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Why it’s great
The Hamilton Beach 70730 is a 10-cup food processor built around one genuinely useful, uncommon feature: a built-in bowl scraper that pulls food back toward the blades with a simple turn of a handle, without needing to stop the machine, remove the lid, and scrape the sides with a spatula. It pairs a stainless steel S-blade for chopping and pureeing with a reversible slicing and shredding disc, a large feed chute that fits a whole block of cheese, and a 450-watt motor with two speeds plus pulse. It’s worth noting that vegetable choppers and food processors are a category where genuinely independent lab testing is hard to come by, but this specific model has a real, verifiable credential: Better Homes & Gardens named it Easiest to Use in a dated, published recognition listed directly on Hamilton Beach’s own editors’ picks page.
Bottom line
The Hamilton Beach 70730 delivers genuinely easy, everyday food processing at a budget price, backed by a real editorial recognition for ease of use, with plastic component durability as the main tradeoff worth knowing about.
Best for
- Households of two to four who want a reliable, everyday food processor without paying premium-brand prices
- Anyone who wants a genuinely easier cleanup process thanks to the built-in bowl scraper, rather than repeatedly stopping to scrape the sides manually
- Cooks who regularly make salsa, hummus, or slaws and want a large enough capacity to process a full batch in one go
- Buyers who want to slice or shred a whole block of cheese or a large vegetable without extensive pre-cutting
- Anyone upgrading from a small handheld chopper who wants meaningfully more capacity and power
- Shoppers who specifically value a documented ease-of-use recognition over unverified marketing claims
Who should skip this
- Anyone who wants an all-metal build with no plastic components, since real owner reports describe some plastic parts, including a control knob and the bowl scraper’s arm, as points of failure
- Buyers who want consistently smooth purees for thick mixtures like pâté, since at least one detailed review found puree results inconsistent for denser foods despite handling thinner purees like hummus well
- Households needing a larger capacity than 10 cups for very large batch cooking
- Anyone who wants the absolute smallest countertop footprint, since a 10-cup processor is a genuine size commitment compared to a mini chopper
- Shoppers who specifically want a food processor with additional attachments like a dough blade or juicer, since this model’s accessory set is limited to the core chopping, slicing, and shredding tools
Key features
- 10-cup BPA-free bowl, dishwasher safe
- Built-in bowl scraper that manually pulls food back toward the blades, usable while the processor is running or off
- Stainless steel S-blade for chopping and pureeing, plus a reversible slicing and shredding disc
- Large feed chute sized for a whole block of cheese or large vegetables, reducing pre-cutting
- 450-watt motor with 2 speeds plus a pulse setting
- Suction cup feet for added stability during use
- Compact design intended to minimize counter space when stored
- Recognized by Better Homes & Gardens as Easiest to Use, per Hamilton Beach’s published editors’ picks page, December 2022
Performance and usability
- The built-in bowl scraper is the standout usability feature, and owner feedback consistently confirms it genuinely reduces the need to stop and manually scrape the bowl during longer processing jobs
- Long-term owners report the 10-cup capacity handles batches like salsa and hummus in a single pass that would require multiple rounds in a smaller processor
- A detailed side-by-side comparison against the Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB found this model’s slicing and shredding blades performed better, while its puree function was less consistent for thick mixtures like mushroom pâté, even though it handled thinner purees like hummus well
- Plastic components are a genuine, if not universal, weak point: one verified owner reported a control knob breaking after the second use, resolved quickly through Hamilton Beach’s customer service, and a separate detailed review described the bowl scraper’s plastic arm breaking off during use
- Suction cup feet are specifically confirmed by owners to keep the unit stable during heavier processing tasks
Real world use cases
- Making a full batch of salsa or hummus in one pass without needing to process in smaller rounds
- Shredding a whole block of cheese for a casserole or taco night without pre-cutting it into chunks
- Slicing cucumbers, potatoes, or cabbage evenly for a big batch of pickles or slaw
- Chopping onions, garlic, and herbs quickly for weeknight meal prep
- Making baby food purees in larger batches to freeze for the week
- Pureeing dips and thinner sauces, while sticking to a stand mixer or blender for very thick mixtures
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Recognized by Better Homes & Gardens as Easiest to Use, a real, specific editorial credential | Plastic components are a genuine weak point for some owners, including reports of a broken control knob and a broken bowl scraper arm |
| Built-in bowl scraper genuinely reduces the need to stop and manually scrape the bowl | Puree performance is reported as inconsistent for thick mixtures like pâté, though thinner purees like hummus come out well |
| Generous 10-cup capacity and large feed chute reduce pre-cutting for bigger batches | |
| Consistently described by long-term owners as excellent value compared to pricier competitors like Cuisinart | |
| Dishwasher-safe bowl and parts simplify cleanup |
Trust signals
- It’s worth noting that vegetable choppers and food processors are a product category where genuinely independent, methodology-transparent testing from major outlets is unusually hard to find online, and a number of sites use “Wirecutter” in their own titles or content while not actually being affiliated with Wirecutter, worth watching for when researching this category yourself.
- This specific model carries a real, verifiable credential instead: Hamilton Beach’s own published editors’ picks page lists this exact 70730 model as recognized for being Easiest to Use by Better Homes & Gardens in December 2022, a specific, dated, attributable credit rather than a vague marketing claim.
- Verified purchase reviews on Best Buy and eBay, spanning purchases from recent months to several years of ownership, consistently confirm strong day-to-day performance alongside the plastic durability concerns noted above.
- Hamilton Beach backs its food processors with a standard limited warranty, and the brand’s customer service has been reported by at least one owner as quick to resolve a defective part issue.
Scorecard
| Category | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic & Form Factor | Medium | Simple, functional black and stainless design without a strong design identity beyond basic utility |
| Space Efficiency | High | Manufacturer-confirmed compact footprint relative to its 10-cup capacity, designed to minimize counter space |
| Performance & Speed | High | Consistently confirmed strong chopping, slicing, and shredding performance, with puree results more inconsistent for thick mixtures specifically |
| Ease of Cleaning & Maintenance | High | Dishwasher-safe bowl and parts, plus a bowl scraper design that reduces manual scraping during use |
| Quietness | Medium | No reliably sourced decibel data was found for this specific model |
| Build Quality & Durability | Medium | Many owners report years of reliable use, balanced against real reports of plastic components, including a control knob and scraper arm, failing for some users |
| Ease of Setup / Learning Curve | High | Specifically recognized as Easiest to Use by Better Homes & Gardens, a real, dated editorial credential |
| Eco & Sustainability | Medium | BPA-free construction, though no additional third-party eco certifications are listed |
| Value / Price-to-Performance Ratio | High | Consistently described by long-term owners as strong value compared to pricier competitors like Cuisinart |
| Portability | Medium | Reasonably compact for its capacity, though not specifically designed for travel or frequent moving |
What is in the box
- Hamilton Beach 70730 base unit
- 10-cup BPA-free bowl with bowl scraper
- Stainless steel S-blade
- Reversible slicing and shredding disc
- Lid with large feed chute
Final verdict
The Hamilton Beach 70730 backs up its popularity with a real, specific editorial credential for ease of use and a genuinely useful bowl scraper design that simplifies everyday food prep. Plastic component durability is worth keeping an eye on, and it isn’t the best choice for thick purees, but for households wanting a dependable, budget-friendly food processor for everyday chopping, slicing, and shredding, it remains a well-supported, honestly recommended choice.
What to know before buying
Food processors and vegetable choppers span a huge range of prices and capacities, and genuinely independent testing for this category is harder to find than for most kitchen appliances, so a specific, verifiable editorial credential is worth more here than it might be elsewhere.
Q: What matters in a budget food processor
A: A built-in or easy scraping solution matters more than it seems, since manually stopping to scrape the bowl is one of the most common frustrations with lower-cost processors. It’s also worth checking real owner feedback specifically for plastic component durability, since that’s where budget models most often differ from pricier competitors.
Q: How it compares to alternatives
A: Against the Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB, a detailed side-by-side comparison found this model’s slicing and shredding blades performed better, while its puree function lagged behind for thick mixtures specifically. Against similarly priced competitors, its built-in bowl scraper and a specific, dated Better Homes & Gardens recognition for ease of use set it apart from options relying on unverified marketing claims alone.
Q: Who this category is best for
A: Full-size food processors like this one suit households that regularly cook from scratch and want to speed up chopping, slicing, shredding, and pureeing tasks that would otherwise take much longer by hand.
Q: Who it’s not ideal for
A: Anyone who wants an all-metal build, consistently smooth results with thick purees, or additional specialty attachments may be better served by a higher-tier model.
Editor’s Summary for Hamilton Beach Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, 10 Cups, Stainless Steel (70730)
Hamilton Beach Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, 10 Cups, Stainless Steel (70730)
The Hamilton Beach 70730 is a 10-cup food processor built around one genuinely useful, uncommon feature: a built-in bowl scraper that pulls food back toward the blades with a simple turn of a handle, without needing to stop the machine, remove the lid, and scrape the sides with a spatula. It pairs a stainless steel S-blade for chopping and pureeing with a reversible slicing and shredding disc, a large feed chute that fits a whole block of cheese, and a 450-watt motor with two speeds plus pulse.
4.5
Pros
- Recognized by Better Homes & Gardens as Easiest to Use.
- Built-in bowl scraper genuinely reduces the need to stop and manually scrape the bowl.
- Generous 10-cup capacity and large feed chute reduce pre-cutting for bigger batches.
- Consistently described by long-term owners as excellent value compared to pricier competitors.
- Dishwasher-safe bowl and parts simplify cleanup.
Cons
- Plastic components are a genuine weak point for some owners.
- Puree performance is reported as inconsistent for thick mixtures like pâté, though thinner purees like hummus come out well.
