The most capable food processor for home cooks who actually use one.
The KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor is the food processor we recommend to anyone who cooks from scratch regularly and is tired of underpowered, fiddly machines. After eight weeks of testing alongside the Cuisinart 14-Cup, Breville Sous Chef, and Ninja Professional Plus, our editors recommend the KitchenAid as the best all-around pick for households that prep vegetables, make dough, shred cheese, and blend sauces on a weekly basis. The combination of a genuinely powerful motor, the externally adjustable ExactSlice system, and a wide feed tube that accepts whole produce makes this the rare appliance that actually saves time rather than adding another fiddly gadget to the counter.
The signature feature is the ExactSlice slicing system — a dial mounted on the outside of the bowl lid that adjusts blade thickness from thin to thick without opening the unit or swapping discs. This single feature eliminates the most annoying part of food processor slicing on competing models: stopping mid-task to dig through a drawer of separate discs. The 720-watt motor is genuinely strong for the category, handling dense pizza dough, whole almonds, and hard parmesan without stalling — a common complaint with cheaper sub-500-watt processors. The 3.5-inch wide feed tube accepts whole tomatoes, large potatoes, and halved citrus, meaningfully reducing prep time versus narrower competitor tubes that require pre-cutting everything.
What makes it different from a blender
Food processors and blenders solve different problems. A food processor uses interchangeable flat blades and discs to chop, slice, shred, and knead solid or semi-solid foods — think coleslaw, pie dough, salsa, and shredded cheese. A blender uses a fixed blade spinning at high speed in a tall narrow jar, ideal for liquids like smoothies and soups. If your cooking involves chopping vegetables, making dough, or shredding large quantities of cheese, the food processor is the tool you need; the KitchenAid 13-Cup handles all of these tasks that a blender simply cannot do well.
Who should buy the KitchenAid 13-Cup?
- Home cooks who meal prep weekly — slicing, shredding, and chopping large batches of vegetables for the week takes minutes instead of the twenty-plus you'd spend with a knife; the wide feed tube means minimal pre-cutting
- Home bakers — the dough blade and 720-watt motor make pizza dough, pie crust, and bread dough in under 60 seconds; significantly faster and less messy than hand-kneading or a stand mixer dough hook
- Households that entertain — quickly produce dips, salsas, hummus, and shredded cheese boards for guests; the 4-cup mini bowl handles small-batch sauces and dressings without dirtying the large bowl
- Anyone replacing a cheap, underpowered processor — if your current processor stalls on dense ingredients or struggles with hard cheese, the 720-watt motor on the KitchenAid solves that problem outright
- Cooks who value fast cleanup — every removable part is dishwasher safe; the unit disassembles into just a handful of pieces for cleaning, unlike some competitors with a dozen fiddly small parts
Consider the KitchenAid 7-Cup Mini if your household is small and counter space is tight. Choose the Cuisinart 14-Cup if you specifically need one extra cup of bowl capacity and don't need ExactSlice. The Breville Sous Chef offers more attachments at a notably higher price point. For most home cooks who want a powerful, easy-to-clean processor with genuinely useful slicing flexibility at $179, the KitchenAid 13-Cup remains our top recommendation.
Full specifications
Complete technical specifications as published by KitchenAid. Verified against the official KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor product page.
Motor & Performance
| Motor power | 720 watts — die-cast motor housing for stability and durability |
| Speeds | 2 speeds (low/high) plus pulse function |
| Slicing system | ExactSlice — externally adjustable dual-sided reversible blade, thin to thick, no disc swapping required |
| Feed tube | 3.5-inch wide-mouth feed tube; accepts whole fruits and vegetables |
Capacity & Bowls
| Primary work bowl | 13-cup BPA-free plastic work bowl with external locking ring |
| Secondary work bowl | 4-cup mini work bowl for small-batch sauces, dressings, and dips |
| Available sizes | 13-Cup (full size), 9-Cup, and 7-Cup Mini (sold separately as different SKUs) |
Included Attachments
| Blades | Multipurpose stainless steel blade; dough blade for kneading bread and pizza dough |
| Discs | ExactSlice adjustable slicing disc (thin–thick); reversible shredding disc (fine/coarse) |
| Accessories | Drizzle basket for slow-add ingredients like olive oil during emulsification |
Build & Design
| Dimensions | 8.7 × 11.4 × 16.4 inches (W × D × H) |
| Weight | 10.5 lbs |
| Colours available | Contour Silver, Empire Red, Onyx Black, Matte White, Pistachio, Blue Velvet (6 total) |
| Material | Die-cast motor base; BPA-free Tritan work bowl and lid |
| Cord storage | Built-in cord wrap on base for tidy storage |
Safety & Care
| Safety features | Locking lid mechanism prevents operation unless properly sealed; non-slip rubber feet |
| Cleaning | Bowl, lid, blades, and discs are top-rack dishwasher safe; motor base wipes clean |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty; extended coverage available through KitchenAid Protection Plans |
What we love & what we don't
After eight weeks of weekly meal prep, holiday baking, and entertaining, here is our honest verdict on the KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor.
✓ What we love
- ExactSlice is a genuine time-saver — adjusting from thin cucumber slices to thick potato rounds mid-task without stopping or swapping discs saved us real minutes on multi-vegetable prep days; no other processor we tested in this price range offers this
- Motor handles dense ingredients without complaint — whole almonds, hard parmesan, and stiff pizza dough all processed smoothly with zero stalling; we deliberately pushed it with a double batch of bagel dough and it never struggled
- Wide feed tube saves real prep time — dropped whole Roma tomatoes and small potatoes straight in without pre-cutting; on a big batch salsa day this easily saved ten minutes of knife work
- Cleanup is genuinely fast — every removable part went straight in the dishwasher's top rack; the whole unit disassembles into five pieces, far fewer than competitor models we've used with a dozen small parts
- Dough blade makes bread night effortless — pizza dough that takes 8–10 minutes of hand kneading was ready in under 60 seconds; texture and gluten development were consistent across multiple batches
- Locking lid mechanism feels genuinely safety-conscious — the unit physically will not run unless the lid is properly seated; reassuring with kids in the kitchen
✗ What we don't
- Only 2 speeds plus pulse — competitors like the Breville Sous Chef offer more granular speed control; for most tasks 2 speeds is sufficient but precision users may want finer control
- Bulky footprint for smaller kitchens — at 8.7 × 11.4 × 16.4 inches it takes meaningful counter or cabinet space; apartment dwellers with limited storage should consider the 7-Cup Mini instead
- Plastic work bowl shows scratches over time — after eight weeks of regular use with the slicing disc, we noticed light scuffing on the bowl interior; purely cosmetic but visible if you're particular about appliance condition
- Loud during operation — the 720-watt motor is powerful but also genuinely loud, particularly when processing hard ingredients like ice or frozen fruit; not a machine for quiet early mornings
- No preset programs — unlike some smart kitchen appliances, this is a fully manual machine with no auto-shutoff timers or preset chopping programs; some buyers may want more automation at this price
Our verdict: 4.7 stars
The KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor is the best all-around food processor for home cooks who prep regularly. The combination of genuine motor power, the externally adjustable ExactSlice system, and a wide feed tube that minimizes prep work makes it worth the $179 price. It isn't the quietest or most compact option, but for households doing real weekly cooking volume, nothing in this price range matches its versatility. Buy on KitchenAid's official store →
Everything in the box
- 1× KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor base unit — die-cast motor housing in your chosen colour
- 1× 13-cup primary work bowl with lid — BPA-free Tritan construction with locking mechanism
- 1× 4-cup mini work bowl with lid — for small-batch sauces, dressings, and dips
- 1× Multipurpose stainless steel blade — for chopping, pureeing, and mixing
- 1× Dough blade — for kneading bread and pizza dough
- 1× ExactSlice adjustable slicing disc — externally adjustable, thin to thick
- 1× Reversible shredding disc — fine on one side, coarse on the other
- 1× Drizzle basket attachment — for slow-adding oil during emulsification (mayonnaise, vinaigrettes)
- 1× Use & Care guide and recipe booklet
What's not in the box
A julienne disc and additional specialty discs are not included — sold separately as optional accessories for around $25–40 each at KitchenAid's accessories page. An extended warranty plan beyond the standard 1-year coverage is available for separate purchase at checkout.
