6 best budget food processors under £200

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.

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.