This machine is a good supplement to a full-size model, or it’s a great alternative, if you don’t want to spend a lot. In our tests, this processor even performed better than the mini bowl attachments that come with some of the larger processors. It’s too small for kneading bread dough and lacks the attachments to shred or slice, but it’s great for completing basic tasks quickly, and it’s easier to clean and store than a full-size model.
You can’t knead dough or shred ingredients in it, but you can grind or chop small portions of vegetables or nuts, which is more tedious to do by hand. While these manual choppers still require a little bit of elbow grease to chop down into the veggies, it’s still much easier and quicker than chopping all of these veggies by hand. They are quite compact as well, so if you don’t have a ton of extra kitchen space, you’ll likely still be able to fit a manual food chopper into a drawer or cabinet. In the lab, we evaluate each model’s ability to chop almonds and onions uniformly, grate Parmesan cheese, and purée peas and carrots into a smooth mixture. We also measure noise, because while all models are noisy, some are much more grating than others.
There’s no need to worry about any shards of steel ending up in your food and you won’t have to replace your blade for a long time because they can really withstand the test of time. Chopping onions is one of the most grueling kitchen tasks, particularly for people who tend to get watery eyes while chopping—not to mention the annoying scent that clings to fingers. In testing, we found that this tool was efficient at cutting onions, and unlike cutters with moving blades, this one made neat, even cuts.
A nonskid ring on the bottom of the bowl keeps it from slipping, so you just rest a hand on top and pull the handle with the other hand. In testing, we also found it easy to hold the chopper at an angle when we needed to encourage small amounts of food to fall into the cuisinart choppers blades. You can use this device to make a salsa, prepare ingredients for a soup, cut up cheese for a charcuterie board or chop onions without crying your eyes out. The Sous Chef is solidly built, with a hefty base that weighs about 15½ pounds (excluding the bowl).
Most have dishwasher-safe parts, but you’ll want to confirm that before making your purchase. Additionally, the blade placement makes all the difference in how easily bits of food can get stuck inside. Ninja, KitchenAid, and Cuisinart are usually dishwasher-safe and easy to clean. In our tests, we found that a 14-cup capacity food processor bowl was ideal for most people.
Both the processor bowl and the chopper have four blades as opposed to two, meaning they are more efficient than most models. This set even comes with storage lids, so you can conveniently store leftovers in the fridge — no additional container required. Overall, it’s ideal for individuals who don’t need a large blender and cuisinart choppers families who want to make medium-sized batches of sauces. In the case of manual food choppers, you will need to cut down food so that it is small enough to fit in the chopper. If you’re not confident in your chopping skills, both manual and electric choppers are easy ways to avoid spending too much time with your knife.
It has a drizzle basin, which lets oil enter at a perfect speed for Caesar dressing or pesto, as well as a patented auto-reserving blade with a blunt edge suitable for grinding spices. You’ll also appreciate the blade-locking system that secures the blade in place while you remove your mixture. This mini processor by culinary appliance leader KitchenAid is our best overall choice for its high functionality and versatility. Buy it alone, or bundle it with an immersion blender or hand mixer in a matching color.
While standard food processors have between 8 and 14 cups of capacity, mini food processors offer 2 to 5 cups for small jobs, such as preparing homemade dressings and dips. Though they don’t have grating or slicing attachments, they can chop an onion or whip up a batch of salad dressing in seconds. Plus, they save you the headache of cleaning a large machine without sacrificing too much power. That said, we also looked at mini food processors (also called mini choppers). Some full-size models come with an extra, smaller bowl that essentially acts as a mini food processor, but in most cases, we found that a dedicated mini processor did a better job.