Cutting up your ingredients into fine pieces can be a grueling part of your cooking preparation every day. This is why food processors are a huge help and an essential part of our kitchen. However, their huge sizes can add to the clutter on your kitchen counter. With this, having a mini food processor is a must. Not only will they allow you to store them in cupboards and drawers, but they are also a good alternative for preparing small batches of meals. And despite their sizes, they come with relatively powerful motors to do the job.
One exquisite example is the Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus which scored the highest in our SolidSmack Household Appliance and Tool Test. Despite its small size, it offers an option for grinding and chopping ingredients using its auto-reversing SmartPower blade. Let us also not forget the Hamilton Beach 72850 that, despite having the versatility for having different controls, can produce fast results with its Stack & Press technology.
The said units together with 3 other leading models in the market were tested by our team of reviewers. We tried to chop and grind multiple food items such as onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and nuts to test whether they could handle them properly or not. We also took note of their special features to give you a good idea if they have something to offer specific to your needs. That being said, here are our thoughts about each model and we hope to aid you in finding the best mini food processor this 2021.
Best Mini Food Processors Comparison & Rating
Mini Food Processors | Features |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
1. Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus
Brand | Cuisinart |
Bowl Capacity | 3 Cups |
Controls | Chop & Grind Buttons |
Special Feature | Auto-reversing SmartPower Blade |
What makes Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus the best mini food processor is its simple system of grinding and chopping your ingredients with just a push of a button. It has specific buttons for the Grind and Chop modes which will control the direction of the rotating blades. The first side comes sharp while the other one is blunt. By pushing the Grind button, Mini Prep Plus will rotate in a direction using the blunt edges of the blades. On the other hand, the direction of the rotation will change and the sharp side will be used for the Chop mode. This simple system saves you from the guesswork and can make your work easier.
The blades also have good coverage of the 24-ounce work bowl inside, allowing precise processing of the ingredients. It managed to efficiently grind various nuts and seeds and chop onions, celery, garlic, and carrots in our test. The 2 tiny holes in the lid are also great for allowing liquids like oil to slowly drip inside, resulting in the proper emulsion.
2. Hamilton Beach 72850
Brand | Hamilton Beach |
Bowl Capacity | 3 Cups |
Controls | Stack & Press Technology |
Special Feature | Stack & Press Technology |
Besides being one of the easiest to clean and assemble, Hamilton Beach 72850 has the simplest system to process ingredients. It is a completely button-free mini food processor which means zero learning curve, making it the best mini food processor for novices. Instead of a control panel, it employs the brand’s Stack & Press technology to chop and grind foods. By simply pressing and putting pressure on the lid, the blade will start working. Once you’ve released it, the blades will stop spinning. There is no need to twist nor lock the cover.
3. SHARDOR Multifunctional Mini Food Processor
Brand | SHARDOR |
Bowl Capacity | 3.5 Cups |
Controls | 2 Speeds and Pulse Dial |
Special Feature | Slicing and Shredding Disk |
If you want the best mini food processor that can serve you multiple functions, this entry from SHARDOR is a good pick. It can grind, slice, and shred ingredients using the well-thought design of its body. It starts with the stainless steel S-blade that can tackle all kinds of soft and hard items from nuts to greens. Its action is so shockingly fast that in just a few seconds, it can turn everything you put in the 3.5-cup bowl into a fine mixture. The lid also has an opening which is just enough to slowly integrate liquids into the ingredients you are grinding.
The controls for the blade can be accessed using a dial which gives you 2 options for speed and a Pulse. Compared to button-filled panels, the dial lets you shift from one speed to another with ease.
4. Black+Decker EHC3002B
Brand | Black+Decker |
Bowl Capacity | 4 Cups |
Controls | 2 Pulse Buttons |
Special Feature | Multipurpose Bowls |
You probably planned to use the bowl of a chopper or food processor as a container before, but its bulky shape and lack of appropriate lid hindered you from doing so. Well, you can do it with the Black+Decker EHC3002B which offers the best mini food processor bowl in the market.
Unlike the common mini food processors and choppers in the market, the Black+Decker EHC3002B comes with a very innovative design that turns its bowls into instant containers. It has a splatter guard where the motor attaches and two separate lids for the two 4-cup glass bowls that come in the package. That being said, you can directly use the bowls to keep and store your chopped ingredients in the fridge for later use.
5. Philips HR2505 MultiChopper
Brand | Philips |
Bowl Capacity | 2 Cups |
Controls | Press Technology |
Special Feature | Chop Drop Technology |
Producing uniformly chopped pieces of food using typical choppers is almost impossible but the design of the Philips HR2505 MultiChopper lets you do it. It employs a Chop Drop Technology through the inclusion of a basket that holds the ingredients. There are 3 blades of different sizes that will chop the food items into appropriate sizes. Once the pieces can already fit the holes of the basket, they will fall into the 2-cup bowl. This process secures you to have uniform sizes of chopped ingredients.
Best Mini Food Processors - Buyer's Guide
Though you are looking for the best mini food processor that can save you some counter space, make sure that its capacity fits your daily cooking needs. If you want to have a model that can hold a substantial amount of content, expect to have a model with larger body dimensions.
The fewer the parts of the mini food processor, the better. It means easy cleanup and maintenance for you. Also, it would be better if the blade is removable. Lastly, pick something with parts that are dishwasher friendly just like all the units we presented above.
Having a simple control is a good thing like the one being used in the Philips HR2505 MultiChopper and Hamilton Beach 72850. However, keep in mind that they offer fixed settings for speed. If you want something that can do more functions, try those with button and dial panels.
You can pick any of these best mini food processors as they can do the job of grinding and chopping ingredients. However, having the one with the helpful bells and whistles will make the task easier for you and can add value to your purchase.
Best Mini Food Processors - FAQs
It is suggested to let the hot food cool down first to room temperature before putting it into the food processor.
Yes, you can. However, keep note that you need a heavy-duty blender to properly get the same results you get in a standalone food processor.
The two utilize different processes in the ingredients. The food processor can grate, blend, shred, chop, and slice. On the other hand, a grinder works best for mushing, cutting, and crushing food items.
