Best food processors for chopping, shredding and slicing with ease

The best food processors take the hassle out of food prep, but not all models are fit for purpose – we've found some that struggle with the most basic tasks, such as grating cheese and dicing an onion.

Food processors are designed to take the hassle out of food prep tasks and save you precious time in the kitchen. But they can vary massively in price, size and what they can do – and we’ve found some can be more of a hindrance than a help.

Read on for our picks of the best food processors we've tested, plus helpful buying advice to ensure you buy the best for your budget.

Go to our food processor reviews to see all the models we've tested.

Best food processors

We judge food processors on how well they chop, slice, grate, mix, knead and blend. Plus how noisy they are and how easy they are to use and clean. The following models are the best we've tested.

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Last checked: June 2024

To see more food processors we've tested, visit our food processor reviews.

Video: How to buy the best food processor 

This video takes a look at the key things you need to consider when buying a food processor, from what size to go for to what features to look out for.

Food processor types explained

Choosing between a compact mini chopper and a full-sized food processor? As well as thinking about how much kitchen space you have, consider how much you want to spend and what you’ll be using it for.

Food processors

Full-sized processors usually come with a diverse array of attachments and can handle an impressive range of tasks.

As well as chopping, slicing and grating, most can also whisk, whip, mix and knead. This is ideal if you also like to bake but don't have space or budget for a separate stand mixer. Some also come with a blender attachment for making soups and smoothies.

However, food processors can be large, bulky beasts and are often expensive. Bigger models, or models with multiple parts, can also be more of an effort to clean.

• Pros: Come with a wide range of accessories, can handle most cooking and baking prep tasks in one machine, some come with a blender attachment, larger capacity – ideal for processing bigger amounts
• Cons: Tend to be expensive, take up kitchen space, can be fiddly to clean

Mini choppers

Typically mini choppers are smaller and less expensive versions of food processors. While they take up less space, they are usually limited in what they can do, such as handling small amounts of chopping and puréeing.

• Pros: Cheaper, compact, simple to set up, easy to clean
• Cons: Usually limited to chopping and pureeing, small capacity

Best food processor features to consider

Accessories

Make sure the food processor has the tools for the tasks you need to do. It’s worth buying a food processor with a jug blender attachment if you want the versatility of blending smoothies or soup as well as processing food. If you're buying a food processor, but like to bake, you may want to look out for a model that comes with a beater attachment for whipping and whisking and/or a dough blade.

All food processors come with a knife blade for basic tasks, but some models come with even more attachments. We've seen blenders, citrus juicers, dough hooks, grating blades, mills, mini bowls, shredding blades, slicing blades and spatulas.

Don't know your cubing disc from your Blendermix attachment? Read Food processor attachments explained. 

Large feeding tube

Some food processors come with a lid that has a wider feed tube so you can process larger items, such as potatoes or cucumbers, without having to chop them up first.

Dishwasher-safe attachments and accessories

Washing food processor attachments by hand can be a real pain. If you have a dishwasher, look for a model with dishwasher-safe accessories so cleaning is less of a headache – but don’t forget to check the instructions before putting them on a hot wash. Some manufacturers warn against washing in temperatures above 40°C, and to avoid the drying cycle altogether, which can also cause the plastic to split.

If you don't have a dishwasher, use our food processor reviews to find models that are easy to clean by hand.

Storage for accessories

Some food processors come with a wide variety of accessories, which can take up a lot of valuable kitchen storage space. If you think this is going to be a problem, look for a model with a storage box or storage compartment included.

What size and capacity food processor should I buy?

Bowl size

A large-capacity bowl means you'll be able to make bigger batches. However, the bigger the bowl size, the more space it’s likely to take up in your kitchen. It’s also worth bearing in mind that bigger bowls can be more of a faff to clean by hand or may be awkward to fit in the dishwasher.

Use the capacities below as a rough guide when choosing a food processor.

• 2.6 litres is enough food for three people
• 3 litres is enough food for four people
• 3.6 litres is enough food for five people

Some models come with an additional mini bowl, which sits inside the main bowl and has its own blade – useful when you only want to process a small amount of food, such as herbs or nuts. Some models even come with a third midi bowl so you can pick the best size depending on how much food you're processing.

Size and weight

Food processors range massively in size and weight. Make sure you have enough kitchen counter space for the appliance you choose – think about the height of any cabinets above where you’ll put the food processor that may obstruct the feeding tubes or lids. If it's going to live in your cupboard, can you lift it in and out easily? Some are pretty hefty, weighing as much as 11kg.

How much should I spend on a food processor?

This depends on which type of food processor you want. You can get a good mini chopper for around £20, but the popular brands often cost £60-70.

Premium food processors can cost more than £400, but we've found brilliant models for less than £100. 

If you have the budget to spend more than £100, you'll be able to get a model offering better build quality, longer guarantees and a quieter motor. More expensive models also tend to come with a wider variety of attachments, such as spice grinders, blenders and citrus presses. But be careful not to spend extra on fancy accessories if you’re only likely to use it for simple tasks.

Use the filters on our food processor reviews to compare models by features and price.

Food processors are a versatile gadget that can be used to make a broad range of recipes. Visit BBC Good Food to find ideas for what to make in your food processor, from a basic shortcrust pastry recipe or puff pastry recipe, to a homemade peanut butter recipe and classic pesto recipe.

How can I dispose of an old food processor?

According to Recycle Now, the best way of disposing of an appliance that’s still in working order, is to donate it to a charity that collects electrical appliances, such as the British Heart Foundation.

UK manufacturers or retailers must offer an option to take back electrical waste of the same type as the item purchased. So if your appliance is no longer working and you're buying a new one, you can take the old one back to the store. The in-store service should be free, but you may be charged a fee if items are collected from your home. You can also take the item to a local recycling centre.

The collected items are kept at recycling centres or retailers and then taken to a reprocessing plant where they are shredded into small pieces for recycling. Recycle Now reports that all the raw materials are distributed to create new products.

How we test food processors

Which? is independent – we work for you. We buy all the products that go to our test lab and don’t accept freebies, so you can be sure that our food processor recommendations are influenced only by our test results and not by the manufacturers.

We test the performance, ease of use and weight and storage of each model. Only food processors and mini choppers that score 74% or above are awarded Which? Best Buy status. 

To find out more about the lengths we go to in order to uncover our Best Buys, head over to how we test food processors.