Best Food Processor for Nut Butter – Ultimate Buying Guide
Finding the best food processor for nut butter is no small task, which is why we’ve much easier with this user-friendly buying guide. Is it just us, or did the nut butter section at the market seem to double overnight? Anyone with a nut butter habit can tell you, while this is convenient, it can get pretty expensive. Making nut butter at home is a budget-friendly alternative, and a good way to control ingredients. That said, making nut butter in a food processor can take a little patience, and, unfortunately, some machines aren’t up to the job. So what should you look for when shopping for the best food processors for nut butter?
First, consider that it can take up to 15 minutes to grind nut butter at home, depending on the nut variety, how often (if at all) you need to stop and scrape the sides of the work bowl, and what kind of texture you want. Look for a machine that can run continuously without overheating, generally anything over 350 watts. Check reviews if you’re unsure, and note that some brands caution against making recipes like nut butter because they’re too taxing on the motor.
Next, consider the capacity of the work bowl. Though it might be tempting to make small batches, compact food processors usually don’t have enough power. You’re better off getting a food processor with at least an 8-cup capacity.
Finally, the best food processors for nut butter should be versatile and able to make a range of other recipes. Read on for the three models we recommend.
Best Food Processor for Nut Butter – Quick List
Best Food Processor for Nut Butter – Reviews
1. Hamilton Beach B008J8MJIQ
This 450-watt model from Hamilton Beach is the top pick, namely, because it solves one of the biggest pain points of using a food processor. To use nut butter as an example, crushed nuts tend to form a dry ring around the outer walls of the work bowl before the natural oils are released. Normally, you’d have to stop the machine, remove the lid and scrape down the sides to incorporate the ingredients before continuing.
But Hamilton Beach designed a genius bowl scraper attachment that lets you scrape the sides of the work bowl while the machine is running. If you want to customize your nut butter with flavorings like extracts or spices, you can simply add them through the feed chute. The 10-cup capacity fits a large quantity of nuts, which is helpful if you want to make large batches. In addition to standard chopping and blending functions, this food processor comes with slicing and shredding attachments for making a wide range of recipes. The best part? It’s also the most affordable food processor featured here.
Customer review: “After several frustrating attempts to make almond butter, my brother bought this food processor for me. It’s great for making cauliflower rice (using the grating blade) and mashed cauliflower (with the chopping blade). But my favorite thing about it is how quickly it makes almond butter. I soaked the nuts, then dehydrated them to get rid of some of the phytic acid. Then I roasted the nuts for 10 minutes, then started processing them with the chopping blade. Within ten minutes, I had almond butter. And the maple-cinnamon pecan butter was even quicker.”
2. Cuisinart B00MVWGFKO
With a slightly smaller capacity and motor than the best pick, this 8-cup food processor from Kitchen Aid has a sturdy bottom and wide S-blade for powering through nuts. If you’re someone who likes to experiment with different nut varieties and flavorings, it’s nice to have the option of making slightly smaller batches that will stay fresh until you’re finished enjoying them. The high, low, and pulse buttons on the rubberized touch pad allow you to manipulate the contents in the work bowl, but if you do need to remove the lid to scrape down ingredients, Kitchen Aid’s lid easily interlocks with the bowl and handle at the front of the machine.
The slightly smaller 350-watt motor is still able to handle heavy and long-processing recipes like nut butter, and a full suite of accessories, including reversible slicing and shredding discs, make it an indispensable kitchen tool.
Customer review: “I got this [primarily] but not exclusively to make almond nut butter. So many processors don’t recommend or can’t make almond butter. I’m here to say this makes perfect almond butter with a breeze. No ifs, ands or buts about it. It was quick and easy. So much better than my top of the line vitamix! Plus it was a dream to clean. So if anyone is looking to find a good appliance to make almond butter get this one. I now one two..one for each of my two homes!”
3. Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY
If you go through a lot of nut butter, or feel inspired to gift any of your creations to friends or family, this food processor from Cuisinart is one of the best options available. Touting a powerful 720-watt motor and a large, 14-cup work bowl, you’ll be able to make a lot at once without worrying about the motor overheating or stopping.
The straight sides of the Cuisinart work bowl are especially easy to scrape down if any ingredients struggle to incorporate. For fans of super-smooth nut butters, the stainless steel blades come close to the bottom and sides of the work bowl, so you can make very fine nut butters, dips, and sauces. As a bonus, this Cuisinart model comes with a spatula and a recipe booklet to inspire your culinary creations.
Customer review: “Great product. Makes quick work of vegetables and nuts. We use it primarily for nut butters (peanut and walnut), various kinds of hummus and shredding cabbage for home made sauerkraut. My wife says the nut butters are much better than any we’ve purchased in stores. Clean up is relatively easy. The blades by the way are really sharp and the motor is extremely quiet. Price is reasonable for the quality of the product.
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