Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor review

The Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor is an economically priced machine that makes for a good entry-level choice for anyone looking to buy their first food processor. It features a compact and lightweight design, and with just one power setting, it’s simple to use. On test, this food processor easily sliced carrots and mixed dough, so it offers good value and can help with many food preparation needs. 

The blade is a little tricky to remove, as you will read in our Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor review. However, it’s still one of the best food processors for its overall design and affordability. 

Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor review: Price and availability

The Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor is available at Walmart for $42.25. It’s offered in a black finish and is backed by a two-year limited warranty. 

Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor review: Design

The Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor features a modern, compact design, measuring 11.26 x 7.8 x 15.67 inches. Weighing just 5.3 pounds, it’s easy to pick up and pack away when not in use. It comes with suction cup feet designed to secure it to the counter, but in our tests, those suction cups didn’t adhere, even when moistened. As a result, this food processor moved slightly during some of our heavier tests, like mixing cookie dough. 

This machine features a simplistic design, which has its advantages. It’s full of rounded edges and curves, so it’s easy to wipe the base down. With just an On and Off/Pulse button, operation is easy, and while the manual does provide detailed instructions, the machine is intuitive to use. 

That simple design also has its downsides. Two barge buttons are easy to operate, but the machine has only one speed. It’s equipped with a 450-watt motor and handled most of our tests well, but aside from a pulse option, there’s no way to adjust the power when needed. 

The included accessories are basic and limited. The machine comes with a stainless steel chopping blade and a reversible slicing and shredding disc. There is no way to adjust the slice or grate thickness. The addition of a dough blade and multiple or adjustable thickness slicing blades would be helpful.

Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor review: Performance

This food processor performed decently during our testing, but some tests went better than others. It easily sliced both a potato and a carrot, but its small feed chute meant that we had to quarter the russet potato. The machine sliced the potato in 10 seconds, and it sliced the carrot in six seconds. The process was easy and the slice thickness was consistent. 

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Grating cheese went equally smoothly. The machine quickly grated a ⅓-pound block of cheddar cheese in just eight seconds. The cheese was grated consistently. 

While the machine doesn’t have a dough blade, the chopping blade mixed cookie dough well and thoroughly. The machine never strained, even when we added in the flour, and the dough fitted into the eight-cup bowl. 

We also tested the machine by chopping an onion. The process took seven seconds, and while the resulting pieces were mostly consistent, there were a few larger chunks remaining. 

This food processor struggled when we tested it by pureeing hummus. The process took significantly longer than other machines, and though we let the food processor run for eight minutes, the puree never truly became smooth. This is one instance where the option to increase the machine’s power would likely have been helpful. 

The machine reached 91.5 dBA, making it one of the louder food processors that we tested. The loudest machine, the Hamilton Beach Bowl Scraper 10 Cup, reached 93.9 dBA. The quietest, the Cuisinart 14 Cup Custom Food Processor, reached just 65.2 dBA. 

Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor review: Ease of use and cleaning

While other food processors may have more options, accessories, and controls, this machine’s simpler design made it easy to use. We could have used it without reading the directions, making it an appealing choice for anyone who is shopping for their first food processor. 

The machine’s rounded design and curves make it easy to clean. There aren’t any crevices or dirt traps, and it’s easy to remove the bowl from the base. The lid is also easy to attach and remove — it aligns naturally and requires minimal strength to lock on and loosen. All of the removable parts are dishwasher safe. 

We did discover that one design feature makes cleaning the bowl and blade difficult. The blade locks onto the spindle, and it’s difficult to remove. This was made even more difficult after we mixed cookie dough — there was no way to effectively grip and remove the blade. 

This design has a purpose; it helps to keep you from accidentally pulling off the blade when you’re using a spatula to empty the bowl. Unfortunately, it made it so difficult to remove the blade that we had to fill the bowl with hot water and partially wash it by hand before we were able to get enough grip to remove the blade. This poses a safety issue and added time onto the cleaning process. 

Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor review: Verdict

At less than $50, the Black + Decker 8 Cup Food Processor is economically priced. It lacks some of the functionality of other models, particularly in terms of the number of accessories and variable power settings, but that simple design also makes the machine easy to use. 

The food processor performed well in most of our tests, including slicing and mixing dough. It underperformed when pureeing hummus, but overall is still a well-rounded machine that can handle lighter food preparation tasks. 

While the locking feature of the blade does make for difficult removal, this food processor offers decent value for money. Compared to our winner, the Magimix Food Processor 14 Cup, this model from Black + Decker isn’t as versatile or as consistent in its performance, however it is about eight times cheaper, so you have to pay for the difference. 

If you’re looking for a food processor that includes more accessories, consider the Ninja Professional Food Processor, which includes a crinkle cut disc, grating disc, reversible slicing and shredding disc, chopping blade, dough blade, disc storage case, and a recipe booklet.