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There are hundreds of appliances out there and sometimes it’s hard to know which you should choose. Sometimes the choice is obvious (such as when making dough or smoothies), but what about sauce or soup? Here we’ll compare food processor vs blender vs chopper to show you which is the best of the bunch for your needs. While there is some overlap here and there, we’ll help you choose right.
Recommended Models
| Best Food Processor | Best Blender | Best Chopper |
| Hamilton Beach Food Processor | Ninja Professional Series | Fullstar Vegetable Chopper |
  |   |   |
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What is a Food Processor?
A food processor is a common kitchen appliance used for repetitive cutting and chopping. While there are manual models in existence, this term is almost universally applied to electric, motor-driven units. Manual units are more often called choppers (we’ll get to that later).
Food processors and blenders have some overlap in terms of what they can accomplish. They can both blend and chop ingredients, though food processors are also used to dice, slice, and more. The major difference is that food processors require little or no liquid while a blender needs liquid for the blades to work properly.
What is a Food Processor Used For?
Food processors are highly versatile kitchen appliances used for so many functions. Depending on the model these can cut, chop, dice, blend, mix, and slice. The list goes on and on. Basically, they make short work of any repetitive cutting (so no more crying eyes from cutting onions by hand, or dyeing yourself when chopping beets).
While slicing and dicing veggies, nuts, cheeses, meats, and more is common, you can do way more with a food processor. You can make nut butters by blending nuts and oil, dough (cake, pizza, bread, etc), soup, sauce, salad dressings, and so on. Anything that requires mixing and cutting can be made with a food processor.
Best Food Processors
Hamilton Beach Food Processor
Food processors are already highly versatile, but this one goes further by including a veggie chopper and bowl scraper attachment. This ensures that ingredients never stray far from the blades for consistent slicing and dicing (and all other manner of cutting). No more stopping and wiping down the sides.
Plus, this large 10-cup food processor works with large quantities of food. The feed chute is so large it can fit an entire block of cheese and you also get reversible stainless steel cutting discs. This lets you chop, mix, puree, and more.
There are two speeds and pulse control with a 450-watt motor. If you want the perfect mix of versatility, control, and usefulness, then the Hamilton Beach Food Processor is right for you.
Cuisinart Food Processor
This massive 14-cup food processor has tons of features and attachments. You get a 4mm stainless steel slicing disc, stainless steel mixing/chopping blade, and a medium shredding disc. You’ll have no problem finding the perfect blade for the job. A strong 720-watt motor drives the blades and can work through hard ingredients with ease.
Aside from the large capacity, you also get a large feed tube to safely add ingredients while processing. This is an easy food processor that works great and can make your favorite recipes in no time.
Braun Food Processor and 7 Attachments
Here’s a food processor that comes with all the attachments you need. This comes with blades, a chopper, juicer, grater, kneading hook, shredding blade, and much more. There are 11 speeds to choose from along with a preset speed function that slowly goes through the speeds to ensure even mixing and chopping.
This comes with a strong 600-watt motor that can power through hard ingredients and it’s easy to clean being dishwasher safe. If you want power and versatility, then the Braun food processor is a wonderful choice.
What is a Blender?
A blender is an electric kitchen appliance with a stationary blade at the bottom that cuts through food. This is used for mixing, emulsifying, and pureeing food. Unlike a food processor, which performs some similar actions, blenders are meant to work with a sizable amount of liquid. This is also called a liquidizer sometimes in British English.
While any blender can work with softer ingredients and even cut up frozen ones, you’ll need a stronger model to crush ice, frozen berries, and other hard ingredients into powder.
What is a Blender Used For?
Blenders are just as versatile as food processors, but they do better with liquid or semi-liquid ingredients while food processors are great with solid ingredients. If you need a smoothie or milkshake, then look no further than a blender. While food processors can be soups and purees, blenders do a much better job. However, as the food gets thicker and has less liquid, the blender starts to struggle.
You can make dips with blenders, but a food processor would be better. You can also make butter with a blender, believe it or not, but once again a food processor would be the ideal choice. If you work with liquid ingredients or love making drinks, then a blender is much better for your needs.
Best Blenders
Ninja Professional Blender 72oz
The Ninja Professional Blender is one of the strongest and most versatile on the market. Its 1000W motor can do normal stuff like blending, pureeing, and making smoothies. It can also crush ice and frozen fruit in seconds with its long column of blades.
Need creamy frozen drinks? The Ninja blender is ideal. It has several speed settings and you can make anything from sauces, smoothies, and dips in seconds. This comes with a six-blade attachment that is surprisingly easy to clean. For ultimate power and usefulness, the Ninja blender is one of the top blenders around.
Oster Blender Pro 1200
The Oster blender has a large 6-cup blending jar and a 24oz smoothie cup. This comes with 7 speed settings along with 3 smart settings for milkshakes, salsa, and smoothies. The wide 3.5-inch blade makes fast work of ingredients and ensures an even flow towards the base for consistent blending.
Along with normal blending, this can also crush ice into a fine powder. If you need a strong blender, then the Oster blender is the right one for you.
NutriBullet Pro 13-Piece Set
Looking for a more compact blender? The NutriBullet Pro line is small but doesn’t sacrifice on power. The strong 900W motor connects with the 32oz cups and blends the drink or food right in the cup. You also get to-go lids to easily drink your smoothie without using another cup. This can power through nuts, fruit, seeds, vegetables and more.
Using the NutriBullet blender is easy. Load the ingredients, connect the cup, and push down. Give it a few seconds and your smoothie, sauce, salsa, or whatever else you’re making is complete. It’s strong, powerful, compact, and has a pleasing design that everyone loves.
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
Vitamix is hailed as one of the best blender brands around and it’s easy to see why. You get variable speed controls to get the exact speed that you want. Rotate the dial during the blend to make it faster or slower. The large 64oz container holds all the ingredients you need and it’s even self-cleaning with a drop of soap and 30-60 seconds of blending.
Worried about the Vitamix generating too much heat? It has a built-in radial cooling fan. It can even make hot soup if you want with the right setting. Hardened stainless steel blades make short work of even the hardest ingredients. When it comes to Vitamix vs food processor, this is better with liquid ingredients, but does well with solid ones as well.
What is a Chopper?
A food chopper is often smaller than a food processor (usually with a capacity of 1-4 cups as opposed to up to 12 cups for a food processor) and it has fewer functions. These are often manual appliances that require pushing ingredients through the chopper or pumping a handle to make an internal blade spin.
While these are limited when compared to food processors, they have several advantages. They are easier to store, require no electric plug, and are often more convenient if you need basic cutting and chopping for a small amount of food.
What is a Chopper Used For?
Unlike a food processor where you can do anything, a food chopper has a very specific purpose. As the name implies, this is usually for chopping and dicing vegetables and other ingredients. It’s incredibly convenient and unlike a processor, where there are tons of blades and features to play around with, you know exactly how to use a chopper. It’s a simple appliance that’s good for prepping veggies, eggs, and other ingredients for your recipes.
Best Choppers
Fullstar Vegetable Chopper Dicer Mandoline
This multifunctional chopper comes with 11 different insertable blades along with two spiralizers for thinner noodles or broad ribbers. You also get a mandoline to grate and julienne. Not enough? What about a bonus peeler, egg separator, juicer, and slicer? You’ll have no problem cutting vegetables, squeezing lemons, chopping eggs and more in seconds.
The stainless steel blades are incredibly sharp, so Fullstar also gives you a fingerguard and glove to keep your fingers safe. This is a safe and efficient way to chop lots of products and more in no time flat.
Chef’n VeggiChop Hand Powered Food Chopper
This is like a food processor that you power with your hand. Simply load your ingredients, place the top on, and pull the ring handle to spin the blade. This is ideal if you want to chop lots of fruit, veggies, meat, and more, but don’t have a nearby outlet. From simple chopping to making hummus, pesto, salsa, and more, this will get all your chopping done in seconds.
Every piece is dishwasher safe. You couldn’t ask for anything easier.
Cuisinart Stainless Steel Chopper
If you just need to cut a small amount of food, like small pieces of garlic, hard cheese, or anything else, the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Chopper makes your work a breeze. Simply load your food into the bottom piece and push down on the handle several times. The blade moves every time you push the handle to ensure even chops.
While the capacity is low, this is ideal for chopping food in seconds. It’s fast and dishwasher safe.
Best Recommended Models
| Best Food Processor | Best Blender | Best Chopper |
| Hamilton Beach Food Processor | Ninja Professional Series | Fullstar Vegetable Chopper |
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Final Thoughts
So, which is best for your needs? A food processor is ideal for solid ingredients, a blender for liquid or soft ones, and a chopper for smaller quantities of chopping or just quick chopping that is easier than doing it by hand. Now that you know which is right for you when it comes to food processor vs blender vs chopper, which do you choose?