A great food processor is a must-have for any homesteader or home cook. You can save time and make your own delicious meals instead of buying processed foods that are expensive, unhealthy, and not as fresh. From chopping up vegetables for soup or salad, to making homemade bread crumbs in seconds, these food processors can do almost anything!
If you are looking for a food processor that will do the job but won’t break the bank, then this list is for you. I’ve compiled a list of 6 different options under $100 that I think are worth taking a look at.
Read more to find out which one would be best for your needs!
Cuisinart FP-8 Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor
Turn your kitchen into a culinary masterpiece with Cuisinart’s FP-8 Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor. From hearty stews and sauces to fresh salsas, ditch the time-consuming chopping, slicing, dicing, and shredding for Cuisinart’s all-in-one food prep device. With 350 watts of power behind the blades, you can easily chop any appetizing ingredient from onions to carrots in seconds.
Add ingredients during processing with its integrated feed tube or use the reversible discs to slice potatoes into paper-thin wedges or quickly make homemade pancake batter by switching out the disks for an even finer consistency suitable for waffles. Feeding tubes are also available with specific attachments meant solely for finely grating hard cheeses such as parmesan.
This food processor features an exclusive patent-pending SealTight Advantage system that locks the blade securely so you can get on with prepping a meal without worrying about chopping off your digits. And when you’re done, this food processor is easy to clean thanks to dishwasher-safe parts as well as its ergonomic rubberized controls.
Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor
The Breville BFP660SIL Food Processor lets you take on any kitchen task with ease. With a 12 cup capacity, this food processor comes with safety features and 1000 watts of power so that all the chopping and slicing can be done quickly. The 5 inch wide feed chute ensures no more precutting or prepping is required and includes a feeding pusher for easy stuffing inside.
To make things even easier, there are 3 speeds for different types of tasks: quick-chop at 10kHZ, mixing at 36 kHZ, or pureeing at 80Hz. This product also has an integrated blade guard that automatically locks into place when separating bowl from working bowl base – preventing accidents and preserving the blender’s sharp blade.
This food processor by Breville has a 12 cup capacity and features a large feed chute as well as safety braking system. It is perfect for processing ingredients quickly.
Perfect for: Grating cheese, chopping herbs or nuts and mixing batters; pureeing soups
Features: BPA free plastic work bowl, 1000 watt induction motor
Ninja 400-Watt Blender/Food Processor
The Ninja 400-Watt blender/food processor might look small, but it has a lot of power! With two conveniently sized jars that come with anti-spill splash guards and pour spouts – not to mention a no slip base for added safety – this blender is easy to use and safe, too. It’s perfect for grinding up vegetables or cutting ice cream cones in half without the mess. You can say goodbye to chunks in your soup after this little helper finishes doing its job!
To keep your food processor running smoothly, you’ll need to clean it regularly. Do not submerge the power head or any other parts into water; use a damp sponge and dish soap if necessary to wipe off debris from blades, splash guards, storage lids etc. Containers are safe for top rack of dishwasher (although they may become scratched), so make sure that all pieces except motor base go in there!
This food processor includes: 400 watt power pod, 48 ounce Pitcher, stacked blade assembly, pitcher splash guard, 16 ounce Chopper bowl, chopping blade assembly, and chopper splash guard.
Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper
The Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor is a powerful food processor that will chop, slice, shred, mix and puree just about anything. With 450 watts of power this food processor has 2 speeds plus pulse control so it can handle any task with ease. It’s easy to assemble and use – all you have to do is stack the parts together then snap them into place for a tight seal that won’t leak when mixing liquids. This food processor also comes with a simple function guide printed on the side so you’ll know how to operate it right away!
The large feed chute makes chopping whole foods easy without having to cut them up first. You can even fit an entire apple or potato in there! And because this food processor has sealed bowls it won’t leak when mixing liquids like some other models out there today. Plus, the stainless steel blades are durable enough for years of use without rusting or dulling down too quickly.
KitchenAid KFC3516IC 3.5 Cup Food Chopper
The KitchenAid KFC3516IC 3.5 Cup Food Chopper is the perfect size for everyday use in your kitchen. It features a locking blade, handle and pour spout for easy serving, 2 speeds and pulse operation to produce coarse or fine results, and an easy-to-clean dishwasher-safe work bowl with lid and blade.
You won’t have to worry about chopping vegetables by hand anymore! This mini food processor will do all of the hard work for you so that you can spend more time doing what matters most – cooking delicious meals!
BLACK+DECKER 8-Cup Food Processor
The BLACK+DECKER 8-Cup Food Processor is a kitchen essential. It’s perfect for making everything from pesto sauce to hummus. With 450 watts of power, it can handle the toughest ingredients with ease. And because it has an 8-cup work bowl, there’s plenty of room to work with. You won’t have any trouble fitting in all your favorite ingredients!
The dishwasher-safe removable parts are easy to clean and will last for years without rusting or corroding like some food processors on the market today. Safety Interlocking System ensures blades operate only when the lid is securely attached to bowl so no accidents happen while you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen! All removable parts are dishwasher safe.
Plus it’s backed by a 1-year warranty from Black + Decker so you know you’re getting a quality product at an affordable price.
Oster 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor
The Oster FPSTFP1355 2-Speed 10-Cup Food Processor is the perfect kitchen appliance for any cook. It comes with a 500-watt motor and two speeds, as well as pulse control buttons to provide complete control to process foods with precision.
This food processor has 5 inches wide continuous feed chute that makes it easy to process large fruits and vegetables with minimal prep work. Plus, the reversible slicing/shredding disc allows you to chop or shred your ingredients in seconds!
With its 10 cup capacity work bowl with locking lid, this food processor can handle anything from chopping nuts for baking cookies to kneading dough for bread and pizza crusts! It also includes a dough blade so you can make all of your favorite baked goods without having to buy an additional attachment.
You’ll love how neatly blades and accessories stack inside the bowl for convenient storage and organization when not in use.
What Features Should I Look For When Buying a Food Processor?
If you’re looking for a food processor, it can be overwhelming to figure out what features are important and which ones you don’t need. We’ve compiled this list of considerations to help you find the perfect food processor for your kitchen:
Size
The size of food processor you need depends on how often you use it. If you want to make professional quality sauces and purees I’d recommend a 14-cup model or bigger, but if all you’re going to do is occasionally chop nuts and herbs then any small one will suffice. Particularly compact ones are great for making sauces for individual portions. If the motor can’t handle ice or tough jobs with a little liquid in the job, then it may not be able to produce heavy enough mashes once the liquid turns into steam.
Price
If you are looking for a powerful food processor for your home that is going to be used frequently, it may be best to go with one on the higher price tier.
However, if you are just looking for something more budget friendly and do not plan on using it too often at home, go with an option from the lower price tier.
The more expensive items of course come with increased power and durability so they should last longer than their level-tier counterparts in the event of abuse or misuse. However, as long as you maintain them properly they should last a lot longer – even if you end up using them daily!
It’s a safe rule of thumb that when deciding on price-to-quality ratio for appliances like these, choose products that are at least four stars with over 100 customer reviews on Amazon.com. Anything less than this may leave you disappointed or wishing you had purchased something else!
Number of blades/slices
A food processor blade is a plane surface that cuts material, often used in the preparation of foods such as meat or vegetables, by pushing it down and slicing the material against another sharp surface.
Food processors are traditionally created with blades that stir, move, and chop whatever item being processed. Different models of food processors have different numbers of blades in them ranging from 1-6 bladed models. Blades help break down tougher foods into smaller pieces that can be blended more smoothly and with more efficiency than regular kitchen tools like a knife or spoon.
Different blades provide increased functionality for the cook in the form of finer or coarser processing making it possible to create sauces, purees, salsas, and dips, all from one appliance. It saves time and energy by using one tool instead of multiple ones which is important especially as people get busier in our ever-changing world today.
Overall Functionality
There are three main types of food processors: the basic, the all-in-one, and the specialty. Basic models have a single blade that chops or grinds ingredients in one direction. All-in-one models come with multiple blades so they can chop, slice, shred and mix foods at once. Specialty models offer additional functions like dough hooks or juicers built right into them.
Tips on how to maintain your food processor so it lasts longer and continues working properly
- Before and after use, wash the food processor with soap and water. Make sure to rinse it off completely.
- For extra grease removal, soak your blade in a mixture of hot soapy water for half an hour before washing.
- Do not put too much pressure on the food while processing or you will burn out motors.
- Do not use your food processor to cut ice or hard foods. Instead, put the ingredients in a bowl and smash them with a rolling pin before adding them to the machine.
- Always use caution when removing blades while running because they may be hot; allow time for it to cool down first so you don’t hurt yourself.
How to Safely Use your Food Processor
- Always use a food processor with a blade guard. This will protect you from the sharp blades if they become dislodged, and it is also safer in that less contact is made between your hand and the blades
- Cut firm produce into uniform pieces so that they don’t move or slip around while being processed
- Wipe out the food processor after each use to remove any potential bacteria.
- Never use a food processor when your hands are wet or greasy
- Always wash fruits and vegetables before processing them, as this will help avoid cutting yourself on pieces of skin if you accidentally slice through it while chopping
- If using frozen fruit for ice cream, allow it to thaw first.
- Always use the pusher when processing items like carrots, potatoes, or apples. If you are using a food processor with an open top and no blade guard, always push produce towards the blades instead of pulling them away from them so that your fingers don’t get injured
- Don’t try to force fruits down the feed tube when they are too big
- If you have a top blade, make sure it is in place before using it. If not, use as little liquid such as oil or water to process food instead of liquids with high amounts of fat like mayonnaise and cream cheese.
- Always fill up any empty space in the bottom of the bowl with damp or dry ingredients to prevent any type of injury involving a blade
Summary
Buying a food processor can be an investment, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. There are plenty of great options for those who want to get more done in their kitchen quickly and experiment with homemade cooking without getting overwhelmed. We compiled a list of our favorite food processors under $100 that we think will work best for you based on your needs or which features matter most to you. Let us know what type of food processor would suit your needs best by commenting below!
