Making nut butters (of various kinds) is an easy DIY project for which you need food processors. And the best food processors for nut butters are not hard to find. This article contains objective reviews that reflect the many considerations that have been made before the best products are selected.
I think it's important to note here that there are no specific food processors that are made for nut butters processing alone. The products examined here are not only good for making nut butters but also for any other food preparations involving slicing, shredding, mixing, chopping and so on. Following reviews of each product, there's a ‘Buying Guide’ that gives you comprehensive information on making nut butters yourself, food processors versus blenders and what to look for before purchasing a food processor.
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- Best Food Processors for Nut Butters 2020
- 1. Editor’s Pick: Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY Food Processor
- 2. Runner Up/Alternative Pick: Braun FP3020 12 Cup Food Processor
- 3. Highest Quality Product: Breville BFP800XL Sous Chef Food Processor
- 4. Budget Pick: Hamilton Beach Stack and Snap Food Processor
- 5. The Best Compact Food Processor: Cuisinart DLC-10SY Pro Classic Food Processor
- Buying Guide The Best Food Processors for Nut Butters
- Easy Homemade Peanut Butter
- Conclusion
Best Food Processors for Nut Butters 2020
Model | Capacity | Watts (W) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
14 cups | 720 | 4.8 | ||
12 cups | 600 | 4.7 | ||
16 cups | 1200 | 4.9 | ||
12 cups | 450 | 4.4 | ||
7 cups | 600 | 4.6 |
This food processor is the best you’ll find that is cost-effective. And that is why it tops this list. Its 14-cup work bowl is large enough to make meals for a whole family, and more.
Besides, it has an extra-large feed tube that can fit large fruit and vegetables. You don’t have to process large amount of food in small batches any longer.
Everything about this food processor screams, ‘speed!’ It is powered by a 720-watt motor which ensures powerful, efficient and fast food processing at any time. The machine is absolutely designed to save time with its one-touch controls: just press a button and processing begins. And it also has seven different food preparation functions that are all available at the touch of a button.
Its blade is made of strong stainless steel and that means you don’t have to worry about rust or damage for a really long time. Its parts are all good to go with a dishwasher. And then, it comes in five different colors.
A downside I have noticed is that it does not have a smaller bowl insert for smaller works. Of course, with a smaller bowl comes a smaller cutter but I still believe the manufacturers should be able to make that option available. That does not, however, affect its ‘best’ status.
Pros
Cons
Here is the second-best pick. It’s a good alternative to the top pick if, for some reason, you cannot go with the first. There is really no difference between the prices of both. Unlike the first, this one is smaller, with a 12-cup capacity. Anyway, it comes with 7 different blade options and adjustable speed. That means you can easily determine how big or small you want your ingredients chopped. This is a big reason why many may prefer it to the Cuisinart processor.
It has a lower power than the top pick too; it uses a 600-watt induction motor. This seems good enough but of course, it is not as powerful as the first and so would not be as fast too. But yes, it makes almost no noise. You would hardly hear it even hum. Now you can use your food processor in peace without worrying that you may be disturbing someone and also without causing damage to your own ears. That’s another reason you may prefer it.
This product is easy to use and assemble. Just some coupling here and there and your product is up and running. Setup does not take long at all. The main problem is with its lesser 12-cup capacity and 600-watt power despite the fact that it costs the same as the top pick. There is no way to go around this yet but it is a pretty solid option if you ask me.
Pros
Cons
Well, some people might just be willing to shell out more cash to get something better. In that case, the Breville BFP800XL is the best you can find. This product also has a 16-cup capacity, two more than the editor’s pick and it also has a smaller mini bowl that is 2.5-cup. You also get more power: 1200 watts for even more powerful and faster processing.
Breville BFP800XL comes with 3 stainless steel blades.
It has multiple (three) chute options for different kinds of preparations. There is an extra-wide feed chute that eases processing by being able to cut large ingredients. The smaller mini-feed chute can be used to slice ingredients like carrots that are long and thin and have a tendency to tip over when processed in a regular feed chute.
The variable slicing disc has twenty-four (!) different settings that enable you to select the thickness of the slices. It ranges from 0.3mm (paper thin) to 8.0mm. And then it also comes with a 5-disc option each of which serves various functions. That's apart from being packaged with three different blades, all using the S-Blade system.
One interesting feature you'll find is that it has a timer, which can either count up or down. That would help you focus on some other tasks while processing ingredients. Another is an in-built accessory box to store your utensils in. It can only get better!
Well, a problem you may encounter is that it has only one speed setting so there is no control over the size of chopped particles. But you may not worry much about that since there is a slice thickness option.
Pros
Cons
And then, here’s the budget pick. I would advise that you go for this if you are not so big on features but just want a small product that still gets the work done and does not cost too much. The Hamilton Beach food processor is just the right product. It costs a paltry sum and is good for either personal or small home use.
It has a 12-cup capacity which is not so different from the editor’s pick which is 14-cup. Not too small, yes. But it runs less efficiently. Power capacity is only 450 watts but that’s not so bad as the machine still works okay. Of course, not as fast as the ones above but it’s still good.
Perhaps, the best thing about this product is its simplicity. Unlike others, it is very easy to assemble with no twisting required. That is because the bowl fits on the base directly. Just place it on it and snap, it’s done. It has some small locking clips to keep the bowl secured in place.
Another feature of this is its S-Blade model. Indeed, other models have the S-Blade too and this is not necessarily better. However, the presence of the S-Blade proves that the manufacturers of this product are really serious. They were not just looking to put a low-end, inferior quality product in the market. The S-Blade makes slicing smooth and consistent. And then, its parts are dishwasher safe too for easy cleaning.
Pros
Cons
I can bet that the Cuisinart DLC 10SY is absolutely worth your pick for making nut butters if you have a small home. Its dough cup capacity is 4 cups. Perfect, right? Apart from that, it comes with a spatula and recipe book. Of course, the goal is the processing of nut butters; I find it really cool that there’s a recipe book to guide me in preparation. It also comes with a flat cover, as bonus, in case you want to process on the bottom of the bowl.
Though it has just a 7-cup capacity, it contains an extra-large feed tube that can fit various sizes of ingredients. The blade is multifunctional and is also made of stainless steel, ensuring long-term use. It comes with a medium-sized slicing disc (4mm) which, to me, is okay.
The power capacity of the machine is 600-watt. That’s good enough to get some work done really quick. And it is easy to control too; just like the Cuisinart product that is the editor’s pick, it is operated by just a touch on the paddle. By the way, its price is lower than that of the top pick. And that’s a fair deal for the features it has. I assure you that a product that would beat this would be so hard to find.
Pros
Cons
Buying Guide The Best Food Processors for Nut Butters
As you already know, nut butters are made by grinding various types of nuts into thick, creamy paste. Some of the popular types are peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, hazelnut butter and so on. A lot of people use nut butters and I don’t think we will do away with them in a long time. Plus, nut butters are very healthy. Well, this article is about the best food processors for chopping nuts and in this section, I will be answering some pertinent questions that people ask concerning this issue.
Why Make Nut Butters Yourself?
The title of the article suggests making nut butters yourself but why would anyone want to make a nut butter themselves when they could just walk into a store and buy a processed one? Some of the reasons are explained here.
First, by making nut butters yourself, you get the advantage of a lower cost. It is much cheaper to make nut butter by yourself than buy from a store. You would just have to select your principal ingredient, add desired oil (or none at all) and process.
Perhaps the greatest reason many people opt for DIY nut butters is the fact that you have control of choice. When you buy packaged nut butters, you just have to accept what you are given and the ingredients it contains. The ingredients vary though, but you have no control over what goes into processing. You can choose which oil to add, or even none at all. Palm oil is commonly used by most manufacturers. But many may not want to use it for ethical reasons, for the fact that the use of palm oil means massive deforestation. Many also argue that palm-oil is not environmentally friendly and so decide to stay away from it. The point is that by making nut butters yourself, you spend less and have more freedom over the preparation process.
Click here to learn how to make almond butter
Do i Need Food Processor?
Many people can hardly tell the difference between food processors and blenders. They are very different in various ways but none can be said to be better than the other since they are meant to serve different functions. Food processors have a variety of functions such as slicing, dicing, shredding, chopping, mixing, puree and so on; and they require no liquid to perform, unlike blenders, that do. For that reason, blenders are needed when you need to make soups, smoothie and other liquid foods.
Because of the specific functions both perform, they also vary in terms of features. Food processors have a large blade but the blades of blenders are very small and have more speed and control options than food processors. When it comes to making nut butters or seed milks (black sesame seed milk), food processors are obviously the right choice. The large, strong blade a food processor has allows it to easily break down nuts and the likes. A blender cannot do that. I believe every kitchen needs both.
What to Look for When Buying Nut Butter Food Processors?
What are the proper things to consider before purchasing a nut butters maker is what will be discussed in this subsection.
Price
I have put this first deliberately because your budget would determine the kind of product you get. Whatever you do, ensure that you are getting the best product for your budget range.
Power
Most electronics are powered by an induction motor whose efficiency is measured in watts. The higher the number of watts an electronic has, the better. For powerful processing, I would recommend that you go for products with a power capacity of at least 600 watts. On our list here, the only product whose power capacity is less than that is the budget pick.
Size Dimensions and Capacity
We just want to process food. Nobody wants a product that would be too big and difficult to move around or even fit into cupboards. Be sure you are okay with the size before you buy. If you are buying online, check the specifications given or ask the supplier. The holding capacity of food processors ranges from a mere 3-cup to 20 cups. Well smaller is better if it is only for personal use. I consider 12-cup and above to be okay for home use, depending on the size of your family.
Features
Before buying a food processor too, check for the features it has and if it has any special features that make it stand out. Most newer food processors have a ‘pulse’ function that gives you better control over processing. Another thing you should consider under features are its parts and accessories. If its parts are dishwasher-safe, good for you. You may also want the product to have different blade and bowl options, so you need to ensure that too. Make sure you check and understand the features well. This sub-section determines how easy the machine would be to use. Of course, anyone would prefer to use a product with one-touch, efficient operation.
Easy Homemade Peanut Butter
Conclusion
It is obvious from the list above that the Cuisinart DFP food processor is the best. A lot of considerations were made before it was selected. I absolutely recommend it (or the alternative Braun FP) if you want a really good food processor that would not drain your pocket. There is an expensive option that is okay if you are willing to spend more for more. And the budget pick is mainly just for personal use and so costs a little. Finally, you should consider the small homes option if that suits you. Have fun making your nut butters!
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