The Best Food Processor For Hummus In 2024

You don’t need an immensely powerful food processor to make high quality, home made hummus.

With that said, it does pay to pick one up that can not only chew through those chickpeas, but also tackle all the other common food processing tasks.

In this article, I’ve shortlisted five small-scale food processors that are perfect for the job.

I’ve started off with a quick summary of my top picks for those of you in a rush, followed by more in-depth reviews of each appliance.

I’ve also included a buying guide to help you with your own research, and answered some of the most common questions people have about making hummus at home.

(If you want to explore more of my blending and food processing guides, have a look through the archive I’ve put together.)

The Best Food Processor For Hummus – The Shortlist:

Here’s a quick overview of the food processors I’ll be reviewing in this guide:

• BEST OVERALL: Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor
• BEST VALUE: Hamilton Beach 10 Cup Food Processor
• Oster FPSTFP1355 2 Speed 10 Cup
• Black & Decker 8-Cup Food Processor
• Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor

Summary

If you’re in a hurry and need a quick recommendation, I wanted to highlight two food processors in particular.

Both are perfect for blitzing your own hummus at home, but one offers more functionality if you’re short on kitchen countertop space.

Best Multi-Purpose – Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

“If you want an all-round food processor that tackles plenty of other tasks (not just hummus), then take a look at the Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY. It makes really good hummus, but offers more versatility at a very attractive price point.”

Comparison Specs

• Dimensions: 11.0 x 7.9 x 14.8 inches
• Motor Power: 750 Watts
• Capacity: 14 Cups
• Controls: On & Off / Pulse
• Warranty: 3 Years / 5 Years Motor

Best Value – Hamilton Beach 10 Cup Food Processor

“If all you want to do is make hummus and other small-batch stuff, I highly recommend the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup. This is the best of the small-scale food processors I reviewed, and offers great performance without breaking the bank.”

• Dimensions: 10.25 x 8.43 x 15.47 inches
• Motor Power: 450 Watts
• Capacity: 10 Cups
• Controls: 2 Speeds / Pulse
• Warranty: 1 Year

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Reviews

That’s a very quick summary of the best appliances I reviewed for this guide.

In the next section you’ll find a deeper dive on both these machines, as well as the others I shortlisted for the review process.

Hamilton Beach 10 Cup Food Processor

Hamilton Beach has made a great name for itself by delivering high quality kitchenware at very reasonable prices.

Its 10 Cup food processor and vegetable chopper carries on with that tradition. It’s a dependable little device with decent capacity, that won’t break the bank.

That 10 cup size is at the upper end of container sizes too, which is about the right size for a typical household.

Although it’s a very compact appliance, it has a motor power rating of 450 Watts. That’s good enough for blitzing chickpeas down into hummus, as well as tackling any other vegetable prep you have on your list.

To make life a little easier, the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup also has quite a large feeding tube.

I like to cut down on chopping time as much as possible while I’m juggling the rest of the meal planning, and you can feed many vegetables into this thing entirely whole.

You need different tools for different jobs, of course, and so the Hamilton Beach comes with two different chopping blade attachments.

The first is a reversible stainless steel disk which is designed for slicing and roughly shredding vegetables.

The second is a pretty standard stainless steel S-blade which is used for food processing tasks like making hummus.

In terms of build quality though, the Hamilton Beach isn’t the sturdiest food processor in the world.

It is well built considering the price tag though, and represents a good balance between quality and affordability.

It’s not a particularly heavy machine though.

That’s good for moving it in and out of storage, but lighter food processors can struggle to stay in position on the countertop when they’re operating at very high speeds.

To help with stability, the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup has a set of suction feet on the bottom of the base.

Push it down onto a clean countertop surface and these suckers do a good job of stopping the machine from rattling around.

It’s very simple to operate as well. You use a small dial on the front of the base to select from a low or a high speed. There’s also a pulse function for when you want to achieve a consistency that’s just-so.

Overall I really liked the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup.

If you’re only going to be working with small batch food processing (such as hummus and basic food prep), it strikes the best balance between budget, versatility and capacity.

If, on the other hand, you need a bigger food processor, read on to the next review.

Pros

• Wide feeding chute minimizes pre-blend prep time.
• Suction feet helps to keep this food processor stable on the countertop.
• Basic controls that nevertheless get the job done.
• The best mini food processor on a budget, with a lot of versatility.

Cons

• Relatively weak motor power.
• Can cause spillages if it’s overfilled.
• Small s-shaped blade means you’ll have to do some scraping mid-blitz.
• A relatively noisy mini food processor.
• Somewhat fiddly to clean if you need to do some manual washing.

Comparison Specs

• Dimensions: 10.25 x 8.43 x 15.47 inches
• Motor Power: 450 Watts
• Capacity: 10 Cups
• Controls: 2 Speeds / Pulse
• Warranty: 1 Year

Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14 Cup Food Processor

As much as I love the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup, I don’t think it’s quite big enough to qualify as an all-purpose food processor.

You won’t be making just hummus with your food processor, after all, and so it’s worth taking a look at something like the Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor instead.

Like the Hamilton Beach it has an extra large feed chute, which means you have to spend less time rough chopping your veggies before adding them to the food processing bowl.

Unlike the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup, you get a significantly improved motor if you choose to invest in the Cuisinart instead.

At 720 Watts it’s more than up to the task of demolishing chickpeas for your hummus, but it won’t throw its hands up in surrender at tougher stuff either.

If you think you’re likely to work with tougher ingredients, in larger volumes, then I highly recommend stretching your budget to this Cuisinart food processor.

Like the Hamilton Beach food processor, the Cuisinart comes with a selection of different blade units.

The standard S-blade unit is ideal for making soft purees, nut butter and hummus, while a shredding disc and a slicing disc take care of your other prep tasks.

Along with the motor and blade options though, the biggest advantage of choosing the Cuisinart is its container size.

It doesn’t impact on the overall footprint of the food processor all that much, but a 14 cup size lets you prepare much bigger volumes at a time.

Even if you only plan to make bigger batches occasionally, it can be really annoying to have to repeat the same prep job two – or more – times.

I’d much rather have something a little bigger for the occasions when I need it, even if that means spending a little more money upfront.

I’d like to see more advanced controls for that money though. This food processor is either on at a fixed speed, or off. There is at least a pulse button for more refined texture work.

Overall though I think this is a very versatile machine from a supremely trusted kitchenware brand.

Pros

• 14 cup capacity is great for when you’re working in larger volumes.
• Includes all the cutting disks you need for chopping and slicing too.
• 720 Watt motor is the most powerful option from the food processors I’ve shortlisted.
• A smart design that doesn’t have the “cheap” look of other appliances.

Cons

• Very simple power options, although a pulse button is included.
• Plastic bowl builds up quite a lot of scratches over time.
• Quite a short feed chute and the lid must lock to operate. Requires some prep work for longer items.
• Surprisingly tricky to assemble on your first use.

Comparison Specs

• Dimensions: 11.0 x 7.9 x 14.8 inches
• Motor Power: 750 Watts
• Capacity: 14 Cups
• Controls: On & Off / Pulse
• Warranty: 3 Years / 5 Years Motor

Oster FPSTFP1355 2 Speed 10 Cup Food Processor

Oster’s 2 Speed 10 Cup food processor provides a decent mid-point between the other two machines.

For a start, there’s the size. The 10 Cup container means you’ve got a little more room to play with when it comes to tackling larger batches of food.

Second, the motor. At 500 Watts it’s fractionally more powerful than the Hamilton Beach food processor I’ve already reviewed.

That extra 50 Watts might not sound like much, but the lower you are down the power scale, the more benefit you receive from having just a little extra juice under the hood.

Although the feed chute is described as wide, you’ll need to do a little prep work on your veggies. You can fit something the size of around half an onion through it though.

If you’re a fan of making home-made pizzas, I think you’ll like the addition of a dedicated dough blade.

As satisfying as it can be to thump your own dough into shape, there are always times when you’d like a machine to do the heavy lifting for you!

As for chopping, slicing and dicing, the Oster has no trouble taking on the most common vegetable prep jobs.

Hummus is also easy enough, and that motor’s just about up to the job of turning your chickpeas into a nicely textured paste.

Controls? This is where the Oster arguably outperforms some of the other options in this round-up.

There are two speed settings to choose from, giving you some degree of control over the final consistency. There is also a pulse button for when you want to add the final touch.

Finally, Oster’s put a little bit of extra thought into the design of its 10 cup food processor. All of the food processor blades and accessories tuck away neatly in the bowl.

If you’re short on kitchen space, that may well give the Oster the edge in your eyes.

Pros

• Lots of locking features make this great for the safety-conscious.
• A pretty decently wide feed chute reduces prep time.
• Lost of big chunky buttons for a variety of operating modes.
• All the accessories store away inside the 10 cup bowl neatly for next time.

Cons

• Food gets easily stuck in the ridge located in the lid.
• Quite a tall mini food processor – check the measurements carefully!
• Moves around a lot on the countertop if you don’t hold it down.
• A lot of clean up work after you’ve been making doughs in particular.
• Comes with an unusually short power cord which might make positioning tricky.

Comparison Specs

• Dimensions: 8.7 x 9.4 x 16.4 inches
• Motor Power: 500 Watts
• Capacity: 10 Cups
• Controls: Slice & Shred / Mix & Knead / Chop & Pulse / Off
• Warranty: 1 Year

Black & Decker 8-Cup Food Processor

Although it’s got its fans, I’m not sure the Black & Decker does a good enough job as a food processor for hummus.

Although it’s the least expensive of the appliances I reviewed, it’s also got the most limitations.

The capacity maxes out at 8 cups, for example, while the motor sits at the lower end of the power scale at 450 Watts.

It’s not bad per se, it just struggles to punch hard against the competition, who have inched ahead on some of the most important elements.

If you’re operating on a very strict budget though, you might still want to consider it. With that in mind, let’s look at what this machine does right.

Like the other food processors I’ve reviewed, the Black & Decker comes with a standard S-shaped stainless steel blade unit, as well as a cutting disk that has a reversible side.

Turn it one way and it will slice veggies, while you can flip it over for tasks like grating cheese. It provides a decent amount of versatility for the price you’re paying, in other words.

The feeding chute is average-sized, but comes with a handy little food pusher. This actually speeds things up quite a lot, as you can keep the machine running while you continually feed ingredients in.

Like many of the other appliances I’ve reviewed, the controls on the Black & Decker are very simple. A button press activates the motor, while the off switch also serves as a pulse button when held down.

There are also locking safety mechanisms which prevent the Black & Decker from operating until everything’s in its place. Everything apart from the base is dishwasher safe as well, making clean up quite easy.

This is about as primitive as things get, whether you’re buying a food processor for hummus or other tasks.

It’ll just about get the job done, and at a very low price. Still, I think there are better options that don’t require much more investment.

Pros

• The most affordable food processor for hummus from my shortlist.
• Food pusher makes it easy to keep feeding ingredients into the bowl.
• Reversible cutting blade makes attachment storage simpler.
• Locking mechanisms make this an interesting choice for the safety conscious.
• All removeable components are dishwasher safe.

Cons

• A small capacity at 8 cups. Only really suitable for making very small batches of hummus.
• 450 Watt motor is at the lower end of the power scale.
• A light unit that moves around on the countertop unless held down.
• Filling the work bowl more than halfway can create spillages.

Comparison Specs

• Dimensions: 11.26 x 7.8 x 15.67 inches
• Motor Power: 450 Watts
• Capacity: 8 Cups
• Controls: On & Off / Pulse
• Warranty: 2 Years

Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor

The final food processor I want to review for this guide is Cuisinart’s Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor.

It’s picked up a lot of accolades over the years, but there are two things you need to be aware of with this machine.

First of all, it only has a 250 Watt motor. For things like shredding and cutting vegetables that’s not too bad, but it does mean you’re going to be very limited when it comes to working with tougher stuff.

It’s also the smallest option I’ve reviewed, with a 3 cup work bowl. Now, technically you could make a very small bowl of hummus or food prep with this, but this really is only designed for preparing the smallest batches of food.

Really it’s designed to be a small-scale chopper, rather than a blender device. In that sense it does its job very well, taking care of some of the more fiddly preparation tasks.

Being this small obviously has its own advantages too. If you very rarely blend this sort of stuff it’s quite convenient to be able to tuck a tiny machine away somewhere in your kitchen!

It’s also one of the most colorful options I shortlisted, and is available in the following colors:

• Brushed Chrome And Nickel
• Buttercup
• Metallic Red
• Pink
• White

Not all of those options may be available at any given time, but it’s nice to have a few options to play with, even for a minor kitchen machine like this.

In summary, what it does it does well. It can’t really compete against the other food processors I’ve reviewed in this round-up. Not when it comes to making hummus at home anyway.

If you need something bigger, the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup is a better choice overall. If you need more versatility than that, you’ll be better served by the other Cuisinart food processor.

Pros

• A handy little kitchen tool if you need to work on small scale food prep.
• Easy to clean, and removable parts are dishwasher safe.
• Simple chop / grind controls for different tasks.
• A compact, time-saving kitchen machine.
• Many happy owners find this an indispensable little machine.

Cons

• More of a chopper than a blender. There are better devices if you want to make hummus at home.
• Extremely small 3 cup bowl limits the batch sizes you can work with.
• A comparatively weak motor at 250 Watts.
• Can struggle with very tough vegetables, including carrots.
• Overheats quickly if you put it through too much punishment!

Comparison Specs

• Dimensions: 9.25 x 7.0 x 5.0 inches
• Motor Power: 250 Watts
• Capacity: 3 Cups
• Controls: Chop / Grind
• Warranty: 18 months

Verdict

If you want to carry on with your own research, you’ll find a buying guide in the next section.

What do I think is the best food processor for hummus though?

There’s a pretty clear cut winner here, with a great runner up if you need to trim your kitchen costs.

The Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY requires a little more up front investment, but offers the most versatility, performance and the best bowl size:

If you’re working to a budget though, I think the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup is an excellent alternative that won’t break the bank:

What I Look For In A Food Processor

Chances are you’ll be making more than just hummus with your new food processor!

With that in mind, I wanted to outline some of the key things I consider when reviewing this sort of appliance.

The Motor Power Rating

Although there are plenty of ingredients that don’t need a particularly high power rating, the one’s that do need a tougher workout can be a real pain to process.

Hummus is one of those foods where you’ll likely be adding some harder stuff to your food processor bowl. For that reason, I recommend buying a food processor with the most powerful motor your budget can accommodate.

Don’t forget about the blades though.

The motor is only ever as good as the blade system it drives. If you have poor quality blades, they just won’t work efficiently. Stainless steel blades provide the best results in terms of both performance and durability.

Manufacturers know that these are key buying considerations when it comes to food processors. If the quality of these components isn’t front and center of the product listing, you might want to keep looking.

How’s The Build Quality & Durability?

There are two things to think about here: how long the machine will last, and how sturdy it is in use.

Having to upgrade earlier than you’d planned is a blight on your budget, and the environment too.

The most popular brands have earned their reputations by delivering hard-wearing appliances, so it often pays to stick to the big names.

In terms of sturdiness, a heavier base is typically a better base. A food processor can be subjected to a lot of pressure at high speeds, and you don’t want something so light that it moves around on the kitchen counter top.

Some food processors are promoted as having a purposefully weighted base. This is well worth looking out for, as it will ensure the appliance remains rigid on the countertop.

Check The Size & Weight Carefully

I don’t have the biggest kitchen in the world, and so I have to think quite carefully about where I’ll place a new piece of kitchenware.

When you’re making hummus it’s not such a big problem. You’ll typically make this stuff in quite small batches, after all, using a smaller processing bowl.

With that said, you’re likely to be using your shiny new appliance for other mixing tasks too!

Make sure you measure up carefully when shortlisting your choices, and give yourself plenty of room around the top and sides so you can operate it safely and conveniently.

As well as the size of your food processor, don’t forget about the weight of it either.

This is especially important if you’re really limited on countertop space, and plan to put either the base or the bowl – or both – into storage between uses.

Note that a lighter food processor is typically a less stable one at high speeds. It’s a bit of a balancing act really, but one worth being aware of when you’re shopping around.

How Big Should The Bowl Be?

Following on from the last point, how big should a mixing bowl for hummus be?

Unsurprisingly, it depends on the size of your household.

If you’re just making hummus for one or two people, then the smallest bowl on the market will be more than enough.

If you have a family of hungry hummus hounds though, look for a minimum 10 cup bowl capacity – higher if the option is available.

Make Sure It’s Easy To Clean

As much as I love making hummus, there’s no getting away from the fact it makes a big sticky mess to clean up. In fact it’s probably the clean-up job I hate the most in my kitchen.

The good news is that most food processor bowls – and blade units – are dishwasher safe.

That won’t always get your bowl in pristine condition after you’ve whipped up a batch of hummus, but it’ll make any manual cleaning afterwards much easier.

The vast majority of big brand food processors have dishwasher safe bowls. As always, check the listing – this kind of convenience is usually prominently displayed.

Simple, Intuitive Controls

I like a food processor to have a high and low control speed at the very least, along with a pulse button. That makes it easy to tweak the speed at earlier or later stages of the mix, so you can get just the right consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Just to wrap things up I thought it would be useful to answer some of the most common questions people have about making hummus at home.

Where Did Hummus Originate From?

Hummus has been enjoyed for centuries. For that reason it can be hard to pin down its precise origin.

We do know broadly that the dish was first enjoyed in the Middle East though.

According to Wikipedia, the earliest known recipes for something like hummus have been found in 13th century cookbooks, produced in Cairo.

What Is Hummus Made Of?

You can add all sorts of ingredients to make your own signature hummus. The most common ingredients found across all recipes are:

• Chickpeas
• Tahini
• Lemon Juice
• Garlic

Mashed – or pureed – chickpeas, along with tahini, are the common ingredient that gives hummus it’s unique flavor and texture.

You don’t necessarily need the other two that I’ve listed. They’re so commonly used though, that they’ve become a pretty important part of what we all know as “typical” hummus.

Can Hummus Be Frozen?

You certainly can freeze hummus, just as you would many other processed foods, but it’s important that you do it the right way.

Grab an airtight, freezer-safe container, and leave enough room for the hummus to expand in the container once you’ve put it on ice.

You might also consider storing it in a collection of smaller air-tight containers. We all tend to eat our hummus in smaller servings, and it’s a lot easier to thaw out if you’ve portioned it out into small batches.

In terms of thawing, take it out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator 24 hours before you want to consume it.

You may notice a little bit of liquid build-up on the surface, but that’s perfectly normal. Just give your hummus a good mix before eating it.

The only final point I’ll make here is the flavor.

Frozen hummus can taste a little bland after it’s been on ice for a while. It’s worth adding a little more of your spicier flavors to the hummus if you know it’s heading for the deep freeze.

How Long Can You Store Hummus In The Fridge?

If you’re buying store-bought hummus, I can only recommend keeping it until the use-by date.

If you’ve made your hummus at home, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.

The quality of the hummus will be noticeably improved later on in the week if you’ve chilled it inside a suitable airtight container.

Can Hummus Be Left Out Overnight?

No. Like many foods, hummus is not suitable for leaving out on the countertop overnight.

You should aim to refrigerate your remaining hummus within four hours of leaving it out. Any longer than that and you run the risk of it spoiling.

At the very least, it won’t have a very nice mouthfeel if you leave it out any longer than this!