Black+Decker FP4200B Food Processor Review

The design idea that sets this machine apart is the lid. The work bowl drops onto the base and the lid itself is the locking mechanism, so you line up one part instead of two. A processor that refuses to start because a tab sits a few degrees off is the classic frustration of the category, and this layout removes most of it.

Chopping and pureeing with the S-blade

The stainless S-blade handles onions, herbs and canned tomatoes well. Reviews at other retailers describe a can of plum tomatoes turned into a smooth puree in about five seconds and parsley minced just as fast. Pesto comes out on par with machines that cost many times more, and buyers on Amazon most often praise the quality of the results.

Slicing and shredding with the reversible disc

One stainless disc flips over for slicing or shredding. Reviews at other retailers report semi-hard cheese coming out mostly as long, clean shreds, and vegetables sliced uniformly when fed through the chute. Cold meats slice well too, as long as they go in cold.

Size and cleanup

The 8-cup bowl is big enough for a batch of salsa, hummus or a pie crust and small enough to keep on the counter. The machine measures 8.7 inches wide, 8.9 inches deep and 15.2 inches tall, with a cord wrap and slip-resistant feet. All removable parts are dishwasher-safe on the top rack, and buyers on Amazon often mention how easy the machine is to clean.

The motor

The 450 W motor is the standard for this class of machine and is adequate for the chopping, slicing and shredding it is built for. Buyers on Amazon most often praise the quality of what it produces, and the large majority of ratings are four or five stars.

Noise is the complaint that comes up most among Amazon buyers, and reviews at other retailers describe the motor as very loud. Plan around it if your kitchen opens onto a living room or a sleeping child's room.

One slice thickness each way

The reversible disc gives you one slice thickness and one shred size. There is no adjustable slicer and no dicing kit, so thin-and-thick slicing is out. Onion slices come out thicker than some cooks want, and reviews at other retailers note that slicing and shredding are not always perfectly even.

A small feed tube

You will quarter tomatoes and halve potatoes before they fit. Reviews at other retailers describe tomato slices coming out slightly on a diagonal because of the narrow chute.

An unsealed bowl and no oil hole

The bowl is not sealed at the center spindle, so thin liquids can weep around the shaft. Treat the 8 cups as a dry measure and keep liquid jobs modest. There is also no drizzle hole in the lid, so adding oil for hummus or a dressing means lifting the lid.

Durability is the real caveat

Buyers on Amazon are divided on functionality and on value, and the durability topic draws mostly negative comments, with some buyers reporting the machine stops working. One buyer on Amazon points to the plastic rather than the motor: the disc's center hub separating from its plastic mount and a cracked center post are the reported failures, and how long the machine lasts depends on how hard it is run and how the plastic parts are washed. The warranty is 2 years, limited, so register the machine, hand-wash the plastic parts where you can, and do not overload the bowl.

It is not a blender

Do not expect smooth smoothies or silky soup purees. The manual also rules out grinding coffee, grains, bones or hard spices, and slicing or chopping warm meat.

The 3-in-1 name refers to chop and mix, slice and shred, not to three separate blades. The box holds two cutting tools: the S-blade and the one reversible disc. Shoppers expecting a third attachment should know that before ordering.

The 8-cup bowl is the figure to plan around: it holds a batch of salsa or a pie crust comfortably, and the 15.2-inch height means the machine needs clearance under a wall cabinet to sit on the counter with the lid on.

Onions and herbs go through the S-blade with short pulses for control. Tomatoes and vegetables slice through the feed tube once you cut them down to size, and reviews at other retailers note that the slices come out slightly diagonal from the narrow chute.

Cheese and cold meats

Semi-hard cheese shreds cleanly through the disc. Chill softer cheese briefly before shredding, and freeze mozzarella for 15 to 20 minutes first so it does not smear. Slice pepperoni and other cold meats cold, never warm.

Pie crust and light dough

The S-blade brings pastry together in a few pulses. Reviews at other retailers report pizza dough kneaded without the machine walking across the counter. The manual publishes no dough capacity, so treat the FP4200B as a light-dough machine and keep stiff bread dough out of it.

Hummus, salsa and pesto

These are among its best jobs. Reviews at other retailers put the pesto on par with a machine costing many times more. Lift the lid to drizzle oil, since there is no hole for it.

Nut butter

Nut butter is possible in short stints. Work in two-to-three-minute bursts and let the motor rest between them, because no run-time limit is published. One specialist review notes that a long-term owner's homemade peanut butter came out smooth and the machine didn't overheat like her old one.

What to skip

Leave smoothies, soup purees, coffee and grain grinding, hard spices, bones and large batches of thin liquid to other equipment. Reviews at other retailers also found nuts chopped poorly, with little beyond dust at the bottom of the bowl.

The owner's manual sets limits that keep the machine working and the plastic intact. Fill the bowl no more than half to two-thirds full and never past the maximum fill mark.

• Meat: no more than 2 cups of ¾-inch cubes, very cold, pulsed in short bursts.
• Do not process coffee beans, grains, bones or hard spices.
• Do not slice or chop warm meat.
• Use only hot, never boiling, liquids, and use the feed-tube funnel for oil, flour or sugar.
• Processing nuts or hard foods may scratch the bowl's interior finish.
• Remove the bowl from the base before removing the blade.
• Quick clean: warm water with a drop of dish soap, run briefly, then rinse.

Assembly runs in one order: bowl onto the base, center shaft, blade or disc, lid, twist to lock, then the pusher in place. If the machine will not start, check that the bowl and lid are locked and the pusher is seated. After an overload, let it rest 10 to 15 minutes before trying again.

Wash the removable parts on the top rack of the dishwasher, and hand-wash the plastic parts when you can, since one buyer on a forum suspects dishwasher heat makes the plastic brittle. Store the parts nested in the documented order to protect the blade and disc. Register the 2-year limited warranty when the machine arrives.