This Food Processor Is One of the Best Things I Bought in the Last Decade — And It’s Currently 22% Off

We all have that one item that’s been languishing in our online shopping carts for weeks. For me, it was a Cuisinart Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor. Over the years, I’ve collected a basic blender, a tiny hand-powered food chopper, and a cheap immersion blender, all in an effort to save money by not buying a high-quality processor. But after closing the tab on yet another recipe that started with the phrase “Put all ingredients in food processor,” I decided it was time to take the leap and hit Proceed to Checkout. Now that I’ve owned the Cuisinart for almost eight months, I’m still not sure how I went so long without it.

For starters, the appliance, which is featured on Kitchn’s best list, makes weeknight dinners a little less manic and motivates me to cook more, especially Indian staples I grew up eating. Anyone who’s ever whipped up even the easiest Indian recipe knows just how much tedious chopping and slicing you have to do. While my hand-pulled chopper accommodated half an onion at best, I can squeeze in up to two onions at one go in the Cuisinart.

Mint chutney, a staple of Indian cuisine, came out stringy and pulpy in my blender, but the food processor’s powerful blades and pulse function deliver a smooth, bright batch within minutes. And while I once lived on frozen, chewy flatbreads, I now make fresh, fluffy ones with a machine that eliminates the rigorous arm work required to knead dough.

But it’s more than just Indian recipes: Creamy (dreamy) hummus, fresh salsa, easy salads, delicious meatballs, pie dough — basically everything that’s packed with preservatives has been whizzed up for less than half the cost in my tiny kitchen.

At this point you’re probably thinking, “Great, but isn’t it a space hog?” I’m not going to lie, it does have a sizable footprint. I stored mine in a cabinet for the first month, but I have been using this workhorse so much that it’s since earned a permanent spot on my countertop.

Ultimately, my 8-cup Cuisinart food processor makes me feel like I have an extra set of hands during busy weekday meal prep, and, on weekends it encourages me to experiment with fun recipes I might otherwise have skipped (hi, carrot bites!). But mostly, it’s saving me a ton of money on store-bought items.

So is it the best kitchen appliance I bought in the last decade? Absolutely! And it’ll probably be the best thing I use in this new one. And maybe the one after.

If you’re ready to Proceed to Checkout and experience it for yourself, you can snag the slick white version for a sweet 22 percent off at Walmart right now.

Buy: Cuisinart Elemental 8 Cup Food Processor, $78 (normally $100) at Walmart