Food processor sizes: Find the right fit

What is the standard size of a food processor?

Residential food processors range in size from around 6–16 cups and, depending on their capacity and functionality, can do everything from mix and purée to knead and dice. Small food processors are usually considered 6–9 cups while medium-size food processors can handle 10–13 cups and large ones can accommodate 14–16 cups or even more.

Food choppers have some of the same functionality as food processors but are smaller, with about 3–5 cups of capacity. Unlike food processors, food choppers don’t feature a feed tube and are best for mixing, puréeing and—of course—chopping. Food processors typically include more blades, discs and accessories to help you shred, slice and even dice or knead dough.

Food processor and chopper size guide

Find the best food processor size (or sizes) for you with this quick comparison to find out what kinds of things you can make with each.

3–5 Cup food choppers

These smaller appliances are technically not food processors due to their lack of feed tube and simplified functionality of chopping, mixing and puréeing. They are best used for quick, simple tasks involving food prep for larger dishes or creating smaller amounts of flavorful sauces, dressings, dips, creamy desserts and even entrees for one or two people.

A 3–5 cup food chopper is great for things like:

• Chopping fresh herbs, onions and nuts, or making homemade peanut butter

• Creating custom toppings or bases like herbed bread crumbs, bruschetta and custom parfaits

• Puréeing small batches of dips and sauces like hummus, sage pesto or garlic aioli

• Mixing up minced entrees like spiced lamb meatballs, falafel or shrimp cakes

The KitchenAid® 5 Cup Food Chopper comes with a whisk accessory so you can also whisk, whip and stir a variety of ingredients, including whipped cream in just 30 seconds¹ and also comes in a cordless version for even more freedom in the kitchen.

^{1. Based on 1 cup of heavy cream.}

6–9 Cup food choppers

These food processors can hold larger amounts of ingredients than choppers and, thanks to a feed tube, usually have the ability to slice and shred in addition to chop, purée and mix. Some food processors of this size also include a dough blade to help knead bread dough, pizza crust and more. A mid size food processor combines a larger work bowl with more functionality, allowing you to create more complex recipes from start to finish, or simply make larger portions of your favorite dips, sauces, marinades and more.

A 6–9 cup food processor is best for:

• Shredding hard cheeses, carrots, Brussels sprouts, potatoes and slaw to top fish tacos (make the salsa and poblano cream sauce, too!)

• Slicing produce for salads, ratatouille, root vegetable gratins and more

• Making dough and filling for hand pies and dumplings like Yunnan style pies, chicken empanadas and pork dumplings

• Puréeing soups, sauces, desserts and dips like roasted garlic cashew dip

• Chopping onions, salsa veggies or a nut chocolate medley for parfaits

• Kneading dough for pizza crust, biscuits and more

• Mincing ingredients for crispy chicken nuggets, veggie burgers and more

Some models like the KitchenAid® 9 Cup Food Processor come with a multi-purpose blade, a medium reversible slicing/shredding disc and a thick slicing disc for a variety of shapes and sizes ideal for your recipes.

10–13 Cup food choppers

10–13 cup food processors are typically designed to chop, mix, purée, slice and shred but some models can also whip, dice, julienne and knead. These large food processors can be used for bulk food prep, batch cooking or feeding a larger family. 10–13 cup food processors also provide enough space to knead dough, then let it rise right in the work bowl.

10–13 cup food processors are great for:

• Everything you can do with a smaller food processor from chopping, mixing and puréeing to slicing, shredding and kneading

• Processing larger foods with a wider feed tube

• Making large batches of recipes ranging from dips, sauces, soups, fillings and so much more to feed a crowd, store for later or give as gifts

• Making sweet and savory apple cheddar scones, lemon scented strawberry jelly donuts, cheesy skillet hash brown nests and more

The KitchenAid^® 13 Cup Food Processor can help you simplify large batch meal making with the ability to chop, shred, precision slice, knead, mix and purée with ease to elevate everyday meals. A 3-in-1 wide mouth feed tube lets you process a variety of ingredient shapes and sizes. You can even process large items such as tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes.

14–16 Cup food choppers

14–16 cup food processors are among some of the largest food processors available for home use that can chop, mix, purée, slice and shred with some models also able to knead, julienne and dice. Such large capacity often isn’t necessary for day-to-day home use and is most suitable for those planning to produce bulk batches of recipes on a regular basis.

14–16 cup food processors are best for:

• Everything you can do with a smaller food processor from chopping, mixing and puréeing to slicing, shredding and kneading

• Making very large batches of recipes ranging from dips, sauces, soups, fillings and so much more to feed a crowd

• Dicing produce, cheese and more

• Making the crust and filling for multiple batches of caramelized onion goat cheese tarts, fruit carpaccio with ricotta cream, coconut ginger cheesecake and much more

What size food processor do I need?

Consider the recipes you’d like to explore and your kitchen space when deciding what size food processor you need. You may even benefit from owning two different sizes of food processors depending on what you’re cooking up. A small chopper can help free you up to create more by handling the simpler tasks, while a food processor can help bring new techniques to your table. When it comes to choosing the best size food processor for your kitchen, consider the following:

1. Your cooking style

What types of foods do you typically prepare?

• Do you like to experiment with different dips, sauces and dressings? If so, make sure your food processor has a drizzle basin or oil drizzle opening that allows you to slowly incorporate liquids for emulsification.

• Does your sweet tooth crave a menu with decadent desserts? A small or mid-sized food processor with a whisk accessory may be ideal—every dessert is better with freshly whipped cream on top.

• Would you like help kneading doughs for breads, pizza crusts and more? Look for a model with a dough blade.

• Are you looking to produce various culinary knife skills like slicing, dicing and julienning? Larger models may have additional functions and may be your best choice.

2. Your family size or guest list

How much food do you typically make? If you’re cooking for just one or two people, a food chopper or mid-sized food processor may be just what you need. If you’re cooking for a big family or you like to entertain, a 9 cup model or larger may be a better choice.

3. Control settings

How much consistency and uniformity do you need when preparing dishes? Most medium sized food processors and larger come with three power settings:

• Low: best for softer foods like tomatoes

• High: best for firmer foods like potatoes

• Pulse: best for controlling how fast or slowly food is processed

Smaller models may feature a pulse setting for quick and simple operation.

4. Ease of cleaning

KitchenAid® food processor models have a sealed, leak-resistant work bowl, rounded corners and smooth finishes which means less food gets trapped in the bowl and lid. The bowl, lid and accessories are also dishwasher safe.

5. Counter space

Do you have a smaller kitchen or countertop workspace? Some food processors come with easy to store features like select models from KitchenAid brand that feature a compact design, in-bowl accessory storage and a convenient cord wrap. The smallest models offer a countertop friendly footprint and may be the best food processor for small kitchens.

6. Size of chute/feed tube

This may not be a feature you’ve given much thought to, but the feed tube can make a major difference in how you’ll use your food processor and what kinds of results you can achieve.

In general, the larger the food processor, the wider the feed tube or chute options. This can better accommodate larger foods, like whole zucchinis or potatoes which can mean less prep work before processing. A wide feed tube allows you to push larger pieces of produce, cheese and more into the blades for processing and can enable long slices like french fry cuts depending on your blade or disc accessories.

Large food processors may come with a double or 3-in-1 feed tube so you can have more control over how your food meets the blades. If your menu often includes a wide variety of ingredients from large russet potatoes to long and thin scallions, you’ll benefit from having multiple feed tube sizes.