Breville's Sous Chef model, a 12-cup food processor, has consistently ranked at the top of evaluation lists for its durability and user-friendly features. With clear measurement markings and a straightforward design, it operates easily with minimal controls and indicates when it is correctly assembled. It is considered a medium-sized option, alongside the larger 16-cup and smaller 9-cup variants.
The processor comes equipped with a caddy that includes dedicated slots for various blades and discs, a dough blade, and two chute sizes for different food types. Though highly versatile, cleaning the many accessories can be challenging, although they are all dishwasher-safe. Hand-washing is recommended for the bowl and lid to maintain their longevity.
In tests, it received high scores for mincing parsley, grinding Parmesan cheese, shredding carrots, and slicing tomatoes, though it faced difficulties in producing evenly sized slices and shredding soft cheeses like mozzarella, a common limitation of food processors.
**Specifications**
- Capacity: 12 cups
- Dimensions: 8.75" x 11" x 17"
- Weight: 20 lbs
- Power: 1440W
- Included Accessories: S-blade, reversible shredder, adjustable slicing disc, and dough blade.
The GE 12-cup food processor offers a compact design packed with essential features for chopping, slicing, and shredding, making it a solid choice at a budget-friendly price. This lightweight model includes a small work bowl for processing smaller ingredient amounts and operates with a simple control knob that allows for pulsing and processing at two speeds. The food processor scored better than average in tests for grinding Parmesan and shredding, albeit taking longer to achieve results compared to other models.
**Specifications**
- Capacity: 12 cups
- Dimensions: 13" x 11" x 16"
- Weight: 10 lbs
- Power: 550W
- Included Accessories: Mixing blade, reversible shredding and slicing discs, French fry disc, dough blade, emulsifier disc, mini chopping bowl, spatula.
Cuisinart's DFP-14 model features a straightforward design and a sturdy base. Equipped with a 14-cup work bowl and dual controls for continuous processing and pulsing, it houses a medium shredding disc and an adjustable slicing disc that are dishwasher safe. It performed above average across many processing tasks, from chopping onions to shredding carrots, although it struggled slightly with pureeing canned tomatoes. Its paddle button design simplifies operation, though assembling shredding and slicing attachments may be cumbersome.
**Specifications**
- Capacity: 14 cups
- Dimensions: 11" x 7.9" x 14.8"
- Weight: 18 lbs
- Power: 720W
- Included Accessories: Standard slicing disc, medium shredding disc, spatula.
Breville's Paradice 9 marks a notable advancement in food processor design by integrating storage for all accessories within the work bowl. This 9-cup unit includes a range of attachments and easy-to-read markings. The processor scored well in testing for its speed and efficiency in grating and slicing various ingredients, although understanding the storage setup through the user manual may be necessary for optimal use.
**Specifications**
- Capacity: 9 cups
- Dimensions: 12" x 8" x 17.5"
- Weight: 15.5 lbs
- Power: 625W
- Included Accessories: Reversible shredding blade, adjustable slicing blade, dough blade, s-blade, Paradice kit.
In addition to these top-rated models, other options evaluated include the Cuisinart 9-Cup Continuous Feed Food Processor and the Ninja BL770 Kitchen System, which combines a food processor with a blender. Testing procedures followed standardized tasks, measuring performance in chopping, slicing, shredding, and overall ease of use, while considering factors such as size, power, accessories, and warranty.
Nicole Papantoniou, the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab, emphasizes the importance of thorough testing to ensure accurate evaluations of kitchen products.
