Harry Lawrence Every kitchen needs a decent mini chopper. These little micro food processors are perfect for kitchens with limited work surfaces and for wanna-be chefs with limited budgets who can’t afford a ‘full sized’ food processor. Whizzing up an onion and perhaps some garlic in one of these things is far less ‘faffy’ than using a knife, and also saves a lot of tears!
It’s not just the dicing of onions that these mini choppers excel at. Take for instance, grinding nuts or chopping herbs, not only would these tasks pose a risk to your fingers, it’d take quite some time too. Time is also something new mums don’t have much of…a micro food processor is absolutely ideal for puréeing food too.
Combine the space saving element with the cost effectiveness and easy to clean factor of a mini chopper and you’ll be wondering why you didn’t invest in one of these brilliant kitchen gadgets years ago. We’ve scanned the market for the best brands at the best prices without skimping on quality. Here we feature Cuisinart, Salter, Kenwood, Russell Hobbs and the latest kid on the chopping block, Ninja Professional.
Ninja Professional Chopper
Whether you’re whizzing up a salsa for Mexican night or dicing up some veggies for a hearty meal, the Ninja Professional Chopper is the key to finely chopped ingredients without the arm ache. The 500ml BPA-free bowl is the perfect size if you’re cooking for one or two. It also doubles as a stackable container, plus an extra one that you get with the product, so you can pop your freshly chopped ingredients straight into the fridge hassle-free. Some customers did mention that food can get caught in the intricate ridges of the bowl, but this is easily rinsed away and all removable parts are dishwasher safe, making light work of the clean-up.
In terms of functionality, this mini chopper couldn’t be simpler. There is a single pulse button which, in a matter of seconds, can chop, mince or purèe chunky ingredients depending on duration. With a medium power range of 200W, you can chop a variety of different ingredients, including tougher foods such as meats and cheeses, although it’s best to cut these into smaller chunks beforehand.
Because the bowl does double as a storage container, some customers mentioned that the pod doesn’t lock into place, meaning that you need to hold the top of the mini blender when pulsing to prevent it from spinning, but we’ll take that over hand-chopping any day. The dimensions of this product are 14 x 14 x 25cm (LxWxH), a handy size both for tucking into cupboards and having on display without taking up too much space – plus you can enjoy free delivery on Amazon, so if you’re on the lookout for a mini food processor, this is the perfect addition to your kitchen.
Pros and Cons
- Easy to use
- Comes with two stackable containers
- BPA-free bowl
- All removable parts are dishwasher safe
- Free delivery on Amazon
- Some parts might be fiddly to clean
- The top needs to be held in place when blending
Kenwood CH185 Mini Chopper
With sharp stainless steel blades, multiple speed settings and a compact design, the Kenwood CH185 Mini Chopper is small but mighty. The dimensions of this product are 16 x 14 x 20.8cm (LxWxH), so it’s a great choice for smaller workspaces such as flats or dormitory kitchens, but don’t let the size mislead you into believing that this mini chopper can’t perform. The 350ml bowl is the perfect size for sauces, meals for one, and even liquidising baby food, but with a 300W motor, this product can tackle almost anything. With just the touch of a button, the stainless steel blades make light work of intricate chopping, and there is even an oil drip lid which is ideal for making mayonnaise and other tasty dressings. You’ll also find two-speed settings on the processor, so you can choose the desired speed depending on whether you’re looking to finely chop or smoothly purée your ingredients.
There are plenty of design elements to appreciate about this product, too, including the safety interlock and the dishwasher-safe bowl which makes the cleaning process just as easy as the food prep. Some customers mentioned that this mini chopper is on the noisy side, but we think this is a testament to just how powerful this little machine is. Plus, with such high quality blades, your ingredients will be blended in no time, so the noise won’t be a big issue. Meal prep never looked so easy with this handy little chopper, and with free delivery on Amazon, it’s a worthy investment.
Pros and Cons
- Stainless steel blades
- Two speed settings
- Oil drip lid
- Safety interlock
- Dishwasher-safe bowl
- Some customers found it a little noisy
Check Price at John Lewis £19.99 »
Russell Hobbs Mini Chopper
The Russell Hobbs Mini Chopper is at the more affordable end of the spectrum when it comes to mini food processors. Coming in at just £15.99, this product is proof that not all kitchen appliances need to break the bank. With single button operation, a removable dishwasher-safe bowl, and non-slip feet to keep the mini blender in place, there’s no sacrificing quality for cost here. The 130W motor is more than enough to chop well-loved ingredients such as onion, chilli, and garlic, whilst the 500ml bowl is perfect for meals for one or small-batch cooking. Although the bowl of the food processor is on the larger side for a mini chopper, the product itself is small and compact, with dimensions of 10.7 x 17.7 x 13.7cm (LxWxH), making it handy for storage.
Some customers mentioned that the plastic lid can be a little fragile, but at such a great price it’s well worth simply taking some extra care when clicking into place. It’s also worth noting that the product is manufactured by Russell Hobbs, which is known for selling everything from kettles and toasters to coffee machines and slow cookers, so this established brand is more than experienced when it comes to kitchenware.
Pros and Cons
- Affordable
- Small and compact
- Dishwasher-safe bowl
- Non-slip feet
- Established brand
- Plastic lid can be fragile
Salter EK2182 Electric Mini Kitchen Fruit & Veg Chopper
You can slice, dice and chop to your heart’s content with just the touch of a button on this mini chopper. From guacamole to homemade peanut butter, the steel blades and 150W motor on the Salter are more than enough to blitz through a variety of ingredients. The product even features a handy chute on the lid so you can add oils, fruit juices and seasonings with ease to give your creations that extra something. You do need to hold the button down continuously when blending, but this is definitely still less effort than hand-chopping a pile of veggies. Some customers pointed out that it can be easy to over-blitz ingredients, so short pulses are essential when using this small but powerful mini chopper.
The bowl on this product has a 350ml capacity which is the perfect size for salsas, sauces and small-scale meals, and the dimensions are 12 x 18 x 10cm (LxWxH), making it ideal for tucking into cupboards – although the sleek white exterior is stylish enough to leave out on the counter. At such an affordable price, this mini chopper is the perfect kitchen assistant to take the fuss out of food prep.
Pros and Cons
- Affordable
- Small and compact
- Chute on lid for adding oils and seasonings
- Steel blades
- Button needs to be held down continuously when blending
- Some customers found it easy to over-blitz
Cuisinart Mini Chopper
At £39.99 on Amazon with free delivery, the Cuisinart Mini Chopper is at a slightly higher price point when it comes to mini food processors, but after taking one look at its variety of functions, it’s not hard to see why. What’s unique about this chopper is its dual purpose blades which have a sharp side for chopping and purèeing, and a blunt side for mixing and grinding. With just one click, the motor can reverse and rotate depending on which blades you want to use. The multi-purpose blades paired with a 200W motor make it easy to chop anything from garlic and onions to nuts and peppercorns. Plus, the lid is designed with open slots so you can add seasonings or a drizzle of oil to your concoctions. The 600ml bowl is a great size whether you’re cooking dinner for a small family or meal prepping for one, but with removable parts and a dishwasher-safe container, it’s just as easy to clean as any other mini food processor. The bowl also clicks into place with a safety lock, so you don’t need to worry about any unwanted movement or spillages when blending.
This product is powerful for its size which means that it might be a little noisy, but it will be more than worth it when you have a tasty blend of ingredients in a matter of seconds. With a slightly larger design than some of the other mini choppers on the market, the dimensions of this product are 16 x 12 x 20cm (LxWxH), but if you can’t find cupboard space then the brushed stainless steel exterior would look just the part on your worktop. You also get a recipe book included with this product, so if you’re not quite sure where to start with your mini chopper, you’ll have plenty of inspiration right at your fingertips.
Pros and Cons
- Dual-purpose blades
- Open slots in lid for adding oils and seasonings
- Safety lock
- Recipe book included
- Some customers found it a little noisy
