Cuisinart's food processor is a home essential - sometimes simplicity is all you need

I've heard a lot of good things about the Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro Food Processor. It's a staple in most kitchens and, having lived with it for three weeks, it's easy to see why. 

The best food processors often go for big, extensive collections of accessories and settings, so it was refreshing to be in the hands of the simple, capable Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro Food Processor. This back-to-basics option is all you need, packed into a neat, light appliance.

I've been putting this through its paces, chopping, grating, slicing and more. The Cuisinart is a brilliant and wise place to invest if you want the basic needs of your kitchen covered. 

Specifications

Unboxing

The Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro Food Processor comes in a light, slim cardboard box. Before testing it, I spotted the Easy Prep Pro in quite a few kitchens and I expected it to be a weighty food processor, but it really isn’t. The base station is easy to lift. So much so, I wouldn’t mind putting it in wall cupboards — you won’t be straining any muscles here. 

Alongside the base and 1.9L bowl, you’ll get a smaller 7-litre work bowl to tackle your mini tasks as well as two chopping blades (one for each bowl size) and two grating and slicing discs. One of these offers finer settings and the other more coarse ones. All in all, it’s a very simple set-up.

Most of the packaging is recyclable, which is great news. However, there are some plastic sleeves still hanging around. These days, you can recycle flexible plastics at big supermarkets, but I’m not sure everyone is committed to doing that yet, which is why it drops a little on my sustainability scores. Aside from that, it’s an attractive food processor.

Who would it suit?

It didn't take long for me to settle on the notion that the Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro is perfect for first homes. The simple controls and space saving controls combine with a reasonable price tag, making for the perfect, basic food processor.

That's not to say that chefs won't use this. Having two different bowl sizes proves to be really useful when you're looking for more versatility. Then, if you account for the finer and more coarse disc sizes, you can cover a good chunk of recipes and kitchen tasks with the Easy Prep Pro, hence the name.

It's also worth noting that this is light and easy to lock into place. If you're worried about your wrists or thinking that this might need to be stowed away in a cupboard, fear not. The Easy Prep Pro won't cause you any issues.

What is it like to use?

On the control panel, you’ll see four buttons: high, low, pulse, and off. These are really tactile, so it’s easy to feel when you’ve activated a setting. It’s also telling that there’s a bright blue light on the speed buttons, so you’ll know which is running. 

Of course, the Easy Prep Pro won’t start whizzing until the work bowl and lid are firmly locked into place. You’ll need to twist the bowl clockwise until the handle is in line with you. I think this favours right-handed users a little, but it’s not exactly uncomfortable if you’re left-handed, just a little less natural than it is for right-handed users. It’s a safety feature that most food processors have. 

Test 1: grating and slicing

The first test that I put all of our food processors through is grating and slicing different ingredients. I happened to be making a chilli when I was testing this, so I needed both grated carrots and grated cheese. You’ve got the spectrum of hard and fibrous to soft and crumbly there. 

I grated the carrots on the disc with large teeth and then the cheese on the wheel with smaller teeth with great success. The food processor whizzed through both one whole carrot and half a block of cheddar in under thirty seconds. The pieces looked really consistent and tidy too. My only gripe, which is yet to be solved by any food processor is that you end up with a little piece of ungrated carrot or cheese on top. This can be chopped up by hand or popped into the food waste, but I hate mess and so it always disappoints me a little. 

Test 2: chopping

For the chilli recipe that I was making, I also needed one large onion and three cloves of garlic to be chopped. So, I peeled and halved the onion, threw in the garlic, and pulsed. In hindsight, I should have quartered the onion, because one half got stuck and ended up bouncing around on top of the rest of the chopped onion. By the time I had tacked it and chopped it up, the pieces were quite fine. The pieces were evenly sized and the pulse button was very responsive, but you’ll just need one extra step of prep. 

I carried on using this in my kitchen, chopping onions, tomatoes, and the like and did find that it’s generally a reliable workhorse. As long as your vegetables are in manageable pieces, you’re set up for success.

Test 3: making dips

The final test for any food processor is how well they handle making dips and sauces. One of my favourite challenges is hummus. This has a really low moisture content and chickpea skins can be surprisingly stubborn when it comes to getting silky smooth results. 

I added one can of chickpeas, a squeeze of lemon, garlic, tahini, cumin and salt to the big work bowl. Then, I used the measure markers on the side of the bowl to pour in my olive oil. Once that was all sorted, I put the power on high to see how quickly I could get a good dip. Forty — very noisy — seconds later, I had the hummus that you can see in the image above. There wasn’t a grain, skin, or crunch in sight. It was dangerously silky, so much so, I finished the whole lot for my lunch. It’s safe to say that this is a good bet for smooth dips, sauces, and soups. 

Cleaning

If you have a dishwasher, I have good news. All the parts (aside from the base station, of course) are dishwasher-safe, so you can pack them away and let your appliances do the dirty work. Given that this has some measurements on the side and that the bowl is fundamentally plastic, if you can, I’d recommend washing up by hand. You’ll put a lot less wear on the bowl and it will repay you by lasting a lot longer in return. 

How does it compare?

The Easy Prep Pro is a great buy if you want a simple food processor that covers the basics. If you like what you see, but you want to turn up how robust it is and throw in a bit more versatility, I have the perfect option. The Sage Paradice 9 Food Processor looks pretty similar to the Cuisinart, except it’s heavier and comes with a whole caddy full of extra accessories: I’m taking an adjustable dicing disc, a cubing attachment, and dough blade. Naturally, this means that it’s bigger and more expensive, but if you consider yourself to be cheffy, this is for you. 

Alternatively, if you like what you see, but you were hoping for a space and money saver, I’ve got your back. The Magic Bullet Kitchen Express is about a third of the size of the Cuisinart, but it’s just as handy when it comes to grating, slicing and chopping. You limit yourself with capacity and versatility — this just has the one grating and slicing disc — but you save in lots of other ways. 

Should you buy it?

If you want a simple, reliable food processor that’ll help you to cook for the whole family, this is perfect. It’s low maintenance, good value, and easy to use. There are cheffier options on the market, but not at this price point.

How we test

At woman&home, we put a wide range of food processors to the test—from budget-friendly and compact models to high-capacity, feature-packed, borderline commercial models. Every review you read is completely independent, unsponsored, and based on my hands-on experience. I follow a rigorous testing process for every food processor, ensuring that all core functions are assessed in depth. If a model includes any extra features, I make sure to test them just as thoroughly, so you know if they're worth the extra stretch. 

This approach allows for direct comparisons between the top food processors on the market, helping you make the best choice for your kitchen. If you still have questions, feel free to reach out—I'm always happy to help!

If you're interested to find out more, you can visit our dedicated page for how we test food processors