Best Food Processors for Vegan Cooking (2026)

The Top 3 Food Processors

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Best overall

Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup (DFP-14BCNY)

720 W · 14-cup bowl

$246.99

Check price →

Best value

Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 (DLC-8SY)

625 W · 11-cup bowl

$199.95

Check price →

Best splurge

Breville Sous Chef 16 (BFP810)

1,450 W · 16-cup bowl + mini bowl

$499.95

Check price →

All 6 Food Processors, Side by Side

#	Pick	Key specs
1	Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup (DFP-14BCNY) Best overall	720 W · 14-cup bowl ATK’s winner; a Serious Eats pick	$246.99Check price
2	Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 (DLC-8SY) Best value	625 W · 11-cup bowl ATK’s Best Buy	$199.95Check price
3	Breville Sous Chef 16 (BFP810) Best splurge	1,450 W · 16-cup bowl + mini bowl ATK’s upgrade pick	$499.95Check price
4	KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper (KFC3516) Best mini	240 W · 3.5-cup bowl ATK’s top small food processor	$44.99Check price
5	Ninja Professional XL (NF701) Best budget full-size	1,200 peak W · 12-cup bowl ATK: recommended with reservations	$149.99Check price
6	Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 4-Cup (70510) Best mini that slices	250 W · 4-cup bowl · slice/shred disc ATK: recommended small processor	$56.95Check price

How We Picked

We started with America’s Test Kitchen’s 2026 tests of full-size and small food processors, then cross-checked Serious Eats’ 17-machine test.
We weighted the jobs vegan kitchens do most: pureeing chickpeas, grinding nuts and dates, chopping veggie-burger mix, shredding vegetables.
Every pick is sold on Amazon by Amazon itself, checked by exact ASIN.
We checked each model against CPSC and Health Canada recalls and disclose the old Cuisinart blade recall plainly.
We never claim hands-on testing. The findings belong to the outlets we link.

The Reviews

Ranked, roasted, and recommended.

Best overall

Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup (DFP-14BCNY)

The food processor version of an old pickup truck: no screens, two buttons, and a motor that just keeps going. America’s Test Kitchen crowned it the winner again in 2026, praising its power and precision; it chopped mirepoix evenly and kneaded a double batch of pizza dough. In Serious Eats’ test, every machine made smooth hummus in under a minute, and this one made the final four. Big enough for a week of hummus and veggie-burger mix in one go.

720 W motor
14-cup bowl
two-button controls
5-year motor warranty

Why it made the list

ATK’s longtime winner, re-crowned in its 2026 test
14-cup bowl handles batch hummus and burger mix
Every part except the base is dishwasher-safe
Quiet motor, per ATK

Watch out for

Serious Eats found it left nearly twice as many large almond pieces as the other top performers
ATK says the redesigned blade leaves bigger gaps, so a single batch of mayonnaise didn’t come together (a double batch did)
Older units: Cuisinart’s 2016 recall replaced four-rivet blades on processors sold 1996 to 2015, so check a secondhand one

Capacity: 14 cups (3-cup liquid max)
Motor: 720 W
Discs: 4 mm slicing, medium shredding
Warranty: 3 years; 5 on motor

Sources: America’s Test Kitchen review · Serious Eats test (via Yahoo) · Cuisinart specs · CPSC: 2016 blade recall

Check price on Amazon →$246.99 as of Nov 5, 9:13 PM ET

Best value

Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 (DLC-8SY)

ATK “loved this slightly smaller version” of its winner and named it the Best Buy. It aced chopping, slicing, and shredding, and its S-blade sits low enough to catch small batches, something the bigger Custom 14 now fumbles. It also powered through a double batch of pizza dough with four cups of flour. Less bowl, less money, same no-nonsense build.

625 W motor
11-cup bowl
extra-large feed tube
5-year motor warranty

Why it made the list

Aced ATK’s chopping, slicing and shredding tests
Low-set blade handles small batches
Kneaded a four-cup-flour batch of dough

Watch out for

ATK found the pusher hard to clean
Top-rack only in the dishwasher
Same 2016 riveted-blade recall history as the Custom 14 (units sold through 2015 only)

Capacity: 11 cups (2.25-cup liquid max)
Motor: 625 W
Base weight: 10.4 lb
Warranty: 3 years; 5 on motor

Sources: America’s Test Kitchen review · CPSC: 2016 blade recall

Check price on Amazon →$199.95 as of Nov 5, 9:13 PM ET

Best splurge

Breville Sous Chef 16 (BFP810)

“Large, powerful, and solidly constructed,” says ATK, which made it the upgrade pick after it shredded, sliced, and chopped quickly and evenly and kneaded double-batch dough without a hint of strain. The box is a whole toolkit: adjustable slicer, French fry disc, dough blade, and a mini bowl for small jobs. Serious Eats named the earlier Sous Chef 16 its best 16-cup machine, and it ground almonds into the finest powder in that test. Almond flour and date-nut energy balls are its playground.

1,450 W induction motor
16-cup bowl
2.5-cup mini bowl
24-setting slicer
30-year motor warranty

Why it made the list

Fast, even shredding, slicing and chopping in ATK’s test
Mini bowl for pesto and dressings
30-year motor warranty, per Breville

Watch out for

The most expensive pick here
ATK found the lid’s nooks and the multi-part blades fussy; hand-washing the bowl and lid is preferred
Big footprint, plus a separate storage box for the parts

Capacity: 16 cups + 2.5-cup mini bowl
Motor: 1,450 W induction
Feed chute: 1.7 to 5.5 in
Warranty: 2 years; 30 on motor

Sources: America’s Test Kitchen review · Serious Eats test (via Yahoo) · Breville specs

Check price on Amazon →$499.95 as of Nov 5, 9:13 PM ET

Best mini

KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper (KFC3516)

Not every job needs 14 cups. For one batch of pesto, a cup of hummus, or a tray of energy balls, this is ATK’s 2026 winner among small food processors: it minced, chopped, grated, and blended with mostly even results. A drizzle basin lets you add oil or aquafaba while it runs, and the blade locks in place so you can pour. Small enough to live on the counter, and one of the cheapest picks here.

3.5-cup bowl
2 speeds + pulse
drizzle basin
locking blade

Why it made the list

ATK’s top-rated small food processor in 2026
Pour spout and locking blade
Dishwasher-safe work bowl

Watch out for

ATK found it chopped hard almonds less evenly than some rivals
Oil can get trapped in the drizzle basin
No slicing or shredding discs

Capacity: 3.5 cups
Motor: 240 W
Speeds: 2 + pulse
Dishwasher-safe: work bowl

Sources: ATK small food processor review · KitchenAid specs

Check price on Amazon →$44.99 as of Nov 5, 9:13 PM ET

Best budget full-size

Ninja Professional XL (NF701)

The cheapest full-size machine here, and the easiest to put together: ATK called it “very easy to assemble.” Its dough came out well, just slower than the recipe said, and four Auto-iQ programs cover chop, slice, shred, and puree. The catch: the blades sit too high to emulsify mayonnaise, and the pulse keeps running after you let go, so keep an eye on chunky salsa before it turns into soup.

1,200 peak W
12-cup bowl
4 Auto-iQ programs
dishwasher-safe parts

Why it made the list

Very easy to assemble (ATK)
12-cup bowl for batch cooking
Dishwasher-safe parts

Watch out for

Pulse runs on after release, so it can overprocess
Blades sit too high for small emulsions
ATK found the lid hard to clean

Capacity: 12 cups (6-cup liquid max)
Motor: 1,200 peak W
Programs: 4 Auto-iQ
Base weight: 5.6 lb

Sources: America’s Test Kitchen review

Check price on Amazon →$149.99 as of Nov 5, 9:13 PM ET

Best mini that slices

Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 4-Cup (70510)

A mini with a party trick: a reversible disc for slicing and shredding, which most choppers skip. ATK liked that it runs continuously without holding a button or pressing the lid, and its tall feed chute with a pinpoint hole makes streaming in liquid easy. The trade-off: onions and almonds came out in uneven sizes, so think slaw and dressings, not precision dicing.

4-cup leak-proof bowl
250 W
reversible slice/shred disc
no twist-lock assembly

Why it made the list

Slices and shreds, not just chops
Runs hands-free once it’s on
Stack-and-clip assembly, no twisting

Watch out for

Uneven pieces in ATK’s onion, almond and Parmesan tests
Small 250 W motor

Capacity: 4 cups
Motor: 250 W
Discs: reversible slice/shred
Assembly: stack and clip, no twist lock

Sources: ATK small food processor review

Check price on Amazon →$56.95 as of Nov 5, 9:13 PM ET

What Actually Matters

Bowl size. ATK says 11 cups or more is the most useful size for most home cooks. Go big if you batch hummus or burger mix; go mini if your usual job is one jar of pesto.

Blade height. A low-set S-blade catches small amounts. ATK’s winner lost a little here after a blade redesign; its cheaper 11-cup sibling didn’t.

A heavy base. Sticky dates and dough make light machines wander. ATK found the 5.5-pound base of the KitchenAid 13-cup moved on the counter while kneading.

Nut butter, honestly. Neither ATK nor Serious Eats tested nut butter head-on. The closest clue is Serious Eats’ almond-grinding test, where the Breville Sous Chef 16 made the finest powder and the Cuisinart 14 left the most big pieces of the top group.

Recalls. In 2016 Cuisinart recalled the riveted blades on about 8 million food processors sold from 1996 to 2015, because blades could crack and shed metal bits into food. New machines aren’t part of it. Buying used? Look for four rivets on the blade and get the free replacement.

Now Make Something With Protein In It

Energy balls are where a food processor and a protein powder become best friends: dates, oats, nut butter, and a scoop of unflavored pea protein, pulsed and rolled. Our guide to the best vegan protein powders for high-protein snacks lists the powders that work best in no-bake snacks.

Quick Questions

Can a food processor make smooth hummus?

Yes. Serious Eats found every full-size model in its test turned out smooth hummus in under a minute, and the winners took about 30 to 40 seconds.

Is a mini food processor enough?

For pesto, dressings, a cup of hummus, or a small batch of energy balls, yes. ATK’s small winner holds 3.5 cups. For dough, slicing, shredding, or family-size batches, get 11 cups or more.

Food processor or blender for energy balls?

Food processor. Sticky dates, oats, and nut butter need a wide bowl and an S-blade, not a vortex. Save the blender for shakes.

Are Cuisinart food processors still recalled?

The 2016 recall covered riveted blades on units sold from July 1996 through December 2015. Machines sold new today aren’t included. If you own an older one, check the blade for four rivets and contact Cuisinart for a free replacement.

Can I put food processor parts in the dishwasher?

Usually, with limits. Cuisinart says everything but the Custom 14’s base is dishwasher-safe, ATK says the Pro Custom 11’s parts are top-rack only, and ATK prefers hand-washing the Breville’s bowl and lid.

Now Feed It Something Good

Great gear can’t save a bad powder. Grab a winner from our top 10 vegan protein powders, then put it to work in our high-protein vegan recipes.

Keep Reading

Sources

Specs and models change: check the Amazon listing before you buy.