Food & Veg Processors

Q: Are these machines hard to clean?

Most are designed for quick breakdown: bowls, lids, blades and discs lift out for washing, and many components are dishwasher-safe (check the model's spec sheet). Quick cleaning matters for both hygiene and turnaround between tasks, so a machine that strips down in seconds is worth favouring in a busy kitchen working to HACCP routines.

Commercial food and vegetable processors for Australian kitchens — bench machines that chop, slice, shred, dice and emulsify in seconds, so your team spends prep time on the work that actually needs a knife. This range pulls together bowl-style processors, continuous-feed veg processing and combination cutter/processors in one place, sitting alongside our wider food preparation equipment. For the bowl-cutter side on its own, see food processors; for high-volume disc-driven slicing and shredding, see veg prep machines.

Who food and veg processors are for

If your menu involves more than a few kilos of prep a day, a processor pays for itself in labour. Cafés and restaurants use them to slice, shred and emulsify ahead of service; caterers and function venues lean on continuous-feed models to push through bulk salad, slaw and grated cheese; aged-care, hospital and institutional kitchens use combination machines to handle both bowl work and veg processing on one footprint. Wherever consistency matters — every slice the same thickness, every batch the same texture — a machine beats a knife on both speed and uniformity.

What's in scope

Bowl-cutter processors

The classic food processor format: ingredients drop into a covered bowl, and an S-blade or knife assembly chops, purées, mixes or emulsifies them. This is the tool for pestos, hummus, mince, pâtés, sauces, batters and dressings — anything where you want everything broken down together rather than fed through in a stream. Bowl capacities here run from compact 6–9 litre benchtop units up to larger floor models for production kitchens.

Continuous-feed veg processors

Instead of a bowl, these run product past a spinning disc and eject it out a chute, so you can keep feeding without stopping to empty. It's the format for high-volume vegetable processing — slicing cucumbers, shredding cabbage, grating cheese or carrot by the bucket. Swap the disc and the same machine changes job, which is why a disc set is the real driver of value: see our veg cutter discs for the slicing, grating, julienne and dicing plates that fit these heads.

Combination cutter/processors

Two machines in one body: a cutter bowl on the base and a continuous-feed veg attachment on top, driven by the same motor. You get bowl work (mixing, emulsifying, fine chopping) and disc-driven veg processing (slicing, shredding, grating) without buying — or finding bench space for — two separate units. The sensible pick for kitchens that need both but can't justify the footprint of each.

A quick word on how this collection relates to its neighbours: the food processors collection is the bowl-cutter range on its own, and veg prep machines is the continuous-feed range on its own. This page is the combined view — bring both together when you're not yet sure which format your prep calls for, or you want a combination machine that does both.

How to choose a processor in three steps

Three questions, in order, get you to the right machine.

Step 1 — Size by bowl and throughput, not by price

Work out your peak prep volume — the busiest hour, not the daily total. For bowl work, that points to a bowl capacity (commonly 6, 9 or more litres); for veg processing, it points to throughput in kilos per hour. Undersize and you'll be running batch after batch through service; oversize and you've paid for capacity you never use. Match the machine to the rush.

Step 2 — Decide your processing type

Is your prep mostly mixing, puréeing and emulsifying? That's a bowl-cutter job. Mostly slicing, shredding and grating in volume? That's continuous-feed. Genuinely both — say a café doing dips and dressings as well as bulk salad? A combination cutter/processor covers the spread on one motor and one footprint.

Step 3 — Check disc and attachment needs

For anything with a continuous-feed head, the discs decide what the machine can actually do. Confirm which slicing, grating, julienne and dicing plates are included versus sold separately, and that the cuts you need are available for your model. A processor is only as versatile as its disc set — budget for the plates your menu calls for from the start.

For a deeper walk-through of features, motor sizing and attachments before you commit, our guide to choosing the best commercial food processor covers what to weigh up for a busy kitchen.

Popular picks: two proven starting points are the VC 9L compact food processor (HR-9) for kitchens wanting bowl capacity in a small footprint, and the slightly smaller VC 6L compact food processor (HR-6) where bench space is tighter or volumes are lower.

Frequently asked questions

What is a commercial food processor?

A commercial food processor is a powered bench machine that chops, slices, shreds, mixes, purées or emulsifies food far faster and more consistently than by hand. Bowl-cutter models work ingredients inside a covered bowl with an S-blade; continuous-feed models run product past a disc and out a chute for high-volume slicing and grating. Both are built for the duty cycle and hygiene standards a professional kitchen demands.

What's the difference between a food processor and a veg prep machine?

A food processor (bowl-cutter) processes everything together inside a bowl — ideal for sauces, dips, mince and batters. A veg prep machine uses a continuous-feed head: product goes in the top, past a spinning disc, and out the side, so you never stop to empty a bowl. It's purpose-built for slicing, shredding and grating vegetables and cheese in volume. A combination cutter/processor does both jobs on one motor.

What can a food processor do?

Depending on the blade or disc fitted, it can chop, slice, shred, grate, julienne, dice, purée, mix and emulsify. Bowl-cutter models handle pestos, hummus, dressings, pâtés, mince and batters; continuous-feed and combination models add bulk vegetable slicing, cabbage shredding, cheese grating and similar high-volume jobs. The fitted disc or blade determines what any given machine can do.

How do I choose the right size processor?

Size by your peak prep window, not your daily total. For bowl work, match the bowl capacity (commonly 6 to 9 litres on benchtop units, larger on floor models) to how much you process in your busiest hour. For continuous-feed veg processing, look at throughput in kilos per hour. Choosing at or just above your peak avoids both endless re-batching and paying for capacity you won't use.

Do food processors come with discs and attachments?

It varies by model. Some include a starter disc or two; others are sold as the base machine with discs purchased to suit. Because the disc set decides what a continuous-feed or combination machine can cut, always confirm what's included and what the cuts you need will cost. Our veg cutter discs range covers the slicing, grating, julienne and dicing plates that fit common processor heads.

Are these machines hard to clean?

Most are designed for quick breakdown — bowls, lids, blades and discs lift out for washing, and many components are dishwasher-safe (check the model's spec sheet). Quick cleaning matters for both hygiene and turnaround between tasks, so a machine that strips down in seconds is worth favouring in a busy kitchen working to HACCP routines.

Do you deliver food and veg processors across Australia?

Yes. Commercial Kitchen Store ships nationwide, and Australian-based phone support is available on 1300 111 901 if you'd like help matching a machine and disc set to your prep. For cover details, see our warranty and service information.