Best food processors

Food processors vs kitchen machines

To find the best food processor for you, you first have to decide what you will mainly use it for.

A food processor will be great for chopping, slicing and grating. A mini chopper is small in price and size, and is good for chopping or pureeing small amounts of food quickly. A kitchen machine is mainly used for mixing cake mix, kneading dough, and whisking and whipping large amounts.

• Pros and cons of the different types of food processors
• Which? Best Buy food processors, mini choppers and kitchen machines

Attachments for food processors

There are a whole host of accessories available for kitchen food processors to make specific tasks easier. Look for a food processor with dishwasher-safe accessories, as this makes cleaning much easier.

Among the most common food processor accessories is a knife blade which can be used for mixing, mincing, mashing and puréeing as well as chopping nuts. A potato rasp can be used for grating items such as hard parmesan cheese, potatoes, vegetables and coconut. 

• Best food processor accessories

How to buy the best food processor

You can buy a food processor from most high-street shops and online. Easter, Mother's Day and Christmas are good times of year to find bargain.

Among the things to look for are a wide feeder tube on food processors, dishwasher-safe accessories and a pulse setting. A soft start is available on many kitchen machines, so you won't end up covered in flour when you switch it on.

• Choosing a food processor

Using a kitchen food processor 

Using a kitchen food processor is a great way to save time when you're cooking. 

A food processor will take the hard work out of many tasks, especially if you chop, slice or grate large portions of vegetables.

• The best kitchen food processor for your needs
• Video guide to making tomato salsa in a mini chopper

Can my kitchen food processor grind coffee or crush ice?

There are some common myths surrounding the use of food processors. You can't always grind coffee in a mini chopper for example, so check your instructions before trying.

And be careful to check whether your food processor or kitchen machine can crush ice – trying to crush ice if your food processor isn't meant to could damage the blades.

• What food processors can and can't do
• Compare food processors by Which? ratings of task performance