KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor Plus Review

We purchased the KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor Plus so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

Food processors are do-it-all workhorses that are a wedding registry must-have. Most food processors can chop, puree, mix, shred, blend, and even knead dough. Food processors eliminate the need to have numerous kitchen gadgets (handheld graters, mandolines, and food choppers, to name a few) and saves you kitchen storage space, time, and money. KitchenAid is no stranger to multi-functional kitchen appliances, and its 9-Cup Food Processor Plus promises kitchen prep versatility in an easy-to-assemble and easy-to-store design. Here’s what sets KitchenAid’s food processor apart. 

Design: May not fit all countertops

At nearly 17 inches tall, this food processor takes up a good deal of vertical storage space. We were disappointed to find it didn’t fit beneath our kitchen cabinets. We own a Cuisinart 14-cup food processor that measures in at just under 15 inches tall and easily stores on our countertop beneath our cabinets. KitchenAid’s food bowl is only a 9-cup capacity, but it’s taller and more narrow than larger models. 

It’s also too tall to store assembled out of sight in a cabinet. To store it, we had to stash the base and bowl separately in a cabinet. However, the KitchenAid weighs less than 10 pounds so it’s pretty easy to move around.

You get a multipurpose blade, a dough blade, and three cutting discs for fine, medium, and thick slices. Two of the discs are reversible, letting you use one side for slicing and one side for fine and medium shredding.

We can almost forgive the added height of this model for the ability to store all the accessories inside the bowl. Keep in mind those parts will have to be removed and stashed elsewhere each time you want to use the processor, but the cutting discs have raised center knobs that are easy to grip and help keep fingers away from sharp edges.

Performance: Two speeds for maximum control and multi-functionality

The KitchenAid is intuitive to assemble and use right out of the box, thanks to the super simple twist-free assembly. The bowl clicks into the base with little effort, and the hinged lid helped keep our countertops clean whenever we paused to add additional ingredients or scrape the sides of the bowl.

We used the multipurpose blade to chop vegetables for soup, finely chop tomatoes and onion for fresh salsa, blend frozen bananas into soft serve, and puree nuts, oats, and dried fruit into a mixture we rolled into energy bites. We used the medium slicing disc to cut cucumber rounds for cucumber salad and the shredding discs for freshly shredded parmesan cheese.

Speed and pulse options are controlled through easy-to-operate paddle-style buttons. High speed is blazing fast and offers plenty of power to knead dough and shred large blocks of cheese in seconds. We found high speed best for finely chopping, mincing, and pureeing and low speed best for roughly chopped veggies. The pulse option was our go-to for giving nuts a rough chop or “stirring” in additional ingredients without over-processing.

The only thing we didn’t like about this food processor is the shape of the two-in-one feed chute. The narrow feed chute worked well for feeding miniature cucumbers and drizzling liquids. The larger feed could be bigger. It’s easy to fit wedges of cheese in for shredding, but not roomy enough for large veggies like large cucumbers, squash, potatoes, and apples without pre-cutting. Extra cutting dirties more dishes and may prevent you from creating perfectly round slices. 

Cleaning: Dishwasher safe

The KitchenAid food processor parts couldn’t be easier to clean. The bowl and all accessories are dishwasher safe and also easy to rinse by hand. 

It’s worth noting the lid and center blade assembly have silicone seals that help keep food and liquids inside the bowl where they belong. Other food processors we’ve used tend to leak from these points, especially with recipes that contain a lot of liquid, like salsa or large batches of pesto. We really appreciated this detail on the KitchenAid because it helped keep the food processor base and our countertop cleaner.

Price: Affordable

At $180, the KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor falls on the lower end of the price range for similarly sized food processors. The KitchenAid offers plenty of versatility and power in a space-saving design, making it an easy and cost-effective choice over more expensive models. However, it only comes with a one-year warranty.

Competition: Budget and accessories are key differences

Hamilton Beach Stack and Snap 12-Cup Food Processor: Here's another food processor that features convenient twist-free assembly and silicone seals to prevent leaks. Hamilton Beach is a budget brand and, priced at $50, this food processor is significantly less expensive than the KitchenAid.

It offers more ingredient capacity with a 12-cup bowl and has an extra-large feed chute so you can process whole fruits and vegetables without pre-cutting. It only offers one slicing and shredding option compared to the KitchenAid. This is a great entry-level option and using it is extremely intuitive with function buttons for slicing/shredding, pureeing/kneading, and pulsing. 

Cuisinart 9-Cup Food Processor: At $150, Cuisinart’s 9-cup food processor is a little more affordable than the KitchenAid, but you’ll sacrifice some versatility. The Cuisinart comes with a multipurpose cutting blade, one slicing disc, and one shredding disc. Unlike the KitchenAid, It lacks a dough blade, only offers one speed, and parts will need to be stored separately.

The Cuisinart has a wider feed-chute that doesn’t require pre-cutting fruits and vegetables. The KitchenAid is easier to assemble with its twist-free assembly, and you’ll have more control over slicing and shredding thickness with the KitchenAid’s multiple disc system and two-speed control. Cuisinart is backed by a better warranty: 10 years on the motor and three years on everything else.