Best Food Processors

Healthy cooking starts with fresh ingredients — then, often, there's loads of tedious, tiring prep work. Luckily, a good food processor (or its little sister, a mini- chopper) can save your wrists — and your diet. We tested 17 full-size units to see how well they handled tasks such as julienning potatoes, slicing tomatoes and pepperoni, shredding mozzarella, and even kneading pizza dough. We put the six mini-choppers to work on onions, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. We also rated all the machines on their ease of use. These slice-and-dicers can really reduce your time in the kitchen. For more top choppers, be sure to check out our kitchen knife recommendations.

Workhorse Winners

Workhorse Winners

The Cuisinart Prep 9 ($150, amazon.com) and Prep 11 ($200, amazon.com) excelled at everything — even tricky jobs like slicing tomatoes and shredding carrots. The Prep 9's nine-cup capacity should be ample for most home cooks, while the 11-cup Prep 11 is ideal if you entertain often.

Budget Buy

Budget Buy

What you get with the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Duo ($80, amazon.com) for this nice price: two bowls (a 14-cup one, plus a five-cup one for small tasks) and excellent overall performance. What you don't get: dough-kneading capability, and quiet (it was one of the noisiest units tested).