In-depth review
Breville Sous Chef 16-Cup Review (2026)
Breville Sous Chef BFP800XL review: 1,200-watt motor, 24-setting slicing disc, 16-cup bowl, and who should pay the premium.
Breville Sous Chef 16-Cup (BFP800XL)
The precision flagship: 16 cups, 1,200 watts, and a 24-setting slicing disc.
Our verdict
The Sous Chef is the best food processor you can buy, and the hardest to justify. The trade-off is money versus mastery: the 1,200-watt induction motor and 24-setting slicing disc are genuinely superior to everything else here, but they cost roughly twice the Cuisinart, and the difference only pays off if you slice precisely or knead dough weekly. Buy it as a long-term tool, not as a first processor.
What we like
- The 1,200-watt induction motor is the most powerful here and handles stiff bread dough without the strain that slows lesser machines.
- The variable slicing disc adjusts across 24 thickness settings (0.3mm to 8mm) from paper-thin potato chips to thick tomato slices.
- The 16-cup bowl is the largest in this lineup, and the micro-serrated S-blade stays sharper longer than standard stamped blades.
What to watch out for
- It is the most expensive pick by a wide margin; casual users will not recoup the premium.
- The larger footprint and heavier base demand dedicated counter or cabinet space.
- More parts (multiple discs, adjustable mechanisms) mean more pieces to wash and store.
Who it is for
Serious home cooks who slice at varied thicknesses, knead dough regularly, and want a decade-plus machine.
Motor and dough performance
The 1,200-watt induction motor is the headline and it delivers: stiff bread dough that stalls 700-watt machines kneads without complaint, and the motor runs cooler and quieter than universal motors at the same load. The 16-cup bowl handles double batches. If dough is your primary use case, this is the only pick here engineered for it rather than merely capable of it.
The slicing disc
The variable slicing disc adjusts across 24 settings from 0.3mm to 8mm, which is the single biggest functional advantage over every rival here. Paper-thin potato chips for gratins, thick tomato slices, and everything between come from one disc with a dial adjustment. The micro-serrated S-blade also holds its edge longer than standard stamped blades, which shows up in cleaner cuts on herbs and delicate produce.
Size and ownership
This is a large, heavy machine that wants a permanent spot; hauling it from a high cabinet gets old. The extra-wide 5.5-inch feed tube takes whole potatoes and blocks of cheese, genuinely reducing prep. More parts mean more washing and more storage, though everything nests in the bowl. Build quality matches the price: this feels like a ten-year appliance.
How it stacks up
Against the Cuisinart 14-Cup, the Breville wins on every performance axis (motor, slicing range, bowl size) and loses on price by roughly 2x; the Cuisinart remains the rational buy for everyone who does not specifically need the Breville's advantages. Against the KitchenAid 13-Cup, the Breville is more powerful and more precise, while the KitchenAid is easier to assemble and adjust mid-job; the Breville is the performance pick, the KitchenAid the convenience pick.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- Very powerful with sharp, versatile blades
- Adjustable slicing disc
- Sturdy, premium build
Common complaints
- Plastic bowl clips can break over time
- Paint on the base can chip
- Accessories may not be covered by warranty
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
Key specifications
- Bowl capacity
- 16 cups
- Motor
- 1,200 watts (induction)
- Slicing disc
- Variable, 24 settings from 0.3mm to 8mm
- Blade
- Micro-serrated S-blade
- Feed chute
- Extra-wide 5.5-inch
Also consider
Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor (DFP-14BCNY)
The workhorse standard: 14 cups, 720 watts, decades of proven design.
- Bowl capacity: 14 cups
- Motor: 720 watts
KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor
The ergonomic pick: external slicing lever and snap-together assembly.
- Bowl capacity: 13 cups
- Speeds: High / Low / Pulse
Research-based assessment. ThePickLedger has not hands-on tested this product; this evaluation synthesizes manufacturer specifications, retailer documentation, and published expert reviews.
Questions, answered
Is the 24-setting slicing disc worth it?
If you slice vegetables often and care about thickness, yes: it replaces multiple fixed discs and the range from 0.3mm to 8mm covers every home use from chips to gratins.
How loud is the induction motor?
Quieter than universal motors under load, especially with dough. It is still a food processor; expect conversation-level noise, not silence.
Will it fit in a standard cabinet?
Measure first. The 16-cup bowl and tall feed assembly make it one of the tallest processors; many owners give it permanent counter space.