Let Me Introduce You To The Kenwood Food Processor
Since the launch of the classic Chef model of the Kenwood Food Processor in 1950, Kenwood have produced a full range of kitchen processors spanning the range from beginners to professional chefs.
Founded in 1936 by Ken Wood (Kenneth Maynard Wood) as Dickson & Wood, the company changed hands several times, including a 21-year stint under Thorn EMI. Currently, Kenwood is owned by DeLonghi of Italy. The food processors themselves are no longer made at their original base in Havant in England, but are now all manufactured in China and shipped worldwide.
vintage Chefette Kenwood Food Processor
Since the days of the vintage Kenwood Chefette, targeted at aspiring home cooks, Kenwood have expanded the spectrum of their products considerably, and now span the range from the white FP120 1.4 Litre Food Processor (broadly available for under £30) right up to the top-end Kenwood FP950 Multipro Libra food processor (closer to £300).
Every model has its place, depending on the skills, ambition and spending money of the cook.
Reviewing the Kenwood Food Processor
This video gives you a glimpse of the Kenwood Multipro Compact food processor – a typical mid-range food processor with:
- strong brushed metal body
- powerful 2 speed 750 watt motor
- pulse function
- compact design
- calibrated bowl
- fully interlocked for safety use
- with a 1.2 litre liquidiser
- fine and coarse shredding disk
- citrus juicer
- integrated cord storage
Conclusion: The Best Kenwood Food Processor
As in all things, personal taste will dictate what Kenwood food processor is the best one for you. Ultimately, there will be a model in Kenwood’s range to suit your personal budget and kitchen processing requirements, but we have boiled the choices down to the following picks:
Best Budget Kenwood Food Processor
We like the FP120 very much, not least because it is widely available for under £25. That’s a price-point even an impoverished student can afford, and compares well in feature-set and value-for-money with the top-end machines selling for ten to fifteen times the price.
Kenwood describe the FP120 as a Compact Food Processor for first-time users, which gives a hint of its diminutive size and footprint and aims for cooks with modest budget and minimal cooking preparation surface. It only has one speed, but still has the safety feature of full interlock, and the clever maxi blend canopy provides an 800g capacity for cakes. Not enough for a church fete, but big enough for a college pudding treat for your flat-mates.
Compact FP120 Budget-Range
The motor is a measly 400 Watts, but that’s enough at this entry level. Amazingly, Kenwood still manage to bundle in a steel chopping blade, slicer place, coarse shredder and a whisk tool. A wee spatula is the icing on the cake. If you have a dishwasher, the various attachments for the FP120 will go in there no bother.
So if I was back on a first-flat budget, this would be my choice for best budget Kenwood Food Processor.
Best Mid-range Kenwood Food Processor
The Multipro Compact fp250 wins my choice for the sheer breadth and quality of the accessories. While not as imposing as the top-of-the-range models, this suits both the pocket and kitchen unit space of the vast majority of kitchens. For most cooks, this is all the food processor they will ever need, with blender, liquidiser, coarse and fine shredder, basic juicer and two-speed motor with pulse operation. The integral cord storage is a nod to the fact that most owners in this bracket will have to store the processor in a cupboard due to lack of kitchen top area.
Multi Pro FP250 Mid-Range
Best Top-End Kenwood Food Processor
When budget is not a restriction and neither is footprint, you have to go straight to the Kenwood 980 Multi Pro Excel. Available for £250-£350, this processor has it all. A powerful 1200Watt motor housed in a lovely brushed die-cast aluminium body and a three bowl system make this an impactful good-looker intended for permanent display (and at ten kilograms, you do not want to be lifting it in and out of your top cupboard).
It does come with a storage box, but I expect owners of this premium processor to show it off as much as possible. It comes with a fat 1.5 litre liquidiser, glass multi-mill and a range of premium attachments. It does of course include shred and slice discs, fine julienne disc and a dough tool and a twin-geared whisk. There is variable pulse, and Kenwood even include a recipe book and a spatula. The presence of a built in weighing scale gives you an indication of the luxury level Kenwood intended this food processor to provide.
FP980 Multi Pro Top-Range
We found the cheapest price at Amazon here. Let us know if you can find cheaper. This truly is the finest Kenwood Food Processor money can buy.