Best Vegan-Friendly Food Processors: A 2024 Buyer’s Guide

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Going vegan is a big choice.

Another big choice? Choosing a high-quality food processor to invest in! 

It’s a big deal because your vegan lifestyle will require you to make more meals at home now.

Not just any old kitchen appliance will do. You want something that will last and add excitement to your meals. In this article, let’s take a look at the best food processors for vegans available on today’s market.

And bonus! Because we are looking at the best food processors for vegans that means these food processors are total bosses at slicing and dicing vegetables. Therefore, the top three brands we’ll be reviewing today are also the best food processors for salsa.

Can you use a blender if you don't have a food processor?

Before jumping in, an important question to address is: What does a food processor do that a blender doesn’t? A food processor typically has a wider bowl than a blender. It comes with multiple different blades for different jobs, whereas a blender has only one fixed blade. 

A food processor can handle big kitchen work like chopping vegetables, making hummus, and even mixing doughs. With a blender, you want to keep your foods more liquid (think salad dressings and smoothies!).

So, you may be wondering “can you chop vegetables in a blender?”

The answer is yes if they are high-water content vegetables like tomatoes and onions. Definitely don’t try chopping hard, starchy potatoes in your blender! 

If you’re also in the market for a new blender, go check out our buyer’s guide for the best blenders for vegans.

Now let’s dive right into the top-rated food processors.


1. Cuisinart DFP-14CGRY 14-Cup Food Processor - Best Pick

Cuisinart never disappoints in the kitchen. Whether you need to whip up some hummus to go with your carrot sticks or you’re craving a luscious loaf of vegan bread, this Cuisinart 14-cup food processor has got your back. 

The 720-watt motor is durable enough to handle any job you throw at it.

Want to make cashew cheese?

No problem. You can chop nuts, potatoes, even tough green beans in this food processor (though it’s recommended to cook the beans until softened first!). 

With a 14-cup capacity bowl, you can easily make enough food for the whole family. Or for guests if you have a small family but love to entertain. 

Arguably the best feature? 

All the removable parts are dishwasher-safe. 


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Pros

  • 14-cup working bowl with an extra-large feed tube
  • Full 5-year motor warranty (3-year limited warranty on the rest!)
  • It comes with accessories like a spatula and a recipe/instruction booklet
  • Stainless steel shredding disc, slicing disc, and chopping blade
  • Easy to use, only two buttons (on, off/ pulse)

Cons

  • A little pricier than other food processors

Click here to check out the latest price on Amazon


2. Braun FP3020 Food Processor- Quietest Pick

Vegan recipes can call for a lot of prep, especially of vegetables. A good food processor will save you so much chopping time in the kitchen. For a more in-depth look at how to use a food processor to chop onions, click here.

This Braun brand food processor is especially lovely because it has an ultra-quiet motor. If you have small children at home, quiet appliances really make a difference during naptime! Or if you’re an early riser, you can blend up a quick vegan smoothie bowl without waking your spouse. 

Have you ever wondered if you can juice with a food processor? Well with this model, you’re in luck. Beyond chopping veggies and kneading dough, the Braun food processor boasts a juicing attachment. As a vegan, juicing can be a really great way for you to get in those essential vitamins and minerals. 

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With a powerful 600-watts of processing speed, this machine is ready to take you to new heights of gourmet vegan fare. It also has variable speeds instead of the usual on/off of most food processors. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a food processor without the “pulse” option. 

The included inserts offer: fine shredding, coarse shredding, grating, fine slicing, whipping, kneading, chopping, and a citrus press. 

Pros

  • Comes with a juicer
  • Has a quiet motor
  • 1-year warranty
  • Can hold 12-cups of food or 9-cups of liquids
  • There’s a french fry slicing insert available for separate purchase—yum!

Cons

  • May be difficult to clean, parts should be hand-washed

Click here to check the current price on Amazon


3. Hamilton Beach Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper- Budget-Friendly Pick

If you’re a vegan on a budget, this is the food processor for you. Available in 8 or 10-cup capacity. Though I recommend if you’re going to go for a food processor over a chopper, go for the 10-cup. A little more room never hurts when you’re chopping up huge mounds of veggies! And never fear, the plastic working bowl is BPA free. 

With two speeds and a 450-watt motor, this little food processor is ready to be your finest sous chef. What I really like about this Hamilton Beach 10-cup food processor is the bowl scraper attachment.

No need to take off the locking lid and use a spatula to scrape the sides of your bowl. You can just spin the knob on top and save even more kitchen prep time! 

The chute has an extra-large mouth, so you can feed large chunks of veggies down it. Comes with a reversible blade. One side for shredding, one for slicing. Use the s-blade for mixing, chopping, and pureeing. 

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Pros

  • Small enough to fit in your cabinetBowl-scraper attachment saves you time
  • Blades are long worn
  • Very budget-friendly
  • Two speeds plus pulse
  • Easy to clean with dishwasher safe parts

Cons

  • Not strong enough to handle kneading dough
  • No color options
  • A little smaller than other choices

Click here to check out the latest price on Amazon


Vegan Meal Ideas with a Food Processor

If you’re looking for something new to whip up for dinner tonight, here are a few food processor recipes for vegans I think you’ll love! 

As a quick appetizer, how about processing some chickpeas? Here’s a quick and simple classic homemade hummus recipe.

Quinoa is great for vegans because it’s a complete protein (meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids). Try these Quinoa Falafel Patties for a nutritiously delicious evening meal. 

On Tuesdays, I like to have tacos. Just because you’re living a vegan lifestyle shouldn’t mean you can’t also indulge in taco Tuesdays! Check out this recipe for Raw Vegan Taco Meat.

Another favorite food processor recipe of mine? Pesto! Pesto is the best-o. Here’s a vegan version for your culinary tastebuds to enjoy Basil Pesto Zucchini Pasta.

Don’t forget about dessert! Food processors are awesome at making “nice” cream a.k.a. vegan ice cream! You don’t have to add strawberries, but I would! Strawberry Banana Nice Cream.


The Best Food Processor...Is You

At the end of the day, it’s true. You choose the foods, you put them in the bowl, and you make the kitchen magic happen. No matter which of the best food processors for vegans you choose to buy, you’ll be the one working the buttons and impressing all your friends with your homemade vegan treats. 

While the Hamilton Beach is affordable and the Braun comes with that neat juicing attachment, I still feel that the Cuisinart is the best food processor for making salsa. It’s got the strongest blades and most power to back up any kitchen task you throw at it. 

Happy processing! 

Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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