How Do I Choose a Good Food Processor?

If you’re struggling to decide between a food processor or a meat grinder, hand mixer, blender or other culinary tool as your budget allows, now you don’t have to. When it comes to kitchen appliances, food processors are the jack of all trades. 

Able to mix, mash, grind, chop, shred and liquify, among a slurry of other mixing and cutting capabilities, chefs now have one piece of equipment to help them make staple menu items from scratch. But if you’re asking yourself, “How do I choose a good food processor?” Parts Town can help point out things to consider and look for before pressing that “buy now” button.

Food Processor Sizes 

When asking yourself, “How do I choose a good food processor?” You should make size and power your top priority. Accessories and attachments are always nice to have, but if the budget doesn’t permit, they can always be bought as extra add-ons later.

But the question of how big and at what capacity might have you scratching your head and counting on your fingers. So let’s break down different food processor sizes and food yields in the chart below:

What Are the Features of a Good Food Processor?

Features are only as good as what you need them for, and this is especially important to keep in mind when considering limitations like budget and space. But, on the other hand, to make an informed decision, you should be aware of the assortment of features available on the market today so you can narrow down the choice. Design components to filter for might include:

• Wide feed chute – A wide feed chute allows for high-volume processing and prevents blockages. After all, why pre-slice your fruits and vegetables when the food processor can do all the work for you?
• Easy assembly and disassembly – Many food processors have mastered the art of hassle-free assembly and disassembly with snap-on attachments and twist-free bowls.
• Pour spout – If you’re making dressings, soups, dips, baby food or other blended concoctions, a pour spout can prevent you from getting your hands dirty scooping out the bowl.
• Powerful motor – Make sure you buy a food processor that aligns with how many people you're cooking for. Nothing is more frustrating than having to constantly stop to unjam the blades or remove ingredients.
• Variable speed settings – Some food processors come with different speed settings, like high, medium, low and pulse, or even a frozen smoothie or salsa button. The more settings there are, the better you can coax the desired consistency and texture out of your favorite recipes.
• Durable material – What the food processor is made of will play a significant role in how it stands up to everyday wear and tear. For example, stainless steel food processors will fare better in a commercial kitchen environment than plastic. However, for the average homeowner, a plastic food processor might prove to be the more economical choice.
• Noise level – Bigger motors don’t always mean louder. However, some brands of food processors are quieter than others. When browsing the shelves–or the internet–be sure to pay attention to weight and vibration-dampening features, such as rubber feet. Sturdier designs built of denser materials will help weigh it down and reduce vibrations.

Easy-to-Clean Design

Some food processors are dishwasher safe, and some are not. If you work in a commercial kitchen and have to wash the bowl and attachments between dishes to avoid cross-contamination, a dishwasher-friendly food processor might mean the difference between a happy customer and a refund. 

However, even if you’re someone who doesn’t own a dishwasher or necessarily find that to be a selling point, the dishwasher-safe stamp of approval is still something to look out for. That’s because it usually means the components are easy to remove, making it faster and easier to clean. 

Ease of Use 

If the food processor is designed well, you should never have to read the manual (although you still should for those priceless cleaning and maintenance tips). You also shouldn’t have to guess which attachment goes where or press random buttons until it does what you want, so an instinctive and user-friendly interface is key. 

You can usually tell if a food processor will be easy to use or not by looking at the product pictures and the buttons and attachments that come with it. If you can figure out how to use it from the picture alone, that should be a good indication of its innate intuitiveness.

Attachments & Accessories  

Attachments and accessories can help sweeten the deal when choosing a good food processor to introduce to your home or restaurant. If you plan on using your food processor in place of other kitchen appliances to help save counter and cupboard space, making sure you buy a food processor with the right attachments can save you a lot more money than if you had to buy them after the fact. 

Some food processor attachments and accessories you might consider are:

• S blade
• Dough blade
• Slicing disc
• Emulsifying disc 
• Grating disc 
• Whisk attachment 
• Juicer 
• Blender attachment 
• Storage case 
• Variable speed motor
• Blade adapter 
• Mini secondary bowl

Price & Budget 

The price range for a food processor varies drastically, starting at $10 for mini versions to upwards of $30,000 for a commercial setup. How much you should spend on a food processor will depend on what you need it for and how often you will use it.

To help you figure out your budget, you should make a list of must-have features and attachments while factoring in the size and power of the machine based on our chart above. Next, do your due diligence. Cross-reference different brands and compare prices. 

Once you get an idea of what you can expect to spend for a food processor that will get the job done, read the reviews. Important things to take note of are warranties, common complaints and prominent features. This information will help you know what you’re getting yourself into, like if the food processor is liable to break, what you can expect to spend on replacement parts, whether it’s made out of quality or cheap materials and things of that nature.