Making flavorful and fragrant pestos, pastes and marinades, is a lot easier with a mini food processor. A mini chopper is a compact and lightweight alternative to a food processor that is designed to handle smaller quantities. I have to really need my full size processor because it entails getting out my step ladder and heaving the beast down to the counter. It’s also more to clean. For everyday chopping, mini choppers typically come wiith only one blade so clean up is pretty painless and they fit on my pantry shelf.
If you aren’t confident with your knife skills or don’t want your eyes to stream when cutting onions, a mini chopper may be just what you are looking for. When my James Beard award winning husband ,first saw my devotion to mine he chuckled. He had mad knife skills and though the mini chopper was unsophisticated. But, he quickly changed his mind. So much so, that he use to joke that if we ever separated he wanted custody of mini chopper. For a home cook, they are great. They can either produce a rough chop for pastas and soups. It can also blend fine pastes or sauces for a smoky romesco sauce or vegan kale pesto.
The best mini choppers for 2024
- KitchenAid Mini Chopper 5KFC3516
- Cuisinart Cordless Mini Prep Pro
- Russell Hobbs 24662 Desire Mini Chopper
- Bosch Mini Chopper MMR08
- Kenwood Mini Chopper CH180A
- Homgeek Food Chopper
- Lakeland Mini Chopper Plus
- Cuisinart Mini Prep Pro
- KitchenAid Mini Chopper 5KFC3516
Pros:
- Available in a variety of colors
- Includes a small funnel for liquids
- Features a pouring lip
- Easy-to-use pulse button
- Dishwasher safe
Cons:
- On the expensive side
Overall Rating: 5/5
Equipped with several useful features like a small funnel for liquids and a pouring lip, it’s no wonder the KitchenAid mini chopper earned the top spot. It comes with an 830ml bowl capacity, providing a working capacity of 500ml, and is available in various colors to match any kitchen decor.
Whether you’re chopping or blitzing, this KitchenAid model offers complete control. Chopped ingredients come out fine and evenly cut, while our Thai green curry paste turned out silky smooth. Although it’s one of the more expensive models on the market, the superior quality of the results makes it a worthwhile investment.
2. Cuisinart Cordless Mini Prep Pro
Pros:
- 15-minute run time
- Generous capacity
- Drizzle hole
- Powerful blades
- Dishwasher safe
- Safe to use
Cons:
- Long charge time
Overall Rating: 5/5
This cordless mini chopper is an upgraded version of Cuisinart’s original Mini Prep Pro. It features a powerful motor capable of chopping and grinding. A full charge takes two hours and provides a generous 15 minutes of continuous chopping time.
The cordless Mini Prep Pro excelled in our wet and dry chopping tests, effortlessly producing a smooth paste. Its cordless design keeps work surfaces tidy and safe, making it a convenient option for travel, especially for UK staycations, where it can assist with cooking needs.
3. Russell Hobbs 24662 Desire Mini Chopper
Pros:
- Powerful
- Easy to operate
- Large capacity bowl
- Comes with a useful storage lid
Cons:
- Heavier than some models
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
One of the standout features of this sleek model is its one-touch operation. Simply press the button on top of the mini chopper to slice, dice, and chop your ingredients. We appreciated the handy additional lid, which allows the bowl to double as storage for your food.
The base unit is large and comfortable to hold, making it easy to operate. This design enables you to process large batches of ingredients or use it for extended periods with ease. Overall, for its affordability, ease of use, and effectiveness, it offers great value for money.
4. Bosch Mini Chopper MMR08
Pros:
- Large capacity chopping bowl
- Dishwasher safe components
- Simple controls
Cons:
- Chopping speed is difficult to control
- No non-stick feet
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
This uniquely designed mini chopper operates without buttons or switches; it is powered by simply pushing down on the lid. With a generous 800ml bowl capacity, it provides ample space for small to medium chopping tasks.
While controlling the blade speed was a bit challenging, it handled firm ingredients like onions well. However, it struggled with chopping bread for breadcrumbs, producing inconsistent results. On the other hand, our Thai green curry paste turned out perfectly chopped and consistent. Priced at under £30, this mini chopper is a bargain.
5. Kenwood Mini Chopper CH180A
Pros:
- Very compact
- Some elements are dishwasher-safe
- Includes a dripper for liquids and oils
Cons:
- Quite loud
- Bowl capacity is limited, fitting just about a small onion
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
This self-contained mini chopper from Kenwood is a neat and compact machine. It features a dual-control system: pushing the control button halfway down activates speed one, while pushing it all the way down activates speed two. The bowl is easy to fit and remove, making this mini chopper incredibly simple to use.
However, the chopper bowl has a small 150ml capacity, making it difficult to fit even a small onion inside. Despite this, it chopped onions, herbs, and breadcrumbs brilliantly. We had to reduce our curry paste recipe by two-thirds to ensure all the ingredients would fit, so we recommend this model for singletons or couples.
6. Homgeek Food Chopper
Pros:
- Sleek all-rounder
- Four blades
- Capable of mincing meat
- Large bowl
Cons:
- Dual blades are tricky to affix and take apart
- Could be too large for smaller households
Overall Rating: 4/5
This efficient model excels at chopping, blending, puréeing, mixing, and even mincing, completing each task in approximately 10 seconds.
It features a large, 1.8-litre capacity bowl available in stainless steel or glass. Despite being the largest among those we tested, the metal bowl was surprisingly lightweight. The stainless steel power unit is relatively heavy, comparable to other models of similar design.
A standout feature is the bowl’s included lid, allowing you to store ingredients for later use without needing to transfer them to another container.
7. Lakeland Mini Chopper Plus
Pros:
- Compact
- Nifty
- Simple to operate
Cons:
- Could be too small for larger families
Overall Rating: 4/5
Lakeland’s mini chopper is one of the smallest and most compact models we tested, capable of handling nuts, breadcrumbs, meat, and fish. It efficiently processes everyday portions of onions and ingredients, though, for larger households, a bigger model might be necessary.
Operating this mini chopper is straightforward with its one-touch operation. The bowl and lid are dishwasher-safe but similar to most models we tested, the blade is not.
8. Cuisinart Mini Prep Pro
Pros:
- Two settings
- Can tackle coffee beans, nuts, and more
Cons:
- Can be tricky to lock into place
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Pro boasts a 900ml bowl capacity, which is larger than most models we tested, making it ideal for large households or those who like to batch cook or prepare meals in advance. It features a dual blade system: one curved and sharp for chopping and mixing, and the other flatter and more blunt for tasks like grinding. Despite its capabilities, it remains surprisingly compact. Aesthetically, it is attractive enough to display on the counter yet can also be easily stored away without occupying too much space. It’s a powerhouse and an essential kitchen gadget for enthusiastic cooks.
Factors to Consider Mini Food Processors
Manual vs. Electric Operation
Most food processors are electric, but there are some quality manual models worth considering. A manual processor is ideal if you prefer not to deal with cords or batteries, or if you will be using it in a place without electricity. For everyday use, an electric model with motors between 200 and 400 watts is your best option. I prefer an electric one.
Size and Cup Capacity
Mini food processors generally range from 2 to 5 cups in capacity. A 3- to 3.5-cup capacity is often ideal for smaller kitchen tasks, but your needs might dictate choosing a slightly smaller or larger model. If you’re looking to quickly dice or puree small quantities of vegetables or herbs for easy meal prep, a smaller capacity will suffice. For making healthy servings of dips or spreads, a larger capacity might be better. Choose a mini processor that fits your intended use or be prepared to complete tasks in smaller batches.
Mini-food processors are great because they can perform many of the functions of a full-sized food processor without taking up as much space. This makes them a good choice if space is a concern or if you don’t need to make large batches often.
Speed Settings and Controls
Mini-food processors offer limited control over speed and cut size. However, some models come with multiple speeds, usually around two. Models like the KitchenAid 3.5-Cup Food Processor and the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus are favored because they offer multiple speeds, allowing for better control and precision when chopping and grinding. During testing, models with only one-speed setting often required more manual adjustments to achieve the desired consistency. If you mainly use your mini processor for sauces or purees, a one-speed model will work fine.
Ease of Cleaning
The blades of food processors are sharp, which is important to remember when removing contents and hand-washing. Most mini food processors have dishwasher-safe parts, but you should confirm this before purchasing. Blade placement can affect how easily bits of food get stuck inside. Brands like Ninja, KitchenAid, and Cuisinart typically offer dishwasher-safe and easy-to-clean models.
Our Expertise
I’m a food blogger, and former restaurant owner and hosted “Daphne Dishes” on the Food Network. I am an Amazon affiliate and could earn a small commission through the links used. But, I really like mini food processors.
