Mini Choppers/Food Processors

[chord]

My 20+ year old Oster food processor went kaput a couple of months ago and I'm looking for a replacement. I was salivating over the latest full sized processors from Cuisinart, Breville and the like. But if I'm honest about my needs instead of my wants I really should get a mini chopper. I live alone and don't cook in huge quantities. Most of the time I'd rather just pull out a knife, which is why the Oster lasted so long. But occasionally I need to chop a whole bunch of vegetables or grind meat and a machine would be useful for that.

 

The two most popular models of mini chopper seem to be the Cuisinart DLC-2ABC and Kitchenaid KFC3516 both of which get decent ratings. The Kitchenaid is also recommended by Wirecutter.

 

Another option would be the Ninja Blender/Chopper. But I already have a Vitamix and I don't really want to deal with all the extra bowls this thing comes with. I found an earlier thread from @andiesenji touting the Ninja Ultra Prep, but that model doesn't seem to be made anymore.

 

And lastly, while browsing Amazon, I found some no-name choppers that also have good reviews: Mosaic and Link Chef. Like the Ninja, these have the motor on top. They also have metal bowls. I'm intrigued by that because the plastic bowls on inexpensive choppers are always one of the big failure points.

 

Does anyone have any experience with any of these machines? I'm especially curious if anyone has tried one of the no-names. Any other recommendations or thoughts?

 

 

[gfweb]

I have the cuisinart miniprep.  Its a workhorse. I use it all the time.

 

I see that there's now a 4 cup version. I think that would be the one.

[heidih]

I have had this basic Cuisinart MiniPrep Plus for several years and it had 2 homes before me - they did not cook much. Sturdy, easy to clean. My go to for grinding nuts for baking and for hummus, small batches of salsa and the like. I have a nice full size FP but for me the little guy works. . 

[ElsieD]

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-10SY-Classic-7-Cup-Processor/dp/B01AXM4SB6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=R6SNJOZCESEN&dchild=1&keywords=cuisinart+food+processor&qid=1608159136&sprefix=Cuisinart+%2Caps%2C191&sr=8-2

 

I have this one.  I'm not sure if the picture will come through so I have also posted the link.  I used to have a Kitchen Aid mini chopper that I loved.  One of the things I really liked about it was that it also had a mini shredding blade.  When it came time to replace it, none of the mini choppers had this feature which is why I bought this one.  It takes up marginally more space than a mini but the extra features more than make up for it.

 

By way of comparison, I also have the Breville Sous Chef Pro and rarely use it.  This little Cuisinart does pretty much do everything I want it to.

[chord]

 

16 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-10SY-Classic-7-Cup-Processor/dp/B01AXM4SB6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=R6SNJOZCESEN&dchild=1&keywords=cuisinart+food+processor&qid=1608159136&sprefix=Cuisinart+%2Caps%2C191&sr=8-2

 

I have this one.  I'm not sure if the picture will come through so I have also posted the link.  I used to have a Kitchen Aid mini chopper that I loved.  One of the things I really liked about it was that it also had a mini shredding blade.  When it came time to replace it, none of the mini choppers had this feature which is why I bought this one.  It takes up marginally more space than a mini but the extra features more than make up for it.

 

 

I was looking at that model too. Is the locking mechanism finicky? I know that's been an issue with some of the other classic Cuisinarts.

 

 

20 minutes ago, gfweb said:

I have the cuisinart miniprep.  Its a workhorse. I use it all the time.

 

I see that there's now a 4 cup version. I think that would be the one.

 

Is this the 4 quart version you mean? I've heard not-so-great things about the Elemental line, although I have no first hand experience.

 

[ElsieD]

I don't what you mean by it being finicky but I have never had a problem with it.  You do have to make sure the lid is where it is supposed to be before you lock it in place, but it locks in easily.  One other thing I like about this model is that it has a flat lid along with the "feeder tube" lid.

[gfweb]

I have this one, except black,  which is better. Thought it was two cups, might be three. Nothing finicky about it.. I did have to get a new blade after about 15 years.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-2ABC-Processor-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B0000645YM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=mini+prep&qid=1608163607&sr=8-5

Edited December 17, 2020 by gfweb (log)

[weinoo]

12 hours ago, gfweb said:

I have this one, except black,  which is better. Thought it was two cups, might be three. Nothing finicky about it.. I did have to get a new blade after about 15 years.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-2ABC-Processor-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B0000645YM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=mini+prep&qid=1608163607&sr=8-5

This one replaced the large 11-cup Cuisinart, which has been relegated to the pantry for now.

[Maison Rustique]

I have a much earlier version of this Braun immersion blender with food processor attachments. I'm not sure I've dragged out my Cuisinart in the 25 or so years that I've had this. I also have a heavy duty blender and hand mixer. I find these serves most of my needs. I also have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer that almost never gets used. Many of you cook a lot more and have different needs than I do, so might not work for you, but I find appliances that combine tasks are space-saving in my small kitchen with limited storage.

[chord]

4 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

I have a much earlier version of this Braun immersion blender with food processor attachments. I'm not sure I've dragged out my Cuisinart in the 25 or so years that I've had this. I also have a heavy duty blender and hand mixer. I find these serves most of my needs. I also have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer that almost never gets used. Many of you cook a lot more and have different needs than I do, so might not work for you, but I find appliances that combine tasks are space-saving in my small kitchen with limited storage.

 

You know, I too have an old immersion blender that came with a chopper attachment. I'll have to look for the attachment as I've moved a few times since I originally got it. I remember it being kind of flimsy so I'm a bit dubious that it can grind meat, but what the heck, if I can find it I will give it a whirl (pun intended).

[liuzhou]

I  use the chopper bowl attachment (left) of this setup to grind meat all the time. No problems. Used it while preparing last night's dinner.

 

 

 

 

[chord]

The pic below is my Braun. The chopping attachment doesn't seem as substantial as the models posted by @Maison Rustique and @liuzhou. Nevertheless, it did a quite decent job. I tried it on an array of vegetables, as well as some fresh bread and chicken thighs. As long as the food item could be placed in a single layer it worked well. In fact it was a little too quick. In a couple of pulses it ground the chicken pieces very finely. There's no chance of getting a coarse grind out of this chopper.

 

 

The Braun will certainly be adequate for the time being. But I'll soon have another option. I just ordered this Tasty by Cuisinart mini processor. It has a four cup bowl and a 300 watt motor, even better than the regular mini Cuisinart. With the sale price and a 25% off coupon it came to $26 with taxes and shipping. I hope it isn't junk but at that price I'm willing to take a flier.

 

Edited December 19, 2020 by chord (log)

[chromedome]

Minus the attachments, that looks very much like my elderly Braun. Cost me $18 at Walmart, 18 years ago, still use it at least a few times a month. Pretty good value for the dollar, in my estimation.

[chord]

Just in case there's any interest I thought I would post a short review of the Tasty by Cuisinart mini food processor that I got last week (pictured below). I bought it for $16 from the Beall's website plus another $8 in shipping charges and for the price it is a great little machine.

 

The bowl holds 4 cups and the motor is rated to 300 watts. This is slightly larger and more powerful than the base Cuisinart mini chopper (model DLC-2ABC).  The blade features a sharp side and a dull side. Most chopping is done with the sharp side, although hard items like spices and seeds should be ground using the other side. Chopping is the primary reason I bought it and it handles this task just as one would expect.

 

As a lark I tried to use the machine to knead pizza dough. First I made a personal sized pizza made with 85g of whole wheat flour which the machine handled with aplomb. And then I tried a second time with 150g of AP flour for a medium sized pie. The latter attempt filled the bowl and I could hear that the motor was struggling but even so it was able to successfully form a dough ball. I have to say I was surprised that it managed to knead that much dough and this is something I intend to try again at some point. 

 

The machine also comes with a reversible cutting disc with one side for slicing and the other for grating. This works just fine--at least in principle. However, the feed tube is extremely narrow, about 1.3" x 1.8" limiting its usefulness. Couple that with the small bowl and you really don't save much time compared to a box grater.

 

A few other downsides:

• Unlike the regular Cuisinart, this model doesn't spin in reverse, which means that the blade needs to be flipped over to use the duller side. This does mean that you have to be careful when reassembling the machine to make sure that you have the correct side facing up before using it.
• Under very heavy loads, it will sometimes walk on the counter and need to be held in place. That's not terribly surprising considering that this is a very lightweight machine.
• The only other negative which comes to mind is the name on the food processor. I wasn't really aware of them before, but apparently "Tasty" is a Buzzfeed brand known for its viral recipe videos that are poorly designed and short on technique. The logo doesn't particularly matter to me but I imagine it may be off-putting to some.

 

.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by chord (log)

[gfweb]

I've been watching lots of Jacques Pepin videos. He often uses the mini-prep.  #validation  😀

[weinoo]

10 hours ago, gfweb said:

I've been watching lots of Jacques Pepin videos. He often uses the mini-prep.  #validation  😀

That's the one I bought (it was like $29); great for a handul of nuts needing to be chopped, a quick emulsion, etc. etc.  And - it fits nicely on my counter, while the big, underused processor is in the pantry.