Food Processor

Before you read: I work with Waring Commercial as a consultant, and the food processor I pick is a Waring. When you buy through my links I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. So you can judge for yourself, I've also suggested two good alternatives at much lower prices.

Which one should you buy?

For most home cooks, an 11 to 14-cup processor with a sharp chopping blade, a slicing disc, a shredding disc and a wide feed tube is all you'll ever need. Here's what I'd point you to:

A blender likes liquid, and a food processor likes things that are thicker. It makes pesto, hummus, breadcrumbs and pastry dough, and it slices or shreds a pile of cabbage or cheese in seconds. Coleslaw for twenty? Done before the kettle boils.

It's a big helper when you're cooking for a crowd or batch cooking for the week. For one onion or a handful of parsley, though, a knife is quicker once you count the washing up.

How a food processor chops

At the bottom of the bowl sits an S-shaped blade with two sharp arms at different heights. Unlike a blender, a processor doesn't rely on liquid to pull food down. The wide, flat bowl lets food tumble back onto the blade, so it can cope with dry and sticky things a blender can't touch.

The gap between the blade and the bowl matters. The tighter the gap, the more evenly everything gets chopped; big gaps leave whole chunks riding round the edge. The pulse button matters too. Short pulses let the food fall back between chops, so you get pieces, not paste.

The discs work differently. They sit at the top of the bowl and you push food down the feed tube onto them, so you get neat slices or shreds, like a very fast mandoline.

Waring WFP16S at a glance

Waring offers slicing, shredding and whipping discs for it, but some sellers list them as separate parts. Check the listing to see what's in the box before you buy.

What to look for in a food processor

• Think in cups. About 11 cups suits most home cooks; 14 is generous. The Waring's 4 quarts is 16 cups.

• Check the liquid line. Most home processors only hold 2 to 3 cups of liquid before they leak out of the middle. Clear fill marks help.

• A slicing and a shredding disc. Together with the chopping blade, those cover nearly everything.

• A wide feed tube. So you cut less before it goes in.

• Torque, not just watts. A processor that stalls on bread dough lacks turning power, whatever the box says.

• Height and storage. Many won't fit under wall cabinets with the lid on. Know where it'll live.

The Waring's real strength is that sealed bowl. Eleven cups of liquid is three or four times what most home processors can manage. If you don't need that, the Cuisinarts do the everyday jobs brilliantly for far less.

Who it suits, and who should skip it

Good for you if

• You make big batches of soup, sauce, dressing or hummus and are tired of leaks

• You cook for a crowd and want a commercial build with a long motor warranty

• You have somewhere to keep a 19-inch-tall machine

Skip it if

• You chop, slice and make pastry for a family: the Cuisinart Custom 14 costs about a third as much

• You're short on storage or cabinet height

• You mostly do small jobs: a knife or a mini chopper is quicker

How to get the best from it

Pulse for pieces

For chopped onions, nuts or herbs, use short pulses and check after each few. Hold the button down and you'll have purée before you know it.

Pastry in a minute

Keep the butter cold, in cubes. Pulse it into the flour until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then add icy water a little at a time and stop as soon as the dough starts to clump. Over-processed pastry is tough pastry.

Even slices and shreds

Cut food to fit snugly in the feed tube and press down with steady, even pressure. Push too hard and slices come out thick; too gently and they're ragged.

Hummus and pesto

Let the machine run, stopping to scrape down the sides. For silky hummus, give it longer than you think and add a splash of cold water as it goes.

Cleaning and safety

• The blade is very sharp. Lift it by the plastic hub, never the edges, and take it out before you pour or scrape out the bowl.

• Always use the pusher in the feed tube, never your fingers.

• Unplug it before you change the blade or discs.

• Hand-wash the bowl, lid and blades, since Waring doesn't say they're dishwasher-safe. Harsh detergents can cloud clear plastic.

• Let hot food cool a little before processing, and keep below the liquid line.

The one rule

Blade out before you scrape. Fingers are not spatulas.

Questions people ask

What size food processor do I need?

About 11 cups for most home cooks, 14 if you batch cook. Go bigger only if you regularly cook for a crowd.

Food processor or blender: what's the difference?

A processor is best for thick, chunky or dry jobs: pesto, pastry, slicing and shredding. A blender is best for liquids: smoothies, soups and drinks.

Why does my food processor leak?

Most home processors only hold 2 to 3 cups of liquid before it escapes round the centre. Process liquids in batches, or choose a sealed bowl like the Waring's.

Can a food processor knead bread dough?

Many can, using the main blade or a dough blade. A machine with too little torque will stall, so check the manual for the maximum amount of flour.

Do I need extra discs?

One slicing and one shredding disc cover most home cooking. Extra discs are nice but rarely used.

Still learning to chop?

A processor is a great helper, but good knife skills are for life. Start with Knife Skills for Beginners.

Updated October 2026. Prices change often, so check before you buy.