KitchenAid 7-cup Food Processor: two-minute review

The KitchenAid 7 cup Food Processor (known as the KitchenAid Food Processor 1.7L in the UK) is compact, thoughtfully designed and has proven to be a great time saver when meal prepping.

Something to mention straight off the bat is that the UK and Australian models have a couple more accessories than the US model, which is reflected in the price. At the time of writing, the 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is on sale for $84.99 / £143.65 / AU$219, while the list price is $99.99 / £169 / AU$299. The US model KFP0718 is essentially the same as the UK and Australian KFP0719 models, with all models coming with a multipurpose stainless steel blade and a reversible slicing and shredding disc, but only the UK and Australian models coming with a thick-slice disc and a plastic dough blade. For this review, I tested the UK version of the KitchenAid Food Processor 1.7L.

Setting up the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor was straightforward. All of the accessories were neatly stored inside the work bowl, which is a convenient feature, saving you from cupboard-diving each time you want to process something. And the accessories fit into place with ease: there are markers on the top of the disc and the drive shaft to ensure you place it in the correct position for either processing or storing. 

The 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is available in a range of colors that will fit in with most kitchen decors. It doesn’t take up unnecessary space, measuring 9.7 x 7.7 x 15.4 inches / 245 x 195 x 390mm and weighing just 6.6lb / 3kg. The work bowl easily clicked into place every time thanks to its convenient twist-free design, and although I had the occasional issue putting enough pressure on the lid to get the latch to shut, the lift-out design of the hinge made it simple to remove. One downside with the design, however, is that the work bowl handle can only be positioned on the right-hand side, which could prove inconvenient for some users. 

Using the two feed tubes and pushers was easy, but the bigger feed tube still isn’t big enough for larger-diameter fruit and veg, so if you want large, neat circles of sliced cucumber, you may be out of luck. If you get into the habit of buying slimmer cucumbers though, you’ll probably be fine. 

There are two speed settings labeled 1 and 2 on the easy-to-press buttons, with one being low speed, and two being high. There is also a Pulse button. Speed one and two aren’t overly noisy, but the noise level was uncomfortably loud when using the Pulse function, especially when chopping almonds.

Everything but the base unit is top-rack dishwasher-safe, which proved to be a great time saver. These parts were easy to hand wash too, although removing pastry from tight areas proved difficult. At the end of the testing, I put the work bowl, lid, and accessories in the dishwasher. Everything came out fine, although the work bowl did show some water marks.

The performance of the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor was adequate. For my tests, I used it to slice or chop carrots, onion and cucumber, as well as whizzing bread into breadcrumbs, finely chopping almonds and combining the ingredients for pastry. It managed all these tasks quickly and with no trouble. 

However, the consistency of the processed foods wasn’t the best. There is only one grade of shredding, which seems to be somewhere between fine and medium. For example, the processed carrot looked somewhat unappealing; it certainly wouldn’t have fared well if subjected to a Rate My Plate jury. A fair amount of carrot also ended up inside the lid, which wasn’t ideal. When chopping the almonds the results were inconsistent, with pieces that ranged in size from large to dust. There were also occasions where ingredients such as breadcrumbs, almond dust, and pastry mixture migrated inside the fitment ring of the chopping blade, which proved tricky to remove when hand washing.

Overall, there are a few issues with the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor, like that smaller feed tube and the uneven shredding, which may mean it doesn't quite stand up against the best food processors on the market. However, if you want something that is compact for the capacity available, has convenient accessory storage, and has a no-twist design, then this is a food processor to consider. The consistency of the processed food may not be Instagramable, but it’s the taste that counts, right?

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor: price & availability

• List price: $99.99 / £169 / AU$299
• Often available for cheaper
• Currently available in the US, UK, and Australia

The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is currently on sale at $84.99 / £143.65 / AU$219, (usually $99.99 / £169 / AU$299). If you’re querying why the US model is cheaper than the UK and Australian models, it is because it comes with fewer accessories. I will elaborate further on the accessories in the Design and features section below. 

The 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor isn’t the cheapest. There are similar products on offer from our pick of the best food processors. These include the Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro FP8 food processor, which is slightly lower in price and comes with two reversible shredding and slicing discs, plus a small bowl add-on to use when the large work bowl feels excessive for the task. Or, you could spend just a little extra for more versatility with the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ, which is currently on sale for $179.99 / £169. The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor has some innovative design features and performed adequately during testing though, so it’s still worth considering.

The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is available now, on the US, UK, and Australian KitchenAid websites as well as various third party retailers.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor specs

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor: design & features

• Feed tube could be larger
• Fixed handle position
• Different accessories per region

Setting up the food processor was quick and easy. All the parts and accessories were stored inside the work bowl, so it was a simple case of removing them, before washing them along with the work bowl, lid, and food pushers. After this step was completed, I had to place the drive adapter on the drive pin in the center of the work bowl. Installing the different cutting accessories was also a straightforward process, which I was thankful for, as it avoided any unnecessary delays when I was working through lots of different types of food.

The food processor doesn’t take up a load of unnecessary worktop space, the cable length is adequate at 35 inch / 90 cm, and the work bowl easily attaches to the base (a useful design feature that I much prefer to the twist-to-secure designs that are often used with some other food processors). Additionally, the lid catch is easy to unclip, and once the lid is in an upright position, the hinge design means that you can easily lift it off. 

On replacing the lid, slotting it into the hinge side was no issue, although sometimes I needed to put a fair amount of pressure on the lid to get the latch to close again.

Due to the way the work bowl sits on the base, the handle placement is somewhat limiting, as it can only be on the right-hand side. This was frustrating enough for me, as I like to hold the handle in my left hand while using a utensil to get the ingredients out with my right – but it could really make this product less accessible for people who aren’t able to use their right hand.

KitchenAid is known for having some enticing color options. In the 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor’s case though, the color range is somewhat basic, with glossy-finished Onyx Black, and Empire Red available in the UK, US, and Australia, plus additional color variants including Contour Silver, Almond Cream, White, and Matte Black, depending on your region.

There is a 2-in-1 feed tube on the top of the work bowl lid, with a two-piece plastic food pusher. Together, they can be used to push in wider ingredients, or the inside section of the pusher can be removed to enable you to accurately feed in slimmer food items such as celery. Unfortunately, the bigger feed tube was not wide enough for a larger-diameter cucumber, so it needed to be cut down. Therefore if you want neat, round slices of cucumber this may not be the processor you’re looking for.

There are three operational buttons on the front of the 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor’s base: setting one (lower speed), setting two (higher speed), and a pulse mode. You don’t need to worry about getting tired fingers with the two speed settings, as you don’t need to hold the button down for the processor to operate. It takes one press to set them off, and a second press or a press on the O/Pulse button to stop the processing.

There are two design features that I found particularly useful. Firstly, the lid, work bowl, and accessories are all dishwasher-safe when washed on the top rack. 

I also hand-washed all of these components repeatedly in-between ingredients during testing. All parts were easy to clean and dry; however, I did find that small amounts of the ingredients would easily end up inside the fitment ring of the multipurpose blade, so I had to pay particular attention to this area. 

Secondly, the accessories can easily be stored inside the work bowl when the food processor isn’t in use, saving cupboard space and preventing you from wasting time trying to find the desired accessory.

The 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor doesn’t come with as many accessories as larger models such as the KitchenAid1319, but it is perfectly adequate for day-to-day food prep. Please note that some accessories are not included with the KFP0718 model, which is sold in the US. This model comes with a multipurpose stainless steel blade and a reversible slicing and shredding disc. The KFP0719 models, sold in the UK and Australia, include these accessories, along with a thick-slice disc and a plastic dough blade.

• Design & features score: 4.5 out of 5

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor: performance

• Shredded and chopped effortlessly
• Some waste carrot from shredding
• Consistency of processed food varied

The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor performed well during testing. I tested its ability to slice, chop, mix, and grate a variety of foods. I used the shredding side of the reversible slicing and shredding disc to grate some carrots, running it on speed setting two as per the user manual. While it managed the job in a matter of seconds, the result was finer than I would have liked – some other models, such as the KitchenAid 13 cup / 3.1L Food Processor, have dedicated grating discs with fine and coarse options that give a more desirable result. Due to how fine the shredding was, the results were a little on the wet side, and a lot of carrot shot into the lid during processing.

Next I used the slicing side of the reversible slicing and shredding disc to slice a cucumber on speed setting one. Because the diameter of the cucumber was too large even for the larger feed tube, I had to manually cut a slice off of the side of it to enable it to be fed into the processor. The machine sliced the cucumber quickly, with next-to-no remnants left on the disc or in the lid. The slices were fairly even, although some were slightly wedge-shaped, thicker at the rind, and thinner where the cucumber was sliced down to fit.

I used the multipurpose stainless steel blade to chop onions, almonds, and to make breadcrumbs from slightly stale wholemeal bread. The onions and almonds were chopped using speed setting one. The food processor had no issues chopping up a large onion that I’d cut into quarters: it quickly chopped it into fine pieces and while the pieces weren’t that even, none of them were overly large. When I pulsed the almonds for 10 seconds, the result was again pretty uneven, with larger pieces, smaller pieces, and a fair amount of almond dust. Upon removing the accessories, I found that some of this dust had made its way inside the plastic cutting blade ring. 

When making the breadcrumbs, I used speed setting two to blitz two slices of bread. In just 45 seconds the processor had turned them into fine breadcrumbs with an even consistency, and no bread was left under the blades.

I also used the multipurpose stainless steel blade, using the lowest speed setting to combine flour, margarine, and water for pastry. At first, the ingredients didn’t mix evenly – a layer of flour remained at the bottom and didn’t begin to mix in until water was added and the mixture started to form a proper dough. Apart from that detail, the processor combined the pastry ingredients easily, it didn’t rock about on the work surface, or overheat, both of which can happen with food processors that don’t have strong enough motors for pastry making.

While conducting the tests, I found that settings one and two were not overly loud; however, the pulse mode may make your ears ache if you need to use it for a long period of time. At no point during testing did I encounter issues with ingredients getting stuck under the blade or disc inside of the work bowl – I did however find that ingredients would end up on the inside of the fitment ring of the multipurpose stainless steel blade that sits on the drive adapter. This was particularly evident when chopping the almonds, and combining the pastry ingredients. There was a layer of pastry mixture coating the inside of the blade's plastic ring, which was tricky to clean out.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Should I buy the KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor review: also consider

How I tested the KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor

• I assessed the setup and performance
• I ran our usual series of chopping, grating, and combining tests
• I checked how easy it was to clean

I spent time getting the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor setup, read the instruction manual, and assessed the design and accessories.

To put the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor through its paces, I used the chopping blade and reversible slicing/shredding disc to shred carrot, slice cucumber, chop onion, and almonds. I also used it to process bread to make breadcrumbs and combine flour, margarine, and water to make pastry. These are the same tests we run for all food processors, making it easy to see how different models compare. 

I tested how easy it was to clean the processor parts by hand-washing, and using the dishwasher to establish how well you can clean the parts with either method.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: June 2024

Braun TriForce Power Blender: two-minute review

The Braun TriForce Power Blender (known as the Braun PowerBlend 9 in the UK and Australia) brings all the benefits of the best blenders with a few extras, such as a hot Soup mode and Chop function, thrown in. It's a highly customizable appliance, offering 18 preset blending options – six presets with three texture settings for each – plus 10 manual speeds, a Pulse feature and Clean mode. It comes with 2-liter triangular Tritan jug, a fixed blade and tamper.

The TriForce Power Blender is the flagship model in Braun's countertop jug blender range. Its unique triangular, 2-liter jug sets it apart from other blenders I’ve used. Not just in terms of design, but also because this shape makes sure food rarely gets stuck to the sides. Everything is pulled towards the blades and blended quickly – up to four times faster than rival models, according to Braun. 

It offers a wide range of intuitive presets – Smoothie, Soup, Chop, Ice Crush, Frozen Dessert, and Spread – making it super easy to not only make a selection of drinks, dips, butters, desserts at the touch of a button, but to get your ideal consistency time and again. During my tests, it produced an almost perfect smoothie in seconds, despite some tiny flecks of kale; its Spread setting is brilliant for making hummus because it cycles through blending and pulsing; and its Ice Crush feature worked as expected. The ice wasn't as powdery as on other blenders I've tried, but it wasn't far off. 

Elsewhere, you can easily set or change the consistency of anything you make by cycling through the different textures – Smooth, Medium and Coarse – and the manual speeds are varied enough to bring an extra level of precision. The hot soup function is also a pleasant surprise. It turned cubes of vegetables and stock into warm, tasty, comforting soup in less than six minutes. Minimal hassle, minimal mess. 

Speaking of mess, the TriForce Power Blender's Clean mode works really well, which is a welcome feature considering you can't remove the blades to clean underneath them. You can also put the jug safely in the dishwasher. 

Despite its wide array of features, the TriForce is surprisingly compact, fitting neatly under my cabinets and light enough to move around and store easily. It measures 16.9 x 7.9 x 7.9" / ‎43 x 20 x 20 cm (H x W x D) and weighs 10.1lbs / 4.6kg. The anti-slip feet and tidy cord storage are thoughtful touches that make it practical and safe for everyday use. 

This blender can get loud, especially at higher speeds, reaching as high as 105db. This is equivalent to having a car horn blasting in your kitchen, which can be uncomfortable at times. But since it blends so quickly, at least it’s a short-lived racket.

In sort, if you're looking for a high-performance blender that can do it all and a little more, and are happy to invest a bit more to get it, the Braun TriForce Power Blender is a great choice. It's a powerful, intuitive addition to your kitchen and while it's far from cheap, it is at least good value, specially if you can get it for one of the many discounts being offered regularly from third-party retailers. That's the short version – read on for my full Braun TriForce / PowerBlend review.

Braun TriForce Power Blender review: price & availability

• List price: $249.95 / £199.99 / AU$299
• Available in US, UK and Australia

There are three Braun countertop blenders – the $99.95 entry-level Braun PureMix Power Blender (JB7200), the standard $249.95 Braun TriForce Power Blender (JB9040BK) and the $299.95 TriForce Power Blender with Smoothie2Go accessory (JB9040BK). This accessory turns the jug blender into a personal blender for an extra $50. I reviewed the standard TriForce model. 

As 2-liter jug blenders go, the TriForce is one of the more expensive models on the market. Few countertop blenders exceed the $200 mark with the exception of those from high-end brands such as Vitamix and Smeg with the $649 Vitamix A3300 Ascent Series, or the $429.95 Smeg Professional Blender. The closest Braun rival, in terms of size and features is the Ninja HB150C/HB152 Foodi Heat-iQ Blender and this sells for $198. It's slightly smaller, but has more automated settings.  

In the US, you can buy the TriForce Power Blender from Braun directly, or via a number of third-party resellers including Walmart, Amazon and Target. At the time of writing, the TriForce Power Blender was being sold across these third-party sites for as much as $70 less than its RRP. In fact, only Braun was selling it for its full price. 

In the UK, and Australia, the appliance is known as the Braun PowerBlend 9 and you can buy it directly from Braun, as well as Amazon, Debenhams and AO in the UK. In Australia, you can buy it from Braun, Harvey Norman and Appliances Online. Again, few sites in the UK and Australia regularly sell the PowerBlend 9 for its RRP and some regularly sell it for ~£100/AU$150 less. 

The Braun TriForce Power Blender is a powerful appliance with a wide range of features that elevate it beyond a simple jug blender. From a hot soup function to a food processor-style chopping feature.  As a result, it has a price to match. There are cheaper blenders that perform well against the Braun, but there are also more expensive models that don't live up to its performance. So, while $249.95 seems a little high, it is decent value and you get some of the benefits of multiple appliances for the price of one. Plus, with a number of sites regularly dropping the price, you could get a really good deal. 

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Braun TriForce Power Blender specifications

Braun TriForce Power Blender review: design & features

• 1600w motor, 2 liter BPA-Free Tritan jug
• 10 manual blending speeds + 6 presets, 3 textures, Pulse and Clean
• Triangular jug with fixed blades

The first thing I noticed about the Braun TriForce Power Blender is its triangular, 2-liter jug. Most jug blenders have circular or boxy jugs yet Braun has deliberately designed its jug in a way that means food rarely gets stuck to the sides. This is because the sides bring the food closer to the blades, and thus it's constantly being pulled back towards the center due to the centrifugal force. Braun claims this guarantees "faster blended results in less time."  

The BPA-Free Tritan triangular jug then slides and locks into place on top of a rubber triangular base, while the jug's lid, complete with small, detachable cap, locks onto the base via two large clips on each side. 

Below the jug is a touchscreen display and rotating dial. Along the display are each of the preset buttons – Smoothie, Soup, Chop, Ice Crush, Frozen Dessert, and Spread – and while I appreciate how self-explanatory they all are, I don't love the use of lowercase font throughout. It's a very minor, almost ridiculous complaint, but it makes the machine look less professional than its price would suggest.

Below these buttons are the Manual and Pulse buttons above the Clean button, on the right-hand side, and the Start/Stop button that doubles up as the control dial in the center. This dial can be used to set the manual speed, when Manual mode is selected, or used to switch between the blender's three iTexture settings: Smooth, Medium or Coarse.  

This mix of presets and textures takes the total possible number of automated settings to 18. This extends to 29 settings when you add in the 10 manual speeds and the Pulse function. This is a very impressive number and could feel overwhelming. However, by making every button and setting easy to use and identify, Braun has avoided over-complicating things. This intuitive design even encouraged me to experiment with different settings without fear of breaking it or something going drastically wrong. 

Despite its 2-liter jug and panel of impressive controls, the blender is surprisingly compact measuring 16.9 x 7.9 x 7.9" / ‎43 x 20 x 20cm (H x W x D). It should fit easily under most kitchen cupboards, even with the jug attached, and will sit neatly in a corner. 

It's a lightweight blender too. The base and jug together weigh 10.1lb / 4.6 kg and this makes it easy to move around your countertop, or if you want to store it in a drawer or cupboard. It then has anti-slip feet on the bottom of the base, and a 3ft / 1m cord. Such is its compact and portable nature, the blender was one of the few appliances I was able to leave out on my limited countertops when my kitchen was being remodeled.  

The use of black plastic and rubber follows suit with the majority of blenders on the market and while this means it will blend into most aesthetics, it's hardly groundbreaking. The only element that gives the TriForce Power Blender a touch of flair is the green light used to illuminate the Start-Stop button and speed dial. That's not to say it's ugly; rather if you want something with striking looks, this blender may not be for you.

It's also a shame that the blades aren't removable but, thanks to the built-in cleaning mode and the fact the jug is dishwasher-safe, this is another minor flaw that's easily remedied. 

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Braun TriForce Power Blender review: performance

• Almost faultless results across various blending tests
• Blends quickly and effectively
• Presets perform better than manual settings

For my first test of the Braun TriForce Power Blender, I made a kale, blueberry and banana smoothie with almond milk. I add all of the ingredients to the jug, pressed the Smoothie button, selected the Smooth texture, and pushed the Start button. In as little as 20 seconds, the drink looked smooth and well blended but I let the Smoothie setting run to its default time of one minute before pouring the drink. 

The resulting drink was almost velvety in texture. I could see tiny flecks of kale and blueberry skin when I looked at the drink, but they were so small I couldn't taste them. If you choose the Medium texture, the total blending time is 44 seconds, and for Coarse it's 42 seconds. I was impressed by how quickly the blender achieved these results, and in my experience it lives up to the brand's claim that it creates food "60% finer and four times faster" than other models. 

Next, I made hummus. I usually have to use a manual setting when making hummus on most blenders I review because they rarely have an appropriate, dedicated setting. On the Braun TriForce Power Blender I used the Spread setting, which the instruction manual says is designed for hummus, pesto and nut butters, and the blender ran for 2 minutes and 20 seconds cycling through a pattern of blending and pulsing. 

The resulting hummus was the perfect consistency. It was smooth but thick, making it ideal for dipping vegetable sticks into, while also coating the inside of my mouth with flavor. What's more, I didn't once have to stop the blender to scrape the mixture from the edges, or press it down using the tamper. 

Finally, I used the blender to make crushed ice using the Ice Crush setting. This setting causes the blender to operate in short bursts for 25 seconds to crush the ice to a powder. It worked well, in terms of quickly and effectively blending the ice cubes, but the result was less powdery than other blenders I've used. It was closer to the consistency of a sorbet. There is a very subtle distinction between the two, but whereas other blenders have turned the cubes to light powder, the Braun's crushed ice was more wet so stuck together in clumps. You can easily use it to make frozen drinks but I felt the texture was slightly off.

In addition to the above tests, I also wanted to put the TriForce Power Blender's Soup function to the test. The brand claims you can turn room-temperature ingredients into hot soup in almost six minutes. I tested this by adding chunks of cooked butternut squash, garlic, onion, carrot and a liter of vegetable stock to the blender. I pressed the Soup button, pushed Start and the blender began by chopping the ingredients, before blending and slowly heating them for five minutes and 45 seconds. The result was a slightly coarse, warm soup that lacked some of the depth of soup made on a stove, but was still tasty and comforting. 

The only real downside to all of these pros is how loud the TriForce blender can be. On Speed 1 in Manual mode, it's relatively quiet, averaging 63dB.  It was easy to have a conversation with my partner or children while the blender was running at this speed. 

However, during my Smoothie and hummus tests, this sound jumped up to an average of 97db. This is equivalent to the sound of a motorcycle engine and feels uncomfortable in such a confined space like my kitchen. On Manual Mode, Speed 9, the average reading was 91db, and it jumped to an average of 105db when crushing the ice cubes. This is equivalent to a phone playing at full volume and just below the sound of a car horn. Any sounds over 85dB for extended periods can cause hearing problems. 

Thankfully, because the blender works so quickly and efficiently, these sounds run for less time than they do on other models so at least you don't have to be subjected to them for longer than necessary. 

Overall, the TriForce blender's performance is a little hit and miss but largely positive. I was worried, given its wide range of features, that it would be a Jack of all trades, master of none but this is far from the case. I also appreciate the different ways I can customise my drinks and food and this makes up for any of the blender's shortcomings in my opinion and experience. Mainly because if I want a different texture, or the presets don't work as I want, I have a range of ways to correct it and tweak it until they do. 

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Braun TriForce Power Blender?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

How I tested the Braun TriForce Power Blender

• I used it to blend drinks, food and ice
• I checked the noise level at different speeds
• I assessed how easy it was to clean

I used the Braun TriForce Power Blender in my own home for four weeks, making smoothies, sauces, hummus, soup and crushed ice. 

I assessed how simple it was to set the blender up, how easy and intuitive it is to navigate the different presets and textures, how well it performed different tasks, its noise levels and how easy it was to clean. 

I’ve been reviewing home and kitchen appliances for more than 15 years and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on when assessing how well a product such as a blender performs. 

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2024