Hamilton Beach 70730 Food Processor Chops and Shreds With Fewer Scrape-Downs

A full-size food processor earns its cabinet space when it removes repeated work, not merely when it spins a blade. The Hamilton Beach 70730 is a 10-cup processor built around that distinction. Its lid carries a manual bowl-scraper attachment, so ingredients clinging to the sides can be pushed back toward the blade without stopping the motor, unlocking the lid and reaching in with a spatula.

That feature makes the 70730 most persuasive for hummus, dips, chopped vegetables and other foods that creep up the bowl wall. It also includes a chopping/mixing blade and a reversible slicing/shredding disc, giving one machine several everyday prep roles. The case is less convincing for quiet kitchens, adjustable slicing or demanding dough work, where independent tests expose clear limits.

The bowl scraper cuts a familiar interruption

Hamilton Beach says the built-in attachment can scrape the bowl while the processor runs. A handle on top of the lid rotates the scraper along the side, moving stranded food back toward the chopping blade. That avoids the usual sequence of switching off, removing the pusher and lid, scraping by hand, relocking everything and restarting.

The benefit is not just speed. Returning food to the active area can improve consistency when a puree or mince sticks above the blade. Tom's Guide found the scraper useful on hummus and ingredients along the upper bowl, while also noting that it stops about an inch above the bottom. It cannot replace a spatula for material packed beneath the blade or low in a heavy dough. Buy the scraper for fewer interruptions, not as a promise that every mixture will become hands-off.

A 10-cup bowl handles more than chopping

The exact 70730 combines a stainless-steel chopping/mixing blade with a reversible stainless-steel disc. One side of the disc slices; the other shreds. Hamilton Beach lists two speeds plus pulse and a 450-watt motor, while the 10-cup bowl gives chopped vegetables, grated cheese or dip room to circulate. The large feed chute can accept bigger pieces, although the manufacturer still recommends similarly sized 1-inch pieces when using the chopping blade for uniform results.

Independent testing helps define what those specifications mean. TechGearLab reported strong chopping and pureeing results, including good performance on carrots, and rated mixing as a weaker task. Tom's Guide produced consistent onion, potato and carrot results in its tests, but the slicing disc offers only one thickness. This is a practical all-rounder for routine chopping, shredding, slicing and pureeing; it is not the right purchase when precise slice thickness or specialized dough performance matters.

Removable parts simplify cleanup, with one awkward spot

The official product page says the bowl, lid and blades are dishwasher safe, and the manual narrows that to the top rack while warning against a sanitizing cycle. The bowl and lid can also be washed in hot, soapy water. Those removable pieces make cleanup more approachable after sticky dips or grated cheese.

The motor shaft is fixed to the base, however. Tom's Guide found its ridges harder to clean because the shaft cannot go to the sink, so residue around it must be wiped carefully on the machine. The sharp blade and disc also demand deliberate handling. Cleanup is easier than on a machine with more nested accessories, but it is not completely drop-everything-in-the-dishwasher simple.

Choose it for flexible prep, not quiet precision

At 15.47 inches high, 10.25 inches wide and 8.43 inches deep according to Hamilton Beach, the 70730 offers a relatively narrow footprint for a 10-cup machine. Suction feet help it stay put, and the pulse setting gives direct control over chopped texture. Those details suit a household that prepares salsa, hummus, vegetables and shredded cheese often enough to value speed but does not need a premium accessory system.

Noise is the clearest tradeoff. Tom's Guide measured 93.9 dBA during testing, while TechGearLab also described the machine as loud relative to stronger performers. The bowl scraper's limited reach and the fixed slicing thickness add two more boundaries. The Hamilton Beach 70730 is worth considering when reduced scrape-downs, a useful 10-cup bowl and several basic processing jobs matter more than quiet operation, adjustable cuts or refined mixing. If those latter qualities lead the list, a heavier processor with an adjustable disc and stronger independent mixing scores will justify the extra space.