Food processors are among the busiest appliances in a kitchen, but the wrong choice can be easily forgotten. The key to having a food processor that plays a vital role in meal preparation is choosing the ideal option for your unique use cases.
To help with this, we have curated a list of the best seven food processors in Australia by use case and type. Read on to discover a suitable companion for your next and many more food preparations.
Our Top Picks
We evaluated over 15+ food processors and shortlisted the best six. Among them, here are our top three picks:
Kenwood MultiPro XL
Best overall food processor with 7 speed controls, a 3-litre shatterproof bowl, a built-in scale, and a ThermoResist blender.
Breville the Kitchen Wizz 11
Best mid-range power processor with 24 thickness settings, a 2-litre bowl capacity, safety overload protection, and a safety interlock system.
Sunbeam Multi Processor Plus
Best cheap food processor with a 2-litre plastic bowl, dough attachment, safe-lock feature, and a blender with a 1.5-litre glass jug.
6 Food Processors for Australians
Our criteria for shortlisting the best food processors in Australia included evaluating performance, durability, user reviews, brand reputation, and overall features to ensure a comprehensive assessment of each product's suitability for various culinary needs.
1. Kenwood MultiPro XL
Best Overall Food Processor
The Kenwood MultiPro XL performs several functions, including blending, chopping, grating, kneading, whisking, grinding, squeezing, and slicing. It's a versatile food processor with two bowls: a 3-litre Tritan and a 1.5-litre thermo-resistant bowl to blend hot and cold food.
The food processor also has a built-in scale, a ThermoResist blender, and a citrus press. The 1000-watt motor generates enough power for the mill, blender, and processor. The appliance has seven variable speed settings for easy control. We recommend it as our best overall pick for its motor capacity, shatterproof bowls, 13 processing tools, and blender.
Pros
- 3-litre bowl
- Good 1000 watts motor
- Thermo-resistant blender
- Built-in scale
Cons
- Relatively expensive
2. Breville the Kitchen Wizz 11
Best Mid-Priced Power Processor
The Breville Wizz 11 processor has fine variable slicing with 24-thickness settings and a large feed chute for large slicing. It also has dough blades, a stainless steel quad blade, and a grating disc. Like Kenwood's Food Processor, Breville's motor has a 1000-watt power rating with direct drive induction, which is a good upgrade from the Sunbeam LC6500.
The Kitchen Wizz 11 by Breville has a 2-litre bowl that can hold 11 cups of dry ingredients and 8 cups of liquids. It also has a safety interlock system and safety overload protection.
Compared with the Sunbeam LC6500, it's less versatile and doesn't include an extra jug for blending unless you choose the plus option. In addition to Breville's power, you also get three feed chute options. We recommend the food processor for its power and large slicing capability.
Pros
- Sturdy motor
- Three feed chute options
- Strong quad-blade system
- 24-thickness setting
- 2-litre capacity
Cons
- Quite a small volume
3. Sunbeam Multi Processor Plus
Best Cheap Food Processor
The Sunbeam Multi Processor performs many kitchen activities, including blending, kneading, grating, slicing, shredding, mixing, milling, whipping, and chopping. It has a large BPA-free 2-litre plastic bowl and a 1.5-litre glass jug with a 12-cm chute. The food processor is made to last using strong materials like stainless steel, glass, and plastic.
Sunbeam's food processor has a smaller capacity than Kenwood's and a motor with 800 watts of power, 200 watts less than Kenwood's. On the bright side, it comes with a blender with a 1.5-litre glass jug and a button for quick control, similar to our best model.
Pros
- 12-cm chute
- 1.5-litre glass jug
- 14 functions
Cons
- Can be noisy
- Not dishwasher safe
4. Cuisinart Expert Prep Pro
Best Volume Food Processor
The Cuisinart Expert Prep Pro is as versatile as the Sunbeam Multi Processor Plus. It can mince, dice, chop, grate, knead, mix, grate, blend, and slice food. It has a 6-position slicing disc, a spiralising kit for pasta, and a dicing kit.
It has a dough blade, large and small chopping blades, a grating disc, and a recipe book. Its advantage over the Sunbeam model is its durability and sizeable 3-litre capacity—it holds twice the size of the Sunbeam.
Cuisinart's food processor has two fully sealed bowls, 3 and 0.9 litres, allowing it to process two different foods. The processor also has a 550-watt rating motor, which is relatively small compared to the Sunbeam and Breville.
Choose Cuisinart for its volume and versatility. Due to its low power rating, we recommend it for less vigorous processing.
Pros
- 6-position slicing disc
- 3-litre bowl capacity
- Durable build quality
- Spiralising and dicing kits
- Stainless steel processing blades
Cons
- Expensive
5. KitchenAid KFP0921 9-Cup Processor
Best Portable Food Processor
The KitchenAid KFP0921 food processor is compact and sleek. It has a small appearance compared to most models and is ideal for small kitchens and counter spaces. With a 4-blade and reversible slicing disc, KitchenAid handles shredding, slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing, and pureeing.
It has dough and whisk accessories for making creams and pastries. The food processor performs well for its size but has limited performance compared to more powerful options like Breville Wizz 11 and Cuisinart.
KitchenAid's food processor has a 9-cup or 2-litre capacity and a safety chute for extra ingredients. Its motor is average, with a wattage of 250. It has three-level speed controls: high, low, and pulse. It is a basic option; you get no extra jugs and a low power rating, but it works just fine.
Pros
- Portable design
- 4 blades with reversible slicing disc
- Dough and whisk accessories
- Refrigerator lid
Cons
- Quite small in motor power
- No dedicated jug
6. Ninja BN650 Food Processor
Best Food Processor for Auto-Processing
The Ninja Professional Food Processor BN650 has four pre-set auto-iQ technology. The pre-set programs allow it to chop veggies, shred cheese, and make smooth sauces and cookie/pizza dough with the touch of a button. It has a strong motor with an 850 Watts power rating, a 2.1-litre bowl, and a quad-bladed system. It can chop, slice, grate, mix, and puree.
Ninja's Professional food processor is made of BPA-free plastic. It has a dough blade and a reversible slicing or grating disc. You get a 20-recipe inspiration guide with the food processor on purchase. While it's the only auto-processing model on our list, we appreciate its volume capacity, excellent power rating, and versatility.
Pros
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Powerful motor for quick processing
- Reversible slicing disc
Cons
- Plastic bowl
Food Processors Available in Australia
There are three types of food processors in Australia, classified by their usage and mode of operation. They include:
- Commercial: Commercial processors are large and used for large food preparation like restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality kitchens. They are expensive and aren't ideal for home usage.
- All-in-one: All-in-one food processors are versatile since they come with extra accessories to increase their functions. They can be used to chop, dice, slice, grate, knead, etc. Read below for a full list of what you can do with a food processor.
- Hand-operated: These are simple, manually operated food processors. They are not automated and have fewer functions. These models are operated with the hand via a lever or twist motion and are recommended for vacations or camping events.
What Can I Use a Food Processor For?
You can use your food processor for the following kitchen activities:
- Use the slicing blade to cut potatoes or other ingredients.
- Quickly mince meat with pulse action.
- Easily chop onions, nuts, garlic, and vegetables.
- Make smooth purees by adding liquid and letting the processor do the work.
- Blend or mix sauces, soups, or smoothies.
- Shred or grate cheese and vegetables effortlessly.
- Mix and knead dough for baking.
Food Processors vs Blenders
Blenders and food processors are similar but quite different. Based on function, a food processor does much more than a blender. But with the specificity of action, the blender is more specific. Food processors are used for slicing, grating, shredding, mixing, chopping, pureeing, and even kneading.
Blenders are better suited for smoother jobs like making smoothies, soups, and sauces. While a good food processor can perform the same functions, blenders perform better. Blenders also create less mess while producing smoother meals.
What to Consider When Choosing a Food Processor?
To choose a food processor, consider these four factors:
#1 - Motor Power
There are different motor power ratings for food processors. The bigger the power, the stronger the food processor. Choose a power rating that is enough to support the activities you desire. With the right motor power, you will avoid overheating and damage to the motor. A 250-watt motor is fair for a small kitchen operation, but choose a power rating from 600 W for larger operations.
#2 - Size or Capacity
Another essential factor to consider is the bowl size. The volume of the food you intend to process will inform the capacity of your buy. Do not worry about the big sizes if you only process small recipes.
#3 - Functions
The different models of food processors may have extra functions you may be looking for. They all have essential tasks like slicing, grating, chopping, and dicing, but some include additional functionality such as blending and built-in scales. Decide which functions are necessary to you before purchasing.
#4 - Useful Attachments
Extra attachments may cost extra, so you should be sure you need them. Some food processors come with an extra blending jar, while others don’t. Many also have more than one bowl, discs, and blades of varying sorts. Be sure you need the extras you choose to avoid spending on unnecessary accessories.
Laura Kemp
Wrapping Up
Food processors save time and make some food preparations easier. They offer quick salad preparation, dough making, juicing, chopping or slicing ingredients, and many more.
Your choice of a food processor should depend on your kitchen size, food preparation needs, and budget. A bigger, high-end food processor often offers more functionalities. However, if you don't require the extra features, you'll be better off with a basic, portable model.
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