies, soups and frozen drinks, see our countertop blender guide. If you weigh ingredients for bread dough, a scale with 0.1 g resolution is in the kitchen scale guide.
What size food processor do I need?
For one or two people who mostly chop vegetables and make dips, a 3.5-cup chopper like the KitchenAid is enough. For a family, 9 to 10 cups covers shredding cheese, slaw and a double batch of salsa. Choose 14 cups only if you make bread dough or cook for crowds; the Cuisinart weighs 18 lb and needs a permanent counter spot.
What is the difference between a food chopper and a food processor?
A chopper has one blade in a small bowl and does chopping, mincing and pureeing. A food processor adds a feed chute and a slicing/shredding disc, and usually a larger bowl and stronger motor. Of our picks, the Black+Decker and KitchenAid are choppers; the Hamilton Beach, Ninja and Cuisinart are processors with discs.
Which food processor is best for kneading dough?
The Ninja Professional Plus includes a dedicated dough blade and a one-touch dough preset, with a 1,000-peak-watt motor. The Cuisinart 14-cup lists kneading dough among its functions with a 720-watt motor and a 14-cup bowl for larger batches. The three smaller picks are not intended for dough.
Are food processor parts dishwasher safe?
For all five picks the listings say the removable parts are dishwasher safe. The Hamilton Beach listing names the blades, bowl and lid; the Black+Decker says all removable parts; the KitchenAid names the work bowl. Motor bases are wiped clean, never submerged.
Bottom line
Buy the Hamilton Beach 70730 unless you have a reason not to: it slices, shreds, chops and purees in a 10-cup bowl, the scraper saves constant lid lifting, and more than 41,000 owners rate it 4.5 stars. Choose the Black+Decker if you want a cheap chopper that lives in a drawer, the KitchenAid if you want a better-built everyday chopper with two speeds, the Ninja if dough and hard cheese are on the list, and the Cuisinart if you cook in bulk and want a machine built to last decades.
Prices and stock change daily. The buttons above open Amazon so you always see the current price. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.
Do Best Deal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy through links on this site we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
