Eating healthy has become a battle for many Americans in the 21st century. There are so many fast-food restaurants and packaged foods that it is very difficult to eat fresh, whole foods every single day. Yet we know we should…
Unfortunately, small kitchens and busy lifestyles can make it difficult to prepare all of our meals from scratch with whole foods.
That’s where mini food processors come in. These little devices can help you make fresh, delicious meals for your family in less time with less effort and more control over the quality of ingredients. And best of all, most mini food processors are small enough to fit on your kitchen counter without taking up valuable space!
What features should I look for in a mini food processor?
There are many things to consider when choosing the right mini food processor for your personal needs. When shopping around, it is important to consider the quality and quantity of features that you want:
- Do you need a specific-sized bowl or container?
- Do you need blades with different options?
- Do you want a mini food processor with a lot of bells and whistles, or would you rather keep it simple?
Read also: 5 Surprising Ways the Food Processor Improves Your Life!
For Short Time Readers
How to Find the Best Mini Food Processor For Your Kitchen?
To find the best mini food processors that will work well in your kitchen, consider these three options:
Option 1: How much counter space do you have in the kitchen?
If you have very little counter space, consider one of the smaller units that are more compact. These will take up less room while still giving your kitchen everything it needs to make delicious meals for your family.
Option 2: What do you want to use it for?
Consider what you plan on using the food processor for most often and buy one that has plenty of different blades and options to ensure that you can do all types of recipes with ease.
Option 3: Does it need to be portable?
If you always use your mini food processor on the go (for example, when preparing snacks while traveling), consider buying a smaller unit with a built-in handle or even an attachable travel bag.
When shopping, don’t forget to compare prices and read reviews from verified purchasers to ensure that you are getting the best mini food processor for your needs.
Best Mini Food Processors of 2021: Our Top Picks
These are each mini food processors that have been reviewed by verified purchasers as being the best available on the market for this year. They will help you save money, time, and effort in your kitchen with fresh snacks, sauces, soups, spreads, dips – whatever you plan to use it for!
01. Best Overall: Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor
Do you need to quickly chop an onion or do a little chopping, mincing, and grinding to save both time in the kitchen and money at the grocery store?
Cuisinart has your back! With its 250-watt food processor with 3-cup plastic work bowl, durability yet lightweight design, easy push-button control panel, dishwasher safe bowl, and lid for quick cleanup.
This mini food processor offers compact equipment that is space conscious so it can be placed on any shelf of your cabinet without utilizing valuable countertop space. The Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor makes cooking healthy meals fast and easy!
No one should have to settle for unhealthy choices when we all deserve better foods. Let’s get started.
Features:
The Mini-Prep Plus was designed in Italy. It has a wipe-clean touchpad, removable parts that are dishwasher-safe, and is beautiful to look at.
- Chop or grind at the touch of a button
- 24-ounce work bowl with handle
- Exclusive auto-reversing SmartPower blade for two powerful processing options
- Touchpad controls are easy to use and easy to clean
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Stainless steel blade with sharp and blunt edges
- Spatula
- Instruction/Recipe book
- Limited 18-month warranty
- BPA Free
02. Best For Liquids: KitchenAid KFC3516ER 3.5 Cup Mini Food Processor
The KitchenAid KFC3516ER 3.5 Cup Food Chopper is a simple, no-fuss chopper that combines convenience with minimal clean-up. It is a small product designed to meet the average person’s food preparation needs.
The appliance comes with one blade and a clear work bowl with a spout for easy pouring. This product can chop even the toughest vegetables with ease and in very little time. This product also features two speeds and a pulse action for personalized results.
It comes with a one-year limited warranty and carries an MSRP of $44.99 USD.
Features:
- Every day, chop, blend, and purée quickly
- Two speeds and pulse
- One-touch operation.
- BPA-free 3.5 cup work bowl with pour spout and handle.
- Drizzle basin
- Lightweight and compact
- It is easy to clean
- Compact design and simple cord wrapping
- Blade made of stainless steel
03. Easiest To Use: Hamilton Beach Mini 3-Cup Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper
Simplifying meal prep, one dish at a time.
You’ll use it for everything from chopping onions and nuts to mincing herbs, pureeing hummus, and mixing dressings. It’s perfectly sized for everyday use with a 3 cup capacity bowl and is compact enough to fit in any kitchen.
Whether you’re emulsifying Caesar dressing or pureeing baby food, it’s easy to add the necessary liquids to the oil dispenser on the lid during processing. For easy cleanup and peace of mind, the bowl, blades, and lid are dishwasher safe and all food zones are BPA-free.
According to the Hamilton Beach website, this food chopper can chop an onion in 30 seconds flat. It also promises easy operation, dishwasher safe parts, and includes a recipe book with ideas that range from coleslaw to hummus.
Features:
- No difficult twisting or locking, just press lid for chopping action
- Stainless steel chopping/mixing blades
- Powerful 350 watt motor
- Dishwasher safe bowl, lid and blade
- Built-in oil dispenser
04. Durable & Lightweight Ever: Proctor Silex Durable Mini Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper
- Do you frequently cook meals for your family but struggle with messy prep work?
- Do chopping, dicing, and shredding foods take up way too much of your precious time in the kitchen?
If so, it’s time to invest in a food chopper or processor! Food choppers are perfect for processing small quantities of food. They enable you to quickly cut ingredients into perfectly even pieces without creating a huge mess.
One example is extremely popular among home cooks: this Proctor Silex Durable Mini Food Chopper. This little machine is ideal as a vegetable chopper but does much more. Made by one of America’s most trusted manufacturers of small kitchen appliances, this durable mini food chopper has been built from high-quality materials that will last year after year.
The stainless steel blades efficiently cut through all kinds of ingredients. Whether you want a smooth vegetable puree or chunky bits of onion and peppers for your salsa, you can easily customize the texture of your food with the mini chopper’s simple pulse speed control. The bowl, lid, and removable blades are all dishwasher safe. This machine comes with a 1-year limited warranty so there is no risk in trying it out!
Features:
- 1.5 cup capacity
- Stainless steel blades for durability and ease of cleaning
- 5-speed control with pulse action
- Dishwasher safe bowl, lid, and blades
- 1-year limited warranty from Proctor Silex
- Saves space in the kitchen — small enough to leave on the countertop.
05. Best In Budget: Cuisinart DLC-1SS Mini-Prep Processor
The Cuisinart DLC-1SS is a highly versatile mini food processor; not only can it handle all the standard tasks (mixing, puréeing, chopping) but also has an attachment that works as a citrus juicer and an accessory that makes ice cream. This unit is easy to clean and comes with a one-year warranty. The base of this small appliance sits on four suction cups; these suction cups hold the unit in place during use. A cord wraps around the base and underneath for storage or travel.
The work bowl measures: 4 1/4 inches across and 2 3/4 inches deep – allowing for less than half cup capacity at full capacity. The blades are sharp enough to chop through the ice. They are stainless steel and reversible for chopping or grinding. The blades attach to the work bowl with a twist that locks into place, no buttons or levers are needed.
The mini-processor comes with several accessories: two sizes of stainless steel chopping/mixing blades (one for fine chopping, one for coarse), an attachment that makes ice cream, a juicer cone, juicing cone cover, spatula, and cleaning brush. The instruction book contains recipes as well as basic instructions about how to process food with this appliance. The company offers a one-year warranty on this product.
There are many user-friendly features about this appliance including its lightweight design making it easy to store or travel with. The instruction booklet comes with basic instructions along with recipes for various dishes, desserts, and drinks.
Clean-up is relatively simple because all parts are dishwasher-safe. This unit is small so it only has a capacity of less than half a cup at full capacity. All in all this appliance performs many different jobs well that would be tedious to complete by hand.
Features:
- A powerful chopper/grinder
- 21-ounce work bowl
- 2 speeds available for precision processing
- Patented, reversible blade
- Parts dishwasher-safe
- Stainless steel blades with both sharp and blunt edges
- Spatula
- Instruction/Recipe book
What to look for when Buying a Mini Food Processor?
When looking for the best mini food processor, one should consider the following features:
- Durability: Mini food processors are often used in homes, restaurants, and cafes to make small portions of sauces or whatever else is needed. As such, it is important that they be made out of strong materials that will not break down when being handled. This ensures safety because one will not have to worry about getting cut by a jagged piece of plastic or metal. Moreover, this reduces maintenance costs since there will be no need to get the machine repaired time after time due to parts breaking off.
- Functional size: The point of having a mini food processor is so that it can easily fit on any countertop without getting in the way. As such, it is important that the item be compact enough to fit in any kitchen space while still being large enough to accommodate the chopping or mixing needed.
- Power: The power of a food processing machine often determines how much area can be processed at once. Mini machines are not always made for heavy use-but this does not mean that they should have little power at all. Having to process things twice simply because there was not enough power means wasted time and effort that could have been saved by having just bought a better mini food processor in the first place.
- Value for money: While one does not want to cheap out on something as important as a mini food processor, it would also be good to get value for money spent on an item. This means getting the best machine in the given price range. It is worth investing in good mini food processors though because they are often used to save time in an increasingly fast paced world that values efficiency.
- Design: Look for a design that does not sacrifice functionality for appearance. At the same time, do not get something that looks very nice but doesn’t work well at all-this would be nonsensical since it defeats the purpose of buying one! A good mini food processor should look appealing while still being functional, making it a great item to have around your home or restaurant.
As you can see, there are quite a few factors to consider when looking for the best mini food processor available today. However, with this information at hand, it should be much easier to find the best machine for your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is a Mini Food Processor Worth Buying?
The short answer to this question is yes.
A mini food processor is a great kitchen appliance to add to your home because it can make any number of tasks quicker and easier for you. Furthermore, they are not as expensive as full-sized food processors. So do not think that they are only good for those on a budget they can actually be better than their larger counterparts because of how portable and easy to use they are!
What does a Mini Food Processor do?
A mini food processor does exactly what it says-it processes your food, quickly and conveniently!
It is used to chop up food into smaller pieces, mix ingredients together, knead the dough, puree foods like baby food and soup, and so much more. Aside from using it for cooking at home or in a restaurant, mini food processors can also be very useful in industrial applications such as making the perfect salsa or adding seasonings to bread.
How long does a Mini Food Processor last?
It really depends on the make and model of the food processor itself. Some might last for several years such as Cuisinart (which is a brand name you can trust when it comes to appliances like these).
What is a Good Brand for Mini Food Processors?
Cuisinart, for one, is a very popular brand of kitchen appliances and they also make some of the best mini food processors around. Another name that stands out when it comes to these machines is KitchenAid. These are just some of the few brands that you might want to consider when buying a new mini food processor.
What is Considered a Small Food Processor?
The most common small food processor is 4 cups or smaller. The smallest one we found is the Black and Decker FP1600B Food Processor, available at Amazon for $32.
What is the Best 3-Cup Food Processor?
At 3 cups, the best small food processor is the Cuisinart DFP-3 Handy Prep. This is available at Amazon for $75.
Which Brand Has the Best Compact Food Processor?
Cuisinart is the best brand for mini food processors, but if you’re looking for compact sizes (with blades that rotate at high speeds to do the work), then take a look at Hamilton Beach or KitchenAid.
They all come in different colors and prices vary depending on where you buy them. Their plastic housings look great and they are extremely easy to maintain. These are just some of the many examples that you might want to consider when it comes to choosing a mini food processor brand.
What is a Good Price for a Mini Food Processor?
Prices vary from one brand to another and from one model to another. However, they usually range from $30 to $100. The price can depend on the quality of the machine itself, how many attachments it comes with (such as a dough blade or whisk), and if it has other features (like an adjustable slicing disc). However, any mini food processor priced at anything less than $30 should be treated with caution because they might not last very long.
What is the Easiest Mini Food Processor to Use?
The easiest Mini food processor to use is KitchenAid KFC3516ER 3.5 Cup Mini Food Processor, available at Amazon for $45.
What Size of a Mini Food Processor should I Buy?
Most people would assume that the bigger the machine, the better but this is not really true. The best mini food processors are those that can do what you need them to do and nothing more. Also, consider the space you have available on your countertop or wherever else you plan on putting your food processor.
Can I Make Cookie Dough In a Mini Food Processor?
Yes, but you will need an additional dough blade or a special attachment for your mixer. Some mini food processors also come with dough blades which are great if you want to make bread or pizza dough.
Can I make Hummus with a Mini Food Processor?
Yes, but only certain models-which come with excellent attachments like the dough blade and whisk. Without these attachments, your mini food processor will only be able to chop, shred, or grate your food.
Is Mini Food Processors Easy To Clean?
Yes, the parts of some small food processors are dishwasher safe. Other brands must be hand washed. Check to see what type of parts your new mini food processor will have before you buy it.
Is the Mini Food Processor Easy to Store?
Yes, most models are compact and can be stored away in drawers.
In A Nutshell
When buying a mini food processor, there are some features that you might want to consider before making a purchase. Make sure the blades rotate at very high speeds and they come with dough attachments (in case you plan on making bread or pizza dough).
Also, pay attention to the capacity of your machine and whether it is dishwasher safe or not. There are many brands and models to choose from so do your research and be sure that it will work for all your needs.
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