Whether you love cooking or simply want to make your life easier whenever possible, having a decent food processor in your kitchen is a must. However, in a sea of price ranges and functionalities, it can be difficult to know which one is worth the money and will meet your needs. To help you make the most out of your budget, we’ve compiled a list of three great options that will make your life infinitely better.

1. Cuisinart’s 14 Cup Food Processor

The best things in life are often the simplest. With just two buttons, this beast of a food processor is super easy to clean and use and can successfully blend just about anything. It’s definitely on the pricey side of things but, judging by it being the most popular option on Amazon, it’s most probably worth the money. You can currently find it for a little under $230.

2. KitchenAid’s 3.5 Cup Food Chopper

Can there ever be a list of top-performing food processors that don’t have a KitchenAid device in it? The quick answer is: No. Much like everything else by this brand, its 3.5 cup food chopper is more than worth buying. Priced at a little under $55, this awesome gadget is perfect for blending nuts, herbs, small veggies, and fruits. If you love to color-coordinate your kitchen, you’ll be happy to know it comes in so many cute colors ranging from modern silver to retro mint green.

3. Ninja’s Food Chopper Express Chop

If your knife skills aren’t your finest feature, don’t worry. That’s what food choppers like this Ninja gadget are for. Getting a food processor that can quickly mince garlic, nuts, spices, herbs, and carrots is essential if you don’t want to spend too much time prepping meals in your kitchen. The best part? You will java evenly cut food without accidentally chopping off a finger or inflicting other damage to yourself.

A great tomato sauce can be the basis of many delicious meals. Whether you feel like making spaghetti, ratatouille, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, or anything else with a tomato base, this sauce will work wonderfully. It’s simple to make, uses fresh ingredients, and making the sauce is a great activity to involve the kids in!

The Perks of Homemade Tomato Sauce

Although tomato sauce from a can is sometimes more convenient, homemade is always better because you can avoid all the chemicals and additives used to keep canned or jarred sauces fresh. What’s more, having complete control over the ingredients, you can make sure the flavors are exactly to your liking by increasing or cutting back on garlic, substituting onions for shallots, and more.

Recipe Variants With Fresh Tomatoes

If you choose to go with fresh tomatoes, grape and cherry tomatoes are usually available throughout the year in supermarkets. To make around four servings of tomato sauce, use two pints of these types of tomatoes and follow one of the simple recipes below!

A Pan Sauce With Cherry Tomatoes

To make a cherry tomato pan sauce, heat a bit of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and place in halved cherry tomatoes with some minced garlic to your taste. After about 20 minutes of cooking, you should get a stirrable sauce. At that point, add salt and pepper, and any preferred dry herbs, like basil or oregano.

Roasted Tomatoes for a Smokier Flavor

Another alternative is making the tomato sauce with roasted cherry tomatoes, in which case you keep the tomatoes whole. Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer in a baking dish and drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for up to 25 minutes until the tomatoes split open and the skin begins to lightly char. Transfer them into a bowl, season to taste, and mix!