When it comes to whizzing up breadcrumbs, making sauces, salsas and pestos, and finely chopping herbs for dishes such as tabbouleh, mini choppers are an indispensable kitchen gadget which can make light work of more time-consuming food prep tasks.
Mini choppers typically come in one of two key designs; either a smaller version of a food processor, with a button-controlled base, or a small device with a large bowl on the bottom and a pushable button on top.
We also came across manual, pull-operated devices in our testing. Prices vary widely; the models we tested ranged from £15 to £70 and covered basic, entry-level models as well as more advanced and professional-looking devices.
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Best mini choppers at a glance
- Best mini chopper to leave on the counter: Magimix 18115 Le Micro mini chopper, £59.99
- Best all-round mini chopper: Russell Hobbs 24662 Desire Matte Black mini chopper, £28
- Best mini chopper for small spaces: Salter EK2182 Mini Chopper Pro, £18.99
- Best mini chopper for large families or batch cooking: Homgeek Food Chopper, £21.99
- Best budget mini chopper: Lakeland Mini Chopper Plus, £16.99
- Best mini chopper for ease of use: Ninja Professional Chopper, £24.99
- Best mini chopper for food processing tasks: Cuisinart Mini Prep Pro, £40
- Best portable mini chopper: KitchenAid Cordless Electric Mini Chopper, £69.99
- Best manual mini chopper: Tefal Five Second Chopper, £24.25
Why should I buy a mini chopper?
Like their larger counterparts food processors, mini choppers cut out the need for knife work by using sharp, rotating blades to whizz up ingredients, from onions and hard veg, through to breadcrumbs, nuts and herbs.
Handily, mini choppers tend to be far smaller than conventional blenders or food processors, taking up less countertop real estate or kitchen storage space, too.
This means they are also easier on the pocket, often costing less than half the price of a full-size food processor, although their functionality is likely to be far more streamlined.
What can I make with a mini chopper?
A mini chopper can be used for basic kitchen prep – chopping onions, blitzing up spice pastes, shredding veg or pulsing breadcrumbs – albeit in small quantities each time.
The ultra sharp blades will also render ingredients down to a wet paste, making them ideal for creating recipes like pesto. The strength of this small appliance means it can also work through hard veg, to create dishes like cauliflower rice, and even roasted nuts to pulverise them into a tasty homemade nut butter.
The best mini choppers on test
We tested leading brands including Russell Hobbs, KitchenAid, Cuisinart and Magimix to find the best mini choppers for kitchen prep tasks. Read on to find our best buys.
For more unbiased expert buyer’s guides, visit our reviews section to find 400+ round-ups of everything from the best slow cookers to the best coffee machines.
1. Magimix 18115 Le Micro mini chopper – best mini chopper to leave on the counter
Pros:
- Nifty chopper
- Looks the part
Cons:
- Sometimes tricky to lock into place
Sleek, stylish and modern, this is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing mini choppers we tested and it’s available in a number of colourways (black, satin, cream and red). Considering its diminutive size, as well as its good looks, it’s definitely one you’d want to keep out on your countertop.
It’s not the cheapest model on the market, but given its power, consistency and aesthetic appeal, it’s certainly worth the price if you’re the type of cook looking to use a mini chopper on a regular basis. Read our full Magimix Le Micro review.
2. Russell Hobbs 24662 Desire mini chopper – best all-round mini chopper
Pros:
- Powerful
- Easy to operate
- Large capacity bowl
Cons:
One of the biggest benefits of this sleek model is its one-touch operation. To slice, dice and chop your ingredients, all that’s required is to firmly press the one-touch button on the top of the mini chopper.
The base unit is large, and comfortable to hold and press, and the button is easy to operate – meaning you can whizz up large batches of ingredients, or use it for a lengthy amount of time, with ease. Overall, for its affordability, ease of use and effectiveness, it’s good value for money. Read our full Russell Hobbs Desire mini chopper review.
3. Salter EK2182 mini chopper pro – best mini chopper for small spaces
Pros:
Cons:
- May be too small for larger families
The most compact model we tested, this is neat, tidy, affordable. It can chop nuts, meat and fish, as well as make breadcrumbs and dips such as guacamole and hummus.
It’s just the thing if you’re looking for a gadget to save you time in the kitchen every now and then. Larger families or keen cooks may want a more powerful or sizeable model. Its reasonable price means that even if it’s used only occasionally, it’s still worth buying. Overall, it’s a great entry-level mini chopper. Read our full Salter mini chopper pro review.
4. Homgeek food chopper – best mini chopper for large families or batch cooking
Pros:
- Sleek all-rounder
- Four blades
- Minces meat
- Large bowl
Cons:
- Dual blades tricky to affix and take apart
- Could be too large for smaller households
This efficient model is able to chop, blend, purée, mix and even mince in no time, with each task taking no longer than approximately 10 seconds.
It comes with a large, 1.8-litre capacity bowl, in either stainless steel or glass. Despite being the largest we tested, the metal bowl was also one of the lightest. The stainless steel power unit is relatively heavy, but of a similar weight to similarly-designed models.
We particularly liked that the bowl comes with a lid, meaning you can store your ingredients for later use, without decanting them into another container. Read our full Homgeek food chopper review.
Available from Amazon (£21.99)
5. Lakeland mini chopper plus – best budget mini chopper
Pros:
Cons:
- Could be too small for larger families
One of the smallest and most compact models we tested, Lakeland’s mini chopper is able to take on nuts, breadcrumbs, meat and fish. It can whizz up every day portions of onions and ingredients, but if you have a larger household, you may need a larger model.
It’s easy to use, with a one-touch operation. The bowl and lid are dishwasher-safe, but, like most models we tested, the blade isn’t. Read our full Lakeland mini chopper plus review.
6. Ninja professional chopper – best mini chopper for ease of use
Pros:
- Comes with storage containers
- Great at whizzing up breadcrumbs
Cons:
- Food can get stuck to bowl ridges
In terms of setting up, this was one of the easiest mini choppers to put together, taking a matter of minutes from unboxing to operating. It functions with a simple one-touch push of the button on top of the power unit. We found it chopped, minced and puréed consistently, and with ease.
This is the only model we tested which comes with an additional bowl and lid for storing any ingredients you have chopped, or pastes you have made. If you’re looking for finely, consistently chopped ingredients, this is the model for you. Read our full Ninja professional chopper review.
7. Cuisinart Mini Prep Pro – best for food processing tasks
Pros:
- Two settings
- Can tackle coffee beans, nuts and more
Cons:
- Can be tricky to lock into place
The Cuisinart Mini Prep Pro’s 900ml bowl capacity is larger than most models we tested, making it a great contender for a large household, or those looking to batch cook or prep in advance.
It comes with a dual blade – one is curved and sharp for chopping and mixing, the other is flatter and more blunt for tasks such as grinding. It’s also surprisingly compact. Aesthetics-wise, it’s nice enough to keep out on the counter, but equally can be stowed away without taking up too much space. It’s a powerhouse and an indispensable kitchen gadget for the keen cook. Read our full Cuisinart Mini Prep Pro review.
8. KitchenAid cordless electric mini chopper – best portable mini chopper
Pros:
- Cordless
- Efficient
- Powerful
- Compact
Cons:
One of the only cordless models we tested, charge the KitchenAid chopper for up to two hours to use cordless – it claims to be able to chop up to 40 onions in that time. It’s relatively lightweight, compact, and small enough to keep out on the countertop, or to stow away without taking up too much space.
It’s also straightforward to use, offering one-touch operation via the power button on the top, and the speed controller dial on its side. It has two speed settings, and it can pulse, which means it can really get to work when making breadcrumbs, blitzing parsley stalks or taking on tougher ingredients such as meat and nuts. Read our full KitchenAid cordless electric mini chopper review.
9. Tefal Five Second chopper – best manual mini chopper
Pros:
- Portable
- No need to be near a socket
Cons:
- Results not always consistent
Power usage aside, there are many benefits to opting for a manual device over an electric one, not least that you can use it wherever you fancy in the kitchen, and wash the model thoroughly without worrying about the cable. Of course, it does require a little more ‘work’ on the user’s behalf, but this lightweight model from Tefal is easy to operate, thanks to its efficient pull cord. It blitzes ingredients to a good standard considering no electricity is required.
It’s also impressively robust. On top of herbs and softer veg, it can take on foods such as boneless meats and nuts, although for thorough, precise and uniformly consistent results, you may want a more advanced model, or one powered by electricity. Read our full Tefal Five Second chopper review.
How we tested mini choppers
We tested over ten mini choppers, using each one to blitz breadcrumbs, onions and parsley. We also tested the mini choppers by making a basic curry paste using onion, ginger, chilli and spices. For consistency, the onion was pre-chopped into 2cm pieces, which tends to be the standard requirement for mini choppers. Ultimately, we were looking for mini choppers which could dice, blend, chop and mix quickly, consistently, easily and without too much mess; those which made the aforementioned tasks more laborious or time-consuming were not shortlisted.
Mini chopper test criteria
We tested a representative sample of mini choppers and scored them against the following criteria:
- Ease of use
- Speed of processing
- Safety
- Kitchen footprint and storage
- Loudness
- Finished results – especially the consistency of ingredients processed
- Design and aesthetic
- Functions
- Capacity of bowl
- Ease of washing
- Added features
Mini chopper reviews
Magimix Le Micro mini chopper review
Russell Hobbs Desire mini chopper review
Salter mini chopper pro review
Homgeek food chopper review
Lakeland mini chopper plus review
Ninja Professional Chopper review
Cuisinart Mini Prep Pro review
KitchenAid cordless electric mini chopper review
Tefal Five Second chopper review
This review was last updated in December 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
