The best food processor of 2020: Braun, Cuisinart and more compared

When it comes to kitchen appliances, high quality eat The processor is one of the most versatile and was developed to quickly perform special tasks in the kitchen. A high-performance food processor can feel like your personal sous-chef, saving you time and effort when working on a specific recipe. And it doesn’t even have to be large, small or even small kitchen machines that can really do their job.

Depending on the attachment, a good processor can easily chop hard or soft cheese with a powerful motor, grind nuts into powder, knead bread dough, dice and slice fruit and vegetables, or make butter and spreads. With the help of a high quality food processor in your kitchen you can even make emulsions and soups. As with everything, there are big differences in engine performance, overall life and, of course, the cost of a machine.

You also want to consider how easy it is to clean the food processor. Some or all of its components may be dishwasher safe. Even if you have to wash the blade by hand, it can be a blessing if you can throw the food chute or the main container in the dishwasher.

I tested seven that represent major brands and bestsellers, according to Amazon, Target and Walmart kitchen machine ratings. You can buy a food processor for just $ 25 or buy an expensive pro model for over $ 600. The food processors that I tested are right in the middle, in the range of $ 100 to $ 200 for general home use. There are also mini-models and extra-large kitchen machines, but they are all of average size – between 10 and 14 cups capacity.

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How I tested every food processor

While food processors can perform many different tasks, I chose tests that represent the core functions of a food processor. Most people use these kitchen appliances to mix, chop, puree, and shred them.

Restricted to these key functions, I chose hummus, pico de gallo, almond butter, and parmesan for the test kitchen tasks. These recipes offer a mix of blending, chopping, crushing, and pureeing to give me a feel for the performance of each model.

Hummus is a good indicator of how powerful the food processor motor is and how well the device can mix ingredients into a smooth bowl. Pico showed how easy it is to get a uniformly chopped dish from ingredients with different textures and hardness.

With almond butter, I can test the food processor’s ability to puree something like a hard almond to a nut butter consistency. I can also run the processor for an extended period of time to determine if there are overheating problems or complaints about noise and vibrations. I used 16 ounces of almonds in each test.

A crushing test requires a nice large block of parmesan, one of the hardest cheeses. This tests the performance of the grid disc as well as the usability of the mouth width and the food pusher of the food processor.

I have tried to do each of these procedures in each of these food processors. Each recipe was repeated twice in each machine using the same ingredients in the same amounts across all brands. Here’s how everything was shaken and my recommendation for the three best food processors that will be available in 2020.

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Tyler Lizenby / CNET

It’s not pretty (not even a bit), but this $ 180 German food processor from Braun’s Tribute Collection was by far the best in mixing and chopping. The Braun processor hummus was the smoothest I’ve made in my tests. The Pico de Gallo pulsed in the Braun FP3020 was evenly and finely chopped without too much juice collecting at the bottom of the bowl.

The 12-cup bowl is large enough for families and with 15 speeds you have a lot of control over your processing. The ability to fine-tune the speed was especially handy when I rubbed a hard block of parmesan cheese. In height, it was uncontrollable in most food processors, but with a speed of 6 or 8 out of 15 in brown, for example, I was able to stabilize the cheese and better guide it through the filler neck while still getting good rust.

You will also receive seven attachments to make your job as a chef easier. The attachments are perfect for cutting vegetables, kneading dough, chopping, whipping, juicing and mixing. $ 180 is at the upper end of our price range, but the Amazon price at the time of this release was a reasonable $ 164 – not too shabby for a kitchen device that helps cook and prepare food.

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Tyler Lizenby / CNET

We have tested several Cuisinart models and this model impresses with a balance between performance, value and functions. The price of $ 130 (currently $ 108 on Amazon) makes it an affordable midrange processor that has performed well in our tests.

Hummus with the Cuisinart FP-11SV was smooth and well mixed. Four legumes chopped my Pico de Gallo ingredients well, and although this model took a lot longer to bring almonds to a butter consistency (about 10 minutes on average compared to other models), the result was smooth and well mixed.

Chopping cheese was a bit difficult because the mouth of this processor’s food slide is small compared to other models. I had to shorten my parmesan wedge quite a bit to fit in the slide. However, you get sophisticated extras like a disc with two shredding size options (fine or medium) and suction cups on the bottom of the processors to keep them stable on your countertop.

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Tyler Lizenby / CNET

KitchenAid is a classic brand, and although the blenders are very popular, I can’t say that for the company’s kitchen machine options. This 11 cup kitchen machine model from KitchenAid worked well, but wasn’t the best model for mixing and chopping. However, you get a lot of attachments and it is a good food processor for chopping and cutting as it contains several slices for different shredding and slice sizes.

Hummus in this model was a smooth, well-mixed consistency with an even taste. Five legumes did the trick as a food chopper for my Pico de Gallo vegetables, and almond butter was easy to work with, although the machine warmed up in the 18 minutes it took to process the almonds into nut butter, which left me wondering about the engine . This KitchenAid model has an automatic shutdown to prevent the engine from blowing, but the heat made me nervous.

When shredding and cutting, KitchenAid really shines. There’s a reversible shredder disc option and an externally adjustable slicing disc that corresponds to a slider on the front of the base, so you really get certain slice sizes.

There is also a nice storage case so you don’t throw all these blades in your bowl when not in use. It has a classic style and, like every good KitchenAid appliance, is available in several versions. The price varies depending on the finish chosen. The silver model I tested has a suggested retail price of $ 250, but is currently available from Amazon for $ 199.

Other kitchen machines tested

In addition to the three recommended above, we’ve tested four more food processors in the $ 100 to $ 200 range.

Worth considering, but not as good as the tips above:

• Hamilton Beach Professional Dicing Food Processor: I was impressed with the design of this food processor, but it was not the winner in performance, and I found the key labels and noise level a bit annoying. At $ 200, I can’t recommend it over more powerful models.
• Cuisinart DFP-14BKSY Custom 14-cup food processor: This Cuisinart model performed well, but you only get one speed option and only one chopper. The food processors recommended above offer more for your money.

Not recommended:

• Ninja smart screen blender and processor: This kit contains a mixing bowl, a processing bowl and a travel mug. With a smaller (five cups) bowl capacity, inconsistent and below average results. The Ninja Smart Screen is a unit that I would avoid if your priority is food processing.
• Oster Designed for Life 14-cup food processor: This food processor just didn’t work well. Hummus had several chopped chickpeas in it, and the gusty airflow from the front of the machine was enough to blow objects around on my countertop. I would avoid another food processor.

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What you should pay attention to when buying a food processor

When choosing the best food processor for yourself, you need to consider all the features you need for your favorite recipes and the chef’s usual kitchen chores.

capacity

Kitchen machines come in many different sizes and quantities. The size of the food processor depends on the size of the work bowl. I’ve tested models with a capacity of 11 to 14 cups, but you can buy food processors with mini-bowl and mini-chopper options and only three cups. For a household with two or more people, I would recommend at least an 8-cup model. If you have enough storage space, you can use a large food processor just in case.

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Speeds

Most food processor recipes specify high or low speed mixing or grinding. For this reason, you need a processor with at least two speeds and a powerful motor. The most common configuration is a low, high and pulse option. There are some single-speed food processors, but this is extremely restrictive when it comes to having control over your meals. Therefore, look for a food processor with at least a certain speed range.

My best choice for kitchen machines, the Braun FP3020, has 15 individual speeds on a dial. This is a lot more than most people will ever need, but the option to really zero a certain speed offers the option of precision.

Attachments

While your food processor mainly consists of two rotating blades, there are a variety of other attachments that can expand the capabilities of your food processor. Some come with multiple attachments, e.g. B. slices for grating, chopping and cutting, blades for kneading bread dough, whipped cream and attachments for chopping nuts, juicing fruit or dicing vegetables. If you know the tasks you do most often, make sure your processor has the correct attachments. Some food processor models, like the Braun, come with many of these accessories, while others have to be purchased separately. Depending on your food processing requirements, this may be considered. Remember that accessories shouldn’t be difficult to clean and you should definitely check if they can get into the dishwasher.

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materials

You may also want to consider the materials from which the food processor is made. If you want to use it frequently and may not be the most careful cook in the kitchen, consider a sturdy stainless steel food processor compared to a plastic-based food processor that is cheaper but prone to breakage. Most food processor trays are made of a hard plastic that is easy to clean and dishwasher-safe. However, some are more robust than others. If you have the ability to touch and hold the food processor, make sure the plastic bowl and lid are sturdy enough to avoid bumping around without cracks.

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