Food processor

This is a busy cook’s BFF, hands down. A heavy-duty model with a weighted bottom and stronger motor—such as a Cuisinart—can handle everything from slicing beets and shredding sweet potatoes to combining ingredients for veggie burgers. While a high-speed blender is better for making hummus, nut butter, and pesto, the food processor can’t be beat when it comes to prepping vegetables. When we make soups, stews, and slaws, we use the slicing and shredding blades for everything from onions to cabbage. Though we could do these tasks by hand, we love the quick, even results a food processor provides. If you aren’t ready to invest in a heavy-duty model, even an entry-level food processor will do.