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The best food processors 2026 – #1 really does take the faff out of food prep
The best food processors can help you chop, dice, grate and blend your way to delicious family meals. We take a look at the top models, whatever your budget or kitchen size.
By Natasha Gregson | Last updated Dec 30, 2025
If you're tired of spending precious hours in the kitchen prepping ingredients for family meals, then let us introduce you to your new favourite kitchen gadget: the food processor.
Whether it's chopping veg ready to go in your air fryer, or kneading dough for fresh, homemade bakes, the best food processor is a hardworking kitchen gadget that can tackle a variety of culinary tasks. Not to be confused with a blender, food processors offer much more flexibility – allowing you to slice, dice and grate food, whisk ingredients for baking, as well as for mincing meat, pureéing baby food, and mixing homemade dips like pesto and hummus. The list goes on...
There are loads of great food processors on the market that you can treat like your own at-home sous chef, but it can be tricky narrowing down which one to choose. So, much like a food processor does in the kitchen, we've done the hard work for you, rounding up the best ones that made the final, ahem, cut.
Best food processors UK: at a glance
Best food processor overall: Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto IQ | £150
Best budget food processor: Russell Hobbs Desire Food Processor |
£75£60 (-20%)Best compact food processor: Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro Blender | £80
Best for style: Kitchen Aid 2.1 Litre Food Processor |
£200£149 (-25%)Best luxury food processor: Magimix 5200XL | £369
Best large capacity food processor: Bosch MultiTalent 8 | £174
Best food processor for baking: Sage The Kitchen Wizz 16 |
£330£410 (-20%)
How we selected the best food processors
We first started by searching the Mumsnet forums – home to the UK's largest online network of parents – to find the food processor brands our users had tried, tested and loved. Then, we extensively researched the opinions of food industry experts, gathering recommendations from chefs and home cooks alike. After that, to finalise our shortlist and ensure we were only recommending the crème de la crème, we combed through authentic, verified consumer reviews to make sure all our suggestions were top-notch.
Looking for more kitchen gadgets? We also have guides to the best slow cookers and best microwaves.
Best food processor overall
Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto IQ BN800UK
Extremely versatile
Attachments all dishwasher safe on top shelf
Easy to use
Larger than some
On the noisier side
Key specs
Price on writing: £169 | Capacity: 1.8L bowl, 2.1L jug, 700ml cup | Size: H44.5 x W19 x D25 cm | Attachments: 1.8L food processor bowl, 2.1L jug, 700ml cup with lid, pro extractor blade, stacked blade, chopping blade, dough tool, slicing/grating disc | Pulse function: Yes | Power levels: Three | Power: 1200W
What Mumsnet users say
Ninja may be better known for their impressive dual air fryers, but their food processors also come highly recommended, taking the market by storm in recent years. We think this 3-in-1 model with Auto IQ is a really smart piece of kitchen kit.
In case you’re wondering, the ‘Auto IQ’ bit refers to the smart programmes that were originally developed for the blender market to allow a machine to pulse, blend and pause at all the right times to give the perfect consistency, and the Ninja has several inbuilt programmes for various foodstuffs using Auto IQ. It has blend, chop, mix and puree settings as well as three speeds and a pulse button.
The three-in-one bit also means that for your money you get a food processor, blender and a personal blender (a cup), which makes it a pretty good value purchase despite the high price tag.
The instructions and controls are very easy to work out and the machine comes with a recipe book to get you started, too. The only place this model lets itself down is on the noise. Not so ‘ninja’ there, sadly. But if you want a really versatile processor with a great blender thrown in, this is a brilliant buy.
Best budget food processor
Budget price
Comes with blender jug
Feels less robust than some
A little noisy in use
Key specs
Price on writing: £74 | Capacity: 2.5L bowl, 1.5L blender | Size: 21.4D x 24.7W x 40.4H cm | Attachments: Blender jug, processor jug, chopper, mixer, creamer, dough hook, pusher, slicing/shredding disc | Pulse function: Yes | Power levels: Two | Power: 600W
This is a bit of a no-frills model in that it’s not quite as swish and whizzy as some, but you won’t find many food processors for around the £70 mark that do as good a job - and it has a blender jug too.
It does feel a little less ‘expensive’ than some of the pricier models, but it still comes with lots of useful attachments to make quick work of a multitude of chopping and blending jobs. It has two speeds as well as a pulse setting, which gives you control when working, and the creamer disc is good for making smooth soups and sauces like mayonnaise. All the attachments can simply be thrown in the dishwasher, too, making the clean-up job a lot less hassle.
It might be a budget model, but a lot of thoughtful design has gone into making this matte black gadget look pretty cool; we think it'd look great on any worktop.
Best compact food processor
Small footprint
Good price
Great at basic tasks
Power not as high as some
No storage for the blade and discs
Key specs
Price on writing: £124 | Capacity: 1.9L | Size: 19D x 23W x 37.5H cm | Attachments: 0.7l bowl, 1.9l bowl, small chopping blade, large chopping blade, fine grating/slicing disc, medium grating/slicing disc | Pulse function: Yes | Power levels: Two | Power: 350W
If you’re short on cupboard space or want a blender that can stay out and in use at all times, this model from Cuisinart is a clever buy. It’s great at really basic jobs like grating carrots, making pesto etc. so it's handy to have out on the counter, and its small footprint means it won’t be in the way - just pop it back in the cupboard next to your bread maker or pressure cooker when you're done!
The two bowl sizes are useful, so you don’t have to wash up a huge item when you only want to chop a handful of herbs quickly, and the various attachments do a range of different chopping jobs - we’d quite like to have had a dedicated storage box to keep them in to stop them blunting though. All in all, it’s a good purchase as a first food processor or as a basic machine for chopping and dicing and other everyday kitchen jobs.
Best food processor for style
KitchenAid 5KFP0919 2.1 Litre Food Processor
Stylish design
Relatively quiet
Compact size
Pricey
Some models offer more versatility
Key specs
Price on writing: £219 | Capacity: 2.1L | Size: 42H x 19.5W x 19.5D cm | Attachments: 2.1L bowl, dough blade, multipurpose blade, three slice discs | Pulse function: Yes | Power levels: Two | Power: 350W
From kettles and toasters to their iconic stand mixers, KitchenAid is a beloved brand for its excellent quality and stylish, slightly retro good looks. You’d be very happy to have this sturdy food processor sitting proudly on your work surface and it does an excellent job.
A pulse button and two speeds give you all the control you want, and the machine is really easy and intuitive to use and assemble. While it’s impressively powerful for its compact size, it’s actually pretty quiet in use too, so no shouting at your dinner guests over the whirr of the processor.
We're impressed with the easy, safe storage too; the different discs can be kept and stacked in the processor, so they're easy to find and you won't have to worry about losing them at the back of a kitchen cupboard.
It performs really well; everything from veg to cheese is prepped efficiently, and it's also great at whipping up sauces. However, it is quite pricey – especially considering that you don't get the three-in-one functionality that comes with the Ninja.
Related: Discover the best multi-cooker
Best luxury food processor
Large capacity, great for bulk cooking
Powerful motor
Premium design and quality
30-year motor promise
Quite heavy
Expensive
Small bowls can only be used stacked
Key specs
Price on writing: £320 | Capacity: 3.6L | Size: 44.5H x 26W x 26D cm | Attachments: Two grating discs, two slicing discs, two stainless steel Sabatier blades, dough blade, egg whisk, three ABS and BPA-free bowls, three disc creative kit, BlenderMix ring, citrus press with two cones| Pulse function: Yes | Power levels: One | Power: 1100W
What Mumsnet users say
If you’re looking for the food processor of your dreams, look no further than this rather swanky premium model from Magimix.
It’s a bit of a beast and feels quite heavy, so you might not want to be lifting it in and out of the cupboards all the time, but we think it deserves a place to call its own on the worktop anyway.
It comes with three bowls, which stack neatly inside each other - the only downside to this is that the small ones only work inside the biggest one, so if you aren’t careful with spills, you can end up washing all three. But it’s great to have those different sized bowls, so you can as easily whip up a massive batch of bread dough as you can whisk a single egg. The largest bowl is 3.6L so it’s great when you’re cooking for a crowd. It has a plethora of attachments to play with too, so there aren’t many jobs it can’t do.
With 1100W of power, it speeds through heavy-duty work like kneading dough with no problem at all and is lightning fast when it comes to chopping veg. Its sturdiness means it won’t judder all over the counter as you work yet it’s also surprisingly quiet given its power.
Best food processor with a large capacity
Large capacity
Excellent power output
Variable speed
Requires a lot of storage space
Key specs
Price on writing: £189 | Capacity: 3.9L | Size: H43 x W25 x D30 cm | Attachments: 3.9L bowl, plastic kneading hook, plastic mixing bowl, plastic blender attachment, chips cutting disc, reversible shredding disc, stirrer, reversible slicing disc, stuffer, universal knife, citrus press | Pulse function: Yes | Power levels: Variable, adjusted with dial | Power: 1,200W
What Mumsnet users say
If you’re cooking for large numbers, power and size are your watchwords and both are delivered in spades by the Bosch MultiTalent. Its 3.9L bowl is one of the biggest we’ve seen and it has a thwacking 1,200W to help it power through whatever you care to throw at it.
Paired with the dough hook, the large bowl will take care of up to 1.5kg of dough, but it also has lots of attachments including a disc for cutting chips, a whisk to do the job of a stand mixer, and a citrus press, as well as a virtually unbreakable Tritan blender attachment for soups and smoothies. Best of all, it comes with an accessories bag to keep everything together.
In total, this machine has around 50 functions, so whether you’re chopping, kneading, pureeing, grating or mixing, it’s more than up to the job. You can buy additional attachments, too, if you want to extend its use. Thankfully, all those attachments go in the dishwasher and it’s very easy to wash, with no silly nooks and crannies to get clogged up with cake mix.
Completely variable speed settings and an easy-to-use dial lets you speed up or down as you need and there’s a pulse function, too, as well as an auto-pulse. Meanwhile Smart Tool Detection means the machine automatically works out the ideal speed for each task. Very clever.
Related: The best sous vide for adventurous home cooks
Best food processor for baking
Excellent power capability
Lots of blades and discs
Great capacity
Expensive
Not all parts are dishwasher safe
Key specs
Price on writing: £330 (was £410) | Capacity: 3.6L | Size: 71D x 36W x 47H cm | Attachments: Adjustable Slicer, Reversible Shredder, French Fry Disc, Quad Blade, Dough Blade, Mini Blade, Mini Bowl, BPA-Free Bowl, Storage Container | Power: 900W
What Mumsnet users say
Food lovers and keen home cooks will be seriously impressed with the Sage Kitchen Wizz. It’s more than just a kitchen appliance - it feels like a hobby-worthy tool that uses precision engineering to chop, slice, purée and shred exactly how you want
Unlike more basic models, this doesn’t just blitz through food - its heavy-duty induction motor and comprehensive set of precision attachments mean you can tackle everything from silky purées to perfectly even vegetable cuts. Whether you’re prepping for weeknight dinners or weekend baking, it’s versatile enough to handle it all.
Its dough blade and robust motor make light work of soft doughs, handy if you’re mixing pizza or bread dough, and the extra-large 140 mm feed chute means larger ingredients go straight in with minimal pre-cutting.
But this is no one-trick pony. The Kitchen Wizz 16’s chef’s armoury of attachments includes adjustable slicers, shredders, a French fry disc and more, so you can produce consistently even results - julienned veg, shredded cabbage for slaw or thick chips are all easy.
There’s plenty of clever design here too: the BPA-free processing bowl is large (about 3.6l) and dishwasher-friendly for quick clean-up, and all the tools stow neatly in the dedicated storage container when you’re done.
Plus, like all Sage appliances, it’s got that understated good looks that will sit comfortably on any kitchen worktop.
What is a food processor?
A food processor is a nifty appliance that takes care of tedious food prep, including chopping, slicing, and dicing, freeing up your time and hands in the kitchen.
They usually have a big bowl where you chuck in your ingredients, whether it's onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, or even nuts. Then, you hit a button, and voila! The processor whizzes your ingredients around at lightning speed, slicing and dicing them into perfect little pieces. It's like having your very own sous chef to do all the grunt work for you, plus it takes away the danger of chopping with a sharp knife or mandoline slicer.
Food processors aren't just for chopping veggies, though. You can use them to whip up smooth and creamy hummus, create delicious pesto sauces, or some models even have fancy attachments for grating cheese, kneading dough, and juicing fruits.
Related: The best budget air fryers
What's the difference between a food processor and a blender?
While they do similar jobs, generally speaking, food processors are used for making things that end up solid, such as meatballs, breadcrumbs, pastry etc. and blenders are for things that end up liquid, like soups, sauces and smoothies. Obviously both liquid and solid ingredients can go into both to an extent but it’s about what you want to make.
Having said that, both food processors and blenders now come with so many attachments, you'll find you can almost get everything you need out of one or the other if you pick carefully, so you need to think about what you want to use it for most.
It’s also worth remembering that food processors tend to have bigger bowls so are better for blitzing larger amounts of food.
What can a food processor be used for?
Lots of things! The more attachments yours comes with, the more jobs it will do essentially. As well as chopping things very small with a blade (for example, turning stale bread into breadcrumbs or chopping an onion in double quick time), if you have the right attachments they can also whip, knead, whisk, slice, grate and mix, allowing you to make everything from cold desserts to fresh bread.
What should I look for when buying a food processor?
Here are a few considerations to think about before putting your hand in your pocket.
Size: Think about where you will store it and how much space the attachments and bowls will take up, as well as the machine itself. Does it come with storage for accessories or do they all pack neatly into the bowl when not in use?
Weight: Will it be easy to get in and out of the cupboard, or can you leave it in a corner of the work surface?
Ease of cleaning: Are the attachments and bowls dishwasher safe? If not, are they easy to wash by hand, with no awkward corners?
Attachments: What jobs do you want to use it for and does it come with the right attachments to do that? It will be more expensive for an all-singing, all-dancing model, so make sure you're prioritising the functions you'll get some good use out of.
Settings: What functions does it have? E.g. is there a pulse function to give you plenty of control? How many speed settings are there? Does it have any automatic programmes so you don’t have to stand over it resetting the buttons?
Feeding tube: Is there a large feeding tube so you don’t have to chop things too small and can feed them in while the processor is still running to save time?
Suction or non-slip feet: Look for models that feel stable and have non-slip or suction bottoms to reduce movement on the work surface when in use.
What food processor should I buy?
We think the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto IQ BN800UK is a really solid buy that does everything you’ll need and a little bit more. With Auto IQ, it knows exactly when to pulse, blend, and pause to give you the perfect consistency, plus the controls are a breeze to figure out, and they even throw in a recipe book to help you get started.
The only downside is that it's not the quietest machine out there, but if you're after a versatile, high-quality processor, we think it's worth every penny.
What size food processor do I need?
It depends on what you need it for. If you’re a small household a mini chopper might do you as well as a food processor and these can do really tiny amounts of food. But if you’re regularly bulk cooking you’ll want to look at something with a large capacity such as the Sage one, which comes with a 3.7L capacity.
For the average family, however, a 2L model should be fine.
How we chose the best food processors
Recommendations from real Mumsnet users
To help you choose the top food processor for 2026, we first sought out the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users to get their feedback on the food processor brands they own and would recommend based on their tried-and-tested experience.
Expert opinions
Next up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted food industry experts. We want to be confident that the products we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning products or those that were well regarded in the marketplace, including those recommended by consumer champions.
Authentic consumer reviews
Finally, to bring you our definitive shortlist of the processors that can really help to make your life easier, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, Argos and John Lewis to get wider consumer experiences regarding the products we've recommended.
About the author
Natasha Gregson is a Senior Content Editor at Mumsnet and oversees all home and kitchen content on the website. With numerous years of editorial experience under her belt, her work has also been featured in prestigious national publications like The i Paper and Stylist Magazine, and she's written on a wide range of topics.
Her passion for food and cooking informs her research on the latest time-saving kitchen gadgets, and she has written for Mumsnet on everything from the best slow cookers to organising your kitchen cupboards.
Why you should trust us
Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about how we tested the products we recommend. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones we'd recommend to our own friends and family.
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