Is the Vitamix Food Processor Attachment Worth It?

A good food processor is an integral part of a well-stocked kitchen. These powerful machines can shred, slice, chop, pulverize, and puree, making them incredibly versatile. But they are also bulky, hard to clean, and many people wonder: Do I really need one, or can I just use my blender, a grater, and a mandoline, and call it a day?

While we believe a food processor is a worthy investment on its own, I was curious about a value-added offering from our favorite blender brand: the Vitamix Food Processor. This attachment pairs with the brand’s Ascent and Venturist blender lines, omitting the need for another bulky machine base. But could it blitz, blend, pulse, and puree as well as our favorite food processors?

The Tests

• Mayonnaise Test: I made mayonnaise in the food processor to see if it could emulsify the mixture. 
• Slicing Test: I used the small slicing disk to slice three peeled potatoes into quarter-inch rounds. 
• Shredding Test: I used the small shred disk to shred three small, peeled beets. Then, I left the shredded beets in the container for 20 minutes before washing it, to see if it stained.
• Dough Test: I made an all-butter pie dough to test the processor’s pulsing ability. 
• Hummus Test: I blended the ingredients for hummus to see how smooth the food processor could get the puree. 
• Cleaning Test: I hand-washed the food processor’s components after each test, including the slicing and shredding discs.

What We Learned

The Vitamix Food Processor System Was Good, but Pricey

The food processor doesn’t come with a motor; instead, you place it on one of the compatible Vitamix blenders. The "self-detect" smart feature on these bases means they can automatically modify blend settings and times based on their current attachment. With the food processor attachment, the feature limits what the base does by restricting it to on, off, and pulse rather than adjustable blend speeds.

I tested the food processor attachment with the Ascent A3500 (which we’ve reviewed before) and found that the base and food processor performed well in tandem. If you already find your Ascent series blender easy and intuitive to use, chances are good that you'll also like using it with the food processor attachment. However, this feature is a double-edged sword; if you don't currently have a blender to pair the attachment with, you’ll have to invest in a base as well as the food processor kit. That adds up fast; the A3500 blender plus the food processor comes out to more than $800. In contrast, our winners for food processors, the Magimix 14-Cup Food Processor and Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor, are $400 and under $300, respectively. So it really depends on whether or not you already have a compatible blender to make the food processor attachment financially worthwhile.

It Was Surprisingly Good at Emulsifying 

I’m a big fan of homemade mayonnaise. Pair it with some French fries, and I’m butter in your hands. But I’ve always turned to my immersion blender to make it—never my food processor (which are notorious for blending too fast and failing to emulsify the egg and oil mixture). So, I set out to see if the Vitamix food processor could turn me to the dark side. I made a batch of mayonnaise and poured oil into the feed tube pusher, which has a hole in the center designed for letting liquids slowly drizzle in, and found it did an excellent job at emulsifying the ingredients (and this was a recipe that used four egg yolks, making it ultra-prone to splitting). I was impressed with the results, and immediately set out to make French fries to dip in my mayo.

The Disks Were Easy to Use (and Performed Mostly Well) 

Assembling the food processor’s disks was as easy as removing the all-purpose blade and putting a disc in its place. Snap on the lid and voila, it was ready to process. The discs did a good job at slicing potatoes and shredding beets, though I had a few quibbles. The first was that the tube where you insert ingredients was a little small, so I had to trim the edges of the potatoes and halve the beets to get them to pass through (though to be fair, the opening is larger than the one in my Cuisinart food processor). The second was that, while a majority of my potatoes were consistently sliced about a quarter-inch thick, the machine output some paper-thin wafers toward the end of the slicing process. A big deal? No—but I noticed. There were also a few chunks of beet left on the top of the shredding disc when I took the lid off. 

It Wasn’t as Responsive as it Could Be

When I pulsed the processor while making pie dough, I noticed the blade spun around one or two times more after I released the pulse button. While this didn’t have any tangible effects on the resulting dough (I was a bit nervous it would overwork it and heat up the butter), a better food processor would be more responsive and stop its blade almost immediately. 

It Was Easy to Set Up and Clean 

Like all Vitamix blenders, there are no complicated locking mechanisms involved in putting the blenders (or in this case, the food processor attachment) on the machine base; simply place it on the four prongs sticking up. The rest of the food processor was also easy to assemble, though I did have some trouble locking and removing the lid; instead of a sliding lock feature like I’m used to on my Cuisinart, the Vitamix attachment had two tabs that snapped onto the base when I pushed the lid down, and snapped off when I removed it. A few times, I struggled and wound up lifting the whole thing off the blender base by accident. On the bright side, the food processor was surprisingly easy to clean; it also didn’t stain after grating beets, which was impressive.

The Verdict

If you already have a Vitamix Ascent or Venturist series blender, the Vitamix Food Processor Attachment is a solid, efficient, and relatively affordable buy. Plus, it’s good for small kitchens, since you don't have to store two separate motors. However, if you have to invest in both a new Vitamix blender and the attachment, it's much pricier than buying a standalone food processor. Also, if you’re frequently making pie or bread dough with your food processor, you might want to invest in a more precise, responsive machine. 

Key Specs

• Material: BPA-free Eastman Tritan
• Weight: 8.2 lbs (excluding blender base)
• Capacity: 12 cups
• What’s included: Food processor attachment, self-detect base, multi-use blade, five discs, and a disc case. 
• Care: Dishwasher-safe (except for the base)
• Warranty: 3 years

FAQs

Is the Vitamix food processor dishwasher-safe? 

It is dishwasher-safe, save for the motor base, which should be removed before placing the rest of the processor parts in the dishwasher.

Is the Vitamix food processor attachment worth it?

If you’re short on space and already have a Vitamix Ascent blender, the Vitamix food processor attachment is a solid pick. However, it’s not quite as responsive as our favorite food processors.

Which is better, a blender or a food processor?

Neither! Or—both! That is, each has its ideal set of uses, and a Vitamix blender on its own can't take the place of a food processor. Food processors tend to be better at shredding and can even be used to knead dough (like when making pizza). Blenders have taller jars that create a vortex, which is great for pureeing things silky smooth (like smoothies, nut butter, or creamy soups). You can read more about their differences and best use cases here.

Is there a food processor attachment for my Vitamix?

Yes! The Vitamix Food Processor Attachment can turn your existing blender into an impressively efficient food processor. It doesn't fit all models, though; it's only compatible with Vitamix blenders in the Ascent A, Ascent X, and Venturist product lines.

Why We're the Experts

• Grace Kelly is an editor at Serious Eats.
• She was previously an assistant editor at America's Test Kitchen and has been reviewing kitchen equipment at Serious Eats since 2022.
• For this story, Grace put the Vitamix food processor attachment through a series of tests, comparing it to our favorite standalone food processors.