Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor 9-Cup

Yes, for the right buyer. The Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor 9-Cup ranks #2 in our Best Food Processors Under $100 list. Its biggest strength: 1,000W motor rivals premium Cuisinart and Breville models at a fraction of the price. The main caveat: louder at full speed than mid-power competitors.

Based on our research it suits budgets under $100 and small kitchens. It's ranked #2 of 11 in our Best Food Processors Under $100 list.

The main trade-offs owners and reviewers point to: louder at full speed than mid-power competitors; auto-iQ programs limit manual pulse control for cooks who prefer to judge texture themselves; fewer discs included than the Breville or Cuisinart 14-cup.

9-cup work bowl with 1,000-watt motor, Auto-iQ preset programs for one-touch chop and puree, Includes reversible slicing/shredding disc and dough blade, Dishwasher-safe bowl, lid, blade, and disc and Compact footprint relative to its 9-cup capacity.

Worth comparing: Hamilton Beach 70725A 12-Cup Stack and Snap Food Processor, Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4-Cup Food Processor DLC-2ABCY and KitchenAid KFP0718OB 7-Cup Food Processor. Each ranks near it in our research for a slightly different buyer.

It's sold on Amazon. Prices and stock change often, so check the current listing before you buy, our link takes you straight to it.

For a small kitchen with limited counter and storage space: a 3 to 7-cup food processor handles 80% of small-kitchen tasks (chopping one onion, making a batch of hummus, pureeing a single cup of soup, mincing garlic or herbs). The Cuisinart DLC-2ABCY 4-cup Mini-Prep is the smallest practical option, it fits in a standard cabinet shelf alongside other small appliances and pulls out in 10 seconds. The KitchenAid KFP0718 7-cup is the largest compact model: 9 inches wide and 14 inches tall, storing under most standard upper cabinets. Full-size 11 to 14-cup processors (typically 10 inches wide and 16+ inches tall) are often too large for kitchens with standard 18-inch clearance under upper cabinets.

A mini food processor (3 to 5-cup) is worth buying as a primary kitchen appliance when: you cook for 1 to 2 people, your recipes rarely require processing more than 2 cups at a time, or your kitchen physically cannot accommodate a full-size model. Mini food processors are not adequate replacements for full-size when: you regularly make dips for more than 2 people (4-cup hummus fills one large bowl, not enough for a gathering), you shred or slice vegetables in quantity (mini discs are smaller and slower), or you make dough. For true space constraints: the Cuisinart Mini-Prep is the best mini available.