Two-package comparison
Breville Paradice 12 vs. Paradice 16: one grid or three?
Start with the part you will use, not the number on the bowl
The Paradice 12 BFP738 and Paradice 16 BFP838 share Breville’s current processor family, but the larger model is not simply a bigger bowl. Both packages have wide multi-size feed chutes, adjustable slicing, a reversible shredding disc, an S-Blade, a dedicated dough blade and an included grid-dicing kit. The differences that can change a buying decision are the bowl rating, the dicing grid selection, the French-fry tool, the mini bowl and several control/storage details.
BFP738: twelve cups and one half-inch dice
The BFP738 is the more focused choice if a 12-cup bowl is enough and one half-inch (12 mm) dice size meets the recipes you repeat. Its Paradice 12 kit is included, not an assumption based on the model name. Breville lists a 2-in-1 chute from 2.76 to 5.2 inches, an integrated caddy for the standard S-Blade, shredder, slicer and dough blade, plus the dedicated dicing kit. The published body size is 8.66 × 11.02 × 16.73 inches under a width/depth/height heading. That helps with storage planning, though you still need working clearance for the lid, pusher and bowl.
The 12 mm kit may be enough for regular diced vegetables, salad additions or prep ingredients, but it does not meet an essential 8 mm or 16 mm request. The exact current page does not list a French-fry disc or a nested mini bowl. Do not convert an included grid into a separate fry-cut capability, and do not assume the BFP738 package has the BFP838’s extras. As with any processor, the bowl’s cup figure is not an across-the-board task maximum; use the BFP738-specific booklet for amounts and safe assembly.
BFP838: larger bowl and three grid sizes
The BFP838 is the better documented match when you need a 16-cup main bowl or more choice in dicing. Its included kit has 8, 12 and 16 mm grids, a distributor, geared spindle and cleaning parts. It also adds a French-fry disc and a mini bowl with blade, useful if a smaller chopping workflow matters alongside large-batch prep. Breville lists a three-in-one chute up to 5.5 inches, a timer, two accessory-storage containers and a 1,450-watt induction motor. These are package features, not proof of faster or more even results than the smaller model.
The BFP838 manual adds more visible boundaries because the extra grid options are not universal. It prohibits dicing cheese, meat, raw sweet potato and tough-skinned pineapple or watermelon; the grid must be assembled in the right sequence and food must stay below the marked maximum. The manual rates U.S./Canadian bread or pizza dough at up to 2 pounds (900 g) flour with the dough blade and specifies a 30-minute cooldown if overload protection engages. Stiff mixtures that slow the blade should not be run longer than one minute. Those limits matter more than its 16-cup headline.
Cleanup and storage can decide it
More tools mean more individual parts. Breville’s BFP838 manual calls for routine handwashing of the bowl and lid, with only occasional top-rack washing; its dicing gearbox must stay out of the dishwasher. Pushers and many blades/discs can go on the top rack. The product page’s broad dishwasher wording does not replace these part-specific instructions. The BFP738 product page describes its bowl/lid as dishwasher safe, but shoppers should check the exact BFP738 booklet’s care instructions before making all-parts dishwasher cleaning essential.
The BFP838’s published dimension table labels 17.7 × 11.3 × 9.2 inches as width/depth/height, a sequence that is not easy to square with the assembled machine shown. Verify orientation and actual shelf clearance with the exact unit rather than assuming it will fit under a low cabinet. The BFP738’s listed body height is clearer, but it still needs extra room to load and remove its bowl. Either way, storage for the discs and grids is part of the footprint.
Which one should your answers prefer?
Choose the BFP738 for a current 12-cup processor where a single half-inch dicing grid and the common slicing, shredding and dough tools cover your routine. Choose the BFP838 when the extra four cups, multiple dice sizes, fry disc, mini bowl or timer solves a recurring problem. If you need only occasional chopping and have little cabinet space, compare a smaller processor instead; these are both substantial countertop packages. If you want a second small bowl but do not need dicing, an earlier BFP680 has a different 12-cup-plus-mini-bowl arrangement, while the exact BFP738 adds dicing and does not list a mini bowl.
For the full package-specific tradeoffs, read our BFP738 review and BFP838 review. Breville’s own records are useful when matching a listing to a precise model: BFP738BSS1BNA1 product page and BFP738 U.S. instruction book; BFP838BSS1BNA1 product page and BFP838 U.S. instruction book. When buying an older machine or an attachment, verify that the manual and model number match; a compatible accessory does not prove it was in the original box.