When it comes to tasks like pureeing ingredients and grating produce, it’s hard to beat the convenience of a food processor. These kitchen appliances will help speed up prep work, but some models are quite large and bulky – not to mention expensive – which isn’t ideal if you only use them occasionally. If this sounds like you, the Oster 10-Cup Food Processor may be right up your alley. Despite having a large 10-cup capacity, this unit is lightweight, stores compactly, and won’t break the bank.
We wanted to see how the Oster 10-Cup Food Processor performed vs best food processors we tested so we used it in the kitchen for a few weeks. We’ve used the unit for a variety of prep tasks, from grating carrots to making hummus, and while it doesn’t have as many features as more expensive models, we think it’s a solid entry-level option for light jobs.
Oster 10 cup food processor with Easy-Touch technology specifications
(Image credit: Oster)
- power: 500W
- Capacity: 10 cups
- size: 8.58 x 10.24 x 16.46 inches
- Weight: 7.4 pounds
- Included: Stainless steel S-blade, reversible slicing/slicing disc and dough blade
Unpacking
(Image credit: Future)
The Oster 10-Cup Food Processor comes in a lightweight case, and the unit itself has a very manageable weight, making it easy to move around the kitchen or lift into your kitchen cabinets. Inside the package, the food processor was secured with two pieces of molded cardboard, but each component was further wrapped in a layer of plastic. Even the food pusher that was attached to the lid of the unit had its own plastic casing – definitely too much and not the most eco-friendly.
(Image credit: Future)
After removing the plastic from all the different parts, one of the first things I noticed was that the components weren’t the best quality. Although they are light, the base and bowl of the food processor are made of a fairly thin plastic, which makes them feel quite flimsy compared to a model like Breville sous chef 12. In addition to the standard S-shaped metal blade, this food processor also comes with a plastic dough blade and a reversible cutting/grating disc, and I was happy to find that all the pieces can be easily stacked in the work bowl for compact storage.
(Image credit: Future)
Making carrot cake
I was tasked with baking a carrot cake just a few days after receiving the Oster 10-cup food processor, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out the appliance. (No pun intended!) The recipe I was making called for two cups of shredded carrots, so I decided to have the appliance shred the produce using its shredding disc. It took me a few tries to get the work bowl right on the base, but overall it was quick and easy to set up with the chipping blade.
(Image credit: Future)
After attaching the blade, I turned on the food processor using its “Easy-Touch” buttons, which are slightly recessed to ensure you press in the right place. From there it was simply a matter of feeding the carrots into the chute and pulsating the blade to slice the produce. The machine made quick work of the carrots, shredding each one in just a few seconds. However, because there is a significant gap between the blade and the lid, the last few inches of each carrot will get stuck on the disc – a common problem with cheap food processors. This meant there was a small amount of carrot that I just couldn’t grate, and I ended up giving the pieces to my dogs as a treat.
(Image credit: Future)
While the food processor chopped the carrots quickly and evenly, I found myself wishing it had a double-sized chute like Nutribullet food processor. Because the Oster chute is so wide, small ingredients like carrots can be difficult to feed straight through. To solve this problem, many new food processors have a smaller feed tube in the center of the large one, which is ideal for these types of applications.
Preparation of strawberry sorbet
(Image credit: Future)
I tested this food processor at the height of strawberry season and had some leftover berries from the garden that I was hoping to use up, so I decided to make a strawberry sorbet. (It tastes so much better when the berries are fresh!) To make the recipe, I used the regular blade of the food processor and dumped half a pound of strawberries into the work bowl, along with a little lemon juice and plenty of headroom thanks to the capacity of the appliance of 10 cups.
(Image credit: Future)
When I put the lid on, I must not have locked it all the way, so when I started the food processor, the lid did open. When this happens, the machine shuts off automatically, which I think is a great safety feature. The unit will also not turn on until the lid is closed, preventing you from accidentally starting it up. Once the lid was properly secured, I processed the berries on the machine’s high setting. It took about a minute for the contents to become a smooth puree and it was easy to scrape the mixture out of the work bowl with a silicone spatula thanks to the smooth walls.
(Image credit: Future)
Preparation of hummus
The next recipe I made with the Oster food processor was a classic: hummus! The recipe calls for canned chickpeas (drained from liquid), tahini, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, which are added to the bowl of a food processor.
(Image credit: Future)
From there, it’s just a matter of working the mixture until it’s the desired consistency. I ran the food processor on low speed, then raised it to high speed for about a minute. The hummus still seemed a bit chunky so I added some of the reserved chickpea liquid and it was easy to pour into the bowl through the large chute.
(Image credit: Future)
Overall, the food processor did a good job creating smooth and tasty hummus. There were a few small pieces of chickpeas that were left in the hummus, but not enough to bother me.
Chopping nuts
(Image credit: Future)
I wanted to see how well the food processor would handle harder ingredients, so I used it to chop up a cup of pecans, which I like to put in my salads. Using the regular metal blade, I pulsed the nuts about 10 times, at which point most of them were sliced. The results were quite mixed – some of the nuts were pulverized while others were still whole – so I wouldn’t use the unit for this type of task again.
(Image credit: Future)
Cleaning
(Image credit: Future)
One of the best aspects of the Oster 10-Cup Food Processor (in my opinion, anyway) is that all of its moving components are dishwasher safe. The work bowl, lid, food pusher and blades can all fit into the top of your dishwasher, ensuring you don’t have to lift a finger to clean everything. The work bowl had a few water marks when it came out of the cycle, but it was easy to wipe them off with a kitchen towel.
I also like that this food processor doesn’t take up too much storage space when not in use. All the accessories can be neatly arranged inside the work bowl and everything is much more compact than other food processors I’ve tested such as Custom Cuisinart Core 10 Cup Food Processor.
Should you buy the Oster 10-Cup Food Processor with Easy-Touch Technology?
(Image credit: Future)
The Oster 10-Cup Food Processor retails for about $70, and overall I’d describe its performance as good, but not great. It does well with simple tasks like pureeing ingredients, but it’s definitely not the best for shredding or chopping. (If you’re looking for a food processor that will make chopping produce super easy and fast, I highly recommend it Breville sous chef 12.)
However, the gadget is inexpensive, easy to clean, and compact to store, so it’s a good choice for those who just need an affordable food processor for occasional, light use.
About this review and our reviewer
Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has been testing small kitchen appliances (as well as other home goods) for several years. She’s tested everything from toasters to butter infusers, and as an avid baker, she likes to try out any gadget that promises to make her creations tastier or easier to bake.
Camryn tests her products from her small farm in beautiful Rhode Island. When she’s not tinkering with the latest home gadgets, she spends her time tending to her animals, working in her garden or crafting.