The Cuisinart Custom 14 is the best food processor for slicing potatoes because its wide feed tube swallows whole medium potatoes, its 720-watt motor never bogs down in dense russets, and its stainless slicing disc turns out even rounds for gratins and chips in seconds. Slicing potatoes by hand is slow and risky with a knife, and a mandoline trades speed for fingertip danger. A processor with a good disc does the job faster and safer than either.
The Cuisinart Custom 14 slices potatoes fastest and most evenly thanks to its wide feed tube and strong motor. The Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Big Mouth is the value pick, and the Breville Sous Chef 12 is the upgrade if you want adjustable slice thickness.
- Best overall: Cuisinart Custom 14 Food Processor
- Best value: Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Big Mouth Food Processor
- Best budget: Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Big Mouth Food Processor
- Avoid: Mini choppers, they have no slicing disc at all
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Quick Picks
- Best overall: Cuisinart Custom 14 Food Processor, Wide feed tube plus a strong motor equals fast, even potato rounds.. Check price on Amazon
- Best value: Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Big Mouth Food Processor, Whole potatoes fit the oversized chute at a fraction of the spend..
- Best budget: KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor, Compact and capable for small-batch slicing..
Comparison Table
| Food processor | Slicing setup | Best for | Bowl size | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart Custom 14 | 4mm stainless slicing disc, wide tube | Gratins and scalloped potatoes for a crowd | 14 cups | Check Price |
| Breville Sous Chef 12 | Adjustable 0.3 to 8mm slicing disc | Precision slices from chips to thick rounds | 12 cups | Check Price |
| Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Big Mouth | Reversible slice/shred disc, extra-wide chute | Budget kitchens slicing whole potatoes | 10 cups | Check Price |
| KitchenAid 7 Cup | 2mm and 4mm disc options | Small households and small batches | 7 cups | Check Price |
How We Chose These Food Processors Picks
We compared feed tube widths, disc materials and thickness options, and motor wattage across the major processor lines, then dug into owner feedback specifically about slicing dense vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes. Models with frequent reports of stalling, wobbling discs, or ragged slices were dropped.
Key Takeaway: For potatoes, feed tube width matters as much as motor power. A tube that takes a whole potato gives you clean vertical rounds, while narrow tubes force you to pre-cut and produce angled, uneven slices.
Best Overall: Cuisinart Custom 14 Food Processor
Best for: Cooks who make gratins, scalloped potatoes, or homemade chips regularly and want restaurant-even slices without a mandoline. Why it made the list: The combination of a 720-watt motor, a heavy 14-cup work bowl, and a sharp stainless slicing disc means it powers through dense raw potatoes without stalling or tearing, and the wide mouth takes a whole medium potato so slices come out as clean round coins.
- Key specs: 720-watt motor, 14-cup work bowl, 4mm stainless slicing disc and shredding disc included, extra-large feed tube, dishwasher-safe parts.
- What we like: It slices a pile of potatoes for a family gratin in under a minute, the motor shrugs off dense vegetables, and the simple two-lever control is durable because there is little to break.
- What we do not like: The stock disc is fixed at 4mm, so you cannot dial in paper-thin chip slices without buying a separate thinner disc, and the big base hogs counter space.
- Who should buy it: Families and batch cooks who slice or shred vegetables weekly and want a machine that lasts a decade or more, which owner history suggests it often does.
- Who should avoid it: Singles or couples with small kitchens. A 14-cup bowl is a lot of machine for one potato, and the KitchenAid 7 Cup covers small jobs better.
- Common complaints: Owners cite the bulky footprint, a stiff lid-locking action when new, and the lack of included thickness options.
- Size note: It stands tall and heavy on the counter, so plan a permanent spot rather than cabinet storage.
- Cleaning note: Bowl, lid, and discs are dishwasher safe on the top rack, but rinse starch off the disc promptly, dried potato starch is stubborn.
- Alternative: The Breville Sous Chef 12 if adjustable slice thickness from chip-thin to steak-fry thick matters more to you than simplicity.
Food Processor Buying Guide for Potato Slicing
Feed tube width decides slice quality
Potatoes sliced whole through a wide tube come out as even round coins. If the tube is narrow, you must quarter the potato first and slices lean and shatter. Look for machines advertising a wide or big-mouth chute and check the listed tube dimensions against a typical medium potato.
Fixed versus adjustable discs
Most processors ship with a fixed disc around 4mm, which suits gratins and scalloped potatoes. If you want potato chips, look for an adjustable disc like Breville includes, or confirm the brand sells a thin 1 to 2mm disc for your model. Blade steel matters too, stamped stainless discs stay sharp for years.
Motor power for dense vegetables
Raw potato is one of the denser things a slicing disc faces. Motors around 450 watts and up handle it, but weaker machines slow mid-slice and produce wedged, ragged cuts. Wattage also predicts how the machine handles sweet potatoes, which are harder still.
Safety Notes
- Always use the pusher, never fingers, to feed potatoes into the chute.
- Handle slicing discs by the plastic hub, the edges are sharper than they look.
- Make sure the lid locks fully before the disc spins up.
- Unplug the machine before removing or changing discs.
What to Avoid
- Mini choppers marketed as processors, they have no disc slot.
- Machines with narrow feed tubes that force pre-cutting.
- Plastic slicing discs, they dull quickly against dense vegetables.
- Any model whose replacement discs are unavailable, discs eventually wear.
FAQ
Can a food processor slice potatoes thin enough for chips?
Only with a thin disc. Standard 4mm discs are too thick for chips, which need slices around 1.5 to 2mm. The Breville Sous Chef adjusts down to 0.3mm, and Cuisinart sells thinner discs separately for many models.
Should potatoes be peeled before slicing in a food processor?
No, the disc handles skins fine, and skin-on slices hold together better. Just scrub them well and cut off any eyes or green spots first. Peeling is purely a texture and presentation preference.
Why do my potato slices come out angled instead of round?
The potato is tipping sideways in a too-wide or too-empty chute. Load the tube snugly, use the small pusher insert for single potatoes, and apply steady, moderate pressure so the potato stays vertical against the disc.
Final Verdict
The Cuisinart Custom 14 is the best food processor for slicing potatoes with its wide tube and stall-proof motor, while the Breville Sous Chef 12 adds adjustable thickness for chip makers and the Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Big Mouth gets whole-potato slicing done for far less.
