It’s worth investing in the very best mini foodstuff processor even if you currently have a full-dimension design in your kitchen. The modest versions are a home cook’s greatest pal, building the time-consuming course of action of finely chopping greens a breeze and blitzing with each other just the ideal volume of blended sauce or dressing. They are tiny more than enough that you do not have to dedicate any prized counter room to them and can as a substitute pull yours out of the drawer or cupboard anytime you want to make your evening meal prep a tiny less difficult. We’d even enterprise a guess that if you try out one of our favourite versions below, you may possibly obtain you are reaching for this compact equipment multiple moments a working day.
We tested 5 of the main mini foods processors and food choppers to come across the incredibly greatest and ended up with winners in two types: total and a best budget pick. To find out about the winning models and why we like them so considerably, read through on—and for more particulars about how we analyzed and what we appeared for particularly, continue to keep scrolling all the down.
Table of contents
The greatest mini food processor: Cuisinart Elite 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder
The finest spending budget mini meals processor: Ninja Convey Chop
How we examined
What we looked for
Other mini food stuff processors we examined
The takeaway
The most effective mini food processor: Cuisinart Elite 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder
Cuisinart Elite 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder
$60.00, Amazon
This design is a scaled-down version of our winning whole-size Cuisinart food items processor, the two in visual appeal and in electrical power. It features a locking-in lid and mechanized foundation just like the larger sized version and a 4-cup potential that feels roomy sufficient for most prep jobs. The Chop and Grind buttons spin the stainless-metal blades possibly clockwise or counterclockwise to present a blunt or sharp edge, and all detachable parts are dishwasher-secure for really quick cleanup.
In testing, we uncovered this equipment to be the quickest and most strong. It finely chopped an onion blindingly quick, and puréed the smoothest hummus of the bunch. If you typically devote time finely chopping create or only will need single batches of pesto or romesco, it is the excellent tool to increase to your selection.
The most effective spending plan mini foods processor: Ninja Express Chop
Ninja Express Chop
$20.00, Target
The Ninja differs from most of the other mini foods processors we analyzed since it doesn’t have a mechanical foundation as an alternative, it is the best that you plug in, which essentially feels the two a little bit safer and much easier to use. It’s a far more simplified product as nicely, as there is just just one button to push at the best (a at ease handle built into the lid) that can pulverize make, nuts, herbs, and dressings with equivalent success.
We uncovered the Ninja to be intuitive, versatile, and efficient. Whilst it didn’t generate the smoothest hummus of our take a look at, it passably puréed, and the very fast and even onion chopping designed up for it. It’s also marginally skinnier than the other designs we tried using, which in the end made it simpler to retail store in a drawer or cabinet. For 1 third the price of the profitable Cuisinart, it’s an great substitute that will get the work done.
How we analyzed
Mini foodstuff processors are sometimes named meals choppers they are designed to split down produce and other elements into anything from a tough chop to a sleek purée. We tested each and every model’s assortment by 1st working with the Chop feature to finely dice a modest onion, timing how extensive it took and how even the completed items were being in measurement. Then we manufactured a 1-can batch of hummus to see how speedily and smoothly every machine could purée chickpeas, complete garlic cloves, and thick tahini. Eventually, we disassembled and washed every mini food items processor by hand.
What we appeared for
How mini is mini?
We limited the solutions in our critique to those people with 3- to four-cup capacities—big enough to handle a entire batch of hummus but not so monumental that you’d have to distinct out a complete cabinet to retail store it. That mentioned, the precise dimension and condition of the five versions we examined diversified, so we paid notice to their countertop footprint and peak. We also factored in how effectively the interior space of each design could be utilized if the blade matches at the bottom of the vessel, for occasion, it is challenging to fill the container to potential mainly because the leading area will not be achieved.
How simple is it to use?
The whole position of a food items processor it to make component prep get the job done easier—that’s doubly legitimate for a mini edition. The resource should really be straightforward to pull out, plug in, operate, thoroughly clean, and place away. It should really never ever call for a literal or figurative heavy lift. We tracked how intuitive each individual model was to assemble and use correct out of the box and to disassemble and clear.
How versatile of a software is it?
We took note of any particular attributes on the several mini food items processors we examined, but total they had to prove extra than just a kitchen one particular-trick pony. By chopping and puréeing, we witnessed the full array of each and every model’s capabilities and could establish which would make the ideal addition to a residence cook’s equipment arsenal.
Other mini food stuff processors we analyzed
The Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus ($40) is the simplified variation of the winning Cuisinart model it is a bit pared down, considerably less costly, and scaled-down, with only three-cup capacity. It created speedy do the job of most of the onion we additional, but some of the larger items received stuck and needed changing, which did not happen with any of the other styles. Also, it experienced a challenging time obtaining the hummus smooth, demanding a lengthy mixing period—which is not pretty pleasant to sit by means of, given the machine’s significant-pitched mechanical audio.
The Cuisinart EvolutionX Cordless Mini Chopper ($68) was the only cordless mini chopper we analyzed, which was intriguing. At full demand (which usually takes two hrs to total), the design can run for 20 minutes, and since you are not tethered to an outlet, you can full your ingredient prep anywhere in the kitchen area. But it felt a tiny spooky not to have the remaining hurdle of the plug in position to maintain the machine from randomly beginning to spin—and simply because it has to operate off a cost, it’s not extremely highly effective both. This was the most pricey design we examined, and in our opinion, not worth the value.
The KitchenAid Mini Foods Chopper ($40) has a taken care of prep bowl like the successful Cuisinart and a two-speed motor it chopped onions with ease and manufactured a good hummus. What is distinctive about this design in unique is that it is the only one with an opening in the lid to allow you to slowly stream in oil for emulsifying—common amongst whole-sizing food items processors but not among minis. Overall, we located it just did not match up versus the profitable Cuisinart in terms of usefulness and electric power and was two times the cost of our spending plan choose.
The Philips Multi-Chopper ($35) was an additional plug-in leading model, as opposed to the Cuisinarts, which plug in at the base. It options a distinctive purple “chop drop” web, which retains ingredients in the top rated chamber till they are small ample to tumble via the internet, at which issue they fall into the bottom chamber. This is a superior plan in concept but isn’t very successful in follow, primarily with lighter-excess weight substances that aren’t inclined to fall through the web even when really finely chopped. It was the slowest chopper we analyzed, and without the web included in, designed a fairly rough chickpea mash instead than a sleek hummus.
The takeaway
Cuisinart is the most significant identify in foodstuff processors, so it ought to come as no surprise that the brand name makes our successful design in the miniature classification. The Elite 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder ($60) is rapid, versatile, and just huge enough—you can use it to tackle component prep and then stow it away effortlessly in a cupboard or drawer. The Ninja Foodstuff Chopper Specific Chop ($20) is a fantastic price range alternative for a third the selling price, you get a major-powered mini processor that can blitz onions and mix hummus in a flash.
Originally Appeared on Epicurious
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