Breville the Paradice 16: the food processor that means business
Breville Paradice 16: Two-minute review
When it comes to premium kitchen appliances, Australian brand Breville (known as Sage in the UK) has become synonymous with quality and innovation (just ask my mother – she’s still using her Breville mixer from circa 1987). And I’m convinced the Paradice 16 food processor is no exception – it’s so solidly built, and with a powerful 900W motor that comes with a 30-year warranty, there’s a good chance one of my kids will inherit it and continue using it.
The Paradice 16 is essentially a brawnier version of the Breville Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro, meaning it can handle a lot more than the older 5 star-rated food processor. It launched alongside the Breville Kitchen Wizz 16 (called the Sage Kitchen Wizz 16 in the UK and Breville Sous Chef 16 in the US), which is practically identical but doesn’t come with what the Aussie brand is calling the Paradice Kit.
And it’s this ‘kit’ that sets the Paradice 16 apart from any other food processor I’ve tried – it uses two attachments to perform precision dicing in two different sizes. It includes an 8mm and a 16mm dicing disc which are paired with their own slicing attachments to perform a 2-in-1 function simultaneously for the perfect dice. The kit also includes a potato peeler, but I found this attachment to be rather superfluous – it might be able to peel 6-7 potatoes at a time, but the peeling isn’t even and the potatoes need to be round and of a specific size.
Other than its peeling and dicing prowess, the Paradice 16 can help with all the other usual food-prep chores – slicing, shredding, pureéing, kneading dough and whipping. It even has a French fry attachment to cut evenly-cut chips.
While its 16-cup / 3.6L capacity bowl is great for large quantities, it inherits the Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro’s smaller 2.5-cup / 1L inner bowl for the smaller jobs. There’s also a smaller chute included that can shrink the 140mm main chute to just 45mm for when you don’t need to shove a large potato into the bowl below.
The Paradice 16 is remarkably easy to use and its 900W motor makes it quite powerful. It's also what makes it rather noisy and heavy too. Breville doesn’t specify how much the base alone weighs, but I suspect it comes close to the 9kg / 19.8 lbs that the Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro weighs with the bowls fitted. And that’s not taking into account the two large boxes filled to rafters with the various attachments and blades. Yes, there are two. So, unlike the Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro, which comes with one box of attachments, you’re going to need a lot of storage space for the Paradice 16.
You’re also going to need a decent amount of spare cash to get your hands on this kitchen pro, but then pros don’t come cheap, do they?
Breville Paradice 16 review: Price and availability
- Announced late 2023
- List price of $699.95 / £579.95 / AU$899
There’s no denying the Paradice 16 is an expensive food processor at its $699.95 / £579.95 / AU$899 price point. However, it can be a worthwhile investment if you really put all its functions and abilities to good use. Its performance and durability also justify the expense. It's a case of ‘you get what you pay for’ and, in this instance, you're getting a lot.
If you don’t need all the bells and whistles that the Paradice 16 offers, you can opt for the Kitchen Wizz 16 (Sous Chef 16), which is identical but misses out on the Paradice Kit for dicing. It will set you back $499.95 / £469.95 / AU$729.
If that’s also too high a price, the Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro will set you back £419.95/ $399.95 / AU$699. There are cheaper alternatives available from other brands like KitchenAid and Ninja Kitchen, but none of them do as much as the Breville Paradice 16.
• Value score: 4 / 5
Breville Paradice 16 specs
Breville Paradice 16 review: Design
- Similar design to older Breville Kitchen Wizz series food processors
- Heavy base
- Two large storage boxes for the attachments
Breville is doing well sticking to its design aesthetic – rounded corners on the brushed stainless steel base housing the motor and controls give it a slight vintage look, but that base is heavy as! Not only does it weigh quite a bit, it’s also a bulky appliance, measuring 45 x 28.7 x 23.4 cm (17.7 x 11.3 x 9.2 inches) for the main unit. You also need to factor in two storage boxes for the various blades and attachments – each measuring 21.1 x 32 x 27.7 cm (21.1 x 32 x 27.7 cm).
One of these boxes houses the Paradice Kit, which contains two dicing blades – one 8mm and the other 16mm – each of which has a paired slicing blade that works in tandem. The paired blades are color coded, which is handy. Also in the Kit is the potato peeler. The other box is home to the other attachments – adjustable slicer, reversible shredding disc, French fry disc, Quad blade, dough blade, mini blade and the smaller-capacity 2.5-cup / 1L inner bowl.
So this is an appliance that is best left on the kitchen counter, plus you’ll need the additional storage space for the attachments. While it might be space-saving if you stow the attachments out of their boxes, I wouldn’t recommend it – the blades are ridiculously sharp and accidents can happen.
No matter what you need the Paradice 16 for, all the parts quickly click together and setting it up is very intuitive. Labels are provided on the bowl and lid to mark which direction they need to be turned to lock into place. The main bowl has a pronounced lip for pouring and a chute that can be configured to fit different-sized foods – going from a wide 140mm to a narrow 45mm.
The magic happens in that heavy base, which has three large buttons – power, start/stop and pulse. There are also up and down buttons to set a timer, which is displayed on a small screen in the middle of the base.
Given the large number of attachments that ship with the Paradice 16, I would suggest you take a look at the user manual. While there are no recipes on there, it is helpful in figuring out what blade you can use for what purpose and, handily, how to get the best results with the peeler.
• Design score: 4.5 / 5
Breville Paradice 16 review: Performance
- Simple to assemble
- Powerful and noisy
- Very versatile
I’m a busy mum, so as soon as I got the Breville Paradice 16, I began experimenting with all the attachments to see which would best streamline my cooking process, so I got familiar with them rather quickly.
While I didn’t find myself reaching for the dicing kits too often, I found the others quite useful, particularly the S-blade (what Breville calls the Quad blade). It’s the go-to for a lot of chopping, mixing and pureéing. The Paradice 16 fitted with the Quad blade effortlessly blitzed right through cooked chunky vegetables to create a smooth, creamy consistency I wanted for a soup.
The slicing discs, which come in different thicknesses, I found to be incredibly useful for prepping salads – the uniform slices made for some beautiful presentations and also made sure I had even cooking in my gratins. I also used the shredding disc frequently for quick coleslaws and to hide vegetables in my Bolognese sauce – such a breeze to add extra nutrition into my kids’ meals without them noticing.
I found the julienne blade to be a bit of a novelty, but it worked wonders for making carrot-stick snacks and garnishes. The plastic dough blade surprised me with how well it kneaded dough for homemade bread and pizza for the kids, saving me time and effort.
My absolute favorite attachment, however, has to be the French fry cutter – fresh chips are always a hit in my home and the Paradice 16 makes it quick and easy to make fries for impromptu snacks or family meals.
The biggest disappointment was the peeler attachment. While handy, it’s a bit hit and miss. Breville says it’s best for potatoes, but I hoped it would work for other fruit and vegetables too. Unfortunately, the produce you need to peel has to be of consistent size, which isn’t ideal for anyone who shops for the ‘odd bunch’ at farmers’ markets.
Let’s talk about power. The Breville Paradice 16 boasts a 900-watt motor, which is quite powerful. During my tests, this strength translated into incredible speed and efficiency no matter the task at hand. It’s also what makes the appliance quite noisy, clocking up an average of 85dB in most of my sound tests measured using the Decibel X iOS app – that's about how loud heavy traffic would sound, or a noisy bar.
I used the Breville Paradice 16 to make a variety of dishes and each task was completed quickly and with professional-level precision, cutting my prep time in half.
That said, I found that food would occasionally spill out of the small bowl and into the main canister, which annoyingly increased my cleaning-up time when this happened.
• Performance score: 5 / 5
Should I buy the Breville Paradice 16 food processor?
Buy it if...
You want a pro in the kitchen
It’s really fast and efficient, and if you need to prep food for a large family – or you own your own cafe or restaurant – the Breville Paradice 16 can save you a lot of time and effort.
You want a versatile kitchen helper
While most food processors are good at chopping, shredding and pureéing, the Paradice 16 will do a heck of a lot more, including dicing in two different sizes, julienning and cutting fries.
You like storage solutions with your appliances
Like other Breville food processors, the Paradice 16 has all its blades and spindles stowed away in two large boxes. Not only does this reduce the risk of accidents happening on blades left lying on a shelf, but everything is neat and tidy.
Don't buy it if...
You don’t have a lot of storage space
Not only is the unit bulky and heavy, which means it needs to live on your countertop, you’re also going to need more cabinet or cupboard space to tuck the two storage boxes away.
You don’t need so many bells and whistles
If you aren’t going to regularly make use of the dicing kit, you could save a little cash opting for a cheaper Breville food processor if you’re a fan of the brand. If not, and you don’t need to cut fries or julienne, you could save even more by opting for a smaller and cheaper model from other brands like KitchenAid or Ninja Kitchen.
You want dishwasher-safe parts
While Breville claims the bowls can be placed in the dishwasher, the manual suggests this shouldn’t be done too often as the plastic could spoil due repeated exposure to hot water and harsh detergents.
Also consider
If you’re not sure if the Breville Paradice 16 is for you, I’ve listed a couple of other options below for you to consider.
Breville the Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro
If you love what Breville has to offer but want something a little cheaper, then the Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro is on the top of our best food processor list. It’s powerful, just as quick and efficient, but also just as noisy. It shares a lot of similarities with the newer model but doesn’t have as many blades as the Paradice 16 – there’s only one box of attachments that you need to store away.
Read our in-depth Breville/Sage Kitchen Wizz 15 Pro review
Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ (BN801)
This is a food processor and blender in one, providing help with food prep via an 8-cup bowl, plus whipping up your daily smoothie in to-go cups that ship in the box. A 1400W motor blitzes through ice, seeds and nuts easily. While we haven’t tested this specific model, we love the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ and think the Professional Plus will do just as well, if not better. The BN801 model is not available in Australia, but the Ninja Blender System With Auto-IQ (BL682) is the closest option Down Under.
How I tested the Breville Paradice 16
- Used over a period of two months for various food-prep tasks
- Tested the different blades to see how well they perform
- Different types of raw and cooked produced were used, plus flour was kneaded
As soon as I received the Breville Paradice 16, I first spent some time getting familiar with the different blades and spindles supplied in the box. I read the user manual to get an idea of what the appliance was capable of.
I used it to prep for various other dishes. Over a period of a couple of months, I used the food processor to knead dough for homemade bread and pizza, plus create fillings for quiches and sausage rolls. As I mentioned earlier in the review, I also used it to make Bolognese sauce with hidden vegetables and veggie soup, and also used it to slice fresh salad produce. I also tried the peeler and the grater attachments.
I took note of how easy it was to clean the different parts of the food processor, including the attachments. While Breville claims the bowls are dishwasher safe, the manual recommends not doing so regularly, so I resorted to using the dishwasher once only to clean the smaller bowl, but hand-washed everything else.
Read more about how we test
[First reviewed July 2024]
0 comments:
Post a Comment