Best Food Processor 2025: Simplify your meal prep

If you want a versatile kitchen appliance that works as both a powerful food processor and a blender then the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ BN800UK is a great buy.

Fitted with five AutoIQ programs, the Ninja 3-in-1 makes light work of laborious jobs such as crushing ice, blending, chopping, slicing and dicing. Assisting the AutoIQ programs is a powerful 1200W motor which is able to efficiently tackle most foods, although it’s worth noting some dry ingredients can be difficult to grind.

Included in the box is a generous 1.9-litre food processor bowl, designed for chopping, mixing and stirring, a 2.1-litre blending jug and a 700ml self-serve cup for taking smoothies on the go.

Ninja also throws in a host of accessories such as a chopping blade, which has multiple blades at different heights, and even a dough blade.

When the food processor bowl is in place the corresponding three Auto IQ programs, Chop, Puree and Mix, will light up accordingly. Alternatively you can run the machine manually, either by using the three speed options or pulse controls.

Attach either the single-serve cup or the jug and the two remaining Auto IQ programmes will then illuminate: Blend for softer ingredients and Max Blend for trickier ones. The jug is also fitted with a lift-up spout to allow for easy pouring.

Although it is a seriously powerful device, there are a few minor issues with the Ninja BN800UK that we discovered. To start, there isn’t a dedicated cleaning mode on the device, however all parts are dishwasher safe. The next issue, which is one that can be found across most of Ninja’s blenders and food processors, is with the noise. At 93.4dB, it’s undeniable that the food processor is distractingly loud.

Caveats aside, the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ BN800UK is a powerful multi-functional kitchen appliance that makes light work of chopping, mixing and blending.

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Full review: Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ BN800UK review

Most people will baulk at a price tag of around £400. The Magimix CS 5200 XL really is a more serious piece of kit than the casual cook needs, but if you are looking for a top-end machine, this is a great choice.

There are three bowls of different sizes – 3.6 litres, 2.6 litres and 1.2 litres – which makes it much easier to prepare various quantities (if you’re trying to chop tiny amounts in a large bowl it’s common for everything to just be blown to the sides).

The blades took care of everything from onions to ice in seconds, and the slicing and grating discs produced very even results. We didn’t like the egg whisk, which didn’t aerate egg whites very well, but all the other features were effective.

It would be unfair to criticise a machine for having too many features, but the 5200XL Premium has a lot of extras, such as a juicer kit, a citrus press and a French-fry cutter. These don’t come with their own storage, so be prepared to find lots of cupboard room for all the accessories.

One thing this excellent food processor lacks is the ability to manually adjust speed: it only has an ‘auto’ button. For the price, we’d have liked the option to control the speed for fine-tuning tasks. No other complaints, though.

Reviewer: Olly Richards

Full review: Magimix CS 5200XL review

For small tasks that don’t necessarily require a full-sized device but still need the same amount of power, the Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact is easily one of the best food processors to get the job done.

While most small food processors sport a plastic bowl, the Haier I-Master Series 5 boasts a 0.5-litre glass bowl which makes for easy cleanup. Also unlike other small food processors, the Series 5 has multi-layered blades throughout the bowl which provide even cutting across different heights.

Setting up the food processor is seamless, as you just need to put the bowl with its blades in place on the provided plastic mat and then top with the lid and motor.

Using the food processor is equally as simple, with just a single button required to operate the appliance. A light press of the button runs the processor at low speed while a heavier press enables the processor to go faster. Pressing the button on and off gives a pulse option too.

In our tests, we found the Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact Food Processor is capable of doing just as good a job as a much larger food processor, and able to reach a massive 7300 rpm.

The only slight issue is that this is not a battery-operated motor and requires a plugged-in connection. If you’d prefer a wireless option then you might be better off with the Cuisinart Cordless Mini Prep Pro.

Otherwise, for everything from salsas to sauces we found that mid-sized ingredient chunks were blended together nicely to create a smooth paste.

Once you’re finished, the bowl, blades and lid can all go straight into the dishwasher while the motor itself is easy to wipe down.

Overall if you’re short on kitchen space or just need a food processor for smaller jobs then the Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact Food Processor is hard to beat. Plus, if you like all your appliances to match then you can add the coordinating I-Master Series 5 Kettle and Series 5 Toaster to your collection too.

Review: Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact Food Processor

Reviewer: David Ludlow

If you’re not sure whether you should go for a food processor or a blender, the Tefal DoubleForce Pro DO824H40 multifunction food processor gives you both in one package. The base has two motor outputs: one for the blender and mini chopper, another for the bowl and citrus juicer.

A lack of guidance for first-time users detracts slightly, but we found that the DoubleForce Pro could dice, slice and chop a variety of different fruits and vegetables with ease. It also managed to whisk egg whites to a fluffy and firm texture. The citrus juicer is much harder to use, although we got a decent amount of juice.

The blender is a neat option, although when making smoothies, it didn’t cope as well as dedicated blenders. But if you only want one appliance in your kitchen, the Tefal DoubleForce Pro DO824H40 is a good all-rounder.

Reviewer: Rachel Ogden

Full review: Tefal DoubleForce Pro DO824H40 Multifunction Food Processor review

Looking for a food processor that can essentially do it all? You’d be hard-pressed to find a better appliance than the Vorwerk Thermomix TM6. Boasting over 20 modes and functions including chop, grind and whisk but also cook, fry and even caramelise.

Such a versatile food processor may seem daunting but using the TM6 is incredibly easy, thanks to its large 6.8-inch touchscreen. You can either follow the machine’s guided recipes or put the appliance in manual mode and use the display to set your own temperatures and timings.

With its Wi-Fi integration the TM6 allows you to access the Cookidoo recipe subscription service, which is required to access some of the TM6’s cooking modes. At £40 a year, this is an extra cost to consider but we did find it to be a worthy investment.

You won’t need to rely solely on following guided cooking recipes though as manual mode offers numerous functions that are equally as impressive. Using the digital touchscreen, you can easily select which mode you’d like to use including cook, slow-cook, grind or even knead, and adjust timings and temperatures when required.

The TM6 boasts precision too, with its integrated scales able to weigh ingredients with up to 1g accuracy and the temperature can reach and maintain 160ºC. This means you can use the TM6 to slow-cook or even cook sous-vide, which is bound to impress your family at dinner time.

It’s not just prepping and cooking that the TM6 makes lightwork of, but even cleaning up is easy. With the handy pre-clean/after-clean mode, simply use water and a touch of washing up liquid to clean even the most stubborn of baked on foods. All included tools, apart from the base unit, are dishwasher safe too.

It’s worth noting this is far from being the cheapest appliance out there but as it’s incredibly versatile and boasts multiple functions, it’s definitely worth the investment if you want to upgrade your kitchen.

Reviewer: David Ludlow

Full review: Vorwerk Thermomix TM6