Breville Sous Chef 16 Review: The Food Processor That Makes the Case for Spending More

The short version

Spend enough time with cheaper food processors and you start accepting their limits as normal — the fixed-thickness slicing disc, the motor that bogs down on a raw beet, the flimsy lid latch. The Breville Sous Chef 16 is what happens when none of those compromises are accepted. It costs two to six times what the other processors in this batch cost, and mostly, it's clear where that money went.

Who it's for — and who should skip it

This is for people who process vegetables often enough that a fixed-thickness disc has actively annoyed them — the 24-setting adjustable slicing disc alone justifies the price for anyone who slices potatoes for gratin, cucumbers for pickling, or vegetables for a mandoline-quality dinner party spread. It's also the right call if you cook in real volume and want a single processor that won't be the bottleneck in a big prep session.

Skip it if your food processor use is occasional and light — chopping an onion, making a small batch of hummus. You'll be storing and dusting a 16-cup machine you rarely fill more than a third of the way, and a $60-150 processor does that job just as well.

Build & materials

The body is die-cast metal, not the plastic-over-metal-core construction most competitors use, and it's noticeably heavier and more planted on the counter as a result. The bowl and lid are BPA-free plastic — even Breville doesn't make a stainless bowl at this size — but the fit and tolerances feel tighter than the Cuisinart or Hamilton Beach. The included accessory case keeps the discs and blades together, a small thing that matters once you own five or six attachments instead of two.

Core performance

The adjustable slicing disc

24 thickness settings on one disc, adjustable by dial, is the single biggest functional upgrade over every other processor in this batch. Rather than choosing between "thin" and "thick" on a reversible disc, you dial in the exact thickness the recipe calls for — this matters for anyone doing scalloped potatoes, gratin, or precise pickling where slice consistency affects cook time.

Motor power under dense loads

1200 watts is the strongest motor in this comparison, and it shows on the hardest jobs — a full batch of pizza dough, whole raw sweet potatoes, hard cheese — where it maintains speed rather than straining. It's also better sound-engineered than the raw-wattage Ninja, producing a lower, steadier hum instead of a harsh whine under load.

Feed chute and prep time

The 5-inch feed chute fits whole small potatoes, apples, and tomatoes without cutting them down first, which is a real time-saver during a big prep session. It's noticeably wider than every other processor in this batch, including the Cuisinart.

Secondary performance: mini bowl and accessory range

The nested mini bowl and blade handle small jobs — a single clove of garlic, a small batch of dressing — without needing the full 16-cup bowl, and Breville sells additional discs (dicing, julienne) separately if you outgrow the included set. This accessory depth is a genuine advantage for anyone who wants to grow into the machine over time.

Daily use & ergonomics

The variable speed dial gives finer control than the two-speed switches on cheaper processors — useful for starting slow on a liquid-heavy recipe to avoid splatter before ramping up. Assembly and disassembly follow the same multi-part locking process as other full-size processors and take a few uses to become automatic. The accessory storage case is a small but real quality-of-life improvement over loose discs rattling in a drawer.

Maintenance, longevity & repairability

Bowl, lid, blades, and discs are dishwasher safe on the top rack; the die-cast base is wipe-only. The metal body and tighter tolerances suggest this should outlast plastic-bodied competitors, though the one-year standard warranty doesn't fully back that up on paper — it's shorter than Cuisinart's three years despite the higher price. Breville sells replacement parts directly, which helps for long-term repairability.

How it compares

Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor (~$180-220): Meaningfully cheaper, a three-year warranty versus Breville's one, but a fixed-thickness reversible disc instead of the 24-setting dial and a narrower feed chute. The Cuisinart is the value pick; the Breville is the precision pick.

KitchenAid 9-Cup Food Processor (~$150-180): Smaller bowl, weaker 300-watt motor, its own adjustable-thickness ExactSlice dial but with fewer settings and less capacity. The Breville is the clear upgrade if you process in volume.

Robot Coupe-style commercial processors (~$500-plus): For a restaurant kitchen or serious volume cooking, true commercial processors go further still on motor durability and duty cycle — the Sous Chef 16 is the highest-end option most home cooks will ever need without crossing into commercial pricing.

Value analysis

At $300-350, this is priced well above mainstream processors, and the value case rests entirely on whether you'll use the adjustable disc and extra capacity regularly. For someone who processes vegetables often and has been frustrated by fixed-thickness discs elsewhere, the price buys real, daily-use precision. For occasional use, it's more machine — and more money — than the job requires.

Known issues

The most common complaint, unsurprisingly, is the price relative to what most people actually need from a food processor. A second recurring note is the footprint — this needs dedicated counter or cabinet space and isn't something most kitchens leave out permanently. A smaller number of owners mention losing or misplacing individual discs despite the accessory case, particularly once they've added extra discs beyond the included set.

Verdict

The 9s on performance, capacity, and build quality are earned — this is the most capable food processor in this review batch by a clear margin, and the adjustable slicing disc has no real equivalent among cheaper competitors. The 6 on value reflects the honest reality that most kitchens don't need this much machine. If you do — real volume, real slicing precision — it's worth the premium. If you don't, the Cuisinart gets you most of the capability for a lot less money.