Best food processors 2024 for speedy slicing and dicing

Best for: a multi-use food processor

• Capacity: 2.1L
• Size: 48 x 25.5 x 19cm
• No. of power settings: 3 - Low, Med and High
• Additional attachments: interchangeable jugs and blades for all your processing needs
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

While few of us have our very own sous chef on hand to make life easier in the kitchen, this sturdy dream machine is the next best option. Unlike any other food processor we tested, it takes the guesswork out of cooking for top notch results every time. Add an accessory and Ninja’s Auto-IQ technology will calculate exactly what program you will need and how long it should run for. It’s easy to override this and use the controls manually instead, but we found the automatic settings worked brilliantly for everything from cake mixes to chopped vegetables.

Everything you need is inside the box including a dough blade and reversible slicing/grating disc though beware, this is brutally sharp. Removable parts are all dishwasher safe for easy cleaning too. The machine also comes with a 2.1 litre blender jug and additional 700ml single serve cup which is great for whizzing up individual drinks on the go.

Our only complaint? The powerful 1200W motor is seriously noisy so might not be the best choice in an open-plan kitchen or small flat unless you’re actively trying to annoy your neighbours.

Best for: a streamlined appliance

• Capacity: 2.5L
• Size: ‎21.4 x 24.7 x 40.4 cm
• No. of power settings: 2
• Additional attachments: yes
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

A great starter set that won’t blow the budget, this streamlined food processor is a minor kitchen miracle.

It’s easy to assemble and comes with a handful of accessories that will tackle almost everything most home chefs will need including a reversible slicing/shredding disc, a creaming disk, a stainless steel blade and even a dough whisk. The 600W motor had no trouble tearing through vegetables, with two speed settings and a pulse option for failsafe results. The higher setting was especially good at pulverising ingredients for dips and sauces.

We were also a big fan of the included 1.5 litre capacity blender jug that attaches easily onto the food processor base for whizzing up soups and smoothies without buying a whole extra appliance. Better still, it all goes in the dishwasher afterwards for no-sweat cleaning.

Best for: family meals

• Capacity: 2.6L
• Size: 36 x 19 x 22.5 cm
• No. of power settings: 3
• Additional attachments: three bowl attachments (main – 2.6L, midi – 2.2L – mini – 1.2L), 10 different blade and disc attachments, storage box, spatula and recipe books
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

You’ll often come across the coveted Magimix food processor on the wedding registries of forward-planning couples.

Ideal for one to four people, you’ll be able to whip up warming soups and sauces in a flash - helpful when midweek hanger comes calling. The Magimix CS 3200 is a high-tech appliance capable of many things, from kneading dough, whipping egg whites, creating whipped cream, mincing meat, making milkshakes, emulsifying sauces and slicing and grating vegetables.

The control panel is beautifully streamlined with just two easy-to-navigate settings and a stop button.

Best for: an affordable food processor

• Capacity: 500-750ml working capacity
• Size: 23 x 20 x 20.5cm
• No. of power settings: 1
• Additional attachments: no
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

Sometimes it’s better to keep life simple. This cute Judge chopper has one speed and just one button but does almost everything a basic chef might need, chopping and pureeing easily. It has an anti-slip base so it doesn’t slide all over the place when working and we loved the weighty glass bowl, which goes straight in the dishwasher afterwards.

Although the motor is just 200W, it felt a lot more powerful and handled everything from breadcrumbs to chicken breasts without bother. It was particularly handy for making salsa and hummus. Chopping onions took seconds, though it was crucial to pulse cautiously to avoid ending up with onion puree.

Best for: a quiet food processor

• Capacity: 2.1L
• Size: 42 x 19.5 x 19.5cm
• No. of power settings: 3 easy-press speed paddles options (high, low and pulse)
• Additional attachments: yes
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

If you want to keep your kitchen tidy, this streamlined Kitchen Aid is heaven sent. It doesn’t take up much room on your worktop, the small tools store inside the food processor when not in use and the cord wraps neatly underneath.

It doesn’t come with masses of tools to clutter up your cupboards either, yet the ones that are provided more than cope with most jobs. There’s a multi-purpose blade and three reversible discs for thin, medium and thick shredding or slicing and all did the job well. We particularly liked the dough blade that kneaded our pizza dough with ease, though the 2.1 litre bowl may be on the small side for some families.

The machine was by far one of the quietest food processors we tested and it was also a cinch to operate with no-brainer buttons for high and low power or pulsing for hands-on control. We loved the twist-free lid, the easy dishwasher cleaning and the fact it comes in black, red, grey and cream to look the part too.

Best for: bakers

• Capacity: 3.L
• Size: 28.2 x 28x 27.1cm
• No. of power settings: 7
• Additional attachments: yes, 9 accessories
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

Keen bakers will adore this lovely looking machine which has all the skills of a food processor with the worktop-friendly appeal of a stand mixer. It has rubber feet for stability, an arm that lifts smoothly at the touch of a button and an enormous 3.9 litre stainless steel bowl. It also comes with a full patisserie set so you can really pretend you’re in the Bake Off tent with a silicon-edged stirring whisk, a kneading hook and a professional beating whisk. We especially loved the integrated scale so we could weigh ingredients directly in the bowl itself and cut down on the dreaded washing up.

Despite appearances, this appliance was just as impressive at slicing and dicing too. It has a powerful 1000W motor which tackled heavy dough with ease and grated carrots in seconds. There are seven speed settings and a pulse option for perfect results and the handy lid stopped ingredients flying in all directions. When not in use, the cable retracts and the accessories can be tucked away in the included fabric bag and stored inside the bowl, but we’d want to keep it out and show it off.

Best for: a mini food processor

• Capacity: 1L
• Size: 11 x 22cm
• No. of power settings: 1
• Additional attachments: no
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

This dinky dicer is a bargain buy that does exactly as it promises without cluttering up your cupboards.

A great gift for students or anyone just learning to cook, this 350W machine has a one-litre capacity and one-speed control so it couldn’t be simpler to use.

We found it tackled vegetables, salads, breadcrumbs and ice without a problem, and its size meant it was easy to keep close to hand to speed up daily meal prep. It was necessary to keep an eye on the ingredients to make sure they weren’t blitzed to smithereens but this would become second nature with use.

There’s a matching blender, stand mixer and hand mixer if you want to complete the look too.

Best for: professionals

• Capacity: 2.1L
• Size: ‎36.5 x 20 x 23cm
• No. of power settings: 2
• Additional attachments: yes
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

Streamline your kitchen cupboards with this simple but brilliantly effective food processor that does several jobs in one.

The 2.1 litre machine has a powerful 800W motor, two speed settings plus pulse control and comes with two reversible slicing/grating discs and a knife blade which had no trouble slicing through potatoes, cheese and onions.

A dough tool and dual metal whisk were also included to take care of most baking needs, but the real bonus is the integrated weighing scales that allow you to weigh, chop and mix in one bowl. They can also be used separately with a weighing tray if preferred. There’s no need for a separate blender either as a 1.2 litre jug is included and fixes easily on the base for speedy smoothies.

We found the odd chunk of fruit was missed under the blades but it’s a small quibble with this well-priced multi-tasking machine.

Best for: a stylish food processor

• Capacity: 1.9L
• Size: ‎37.5 x 19 x 23cm
• No. of power settings: 3
• Additional attachments: yes
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: yes

A food processor may not be the most glamorous addition to a home but this Cuisinart model still makes an impact. Its chic curved base in pearlescent silver looks a lot more expensive than it is and you won’t hurry to shove it into a cupboard if anyone turns up announced.

It’s not all style over substance either. Although it’s a little fiddly to fit together, it’s quietly impressive when it gets going, with silicone feet to prevent slipping, a 1.9 litre bowl and a steady 350W motor. It comes with two chopping and mixing blades and two grating and slicing discs and we found they easily handled most tasks including grating cheese, slicing potatoes for dauphinoise and even chopping frozen fruit for a smoothie. We would have liked a dough blade for even more versatility though.

The best bit? The small 0.7 litre bowl that fits securely inside the larger bowl for whizzing up herbs, nuts or pesto. This is entirely self-contained and doesn’t leak so there’s no need to wash the larger bowl if you only need to chop a handful of ingredients.

Best for: ease of use

• Capacity: 3.7L
• Size: ‎‎45.3 x 60.5 x 31.5 cm
• No. of power settings: 1
• Additional attachments: yes, eight precision tools
• Dishwasher-safe jug?: no

This mighty machine is a no-nonsense appliance that couldn’t be simpler to operate. The chunky, stainless steel base has just three buttons and an LCD display so you can be chopping and dicing straight after unpacking. It has one power setting, a huge 3.7 litre capacity and a stonking 2000W motor which - sometimes literally - makes mincemeat of anything you throw at it.

There’s no need to buy extra bits and bobs to make full use of this heavy, professional-quality food processor either. It comes with eight precision tools in a handy storage case so you don’t need to scrabble about in cupboards when you need a different one.

These include a julienne disc, a French fry cutting disc and a dough blade. There’s also an extremely sharp slicing disc with an astonishing 24 settings so you can choose exactly how you like your vegetables to the fraction of a millimetre if you’re that way inclined. It powered through peeling potatoes (rejoice!) before a Sunday roast and had no trouble chopping everything from nuts to onions, without turning everything into a mushy mess.

Our only complaint is that the processing bowl, lid and food pusher had to be washed by hand and you need to do a whole lot of chopping to justify the price.

Best for: easy-store

• Capacity: 500ml
• Size: ‎‎45.3 x 60.5 x 31.5 cm
• No. of power settings: 1
• Additional attachments: yes, eight precision tools
• Dishwasher safe jug?: no

Ideal for first-time homeowners who are short on space, this multi-use device allows you to whip up delicious meals without sacrificing cupboard space for tools.

Salter’s compact hand blender can do it all, from whisking up a cake mix, blending a healthy morning smoothie or lunchtime soup, or chopping up tomatoes and onions to make a salsa. The 600W motor on the blender tool takes the faff of food prep and can be used on the whisk and chopper easily.

Everything slots together on the accessory rack holder too, so there’s no rummaging through your kitchen when you need a tool.

Comes with a three-year guarantee.