Best Food Processors Under $100 (2026)

This Hamilton Beach is the most complete machine here. A 10-cup bowl, a 450 watt motor and two attachments cover five jobs: slicing, shredding, chopping, mixing and puree. The standout is a built-in bowl scraper, which you move by hand to push food off the walls without stopping the machine to use a spatula.

The scraper is the practical feature, because chopped food and hummus climb the bowl wall and stall the blade. With it you can process thicker mixtures in one pass. Next to the 8-cup Hamilton Beach it adds two cups of capacity and the scraper, and it sits at the highest price tier of the six.

The bowl and lid wash on the top rack and the discs store with the unit. Treat 450W as a mid-weight motor: it handles cheese, carrots and hummus but not heavy dough. Process in batches and let the motor rest between them.

This 8-cup Hamilton Beach shares the 450 watt motor of its bigger sibling at a lower price tier. The headline feature is a large feed chute that takes a whole block of cheese, which cuts prep time because you skip the pre-cutting step.

The chute is the real difference at this size. A wide opening means fewer cuts and faster slicing and shredding. The 8-cup bowl is large enough for most jobs and small enough for easy storage, according to the maker, and compared with the 10-cup model it lacks the built-in scraper.

Expect a conventional plastic bowl and lid that lock to the base. Wash on the top rack and hand wash the blades to keep them sharp. For most households, this is the sweet spot of size and price.

BLACK+DECKER designs this around simple assembly. You set the bowl on the base and the lid acts as the locking mechanism, so there is no separate latch to align. A stainless steel S-blade chops and mixes, and the 8-cup bowl is large enough for salsa, nut butter and hummus.

At 450 watts it matches the Hamilton Beach models on paper. The difference is the lock design, which suits people who find twist-and-click bowls fiddly. It sits at the third-cheapest price tier here.

As always with 450W, make nut butter in short runs and pause to scrape the bowl, because the motor warms quickly. The maker lists attachments for slicing and shredding, so check what ships with your version. It is a no-fuss, widely supported brand.

This model sells you two bowls: one 8-cup glass and one 8-cup plastic. Having two lets you chop onions in one and meat in the other without washing in between. A two-speed press-and-hold control lets you pick low for gentle chopping or high for puree.

Press-to-chop is similar to a pulse button, because the motor runs only while you hold the control, which gives you precise texture. The maker mentions mincing small batches of boneless meat. Unlike the Hamilton Beach models, it does not offer slicing and shredding discs, so it is a chopper at heart. It sits in the lower-middle price tier.

Glass resists odors and staining, which suits garlic and onions, but it is heavy and can break. The brand is less established, so keep the receipt. It is a good second bowl for a busy prep session.

Cuisinart limits this model to two jobs and does both well. A universal chopping blade handles salsa, breadcrumbs and quick mixes, and a reversible shredding disc handles cheese and vegetables. The 5-cup bowl keeps the footprint small.

Storage is the clever part, because the blade and disc nest inside the bowl between uses and the cord wraps into the base. That means the whole machine lives in one block in a drawer or cabinet. Compared with the 10-cup Hamilton Beach it has half the capacity and no slicing option, but it is quicker to set up and wash.

Cuisinart is an established brand, which matters for replacement parts. It sits at the second-highest price tier. Buy it for a small kitchen or a household of one or two.

The Ninja Express Chop is a small chopper, not a full processor. A 16 oz bowl, stainless steel blades and a one-touch pulse setting mince garlic, onion and zest, grind spices and blend small amounts.

Pulse control is the key technique with a mini chopper, because short bursts give an even chop while holding the button turns herbs into paste. At 16 ounces, about two cups, the bowl is a tenth the size of the 10-cup Hamilton Beach. It cannot slice or shred, so treat it as a garlic and herb tool.

It is easy to wash and takes almost no storage. At the second-cheapest tier it is a sensible addition even if you already own a full-size processor. Buy it alone only if your cooking is small-batch.