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6 best budget food processors under £200
Meet your new favourite kitchen companion
Need a little extra help in the kitchen? We’d all like another pair of hands to get through the prep, but, sadly, we can't afford to hire our own sous chef, so that's where a good food processor comes in – on hand to do all the hard graft for you.
Capable of grating, slicing, chopping and kneading, these machines can get through a pile of ingredients quicker and more efficiently than we could ever hope to do manually.
But they can be get very pricey, which is why we've reviewed all our testing data at the GHI to bring you a list of our top-rated budget buys for all your food prep needs.
What budget food processor should I buy?
Whether you’re looking for your first food processor or something to use occasionally, there’s no need to spend hundreds on a new machine. Striking the perfect balance between being highly efficient and great value, we’ve rounded up the six best multifunctional machines under £200.
Here they are in a handy list, but keep reading for our full reviews and everything you need to know before shopping.
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What should I look for when buying a food processor?
Capacity: In this list, we’ve included machines with bowl sizes from as little as 0.7-litres up to three litres. Typically, the bigger the appliance is, the more features it boasts and the more expensive it becomes.
If you’re just looking for a machine that to tackle smaller onions, salsas or sauces, a smaller processor will suit just fine. And you may even find that a mini chopper is more than up to the task.
Attachments: Although most models will come with standard grating and slicing accessories, you may want to look out for those with a whisk or dough hook as these bring more flexibility to your kitchen.
Pulse function: While not essential, a pulse function enables more controlled chopping – ideal if you’re aiming for something chunky rather than pureed.
How we test food processors
When putting food processors to the test, we blitz up a range of everyday ingredients you’d regularly use in the kitchen - from grating tough carrots, cheese and chocolate to slicing cucumbers. To see how they handle chopping, we also try onions, bread and trickier whole hazelnuts, as well as minced beef.
Baking is a key focus for us too, so we whip cream and try out the kneading and mixing functions on dough and batter mixes before cooking and assessing the finished product.
Finally, we combine all the results to give each machine a final score, and for this article, we've only included the highest scorers under £200, so you can bag a bargain.
Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro
Pros
- Compact and easy to store
- An all-rounder on test
Cons
- No dough blade
Score: 88/100
Coming with a choice of two bowls, the compact Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro has just four accessories to find space for, which should be enough for those just starting out.
It coped well on test and was straightforward to use, with two power settings. With its versatile capacity, this is a fantastic option for small households looking for their first processor.
Key specifications
| Capacity | 0.7 or 1.9 litres |
|---|---|
| Power levels | 2 |
| Pulse function | Yes |
| Suction-cup feet | Yes |
| Included attachments | Fine disc, medium disc, small and large chopping blades |
| Size | H37.5 x W19 x D24cm |
Bosch Food Processor MCM3501MGB
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Solid and sturdy
Cons
- Whisk struggled to aerate cream
Score: 87/100
This stylish machine is every bit as capable as it looks. It aced almost all of our tests but we were particularly impressed with how little food was wasted when grating and slicing.
Despite its relatively small footprint, it has a generous 2.3-litre capacity, although due to the way the controls are laid out, it’s better suited to right-handers.
If you can master it, this machine comes with "smart storage" where all the accessories and attachments can be stored in the bowl — although it took us a while to get the knack of it!
Key specifications
| Capacity | 2.3 litres |
|---|---|
| Power levels | 2 |
| Pulse function | Yes |
| Suction-cup feet | Yes |
| Included attachments | Universal blade, kneading hook, beating disc, slicing reversible disc - thick/thin, shredding reversible disc - coarse/fine |
| Size | H37.5 x W22 x D26cm |
Pros
- Jug is easy to fit onto and remove from the base
- Grated ingredients evenly
Cons
- Less sturdy than some
Score: 87/100
For a statement food processor that doesn’t break the bank, look no further. The retro looks of this KitchenAid are as good as its test performance scores. It shone at slicing cucumber, mixing dough and even mincing beef.
The compact machine only has one measurement line and it did get a little unstable when processing tougher ingredients such as dough and nuts, but otherwise, it’s a neat little gadget.
Key specifications
| Capacity | 2.1 litres |
|---|---|
| Power levels | 2 |
| Pulse function | Yes |
| Suction-cup feet | Non-slip |
| Included attachments | Dough blade, Thin slice disc, Medium slice disc, Thick slice disc, Multi-purpose blade, 2.1L bowl |
| Size | H42 x W19.5 x D19.5cm |
Ninja 3-in-1 BN800UK Food Processor
Pros
- Thorough instructions with recipes included
- Has automatic programmes including pulse, blend and process
Cons
- Chopped breadcrumbs and nuts inconsistently
Score: 85/100
Power up your food prep with this robust food processor, which made light work of most of our ingredients, especially when it came to mincing steak and mixing dough. Everything but its base is dishwasher-proof and the sleek model is intuitive to use.
Its power did sometimes get the better of it, causing a lot of waste in our cucumber slice test and a bit of wobbling in the dough test. Overall though, it’s a well thought out and reliable machine.
Key specifications
| Capacity | 1.8 litres |
|---|---|
| Power levels | 3 |
| Pulse function | Yes |
| Suction-cup feet | Non-slip |
| Included attachments | 2.1-litre jug with lid, 1.8-litre bowl, Stack blade, Dough blade, Chopping blade, Slicing/grating disc, Disc adapter |
| Size | H48 x W25.5 x D19cm |
Pros
- Brilliant at chopping tasks
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Struggled to mix mayonnaise
Score: 79/100
Unlike most food processors, which rely on a chunky base, this one is operated from above with a handheld motor. Like the Bosch (above), all of the attachments fit neatly in the bowl when not in use, keeping your cupboards clutter-free.
Although particularly good at grating and slicing, sadly we weren’t quite as impressed with the dough and batter mixes it produced. The feeding chute could also have been a little wider, to save us cutting larger chunks.
However, with six speeds and a pulse function, there's lots to love - not least that all the attachments can be popped in the dishwasher when you’re done.
Key specifications
| Capacity | 1.6 litres |
|---|---|
| Power levels | 6 |
| Pulse function | No |
| Suction-cup feet | Yes |
| Included attachments | Chopping blade, whisk, beater, grater blades, grater disc, crib cards, storage caddy, mixing bowl |
| Size | H22.2 x W21.5 x D24cm |
Pros
- Intuitive controls
- Compact for easy storage
Cons
- Left most nuts unchopped
Score: 78/100
This may be one of the cheapest food processors on our list, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a decent bit of cooking kit. It proved efficient at slicing on test, with zero cucumber wastage. Testers also found the compact model easy to use.
The lower price point does mean you forgo much of the precision associated with pricier processors, and it only has one speed function. It’s not dishwasher-friendly either, but if you only need it for occasional use, then it might be a trade-off worth making.
Key specifications
| Capacity | 1.3 litres |
|---|---|
| Power levels | 1 |
| Pulse function | Yes |
| Suction-cup feet | Non-slip |
| Included attachments | 1.3 litre bowl, Stainless steel blade, Stainless steel slicing and shredding disk |
| Size | H38 x W18 x D24 cm |
The verdict on budget food processors
Our top-scoring appliance under £200 is the Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro, which is a great pick for first-timers. It has all the basic chopping accessories for most food prep tasks, but it lacks a dough hook, so if you’re a keen baker we recommend the KitchenAid 2.1-Litre Food Processor instead, which excelled when kneading dough. It's also a real looker.
The cheapest model on our list is Morphy Richards’ Prepstar Food Processor, which performed well despite its low price tag (£21.99). So, it's a great value buy.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
The GHI have been testing kitchen appliances for over 100 years, so we have plenty of knowledge when it comes to finding the best cooking companions.
Our homes testing manager, Blossom Boothroyd, has borrowed from decades of experience to ensure we're reviewing each food processor to the highest standards, which means we can be confident we’re recommending ones that will deliver in your home.
The content team, including our homes writer Megan Geall, has written hundreds of reviews and are experts at analysing and scrutinising all the results to ensure we’re recommending top quality products.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
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