Food prep with ease thanks to these handy appliances.

By Joe Morales | Published Sep 6, 2022 2:51 PM

There’s no denying that the best blenders and food processors can make food prep a breeze, but having separate kitchen appliances can take up space. That’s where combos come in. Imagine blending a sauce in your blender, then adding the food processor attachment and chopping up vegetables. This doesn’t mean that your blender can’t process food or that the food processor can’t blend food, because they can (to a point)—but they don’t always do it all as well as we want them to..We found some of the best blender-food processor combos that can handle everything, from chopping vegetables to mixing dough.

In some cases, you can purchase separate attachments to add to your existing blender or food processor. However, the combo systems we researched are complete packages.Read on for our top picks of the best blender-food processor combo systems.

Product dimensions: 15.28 x 9.76 x 19.84 | Wattage 1600

Why we chose it: This is the brand’s most powerful blender system and uses smartTORQUE technology so it never stalls. If you’re a serious smoothie connoisseur, then you’re going to love the XL smoothie bowl maker.

Touted as one of the most versatile and powerful kitchen systems Ninja offers, this handy machine is a kitchen workhorse. The food processing feature has an enhanced lid with a feed chute and blades for precision shredding, slicing, and grating. The crushing blender reaches up to 1600 watts of power, and the XL Smoothie Bowl Maker is designed for frozen ingredients so you can use less liquid in smoothie bowls. For extra-smooth drinks, the nutrient extraction cup is designed to break down fruits and vegetables.. All of this is controlled by the variable speed or one-touch programs such as the seven Auto-iQ preset functions for smoothies, spreads, doughs, and more.

Product dimensions: 7.25 x 8 x 15.25 | Wattage 1200

Why we chose it: We chose the Oster Pro because of its versatility, dual direction blade technology, and the ability to blend or prep food with a touch of a button.

This food processor-blender combo has dual direction blade technology that will put plenty of power behind its ice-crushing abilities—not to mention chopping and grinding, too. The system includes an eight-cup extra-wide blender jar and a five-cup food processor with slicing and shredding blades. The seven-speed and pre-programmed settings (including smoothies, shakes, and salsas) make it easy to operate and control.

Product dimensions: 9 x 11.5 x 11 | Wattage 240

Why we chose it: This all-in-one blender and food processor can do the job of several machines and take up less space; plus, it can go just about anywhere.

With the Breville Immersion Blender’s compact design, you can save space while making quick work of smaller jobs. The 240-watt stick blender includes a six-cup food processor bowl, mashing leg, S blade, blending leg, reversible shredding disk, whisk, and slicing disk. Choose between 15 speed settings and 18 different thickness settings, ranging from fine to coarse.

Product dimensions: 14.17 x 8.1 x 8.4 | Wattage 1400

Why we chose it: A smaller version of the  Ultimate System, this has enough power to crush through ice and food with ease.

The Ninja Foodi Power Blender and Processor system uses a 1400-watt motor (at peak power) that will blend, crush, mix, and process food with ease. The system includes a 72-ounce blender pitcher, dough blade, lid, smoothie bowl maker, nutrient extraction cup, and spout lid. There are six preset programs and a variable speed dial for speed and texture control.

Product dimensions: 11 x 8 x 17 | Wattage 1500

Why we chose it: Vitamix brands can be found in professional and home kitchens alike and remain consistent in durability and quality.

The Vitamix Ascent comes with a blender, food processor attachment, and stainless steel container. The shredding and slicing disks are reversible for large and small pieces.. The machine also includes 5=five program settings for smoothies, soups, dips, spreads, frozen desserts, or for self-cleaning. It’s hands-off, too, and will automatically adjust its time and speed depending on the attachment to stop when complete. The features also include a programmable timer with auto-shut off.

Product dimensions: 7.4 x 15.5 x 13.2 | Wattage 500

Why we chose it: The touch pad control makes blending, shredding, and slicing quick and easy.

Affordable, powerful, and dishwasher-safe, there’s a lot to love about the Cuisinart Smart Power Duet Blender and Food Processor. The appliance features a seven-speed touch pad, and comes with a three-cup food processor attachment, slicing and shredding disks, a chopping blade, and a large glass blender jar. It can be loud when running, and some report a burning smell that emits from the motor if running for too long. However, its sharp blades and powerful motor means it never takes too long to chop, slice, and blend your ingredients.

Product dimensions: 15 x 9.6 x 18.3 | Wattage 1500

Why we chose it: The Ninja Mega Kitchen System is large, versatile,  and can perform almost any task with ease.

If you’re cooking for a crowd, the Ninja Mega Kitchen System is your best bet. The 72-ounce blender jar is perfect for those high-volume jobs, and even comes with two 16-ounce single serving blender cups for drinks on the go. Additionally, the included 64-ounce bowl is perfect for large batch food processing. The system features three speed settings and four blade choices so you can customize blending and mixing. Plus, bakers will love the dough blade for mixing bread ingredients. The containers may discolor depending on the ingredients—sauces and salsas can leave a stain.

Usage is a big factor when choosing a system. The greater the wattage, the more powerful the motor, which is perfect for large jobs or mixing dough. Blending thicker ingredients will also require a higher power output. Handheld immersion blenders work well with 250 watts and small batch production requires about 250 to 750 watts. High-powered machines are anything over 1,000 watts and can typically handle tougher mixing and blending jobs.

Controls and features vary between machines, and choosing the proper system is key to the ingredients you will be using. Mixing dough requires a different speed than crushing ice or making a smoothie. Likewise, chopping and slicing will require different speeds than ice crushing.

The size of the system should have a solid and stable base to prevent movement while operating. The bowl capacity of a system will depend on your family size, intended quantities, and how many batches you need to make at one time.

Attachments make food prep easier and should come in different sizes for the various jobs they will perform. There are different blades for different functions such as chopping, slicing, pureeing, and crushing. Blades should be made from high-quality material, like stainless steel, for durability.

While each can be interchangeable with some food applications, a blender is tasked with blending, crushing, and pureéing wetter or liquid ingredients. A food processor can blend, crush, slice, and dice and works better with drier ingredients.

Yes! You can use a food processor or blender for a coarser grind than you would get using a coffee grinder. The longer you pulse or blend the beans, the finer the grind will be.However, you will still have a less uniform grind and the coffee beans will be unevenly sized.

Yes, you can use a food processor-blender combo to make smoothies. Most food processors can mix a smoothie with ease, but not as well as a blender can. Just swap the food processor attachment with the blender jar.

Purchasing and using a combo system is more economical than buying separate appliances and will free up precious countertop or cupboard real estate. Often, combo systems offer a wider range of features for added convenience and can be easy to clean and maintain.

In order to find the top rated blender-food processor combos, we researched several brands and products and compared various options. We began our research with 18 combo systems from top brands and lesser known brands, then ultimately narrowed options down to these top seven systems. We read reviews covering the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly in order to make an informed decision about our picks. We found that each system offered similar options so we focused our concerns on power, functionality, durability, and price. 

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