Food Processor Smackdown!

On test: The best food processors


This invaluable piece of kitchen kit is bound to save you lots of time and elbow grease, whether you are
Blitzing up pastes and sauces or simply mixing a morning smoothie. We put food processors to the test
And picked out our favourite models.


With a 900ml jug, this has among the largest capacities of mini food processors tested, but it won't take
You only get one blade, which is sharp on one side for chopping
and pureeing (the texture of my houmous was spot on) and blunt on the other for grinding foods such as
The bowl and lid click easily into place and the buttons are
clearly labelled, although you do have to apply a certain amount of pressure to activate them. The blade
Also locks into the bowl so there's no risk of losing the blade when decanting the contents. If all you
want a processor for is to chop an onion this is the model for you.
magimixMagimix 5200Xl Premium Food Processor Satin
Magimix have a loyal following and chances are if you had one in your family home, you've either got
One ore are saving up for one. They're twice the price of most other models on the market, but do they
This has a mighty 1100W motor, which
Comes with a 20-year guarantee and automatically adjusts for the task needed.
Super fast; 10 seconds extra whizzing and you're going to go from chopped onions to onion juice. The wider feed
Slot is brilliant for slicing things like cabbage for coleslaw, and in addition, it means a lot of things can be sliced
in half and popped through, saving time. It comes with a citrus press, which in reality is a bit laborious
Unless you have 10 lemons to juice! It also comes with a brilliant dough hook, which made the lightest of
Doughs and a amazing egg whisk, which is ideal for creating fluffy whites. It's big so you will need the
Space, however in case you want a machine you'll 'grow into' it is well worth the investment.
Kenwood processorKenwood FPM810 MultiPro Sense Food Processor
Before I begin I should say do not even think of buying this system unless you have storage; the amount
of attachments is mind-boggling! Together with the usual grating and slicing discs, it comes with a blender,
Twin-geared metal whisk and folding tool to mention but a few. Having said that, every attachment really is
brilliant. The metal whisk incorporates more air into the mix (personally I think it's better than a food
Mixer for this), plus the blender copes with hot food and makes the best soups. As for its basic functions,
I found it simple to assemble with an easy-to-operate control dial. It's slightly slower at grating and
Slicing than other models, though it has a 1000W motor, but slices evenly and produced the best
pastry by far. The integrated scales are a nice touch and save on the washing up, which is always a
bonus! It has a working bowl capacity of 1.7 litres so there's no need to do stuff in batches. A great allrounder.
Buyer's advice
Why buy?
A food processor is like having an assistant in the kitchen. It can chop, grate and slice in record time. But
It may also help with a variety of other tasks, from making mayonnaise to flaky pastry. Its primary
function is to save you time -- chopping carrots and onions for a chilli will take you less than 30 seconds.
What should I buy?
This depends on how much spare work surface you've got as to get the full benefit of a gadget like this
You need it out of the cupboard and ready to use all of the time. Generally, I would say get the biggest
machine you can afford as many come with a mini bowl for smaller jobs, like chopping an onion.
However, do remember that the bigger the machine the larger the Number of attachments you'll receive
With it and these need to get stored. These tend to come in a storage box but still take up space so look
at this when buying.
What we looked for:
Quick to put together: Processors are deceptive, they look really easy to put together but in reality with
Some models you require a degree and four hours with an instruction book to make sense of what goes
where! The final five I picked were speedy to assemble and dissemble for cleaning.
Attachments: The quantity of attachments provided will vary according to functionality and model. But
some come with everything from shredding blades to citrus presses and integrated liquidisers. I wanted
attachments that perform well, are useful and don't take up precious space.
Power: A food processor's ability to chomp its way through the job is measured in watts. The more
Watts a unit features, the more power it will need to offer - ranging from around 600W to over 1000W. I
Looked for multiple speed settings to suit the food I was processing and a pulse option to give more
control.