How did I come up with this list of the best food processors in each price range? I read thousands of reviews for every model available today.
I coupled that with my considerable experience in restaurants, as a personal chef, and as a dedicated home cook.
Not only have I used the food processors in question, but training hundreds of cooks throughout the years has helped me to understand the reasons behind some bad reviews.
Many stem from a lack of knowledge on the part of the user.
I have come up with the top machines in each category to spare consumers the days or weeks of research it would take to reach similar conclusions.
The Best Food Processor Under $50 The Hamilton Beach 525 watt with a 10 cup capacity (model #70670) wins this honor by a landslide.
This model can be had for just under $50, which is very impressive for a full-sized model.
It weighs only 8 pounds, which makes it easy to move from cupboard to counter.
The lighter weight doesn't add much towards stability, so Hamilton Beach has included suction cups to stop it from bouncing around while in use.
This is certainly not the best food processor available, but it is the best available in this price range.
You are not likely to be disappointed unless you buy this machine expecting it to perform as well as the higher end models.
The Best Food Processor Under $100 The Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic 7 cup is an ideal choice for someone who generally only cooks for two people.
For just under $100 you'll get the type of well constructed machine that made Cuisinart famous.
It is well powered and comes with high quality discs and blades.
The biggest downfall of this machine is the size.
A 7 cup is just too small for many cooks.
The Best Food Processor Under $150 The KitchenAid KFP740CR 9 cup with an included 4 cup mini bowl is a smart choice for many home cooks.
You get a powerful yet quiet machine with the proven reliability and customer service of KitchenAid.
For about $130 you get two bowl sizes, making this machine useful in a wide array of tasks.
The only downside is that while a 9 cup is technically full-sized, it is a bit small for some prep.
If you routinely cook for 4 or more people, you may want to spend the extra $50 for the 12 cup model.
The Best Food Processor Under $200 The KitchenAid 700 watt, 12 cup with an included 4 cup mini bowl offers tremendous value.
It is a solid, sturdy machine that will provide years of valuable assistance in the kitchen for only about $180.
It can handle all the tough tasks, such as kneading bread or pasta dough.
The two bowl sizes allow you to always have the proper size for the job at hand.
KitchenAid has an excellent customer service record, leaving you protected if something does go wrong.
The Best Food Processor For An Unlimited Budget This category has two winners.
The Viking wins (only one model available) with one exception.
Size does matter.
It only comes in a 12 cup, with an optional 3 cup bowl.
While this size is perfect for 99% of users, there will be a few cooks in need of a larger machine.
Most of the users in the remaining 1% cook in a semi-professional capacity.
For those, I would suggest the Cuisinart 20 cup food processor.
Both offer high quality, smooth operation and a track record of proven performance and reliability.
I find the Viking to be a better value at $350 than the 20 cup Cuisinart at $600, unless you are in need of the larger capacity.