Cuisinart vs Ninja Food Processor (2022): Which Food Processor is For You?

A fully equipped kitchen has to have a wide variety of tools and appliances to complete your home cooking experience. After all, it’s the only way to ensure that the food you make comes out exactly as you want it. With that being said, though, the appliances you have don’t necessarily have to serve only a single purpose. The best example of this is the food processor.

Food processors are highly versatile tools that speed up your prep work, giving you more time to enjoy your food with your loved ones. From chopping herbs to making ground meat, you can do a lot with your food processor, but only if you choose the right one for your needs. Keep reading to see how the Ninja BN601 and the Cuisinart DFP-14BCWNY compare in terms of design and performance, as well as learn why food processors are so useful.

Cuisinart vs Ninja Food Processor Comparison Chart

Design

Both would not look out of place in a modern kitchen.

The Cuisinart model has a brushed stainless steel finish with white accents. At less than 8 inches wide and 14.8 inches tall, it’s lean enough to not take up a lot of space on your countertop while not sacrificing capacity. Its controls take simplicity to the extreme, as only two paddles are visible for the users: an on paddle and one that either turns the processor off or enables its pulsing action. Utility doesn’t suffer from this minimalist approach, though, since the Cuisinart can still chop, shred, puree, and do pretty much what is expected of a food processor.

On the other hand, the Ninja food processor looks a bit more conventional with its design. The dark silver hue makes it less of a hassle to clean than lighter colored models. While its competitor is already pretty space-efficient, the Ninja goes the opposite route with dimensions that come in at almost 10 inches wide and 15.6 inches tall. This might not be a deal breaker for most, but it’s something that you’ll have to take into account if you live in a particularly small condo unit or a dorm.

Performance

Though both are a huge help in the kitchen, the Ninja’s capacity is significantly smaller.

The Ninja is quite a versatile product, as it can handle anything from chopping up herbs to mixing dough. It can handle up to 9 cups worth of ingredients at a time, yielding consistent, uniform results regardless of what you’re preparing. The presets make it easy for you to prepare your ingredients without much fiddling with the controls, since there are four available right away (chop, puree, dough, and disc, for shredding). It’s also a powerful machine, since its professional-grade motor uses 1000 watts of power at its peak performance.

Despite its relatively smaller frame, the Cuisinart holds a huge advantage when it comes to capacity. It can handle up to 14 cups worth of ingredients. It’s also notable that pre-cutting isn’t required, since its extra-large feed tube can handle whole fruits and vegetable. It doesn’t have presets, thanks to the simplistic control design, but the 720 watt motor still does its job consistently enough that it doesn’t lag behind its competitors.

Features

Both come with a respectable array of accessories

The two models come with several blades and discs which perform different functions. For the Ninja, it has two blades and one disc. The slice and shred disc is used precisely for those actions. It’s a reversible disc that you can use to slice or shred vegetables, cheese, and other ingredients. The chopping blade provides consistent results that you can control with timed pulses and pauses, right down to the size that you need for your recipe. The dough blade is useful for any baked goods; it can handle mix-ins as well, with just a few pulses necessary.

The Cuisinart comes with similar features. It has a single blade that functions both as a chopper and a mixer. It also has two discs: a 4mm standard disc that’s used for slicing, as well as a slightly bigger medium shredding disc. Aside from that, it also comes with a free spatula, which you can use to retrieve your ingredients after processing. Both models come with recipe books you can draw inspiration from, ensuring that you make the most out of your purchase.

Warranty and Ease of Use

Cuisinart’s warranty policy covers a significantly longer period of time.

With the features exhibited above, both of these machines are easy to use and will be relatively forgiving even for new home cooks. However, your food processor will inevitably require some maintenance. That’s why you’ll also have to consider the warranty policies for the two choices. Ninja’s warranty is relatively standard: your purchase is covered for one year. They also have a 60-day money back guarantee regardless of reason (unless your unit is damaged).

In comparison, Cuisinart’s warranty policy is impressive. Your unit is covered for three whole years, during which you are guaranteed to have a product that is free of defects in materials and usability. Notably, Cuisinart also offers a separate warranty for the processor’s motor, which is covered for a longer time at 5 years.

Verdict

The Cuisinart model gives you more bang for your buck.

For those who are looking for a good, standard food processor, the Ninja BN601 is a good choice. It can handle a reasonable 9 cups worth of ingredients at a time, and its multiple presets make kitchen work a breeze. Its dedicated dough blade may also prove to be a huge help for any aspiring home bakers.

On the other hand, the Cuisinart DFP-14BCWNY stands out in terms of getting the most bang for your buck. Its 14 cup capacity is impressive, and you’re guaranteed to have a good, functional product for at least three years. A few other design features, like the extra-large feed tube, give it even more of an edge over its competitor. The only downside might be its simplistic controls, which have only two buttons.

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