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Low on kitchen space but hate prepping veggies? You need one of these.
Downsized recently? Just starting out on your own, in a tiny first apartment or a crammed college dorm? There’s no reason to forgo the finer things in life. After all, just because you’re low on space doesn’t mean you have to skimp on essential kitchen gadgets. Our space-saving solution? The mini food processor.
There are plenty of reasons to get one of these babies, whether you're inclined to throw together a quick salsa to whip up an easy pie crust. They're also great for prepping veggies—who wants to finely dice a green pepper when a machine can do it for you?—which can majorly cut down on the time it takes to get dinner on the table.
No matter your motivations, mini food processors have your back and can do everything a food processor can do—just in smaller batches. Unlike a blender, which pulverizes food, food processors can leave ingredients with some texture and weight. (After all, who wants to sip their homemade coleslaw through a straw?) Plus, many are versatile enough to do everything from mincing and pulsing to grating and shredding.
Have we convinced you yet? Good. Read on for our recommendations for the eight best mini food processors on the market. For those looking for more kitchen tools to streamline your cooking process, check out our recommendations for the best food processors and immersion blenders.
Shopping for the perfect mini food processor for your lifestyle can be tricky. Luckily, we’ve done the nitty-gritty work of identifying the most popular models on the market based on availability, reviews, and brand reputation. From there, we scoured reviews from home chefs like yourself to determine which of these small appliances offered the best combination of performance, ease of use and assembly, clean-ability, and sound level during operation. No matter what kind of mini food processor you're looking for—be it classic, cordless, or manual—we’re confident you’ll find what you’re looking for. These are the best mini food processors you can buy in 2022.
Despite its compact size, the KitchenAid Mini Food Processor packs a powerful punch if you’re a home chef in a small space. Equipped with no add-ons beside a single chopping multipurpose blade, this dishwasher-safe model is ideal if you’re looking for a little help in the kitchen with mincing or chopping (though it’s not the best with softer fruits and veggies, like tomatoes and cucumbers). With two pulse speeds—chop and purée—and a handy storage compartment for the cord, there’s nothing “small” about this small appliance’s capabilities.
After having limited success with other mini food processors, one of the 4,700-plus Amazon reviewers explained: “I decided to give this processor a try simply because I thought it was beautiful (it is) and I was shocked at how great this works.” They especially appreciated how the “thumb action… gives me much better control” and “how easy it disassembles for cleaning.” Plus, it comes in plenty of fun colors.
Not only is the Ninja Express Chop the most budget-friendly option on our list, its two-in-one lid (which serves as both a splatter guard and storage lid) makes it an even better value.
This two-cup mini food processor also features two types of blades to chop and mince a multitude of ingredients. Noting that it’s “great for small spaces and packs a lot of power,” one Target reviewer remarked: “I love that it was able to purée quietly and efficiently... I would absolutely recommend it!” However, it’s good to keep in mind that other reviewers found the Express Chop’s performance to be less consistent compared to more expensive models.
With nearly 2,000 reviews on Amazon, it’s safe to say shoppers think the Cuisinart Elite Collection Chopper is worth the extra money if you’re in the market for an upgrade. This four-cup mini chopper comes fully-loaded with an auto-reversing SmartPower stainless steel blade, intuitive touchpad control panel, dishwasher-safe bowl and lid, and a solid 18-month warranty.
One verified buyer particularly loved “the tiny holes on the top cover to add oil when making salad dressing” and its BladeLock safety system, remarking “there is no way to harm yourself scraping down the sides, as the unit will not work without the cover on.” That said, the customer did warn other users "if the liquid moves higher than the blade assembly, it leaks from the top of the blade assembly to the base of the unit,” but assured “it's an easy clean-up.”
Mincing meat, chopping chilis, dicing daikon radishes: There’s not much the multi-blade, corrosive-resistant LINKChef Mini Food Processor can’t do. Boasting a three-year warranty, simply press this mini food processor’s button with increasing pressure depending on the softness or firmness of your ingredients.
In addition to finding it “super easy to clean” (in fact, it’s dishwasher-safe!), one of the nearly 4,000 reviewers said of the LINKChef,“I love the simple design of this mini chopper, it does exactly what I need… [It’s] fast and minces garlic and onions [superfine]!” That said, other reviewers advised that it was less adept at puréeing small amounts of ingredients for smoother dishes like baby food.
With features like a push-button control panel, an auto-reversing SmartPower stainless steel blade, and a dishwasher-safe, 24-ounce bowl and lid, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Cuisinart Mini Prep is the most user-friendly mini food processor we recommend—it even comes with a spatula.
But don’t just ask us. One of this chopper’s nearly 20,000 Amazon reviewers noted that it’s "very powerful (and a little loud)," although if you "leave your finger on the button too long, you may end up with a purée you didn’t want." Still, the reviewer stressed that there's plenty to love about this chopper, noting that the Mini Prep's sturdy base “doesn’t slide around,” “it's easy to get the lid on and off and to remove the blade for cleaning,” and the “blade sits low enough that the food in the bottom doesn’t go unprocessed.” And, should you run into any issues, this BPA-free mini food processor also comes with an 18-month warranty.
Low on electrical outlets? The KitchenAid Cordless 5-Cup Food Chopper can make quick work of small tasks without needing to plug in.
This mini food processor comes with a multi-purpose blade and whisk accessory, as well as a universal charger. The rechargeable lithium ion battery can chop as many as 40 onions on a full charge, which is surprisingly powerful for a battery-operated small appliance. Calling this model “totally worth [it]” for its accessibility, one Amazon reviewer noted its high cost, but explained “[I’m] an elderly disabled person and l just love, love, love the super convenience of the cordless feature. Being in [a] wheelchair makes it inconvenient to use electric kitchen appliances on a high countertop… [but the] cordless feature allows me to do chopping or whipping on MY level.”
Indeed, the KitchenAid Food Chopper is more expensive than even our splurge recommendation, the Cuisinart CH-4DC Elite, but if you need a compact, cordless option for your space, we think it’s a worthy investment.
Want to dip your toe into the food processing pool before taking the plunge? Enter the Hamilton Beach Stack and Press. It may not be as versatile as other options—for example, it lacks a chute for adding liquid as you chop—but this mini food processor makes up for its shortcomings with its simple, stackable design, which includes features like built-in cord storage at the base, a three-cup capacity, a lockable lid, and even an oil dispenser for Caesar-style salad dressings or a creamy garlic hummus.
Praising its speed, ease of use, low noise level, and compact size, one verified buyer on Wayfair called the Stack and Press “perfect for my needs,” saying the "bowl is glass, which I like for clean up.” (Not to mention, glass bowls are more stain-, scratch-, and odor-resistant!)
Whether you’re an avid camper, trying to conserve energy, or simply prefer doing things the good old-fashioned way, there’s a lot to love about the Zyliss Easy Pull. Equipped with only a bowl, blades, and lid, this user-friendly gadget is operated by just pulling its ergonomic handle. However, only the 25-ounce bowl and blades can safely go on the top rack of your dishwasher.
One of this chopper’s 4,400-plus happy customers pointed out that this model “needs to be rinsed off (just don't get the handle/top wet!) and allowed to air dry,” but nevertheless found it to be “super-easy, super-convenient, and very practical,” with blades that “are sharp and quite effective.”