Checklist

Food processors are great for bulk food preparation. You need to chop an onion? Chop a few more and freeze in portions for later use. When you’re making pastry, make a double batch and freeze half for another time.

The best food processors are compact (for easy storage), have a heavy motor unit that stays stable during processing, and come with a storage compartment or box for the extra blades and attachments.

If you're thinking of buying a food processor, here's what to consider:

• Pulse function gives a short burst of power. It’s useful for distributing the load of a mixture and improving uniformity.
• Bowl size can be important. Most food processors come with a bowl that holds 1L to 2L. Although the manufacturer’s claimed capacity is probably accurate for solids, it’s less so for liquids – the liquid can rise up and spill out.
• Rubber feet on the motor unit provide stability during operation.
• Heavy motor unit helps keep the unit stable on the bench during processing.
• Double feed-chute allows you to guide smaller/thinner foods into the food processor – so it provides better control in slicing/shredding.
• Reversible blades (such as a grating blade on one side and a slicing blade on the other) reduce the amount of storage space required.
• Range of blades give you more options for slicing and grating.
• Attachment storage makes for more compact storing and means accessories are less likely to get lost. However, some models’ storage containers don’t take all the accessories.
• Dishwasher safe attachments and bowls make cleaning easy.
• Storage can be tricky. Some are heavy units that may be easier to leave out on the bench. Others are quite bulky, so they’re awkward to fit into a cupboard.

Functions

A processor should be equipped to deal with a variety of tasks, without breaking down or vibrating excessively.

Grating
Processors should be able to grate a range of foodstuffs well, without leaving ungrated lumps. You should be able to feed vegetables into the blender one by one.

Chopping
Most machines have an S-shaped steel blade for chopping. Chopped food should be even in texture with no large lumps.

Mixing
You should be able to make cake mixes, milkshakes and premix dough, without leaving lumps or unprocessed ingredients.

Extra features

Processors should come with a range of accessories such as a stainless steel chopping/mixing blade, slicing and shredding discs and a pusher for forcing food down the feed chute. The following features are also useful:

• Beater/whisk attachment: for whipping cream and beating egg whites.
• Citrus juicer: for oranges, grapefruit and so on.
• Juice extractor: for other (non-citrus) fruits.
• Chipping disc blade: for making chips and vegetable strips.
• Mini processor bowl: for processing small quantities such as nuts, and for making pesto and mayonnaise. A grinder attachment will do a similar job on coffee, spices, and dried herbs.