Updated Sep. 24, 2024
Boasting a brushed stainless body and an extra-large feeder tube, the MagiMix food processor certainly looks luxurious. But is this $350 food processor worth the price?
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Nothing takes up more time than slicing and dicing during meal prep. While the best knife sets offer a pleasant and satisfying experience, they still take up tons of room on the counter when you factor in cutting boards and prep bowls. Not only does the best food processor save space, but it also makes more time for—well—actually cooking.
While some people prefer to spend less on their appliances, others want to invest in high-quality picks that last through the years. Spending more on a pricier option means less money spent on spare parts and replacements in the long run. One such heirloom appliance is the MagiMix Food Processor, which provides even cuts and precise slices thanks to its quiet yet powerful motor.
The MagiMix 12-Cup Cuisine System 3200 XL is like having a commercial restaurant’s equipment right in your home kitchen. It boasts a shiny stainless exterior and a caddy of attachments, including three mixing bowls, two metal blades, a plastic dough blade, two grating discs, two slicing discs, a triple pusher and an extra-large feed tube. There’s also a BlenderMix attachment, egg whisk, spatula and a handy recipe book.
Apart from automatically adjusting to the task at hand, this easy-to-use food processor provides enough power to shred spring onions, slice up entire apples and whip up perfectly mixed mayo. It also remains relatively silent as it slices, dices and kneads, thanks to a high-performance motor. A small footprint means it takes up little room on the countertop and stows away easily when you’re done.
VIA MERCHANT
The MagiMix food processor is a splurge-worthy appliance with a host of useful attachments for slicing, dicing and chopping.
We tested the MagiMix alongside seven other food processors, ranging from budget options like Black and Decker to pricier luxe picks like the Breville food processor. Our team set up the Product Testing Lab with various challenge foods, including cheese, tomatoes, walnuts and ingredients for salad dressing. With the processors assembled, we conducted our evaluations, focusing on the factors below:
When it comes to looks, the MagiMix easily wins the race. Sleek brushed stainless and an included accessory tote give it a luxe look and feel. Additionally, the appliance comes fitted with a thermal failsafe that automatically switches the motor off when it becomes overloaded or runs for too long. It will also only work if the bowl and lid correctly lock into place and the double pusher levels with the MAX level indicator, making it safe for home cooks.
That said, assembly is a bit confusing and less seamless than other options. The Testing Team notes that they felt like they almost had to “force” it together with more pressure than they expected. Frustratingly, the MagiMix offers no clicking or labels that signal correct assembly. Once assembled, however, it works very smoothly and quietly.
The MagiMix scores four out of five stars on the nut-chopping test. A few big pieces of walnut made their way to the bowl, but they were still pretty uniform. With a few more pulses, we believe they’d be perfect for cookies or pesto. While it doesn’t perform as well when grating cheese, we consider that par for the course with food processors. They can’t replace your rotary grater, after all!
In the tomato test, this processor performed about as well as the Cuisinart food processor. The Testing Team notes that it’s super fast and super quiet, and the feeding tube is big enough for two tomatoes at once—a stark contrast to processors with smaller feeder tubes, like the KitchenAid processor. However, unlike the KitchenAid, this model only offers two slicing thicknesses rather than an assortment of options.
Similarly impressive is its performance with pesto. Pieces of herbs were small and uniform, and it wasn’t loud while processing. It was also very quiet while mixing the pie dough using the plastic dough blade. We suggest opting for the metal blade when mixing up dough and the plastic dough blade for kneading, as the plastic dough blade doesn’t quite incorporate the ingredients fully.
Senior Set Stylist Melissa Franco has tested the food processor for several months. She notes that the MagiMix impresses her husband, who was a chef for 13 years.
“We like the sturdiness of the Magimix. It’s a little on the heavy side, but you can tell it’s a quality product, built to last,” she says. “We haven’t even begun to delve into all the accessories and blades, but it’s amazing that it comes with all the attachments. We even used the spatula that came with it when making our Pico recipe.”
Unlike her last food processor, Melissa appreciates how quietly the Magimix operates. Additionally, her husband likes the quiet motor and variety of attachments. “He loves the three different-sized bowls that come with it. That is a game-changer,” she says. “It allowed us to continue with our recipe without stopping to wash or clean the previous bowl.”
She also notes that the storage holder for the accessories and attachments is very convenient, though she wishes it had a latch or snapped closed securely to hold everything in place. As a busy mom who doesn’t want to spend any more time cleaning, she also enjoys the simplicity of cleanup—especially when it comes to wiping away fingerprints.
Overall, the MagiMix impresses with its performance and Melissa finds it easy to operate. “We look forward to using the Magimix a lot more in the future,” she says. The Magimix is definitely a sharp-looking food processor! It’s sleek and modern yet timeless enough to fit in with anyone’s kitchen style.”
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Using the MagiMix food processor is simple—just assemble it, plug it in and touch the “auto” or “pulse” buttons on the front of the motor. To assemble the smaller working bowls, you have to stack them together inside the processor. Place the working bowl and the lid and pivot them counterclockwise to secure them. The stem comes permanently attached to the base. The metal blade has a “flower-like” design that you have to match up to secure it correctly.
VIA MERCHANT
The MagiMix food processor is a splurge-worthy appliance with a host of useful attachments for slicing, dicing and chopping.
The MagiMix food processor is available on Williams Sonoma. It retails for around $350. While that’s pricey, the food processor will last through years of use. It comes with a generous 30-year guarantee for the motor base and three years for the parts. Additionally, it comes with a motor guarantee certificate. If you have the budget to try this luxe appliance, we consider it a solid investment.
Originally Published: July 09, 2024
