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Vitamix 12-Cup Attachment Review

A food processor especially great for pizza, but you'll need to own a Vitamix motor
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Vitamix 12-Cup Attachment Review (Cleaning all these bits and pieces is especially easy when you throw them in the dish washer.)
Cleaning all these bits and pieces is especially easy when you throw them in the dish washer.
Credit: Laura Casner
Price:  $250 List
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Manufacturer:   Vitamix
By Hayley Thomas ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 13, 2022
68
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 11
  • Chopping - 20% 6.0
  • Mixing - 20% 6.0
  • Pureeing - 20% 8.0
  • Shredding - 15% 6.0
  • Slicing - 15% 8.0
  • Cleaning - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

With its stellar dough mixing and general pureeing and slicing capabilities the Vitamix 12-Cup Attachment is perfect for pizza. Mix dough to perfection and toss it in the fridge while you puree up a fresh basil-garlic tomato sauce and slice up some veggies or cured meat. Though it doesn't inspire rave reviews across the board as far as the best food processors are concerned, this model will get most jobs done with a little patience and a few extra pulses. Note, though, that it is only an attachment — those who don't already own a Vitamix motor will have to make a major investment. However, this kitchen gadget is easy to clean and easy to use, so if you are looking for something consistent, look no further than the Vitamix 12-Cup.
REASONS TO BUY
Great for pizza dough
Pureeing perfection
Easy to clean
Mostly even slicing
Little to no leakage
REASONS TO AVOID
Not great for applesauce
Average chopping and shredding
Editor's Note: This product review was updated on May 12, 2022, with additional info on the products we'd recommend to a friend.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best for Vitamix Owners
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Best Buy Award
Best on a Tight Budget
Best Buy Award
A Compact Bargain Option
 
Price $250 List
$185.99 at Amazon
$250 List
$249.95 at Amazon
$55 List
$54.99 at Amazon
$120 List
$97.99 at Amazon
$40 List
$38.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
68
66
64
64
46
Star Rating
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Bottom Line A well-rounded food processor for those who already own a Vitamix motorBest overall performing model for the priceIt won't slice down the competition but will chop up its price tagDelivering excellent performances in the majority of our tests, we think this is a great kitchen appliance for anyone shopping for quality on a limited budgetThis is the cheapest, lowest-performing food processor in our fleet
Rating Categories Vitamix 12-Cup Atta... Cuisinart Custom 14 Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Ninja Professional Black+Decker 8-Cup
Chopping (20%)
6.0
6.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
Mixing (20%)
6.0
6.0
5.0
6.0
6.0
Pureeing (20%)
8.0
8.0
9.0
7.0
4.0
Shredding (15%)
6.0
6.0
6.0
7.0
3.0
Slicing (15%)
8.0
7.0
5.0
7.0
4.0
Cleaning (10%)
7.0
6.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
Specs Vitamix 12-Cup Atta... Cuisinart Custom 14 Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Ninja Professional Black+Decker 8-Cup
Model # VM0215 DFP-14BCNY 70730 BN600/BN601 FP1600B
Bowl Size 12 cup 14 cup 10 cup 9 cup 8 cup
Dimensions W: 8.5"
H: 12.8" (no base)
H: 19.6" (on tested base)
D: 11.8"
W: 7.75"
H: 15"
D: 10.75"
W: 10.5"
H: 15.5"
D: 8.5"
W: 9.9"
H: 15.6"
D: 7.3"
W: 7.5"
H: 15.3"
D: 10.7"
Measured Weight of Base 8 pounds, 12 ounces. Varies, tested with Vitamix A2300 blender base 12 pounds, 6 ounces 3 pounds, 1 ounce 4 pounds, 8 ounces 3 pounds, 2 ounces
BPA Free Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Motor Varies, tested with Vitamix A2300 blender base 720 Watt 450 Watt 850 Watt 450 Watt
Speed Control Pulse/(On/Off), varies, tested with Vitamix A2300 blender base On/Off/Pulse High/Low/Pulse/Off Chop/Puree/Dough/Disc/Low/High/Pulse On/Off/Pulse
Cord Storage Underside cord wrap; varies, tested with Vitamix A2300 blender base None Internal External Cord Wrap Underside Cord Wrap
Feet Varies, tested with Vitamix A2300 blender base Smooth Rubber Suction Cups Suction Cups Suction Cups
Decibels at 3ft 80.5, varies, tested with Vitamix A2300 blender base 61.5 96 80 95
Mini Bowl Blade N/A Yes N/A N/A N/A
Accessory Storage Case Yes No No No No
Slicing Disc 2 discs large and small; Non adjustable Non adjustable Non adjustable Non adjustable Non adjustable
Shredding Disc 2 discs large and small; Non adjustable Medium Medium Non adjustable Medium
Dough Blade No No No Yes No
Whipping Attatchment No No No No No
Citrus Juicer No No No No No
Dicing Kit No No No No No
Built-in Bowl Scraper No No Yes No No
French Fry Disc No No No No No
Julienne Disc No No No No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


vitamix 12-cup attachment - this is a decent model for anyone who already owns a vitamix.
This is a decent model for anyone who already owns a Vitamix.
Credit: Laura Casner

The Vitamix 12-Cup Attachment offers stellar performance in our pureeing, slicing, and cleaning metrics. Not that the attachment does not come with a motor, so we tested it with a Vitamix A2300 blender base.

Chopping


While the Vitamix 12-cup leaves a bit to be desired in the chopping realm, it holds up to most of its competitors. We chopped a plethora of different foods during our testing, from watery onions to dry nuts. We paid particular attention to the evenness and preciseness of the chop.


The pulse button starts a little slow compared to some of the Vitamix's competitors. It also stops slowly when working with a large amount of something or denser foods. The first vegetable we attempted to chop was a juicy onion. The Vitamix performs very well here. It takes roughly four short pulses to chop the onion completely; however, the chop is more of a mince. The results are crisp and unmutilated, but the size of the pieces varies a bit from minced to bite-size.

vitamix 12-cup attachment - the 12-cup chops up onions without turning them into mush.
The 12-Cup chops up onions without turning them into mush.
Credit: Laura Casner

Next, we tried chopping up some carrots. This model offers a decent chop of harder veggies like this after three short pulses. After six pulses, the carrot is mostly chopped, and the size is mostly uniform, but not entirely. The blades are sharp and precise, so you don't have to worry much about turning your carrots into mush and can continue pulsing if you'd prefer not to have any larger pieces.

vitamix 12-cup attachment - there some variance in the size of the chopped carrots.
There some variance in the size of the chopped carrots.
Credit: Austin Palmer

The almonds rendered a different result. After six pulses, there is a lot of nut dust, and the almonds are chopped somewhat unevenly. However, it does a great job of ensuring that every nut is chopped and no whole nuts are left behind, which is an issue we experienced with other models in our review of top-ranked food processors.

vitamix 12-cup attachment - all the almost are chopped, but some more so than others.
All the almost are chopped, but some more so than others.
Credit: Austin Palmer

Mixing


We tried making pizza dough, mayonnaise, and pie crust during our mixing test. When compared to other options in our test suite, its performance is average — it gets the job done.


For our first test, we tried mixing pizza dough. This test is truly where the Vitamix 12-cup shines. It handles like an absolute champ. The general blade and shaft design allow everything to mix to completion without sticky bits hanging on the bowl — so much so that you barely have to wash the top. The pie crust also mixes well and provides great elasticity.

On the other hand, trying to make mayonnaise was a different story. It feels as though the blades do not whip fast enough to fluff up the egg, although the lemon and egg do mix quite nicely.

vitamix 12-cup attachment - this puppy mixes up pizza dough like a professional.
This puppy mixes up pizza dough like a professional.
Credit: Laura Casner

Pureeing


We whipped up some hummus, nut butter, tomato sauce, and applesauce during our pureeing testing. It works very well across the board, except for applesauce. We also tested how leakproof each processor is through a water test. The rubber seal and tightly fitting lid of the Vitamix result in a completely leak-free appliance.


The Vitamix 12-Cup stops automatically after two and a half minutes, at which point your hummus will be practically done. It provides a nice, smooth consistency, just shy of what you might purchase in a grocery store.

Nut butter can be difficult for food processors to blend successfully, but this model knocked it out of the park. After roughly six minutes, the Vitamix 12-Cup produces a smooth and creamy butter, with almost no extra splatter on the walls and lid and no chunks or unpureed pieces.

vitamix 12-cup attachment - smooth at butter... nut butter.
Smooth at butter... nut butter.
Credit: Austin Palmer

Tomato sauce is whipped up so quickly that you almost have no excuse for buying premade sauce. After 20 seconds, the garlic and tomato chunks are blended as one. Unfortunately, we can't say the same for our applesauce test, which requires a lot more time to produce a smooth product.

We love how quickly we could whip up tomato sauce.
We love how quickly we could whip up tomato sauce.
From whole tomatoes to this in seconds.
From whole tomatoes to this in seconds.
Better than store bought sauce.
Better than store bought sauce.

Shredding


Much like the mixing and chopping, the Vitamix gets the job done but isn't anything to write home about. The two discs offer two shredding size options, both of which we happily shredded cheese, potatoes, and carrots with.


This model performs pretty well in the cheese potato department but leaves plenty of room for improvement. The shred is somewhat uniform but leaves some crumbly bits of cheese smooshed to the walls and lid, while the potatoes are left quite wet. On the other hand, carrots are easily chopped, mostly uniform, and left nice and crisp.

The 12-Cup shreds cheese pretty uniformly.
The 12-Cup shreds cheese pretty uniformly.
The potatoes came out a little wet.
The potatoes came out a little wet.
The shredded carrots are crisp as can be.
The shredded carrots are crisp as can be.

Slicing


This test is where the Vitamix 12-Cup starts to impress us. Similar to the shredding discs, it comes with a large and small slicing disc, both of which perform admirably. During this test, we slice up tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchinis.


All three of these veggies sliced easily, but we were incredibly impressed with the tomato. As you can imagine, slicing delicate fruits or vegetables can turn into a sloppy mutilated mess. The Vitamix 12-Cup slices soft tomatoes uniformly and with no smoosh.

vitamix 12-cup attachment - it can be hard to slide fruit as delicate as tomatoes.
It can be hard to slide fruit as delicate as tomatoes.
Credit: Austin Palmer

This model also slices potatoes and zucchinis well, but they both come out a little tapered. This taper isn't too big of a deal, but it is worth noting. We especially noticed tapering once we started using the plunger, as there is not as much control.

Sliced potatoes for the perfect cheesy potato bake.
Sliced potatoes for the perfect cheesy potato bake.
The zucchini is little tapered but the slices are pretty consistent.
The zucchini is little tapered but the slices are pretty consistent.

Cleaning


Generally speaking, the Vitamix 12-Cup is easy to clean. The whole thing, besides the base, is BPA Free & Dishwasher Safe.

The blade is very easy to get a grip on and clean without much fear of getting cut while adjusting your grip, and the bowl separates from everything else, so there are no hard-to-reach spots unless you have especially large hands. The plunger has a small opening that can be difficult to get into, so a bottle brush will make the whole process a lot easier.

vitamix 12-cup attachment - cleaning all these bits and pieces is especially easy when you throw...
Cleaning all these bits and pieces is especially easy when you throw them in the dish washer.
Credit: Laura Casner

Should You Buy the Vitamix 12-Cup Attachment?


The primary consideration here is whether or not you already own a Vitamix blender. If you do, purchasing the food processor attachment for it is a great way to cut down on clutter and gadgets in your kitchen, as the blender and food processor utilizes the same motor, saving storage space s. If you don't own a Vitamix, this will be a costly processor to buy.

What Other Food Processors Should You Consider?


We'd suggest other options for those who don't own a Vitamix. Our favorite overall processor is the Breville Sous Chef 16, which earned the highest scores for chopping, shredding, and mixing, and is very easy to clean. If you need to save some money, the Ninja Professional Food Processor or Hamilton Beach 10-Cup will do the job for way less.

Hayley Thomas