Verdict
Head-to-head · Best Food Processors Under $200

Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor vs Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 12-Cup Food Processor

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.0 vs 3.3). Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor is best for: small-kitchen cooks who want a compact, affordable Cuisinart for light-to-moderate everyday prep. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor
Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Food Processors Under $200
Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor
1 source$128.57as of Oct 24

The Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental is the compact pick: an 8-cup, ~$127 processor that Tom's Guide calls a strong value and Consumer Reports rates very good for chopping. The small footprint suits tight kitchens. Its 350W motor is the weakest in this lineup, though Tom's Guide found it never felt underpowered. For light-to-moderate daily prep in limited space, it is a sensible, affordable Cuisinart.

Strengths
  • — Tom's Guide praises strong value — "performed well in most of our tests"
  • — Consumer Reports rates chopping of almonds and onions very good
  • — Compact 8-cup footprint fits small kitchens and cabinets
Watch-outs
  • — 8-cup capacity limits batch size
Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 12-Cup Food Processor
Ranked #5 in Best Food Processors Under $200
Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 12-Cup Food Processor
2 sources$70as of Oct 24

The Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap is the large-capacity budget pick: a 12-cup processor with foolproof stack-and-snap assembly for around $70. TechGearLab found it did "exceptionally well at mixing, slicing, and shredding," which earned it an award, though it was "lackluster" at chopping and pureeing. Add a sealed pour-spout bowl and a Big Mouth feed tube and you have the easy-assembly, big-bowl value choice.

Strengths
  • — No-lock-and-twist assembly — bowl stacks and snaps on without aligning tabs
  • — TechGearLab found it "exceptionally" good at mixing, slicing, and shredding
  • — Big Mouth feed tube reduces pre-cutting of produce
Watch-outs
  • — Lackluster at chopping and pureeing — "couldn't carry its performance into our carrot-chopping challenge"

How they stack up

Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor

The compact pick: its 8-cup bowl and 350W motor compare with 9 cups and 1000 peak watts on the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor, and it has no presets where the Ninja has four. It holds less than the Hamilton Beach 70730 10-Cup Food Processor and Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 12-Cup Food Processor and costs far more than either. Its motor warranty runs three years against the Ninja's one.

Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 12-Cup Food Processor

The big-bowl easy-assembly pick: its 12-cup bowl is the largest on this page, and it slices and shreds better than the Hamilton Beach 70730 10-Cup Food Processor, which in turn chops and purees better. Its 500W motor is half the 1000 peak watts of the Ninja BN601 Professional Plus Food Processor, but it costs far less and holds more than the 8-cup Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor.

Specs side-by-side

SpecCuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food ProcessorHamilton Beach Stack & Snap 12-Cup Food Processor
Power350W500W
Capacity8-cup12-cup sealed bowl
Speed ControlOn / Off / Pulse (3-speed)—
BladesChopping/mixing, slicing, shredding discsS-blade, reversible slice/shred disc
Feed TubeWide chuteBig Mouth wide chute
Container MaterialBPA-free, dishwasher-safe—
Warranty3-year motor / 18-month limitedLimited
FootprintCompact—
Dimensions7.6"D x 9.58"W x 15.19"H8.5"D x 9.1"W x 16.1"H
Wattage350500 watts
Assembly—Stack & Snap (no lock-and-twist)
Speeds—2-speed + Pulse
Dishwasher Safe—Bowl, lid, blades
← See the full ranking of best food processors under $200