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All 106 pages on The Prep Bench, grouped by category. The machine-readable version lives at /sitemap.xml, and new guides go out on our Atom feed.

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The front door and the method behind every ranking on the site.

  • The Prep Bench — homeCategory winners, live prices and the newest guides.
  • How we pickThe published method: what we score, what disqualifies a product, and why we claim no lab testing.

Food Processors

The flagship ranking — full-size to mini, scored on capacity, power and what each one is genuinely for.

  • Food Processors — hubThe flagship ranking — full-size to mini, scored on capacity, power and what each one is genuinely for.
  • The Best Budget Food ProcessorsThe Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap gives you 12 cups for budget money. Two more picks for smaller kitchens and the tightest budget.
  • Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor ReviewOur overall pick. A big, sealed, low-parts-count workhorse that has been the sensible default for decades.
  • Ninja Professional Plus Food Processor ReviewThe best value in the roundup: a lot of motor and a dough blade for the money, with a smaller bowl as the catch.
  • KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor ReviewThe one that dices. A 13-cup KitchenAid with a dicing kit and a 3-in-1 feed tube — the widest job range in the roundup.
  • The Best Mini Food ProcessorsThe Cuisinart 5-cup wins because it is the smallest machine here that still shreds. Four more from a 1.5-cup chopper to a 7-cup compact.
  • The Best Large Food ProcessorsThe Cuisinart 14-cup remains the default large processor. Four alternatives cover a 16-cup upgrade, a dicing kit and the budget end.
  • What Size Food Processor Do I Need?Every capacity from 1.5 to 16 cups mapped to a household and a job — plus the reason usable volume is about half the number on the box.
  • The Best Food Processor for DoughWhat the plastic dough blade actually does, how much bowl a batch needs, and the four processors with the motor and headroom to handle it.
  • The Best Food Processor for HummusWhy a lid opening matters more than wattage for hummus, how batch size maps to bowl size, and four machines that get the texture right.
  • Breville Sous Chef 16 Pro ReviewOur upgrade pick, examined: a 16-cup bowl, a published 1,200 watts and a slicing dial from 0.3 to 8.0 mm — and an honest account of who is overpaying.
  • The Best Food Processor for Baby FoodSmall bowl, smooth puree, two-minute wash. Three machines compared for weaning — and the honest case against buying a dedicated baby-food maker.
  • The Best Food Processor for Nut ButterTen minutes of continuous grinding is a thermal test, not a power test. Three machines compared on published watts, bowl seal and how much headroom they really have.
  • The Best Food Processor for ShreddingDisc quality and feed-tube width decide a shredding job, not wattage. Four processors compared, plus the freezer trick that stops soft cheese gumming the disc.
  • The Best Food Processor for SalsaSalsa is a pulse problem, not a power problem. Three processors compared on bowl size and pulse control, plus the order of operations that keeps it chunky.
  • The Best Food Processor for SlicingThickness control and feed-tube width decide a slicing job — the motor barely matters. Four processors compared on both, with the loading technique that fixes ragged slices.
  • The Best Food Processor for PestoPesto fails in a big bowl, because the blade ends up spinning above the food. The right-sized processors for a real batch, plus the oil-drizzle detail that decides the texture.
  • How Much Does a Food Processor Cost?The four price bands for a food processor, what each buys in capacity and build, the pennies-a-year running cost, and the replacement-part bill nobody mentions.
  • Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 12-Cup ReviewThe 12-cup processor built around no-twist assembly. What the Stack & Snap design genuinely fixes, and the missing motor figure you should factor in.

Food Choppers

Electric bowls and manual push-dicers for onions, herbs and salsa — matched to how much you chop.

  • Food Choppers — hubElectric bowls and manual push-dicers for onions, herbs and salsa — matched to how much you chop.
  • The Best Electric Food ChoppersThe Ninja Express Chop is the best mix of speed, price and easy cleanup. Three more picks for bigger batches, nicer builds and the tightest budget.
  • The Best Manual Choppers & DicersThe Fullstar push-dicer wins for the tidiest cube for the money. A wider-blade rival and a pull-string mincer round out the no-power picks.
  • Hamilton Beach 3-Cup Chopper ReviewOur value pick. A real 3-cup bowl and one-touch, dishwasher-safe chopping for about the price of a couple of takeout coffees.
  • The Best Vegetable ChoppersThe Fullstar push-dicer wins for vegetables specifically — it makes the even cube a spinning blade cannot. Five more picks across electric and manual.
  • The Best Onion ChoppersThe Fullstar dices an onion into even cubes in one press. Four more picks, including the fastest electric mince and the smallest bowl worth owning.
  • Ninja Express Chop ReviewOur top chopper pick, examined: what 200 watts and stacked blades really buy, and the three jobs a 2-cup bowl cannot do.
  • KitchenAid 3.5-Cup Food Chopper ReviewTwo speeds and a drizzle basin, in a chopper priced well above the field. An honest account of when those features earn the difference and when they do not.
  • Fullstar Pro XL Vegetable Chopper ReviewThe push-down dicer that produces even cubes no bladed chopper can match — with an honest account of the hand force it needs and the parts you have to rinse.
  • The Best Vegetable DicersEven cubes come from a grid, not a blade. The two push-down dicers worth buying, why food processors mince rather than dice, and the hand strength the design asks for.
  • The Best Food Chopper for NutsNuts are the hardest load a chopper sees, and the line between chopped and paste is seconds. Four choppers compared on blade design, bowl size and motor, with the pulse rule that saves the batch.

Mandolines & Graters

Even, fast slicing and grating — ranked on cut quality and on how safe each tool actually is.

  • Mandolines & Graters — hubEven, fast slicing and grating — ranked on cut quality and on how safe each tool actually is.
  • The Best Box GratersThe OXO Box Grater wins on grip, a non-slip base and a catch container. A budget box grater and a finger-safe rotary cover the other two jobs.
  • How to Use a Mandoline Slicer SafelyThe full method for slicing without stitches: use the guard every time, wear a cut-resistant glove, stop before the piece is too small, and keep the blade sharp.
  • The Best Rotary Cheese GratersThe OXO wins for grating and storing in one tool. Three rotary graters ranked, plus the honest case for buying a box grater instead.
  • OXO Chef's Mandoline Slicer 2.0 ReviewOur top mandoline pick, examined: 21 thickness settings, four cuts, and an honest account of where its safety features stop working for you.
  • Benriner Super Slicer ReviewThe sharpest slicer we rank and the one with the least protection — an honest look at why professionals choose it and most home cooks should not.
  • The Best Cut-Resistant GlovesA ten-dollar glove is the cheapest safety equipment in a kitchen. Three compared on their published EN388 and ANSI cut ratings, fit and washability.
  • The Best Mandoline for Cabbage & OnionsBlade width and minimum thickness are what decide a cabbage job. Four mandolines compared for slaw, kraut and paper-thin onion, with the safety caveat cabbage deserves.
  • The Best Mandoline for PotatoesCrisps, gratin and fries need three different settings from the same tool. Three mandolines compared on thinnest cut, blade width and grip, plus the rule dense produce demands.
  • Japanese Mandolines: The Best One, and Who Should Skip ItWhat separates a Japanese mandoline from a Western one, why the sparse design cuts better, and an honest account of the guard trade-off before you buy.
  • Mueller Austria Mandoline Slicer ReviewFive interchangeable blades and a dial for a fraction of the price of a premium mandoline. What the Mueller genuinely does well, and the two compromises behind the number.

Immersion Blenders

Stick blenders for soup, sauces and purees — ranked on power, reach and how much they splash.

Prep Tools

Garlic presses, salad spinners, ricers, mills, juicers and grinders — the small tools that earn their drawer space.

  • Prep Tools — hubGarlic presses, salad spinners, ricers, mills, juicers and grinders — the small tools that earn their drawer space.
  • The Best Garlic PressThe OXO Good Grips press wins for most cooks with its self-cleaning body; the Kuhn Rikon is the heftier buy-it-for-life upgrade.
  • The Best Salad SpinnerThe OXO Good Grips spinner wins on its one-hand pump and brake; the pull-cord Zyliss packs flatter and dries just as thoroughly.
  • The Best Potato RicerThe OXO Good Grips ricer wins on comfort and its pot-resting hook; the Bellemain adds three texture discs for a fraction of the price.
  • The Best Food MillThe OXO Good Grips mill wins on comfort, three discs and value; the all-stainless Cuisipro is the heavy-duty pick for frequent, serious batches.
  • The Best Citrus JuicerThe geared Chef'n FreshForce extracts more juice with less grip; the aluminum Zulay squeezer is the cheap, near-indestructible alternative.
  • The Best Meat GrinderThe STX Turboforce 3000 is the value home pick with three plates and sausage tubes; the stainless LEM Big Bite #5 is the buy-it-for-life grinder for heavy use.
  • The Best SpiralizersThe Brieftons wins on blade range and grip. The OXO is the tidier tabletop pick and the Fullstar is the drawer-sized answer for occasional zoodles.
  • The Best Vegetable PeelersSwivel or Y? The shape of the peeler decides what it is good at. Three picks: the comfortable default, the fast one for squash, and the sharpest blade per dollar.
  • The Best Kitchen ShearsWhether the blades come apart is the whole decision. Three picks: the dishwasher-safe everyday pair, the take-apart pair with a herb stripper, and the foodservice workhorse.
  • The Best Cutting BoardsMaterial is the decision: plastic for raw meat and the dishwasher, maple for knives, composite for small kitchens, a three-board set for keeping raw and ready-to-eat apart.
  • The Best Herb ChoppersA processor bruises herbs; these three cut them. The rocking mezzaluna, five-blade scissors for snipping at the plate, and the chopper-and-bowl set for chopped salad.
  • The Best Salad ChoppersChopped salad needs a curved bowl matched to the blade, or the lettuce escapes to the edges. The two tools worth buying, and an honest note on when a knife is faster.
  • The Best Meat Grinder for DeerVenison is lean and full of silverskin, which is what jams a grinder. Two machines compared for wild-game volume, with the fat ratio, plate sizes and the keep-it-cold rule.
  • The Best Potato MasherWire head or perforated plate, stainless or nonstick-safe nylon. Five mashers compared on published gauge, head footprint and handle — and why the tool is the smaller half of good mash.
  • OXO Good Grips Potato Ricer ReviewThe stainless ricer that hooks over the pot instead of needing a third hand. What it does beyond mash, and where a multi-disc ricer genuinely wins.
  • Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press ReviewHeavy stainless, long-handled leverage and no plastic anywhere. What the Kuhn Rikon does better than the OXO, and the one place it makes you work harder.
  • OXO Good Grips Food Mill ReviewThree stainless discs and a frame that straddles the pot. What a food mill does that no machine can, and the seasonal-batch case for the heavier Cuisipro instead.

Guides

Processor vs blender, do you even need one, how to use it, and the prep gadgets worth owning.

  • Guides — hubProcessor vs blender, do you even need one, how to use it, and the prep gadgets worth owning.
  • Do I Need a Food Processor?A direct yes/no with the five jobs that justify a food processor — and the cheaper tools that win the rest.
  • Food Processor vs BlenderA spec table and a decision rule: cut solids or move liquid. Buy the one that matches the jobs you actually do.
  • Food Processor vs Food ChopperSame idea, different scale. A table and a rule for choosing between a cheap chopper and a full processor.
  • How to Use a Food ProcessorThe jobs a processor does brilliantly — shredding, slicing, dough, nut butter — and the ones it does badly.
  • The Prep Gadgets Worth OwningThe short list of prep tools that genuinely beat a knife — and the test for whether any gadget earns its drawer space.
  • What Can You Make in a Food Processor?Twelve jobs a food processor does better than anything else, five it does badly, and the blade each one needs.
  • Immersion Blender vs BlenderOne goes to the food, the other makes food come to it. A table, a decision rule, and the safety argument that settles hot soup.
  • What an Immersion Blender Is Actually ForTen jobs a stick blender does better than anything else — including two-minute mayonnaise — and the three it cannot do at all.
  • Food Processor vs Immersion BlenderOne cuts dry solids, the other blends wet food in its own pot. A job table, a rule, and which to buy first if you can only have one.
  • Food Processor vs Stand MixerOne cuts fast, the other beats air in slowly. Which wins for pastry, bread and cake, and the honest case for owning both.
  • Mandoline vs Food ProcessorOne slices thinner and more precisely, the other slices faster and far more safely. A table, a rule, and an honest word about the risk.
  • Cuisinart vs KitchenAid Food ProcessorSimplicity and a published motor against dicing kits and feed-tube design — the two brands compared on what they actually document.
  • Ninja vs Cuisinart Food ProcessorPeak watts against continuous watts, 9 cups against 14, and a plain answer on which brand fits which kitchen.
  • Potato Ricer vs MasherWhat each tool does to the starch — and why that gives a ricer fluffy, lump-free mash and a masher texture. Plus the one tool never to use.
  • Food Chopper vs BlenderA chopper makes pieces; a blender makes liquid. The vortex is why, and it explains which tool can do salsa, pesto, smoothies and nut milk — and which cannot.
  • Mandoline vs Box GraterSlices versus shreds, and a real difference in risk. Which tool for gratins, slaw, cheese and hash browns — and why most kitchens should own the grater first.
  • The Prep Appliances a Kitchen Actually NeedsProcessor, chopper, immersion blender: what each is genuinely for, where they overlap, and the order to buy them in on a limited budget.
  • How to Clean a Food ProcessorThe 30-second self-clean, the parts that must never go near a dishwasher, the three places food hides, and how to get garlic smell and turmeric stain out of a work bowl.
  • Food Processor Blades and Discs, ExplainedThe S-blade, dough blade, slicing disc, reversible shredder, julienne and emulsifying disc — what each is mechanically for, and which ones you will genuinely use.
  • Why Your Food Processor Will Not Turn OnA processor that will not start is usually the lid interlock, not the motor. The checks in order, what a thermal cutout is, and how to tell when the machine is genuinely finished.
  • How to Rice CauliflowerA potato ricer cannot rice raw cauliflower — wrong mechanism. The three tools that do, the pulse-don't-run rule, and the drying step that stops it going to mush.
  • Food Processor vs Meat GrinderA processor chops meat, a grinder shears it, and the difference shows in the texture of a burger. When the processor is genuinely enough, and the point where it is not.
  • Immersion Blender vs Hand MixerA stick blender cuts; a hand mixer aerates. Where the whisk attachment genuinely overlaps, where it does not, and which to buy first if you can only have one.
  • Cuisinart vs Breville Food ProcessorThe 720-watt Cuisinart DFP-14 against the 1,200-watt Breville Sous Chef 16 Pro, on capacity, slicing control, parts count and running cost — with a clear decision rule.

About & policies

Who publishes this, how it is funded, and the rules we hold ourselves to.