What Size Food Processor do I Need? (ANSWERED)

GUIDE TO FOOD PROCESSOR AND CHOPPER SIZE

Discover which is the right food processor size (or sizes) for your household and cooking style with this quick comparison guide. You can also find out what kinds of recipes and meals you can make with each.

3–5 CUP ( (.7L-1.1L) FOOD CHOPPERS

Technically, these appliances are not food processors since they aren’t equipped with a feed tube. Additionally, they only offer the ability to perform basic functions like chopping, mixing and puréeing. They are designed for quick, straightforward meal prep tasks for larger dishes or to make smaller amounts of dressing, dips, sauces, delectable desserts and certain entrees for two.

Use a 3–5 cup ( (.7L-1.1L) food chopper for:

• Making toppings like bread crumbs or bases like parfaits.
• Chopping onions, nuts and fresh herbs.
• Creating and mixing the ingredients for spiced lamb meatballs, falafel or shrimp cakes.
• Puréeing small batches of hummus, sage pesto, flavoured aioli or other dips and sauces.

6–9 CUP FOOD PROCESSORS

Compared to choppers, these food processors have the capacity for larger amounts of ingredients. Thanks to a feed tube, they typically have the ability to slice, shred, chop, purée and mix. Certain 6-9 cup (1.4L-2.1L) food processors also include a dough blade that can help knead bread dough, pizza crust and more.

A larger basin in addition to more functionality lets you tackle more complicated recipes or make larger portions of popular dips, sauces, marinades, to name a few.

You can use a 6–9 cup food processor for:

• Slicing produce to make salads, ratatouille, root vegetable gratins and more.
• Shredding carrots, hard cheeses, potatoes and cabbage to make a slaw to complete your fish tacos.Why stop there when you can also make the salsa and poblano cream sauce, too.
• Making dough and filling for hand pies and dumplings like Yunnan style pies, beef empanadas and pork and vegetable dumplings.
• Mincing ingredients for chicken nuggets, veggie burgers and more.
• Puréeing sauces, soups, desserts and dips like roasted garlic cashew dip.
• Kneading dough to make pizza crust, biscuits and more.
• Chopping onions, vegetables or a nut and chocolate medley for parfaits.

10–13 CUP FOOD PROCESSORS

Typically, 10–13 cup (2.3L-3L) food processors are meant for chopping, mixing, puréeing, slicing and shredding but certain models are also able to dice, whip, julienne and knead. These food processors can be used for larger quantities of food prep, batch cooking or to regularly feed a big household. 10–13 (2.3L-3L) cup food processors also provide ample space to knead dough and then let it rise right in the work bowl. No transferring needed.

Use a 10–13 cup food processor for:

• Creating large batches to feed guests, to store for later or to give as gifts.
• All the same functions of a smaller food processor like chopping, mixing and puréeing but with added ability to slice, shred and knead.
• Processing larger foods since there is a wider feed tube.
• Making sweet and savoury apple cheddar scones, lemon and strawberry jelly donuts, cheesy skillet hash brown nests and more delicious recipes.

14–16 CUP FOOD PROCESSORS

14–16 cup (3.3L-3.7L) food processors are easily among the largest food processors for home use. They can mix, chop, purée, slice and shred. Certain models can also knead, julienne and dice. The larger capacity offered by these food processors make them ideal for hosting duties where you need to make multi-batch recipes.

Use a 14–16 cup food processor for:

• Every task you can perform with a smaller food processor.
• Dicing produce, cheese and more.
• Processing larger foods.
• Creating large batches of recipes, including dips, sauces, soups, fillings.
• Making the flaky crust and filling for caramelized onion goat cheese tarts, fruit carpaccio with ricotta cream, coconut ginger cheesecake, to name a few.

The KitchenAid® 13 Cup Food Processor has a dicing kit designed to slice and dice soft and hard fruits and veggies. This model has The ExactSlice™ System meaning it can produce thin to thick cuts along with a 4 cup work bowl with multipurpose blade to perform simple tasks and make smaller portions.

WHAT SIZE FOOD PROCESSOR DO I NEED?

Think about the recipes you’re eager to try and the kitchen space you have to work with and this should tell you what size food processor should work for your life. Some opt for the flexibility and benefits of owning two different sizes of food processors. For instance, a small food chopper can help free you up by handling the simpler tasks, while a food processor can help add new techniques to your repertoire.

When trying to decide, consider the following:

YOUR STYLE OF COOKING

What types of foods do you typically prepare?

Are you the experimental type and want to try making different dips, sauces and dressings? If this sounds like you, ensure your food processor features a drizzle basin or oil drizzle opening so you can incorporate liquids for emulsification.

Do you have a severe sweet tooth? A small or mid-sized food processor that comes with a whisk accessory may be right for you—because every dessert is a lot better when topped with freshly whipped cream.

Do you like making bread and pizza crusts but hate kneading dough? Check out a model with a dough blade.

Excited by the prospect of various culinary knife skills like slicing, dicing and julienning? Larger models often have extra functions and might be ideal for you.

FAMILY SIZE OR IF YOU LIKE TO ENTERTAIN

Most days if you are cooking just for yourself or two people, a food chopper or mid-sized food processor will probably suffice. On the other hand, if you’re cooking for a big family or often find yourself playing the role of host, a 9 cup (2.1L) model or larger is probably a better option.

CONTROL SETTINGS

It’s always good to consider the level of consistency and uniformity you need when preparing dishes. Most medium sized and larger food processors have three power settings:

• Pulse for controlling how fast or slowly food is processed
• Low for softer foods like tomatoes
• High for firmer foods like potatoes

Certain smaller models may have a pulse setting for quick operation.

AVAILABLE COUNTER SPACE

If you have a smaller kitchen, remember that certain food processors are easy to store with a compact design, in-bowl accessory storage and a convenient cord wrap. The smallest sized models even have a countertop friendly footprint.

EASY-TO-CLEAN

Ask yourself if you will be using your food processor every day or close to. If so, you might appreciate an easy-to-clean option. Choose a KitchenAid® food processor that has a sealed, leak-resistant work bowl, rounded corners and smooth finishes to prevent food from getting trapped in the bowl and lid. Also, the lid, bowl and accessories are all dishwasher safe.

SIZE OF CHUTE/FEED TUBE

The feed tube can make a big difference both in how you’ll use your food processor and the potential results.

Generally speaking, the larger the food processor, the wider the feed tube or chute options. This way you can accommodate larger foods and enjoy less prep work prior to processing. A wide feed tube lets you push larger ingredients like produce and cheese into the blades while also being able to perform long slices like french fry cuts. This does depend on your blade or disc accessories.

Large food processors may be equipped with a double or 3-in-1 feed tube providing you with more control over how your food is processed through the blades. If you often cook with food that includes large russet potatoes and long and thin scallions, you’ll enjoy the benefits of multiple feed tube sizes.