When thinking about buying a new food processor, I want to look for the following.
- Designed to clean up fast
- Easy to put together.
- Easy to take apart.
- Powerful motor.
- Well made multifunctional device
What comes in the box?
A sturdy made processor bowl that has a decent capacity(1.5 litres). By sturdy, I don’t just mean the thickness of the clear plastic but also a bowl that doesn’t have too many little bits that can break off it and render it useless. As you can see from the photo this bowl only has one sturdy tab on it.
A multifunctional device because most kitchens are too small to have a separate machine for each purpose. Well, take a look at the photo at the top of this post to answer that one yourself.
This food processor doesn’t just have one food processor bowl but two and even better the smaller bowl slots right inside the large one. A clever design making it easier to use and store (see photo).The small bowl is an ideal size to puree pesto’s, baby food or salsa’s.
The grinder (or mill function as the instruction book call it) can grind coffee beans, herbs and nuts easily and quickly. I ground up 100 grams of whole hazelnuts in just under 10 seconds (see photos).
Liquidiser A large heavy glass liquidiser (many of the competition use plastic) for sauces, soups, milkshakes etc.
It can even crush ice cubes because of the powerful motor, and comes completely apart for effortless cleaning.
A Citrus press to squeeze oranges, lemons etc. The juicer sits onto of the large bowl and has to lock into place by the handle so you can switch it on.
A Centrifugal juicer for making juice from firm fruit and vegetables, so if you are serious about juicing then this will do the job. I used beetroot, carrot and citrus juice to create a great after workout energizer.
4 disk attachments
The Julienne cutter disk is pretty self-explanatory and cuts vegetables or fruit into long thin strips. The Rasping Disk is ideal for grating parmesan cheese or hard stale bread you wish to turn into breadcrumbs.
The remaining two disks can both slice and grate, one for thick slices and one for thin. These two disks are reversible when you use the one side you get slices and then when you turn the disk over you get grated. It is easy to tell which side does which action. The side with the rough grating holes is the grating side.
Dough Tool I have used this several times when I want to throw together a quick pizza. I can put the dough on to knead whilst I get on with making the tomato sauce. I was quite surprised I could fit my normal recipe in that makes 2 x 24cm pizza base’s which enough pizza for most families. After kneading the dough in short bursts for 10 minutes, I transferred it into a large bowl, covered it and left to prove. I went off to pick my wife from work, went swimming and got back about 2 hours later and it was ready to roll out and use.
As always, I’ve broken my review down into seven criteria for easy reading:
Value for money, design, build quality, wattage, noise level, keeping clean and warranty.
Value for money: Nowhere on the internet will you find more food processor for your money, I tried and failed 10 out of 10
Design: Thoughtfully designed to be very functional and yet it would add a touch of class to any kitchen counter instead of white or cream. Extra touches like a second small bowl, Pieces easily slot together and clear symbols to show the lock and the unlocked position. A study base with anti-slip suction feet to stop it moving. *Attachments that will get used instead of sitting in the cupboard. 8.5 out of 10
Build Quality: I do think in the last couple of years the quality and performance of small kitchen appliances has improved as companies like Andrew James have shaken up the marketplace, forcing the established brands to up their game. At the current price £64.99, this Andrew James model has an excellent build quality 10 out of 10
Wattage: At 800 watts of power you are getting plenty of power to do the job.
9.5 out of 10
Noise Level: I have to admit that the noise level is a little higher than I’d like but when you consider how longer you actually have a food processor turned on this is a minor point. 8 out of 10
Keeping Clean: Again this is another thumbs up for the design team that have made this food processor easy to clean, and keep clean. Which in itself is no small feat, there are thousands of food processors sitting in cupboards never used because it takes longer to take apart and clean than use. But not with Andrew James, it was easy to take apart and very easy to clean even items like the liquidiser disassembles completely.
10 out of 10
Warranty: Andrew James appliances all come with a 2-year guarantee
compared to one year offered by other manufacturers 10 out of 10
Overall Rating 66 marks out of 70 which in percentage points is 94.29% out of 100%
Conclusions
Plus
If you are looking for the biggest, sturdiest food processor for a low price, this Andrew James Multifunctional Food Processor should be top of your list. Glass instead of plastic liquidiser will give you years of use. Easy to put together even if you are a person who never looks at the manual. A grinder capable of grinding coffee beans, a liquidiser able to crush ice cubes, well designed as we have come to expect from Andrew James.
Minus
The people who write the manuals for Andrew James need to up their game because there are several glaring mistakes, such as text that states the liquidiser “comes already assembled and the bottom is not removable”. And yet it is indeed removable and thus easy to clean. *I’m not a big fan of food processors with small flimsy whisk attachments. Yes, they can be used to whisk eggs and or egg whites but the capacity is too small. Most people me included will end up using other appliances to whisk with.
Important note:
Unlike other reviewers who only get the equipment for a 1-2 weeks, I have put this mixer through its paces for 3 months, using every attachment to make all kinds foods and I’m still impressed.
Update 2021
Unforntunately, since writing this review Andrew James company is just a shadow of its former self. I’m not privy to the internal details but it seems the company expanded too quickly not paying enough attention to quality control. When so many of our kitchen gadgets are made in China it is very important to keep a close eye on quality control. Once your brand reputation is damaged it takes a lot of hard work and time to get it back.
©Kevin Ashton 2015 all rights reserved
Chef Kevin Ashton 
Fab review
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Thank you, I hope my readers find it useful.
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Reblogged this on beccaslifeandbeauty.
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Hi Kevin,
Thanks for the fab review! Very pleased it’s still going strong – but it’ll keep you going for much longer than three months.
Concerning the manuals, they are being revised and new ones are going to be sent out with all future processors.
Hope you’re well!
Andrew James UK
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I agree with your criteria for buying a food processor – and £64.99 is a good price! Thanks for the review, useful…
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Elisabeth, when a writer of your professional experience says something good about my review I am very flattered, thank you.
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Yeah what they said 🙂
Balanced and comprehensive review.
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Thank you and have a great day
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Hi love this breakdown, but would you recommend this one over another food processor with lesser speeds (2 Speeds) and a 2.5 litre bowl, though its still Andrew James and has basically same attachments – its the AJ000233 model. Hope you respond soon.
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Thank you for your kind comments about my review.
Companies often change their models and it seems that the Multifunctional Food Processor is no longer available , at least on Andrew James’ own site.
When I review something, I take it very seriously because people may spend their hard earned cash
based on what I write. Looking at the new model it does look as if Andrew James is offering slightly less than the model I reviewed for the same price £64.99
As you said essentially the AJ000233 model has many of the same attachments, though without rigorously using this model in my own kitchen over a period of a couple of months I would be reluctant to recommend it.
I can however tell you what I would do if shopping for a new processor. My starting point would be to go and take a look at what is currently out there. Look for decent sized motors (700 watts and up). Look for processor bowls that are not flimsy and designed not to have bits that can easily break off. I would also ask myself what functions must my new processor have? Do I need a liquidizer or just a food processor? How big a processor bowel do I need? 1.5litre, 2 litre or larger?
Would it be useful to have a model with a large and a small processor bowel? Do I need a grinding attachment? A juicing attachment? A grating or slicing attachment?
Remember liquidisers are great for puréeing soup and other things that have a lot of liquid in, though you can liquidise soup in a food processor bowl, though you might need to do it in 3-4 batches.
The upside of Andrew James appliances is you get a lot of kit for your money, the down side is you can’t see them on the high street to help you compare them against other brands.
Once you have parred it down to 2-3 choices then check the reviews on those models, not just the reviews on blogs but what the general public say as well. And finally, cost is often an important issue, though buying anything these days is a roll of the dice because many of the gadgets we use are made in China whether they Kenwood or Andrew James. We are very reliant on those companies to have strict and often checked quality control.
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Omg, thank you for the quick reply! Ah. I see. I found a manufacturer refurbished version on ebay and that’s what I was actually considering buying. I’m an African student in the UK and most of the meals I make are in huge batches for family and for sale so I was concerned about the litre. I don’t want a 1-1.5 litre which may not be able to dough as much food in one batch but I also don’t mind doing several batches. However, I want as many attachments as I can get. Both models offer attachments but the difference is the speed levels. The one you reviewed has multiple speed levels and goes for around 52.99 on ebay while the one I’m comparing it with (also Andrew James) has lesser speeds (800W, around 4 speeds and a pulser) & a big 2 lire bowl and is in the 35-39.99 range. In your honest opinion, do speeds make any difference? I would just buy this one for the higher price and design if not for the 1.5 lire bowl that’s holding me back.
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Thank you for your kind words and seeking out my opinion again.
I took a look at the particular Andrew James Multifunctional food processor on eBay for £52.99
Although it is exactly the same model as I reviewed I would caution you and point out….
One, the seller is only offering a 90-day warranty compared to the 2-year warranty that would be
offered when it was brand new. Given the shortness of the warranty I think the price is high,
perhaps you should ask the seller for a 12-month warranty or a lower price. Remember this is
a demonstration model so you have no way of knowing how long or how much this machine has been used.
I would also point out that the photos the seller is using are ones they took from Andrew James site rather
than photos of the one they are selling. As to your question about speeds I think two speed can be okay
as long as the motor is powerful enough. I think the AJ000233 model comes with 2 speed plus a pulse mode.
In conclusion, I would probably go for the new model AJ000233 rather than the one on eBay because of the short warranty.
If you can not afford £64.99 then you might consider Kenwood FPP220 Food Processor that you can buy new on eBay for around £39-40.
The main bowl is 2.1 litre instead of 2.4 litre but at least, it is brand new. Plus you can buy an extended 3-year warranty for
an extra £8.49. Yes, it does not have so many attachments but the motor at 750 watts is a decent size.
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WOW, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!!
Will definitely be checking out the Kenwood and when I make my purchase i’ll let you know what I went with and how it turned out. Thank you again.
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Happy to help and I hope you try some of my recipes:)
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Pls what is the current price of this Andrew James food processor now
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The model in my review from September 2015, is no longer sold.
Their current model seems very similar (the size of the motor and the same collection of attachments) though I can not say it performs the same because I have not reviewed it. It may turn out to be same machine with a cosmetic make over but only Andrew James could answer that question. I would suggest you look for a review of the current model to help you decide. The price of the current version has remained the same £64.99.
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