If you do the cooking at home, then you know just how much time goes into prepping the food and cleaning up after that. A food processor can help you save time and hassle for all of this, but traditional food processors are too bulky and too expensive for many people.
This is when a small food processor like the Cuisinart DLC-2APK can come in handy. Mini food processors are very affordable and useful food preparation appliances, and they take up very little countertop and storage space.
Best Small Food Processor
We have reviewed a variety of these handy devices and have come up with a list of the top-selling small food processors in 2022 for you.
Best overall
Cuisinart DLC-2APK Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor, 24 Ounce
This compact and yet multi-functional mini food processor by Cuisinart is the finest small food processor which you can find on the market today.
This versatile kitchen utility is the perfect appliance that can help you out with the mundane tasks of prepping food at home.
With the help of the Cuisinart DLC-2APK Mini-Prep Plus food processor, you can do all of the small little food preparation tasks, which usually are done by hand and take up a lot of time and kitchen space.
You can use this 24-oz small food processor to grind hard cheese or spices, chop herbs, process, blend, emulsify or puree soft and hard foods, and many more. You can make a delicious sauce, pesto, or salad dressing, and just about anything which is too small for a large food processor.
The size of this useful little kitchen appliance is only 7 x 5 x 9.25 inches, and it weighs 3 lbs. so it will not take up too much space on your countertop or when you store it away.
Its bowl is 24-oz, which means you can prepare up to 3 cups of food products in it. The bowl has a comfortable handle.
The unit has a small touchpad control panel on the front which is easy to use, and more importantly, easy to clean. There are buttons for the chop and grind function.
The chop function is suitable for pureeing and mixing, and the grind function should be used for grinding spices or for chopping hard foods.
There is also a pulse function for fine-tuning the chopping or grinding.
The tiny food processor has a powerful 250-watt motor and has smart power auto-reversing blades. You can choose among the two available power options when you are prepping different ingredients with this mini processor.
All of the parts of this appliance are dishwasher safe.
It is sold at a very affordable price for the versatility and the quality of the product, and you can buy it in a wide range of wonderful colors, including white, red, pink, and brushed chrome.
The unit comes with a stainless steel blade with blunt and sharp edges, a spatula, and a very useful instruction and recipe book, which will give you ideas about making the most of this small-sized kitchen appliance.
With a small food processor like the Cuisinart DLC-2APK, you can say goodbye to the lengthy food prep time and clean up after it. This affordable kitchen appliance is a must-have for any home and can be used for so many useful tasks that anybody would love to receive one as a gift.
The good news is that even when you are not using it, you can easily store it in a tight space or leave it on the kitchen counter because it has such a tiny footprint.
The runner-up
Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop with 200-Watt, 16-Ounce Bowl
This small-sized food processor is the perfect kitchen appliance for any home cook. With the Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop, you can process all types of foods for cooking and meal preparation as well as for those delicious final touches like dressings, pesto, sauces, and purees.
This inexpensive small food processor has a 4 blade set and can be used for mincing, grinding, chopping, and blending, as well as for all types of meal preparation.
It is an excellent alternative to manually chopping garlic or onions and getting your hands all smelly and your eyes running.
You can also use it for chopping herbs, nuts, zest, cheese, spices, chocolate, and other ingredients for your next gourmet meal or dessert.
The capacity of this mini food processor is 16-oz, and it has an ergonomic design and a powerhead which makes it easy to use and handle. The large chrome pulse button on top allows for easy access and control of the chopping and processing.
The Ninja Express Chop NJ110GR has a 200-watt motor and can quickly and easily process up to 2 cups of food.
The appliance has a non-slip base and is fitted with a splash guard, so your kitchen countertop will remain clean during the food preparation.
The bowl also comes with a nifty storage lid, so you can process the food and keep it in the fridge for later too.
The bowl and other materials are all BPA-free.
The mini-processor is only 5.75 x 5.75 x 10.13 inches, so you can keep it anywhere or store it away easily. It weighs 1 lb.
This incredibly useful kitchen tool is very affordable and is sold with a 1-year warranty.
The small food processor is easy to assemble and disassemble and is dishwasher safe which will save you a lot of time and hassle as compared to having to clean a large food processor or having to prepare all of the ingredients manually and washing up after that.
The best budget-friendly option
Gourmia GMS9280 Mini Slicer Pull String Manual Food Processor
Small food processors are relatively inexpensive appliances in general, but if you are looking for a real budget-friendly deal, the Gourmia GMS9280 Mini Slicer is the one for you.
This is a manual small food processor which is amazingly useful and versatile and will cost you under $10!
Using it and cleaning it is a breeze. You can use this inexpensive small food processor for chopping, dicing, mincing, and crushing all kinds of ingredients, including nuts, garlic, onions, herbs, spices, tomatoes, and other veggies or fruits.
It has a simple and yet very clever design that will save you the time and effort of having to prep all the ingredients you need manually.
The Gourmia comes with a 2 cup bowl (but is also available in larger versions of 4 and 6 cup bowls). The sharp stainless steel blade, as well as the cover with the handle, are removable, so you just need to insert the food in the bowl, place the top, secure it and pull the handle to start processing the food.
The more times you pull it, the finer the ingredients will be processed. In order to dice a veggie, all you need to do is pull the handle 5-6 times. for medium dicing, you will have to do it 7 to12 times, and if you want a liquid puree, you will need to pull the handle 20 or more times.
When you are done, you can pop the lid on and store the processed food in the fridge.
All parts are dishwasher safe, and all of them are BPA-free as well.
The size of this budget-friendly small food processor is 5.2 x 5.2 x 4 inches, and it weighs a mere 0.6 lbs.
It is safe, eliminates the dangers of using sharp kitchen knives, and doesn’t need electricity to work, so you can take it with you when you go camping or are off the grid as well.
With a nifty small food processor like this, you can say goodbye to all bulky and hard-to-wash electric appliances and utensils you normally use for food prep and say hello to this safe, easy to use, and easy to clean the manual slicer.
The rest of the best
KitchenAid KFC3516ER 3.5 Cup Food Chopper, Empire Red
If you are tired of having to meddle with all the bulky appliances and the numerous utensils and cutting boards every time you are preparing the ingredients, you need for cooking? With the KitchenAid KFC3516ER, you can save yourself the time and hassle and prep everything without so much effort and cleaning afterward.
Key features:
- Excellent mini-sized processor for chopping, blending and pureeing
- A 3.5 cup capacity
- The bowl has a comfortable handle, a locking blade, and a pouring spout for clean and easy serving.
- A strong stainless steel blade will chop and puree the ingredients and then stay in place when you are pouring them out
- The appliance has 2 speeds for coarse or fine chopping
- You can control the chopping to get the right texture by pressing and releasing the pulse button as preferred
- It is great for preparing sauces, dressings, and other liquid foods in the drizzle basin
- The work bowl is BPA free
- The base is made of durable polycarbonate plastic
- The size of the device is only 5.6 x 7 x 8.7 inches in size, and it weighs 2.7 lbs.
- The mini-processor is sold in 19 different color options to suit any taste and décor
- Safe and easy to clean – the bowl, blade, and lid are dishwasher safe
Homeleader Electric Food Chopper, 5-Cup Food Processor by Homeleader
If you dread using the sharp kitchen knives and doing all the food prep by hand, but you don’t have space or the budget for a large-sized food processor, the Homeleader Electric Food Chopper is the perfect appliance for you.
Key features:
- A powerful 300-watt motor and 4 sharp stainless steel blades will do all the cutting and prepping instead of you
- It is much faster and more efficient for chopping all kinds of ingredients than doing so manually.
- Thanks to the powerful motor, the device can even grind meat which most other mini processors cannot do.
- It can grind meat in just 8 seconds, and veggies and garlic in 6 seconds
- A 4D glass bowl of 1.2 liters is designed to allow for the ingredients to be chopped evenly both on the top and on the bottom
- The capacity of the bowl is suitable for preparing food for a single person or for a small family
- It has two handles for easy carrying
- It also has an anti-splattering silica gel ring to keep your countertop clean.
- A non-slip rubber ring will keep the processor in place while you are using it.
- It operates quietly – at less than 40db
- It is very easy and safe to use and clean
- Sold with a 1-year warranty at a very affordable price
- The size of the Homeleader mini chopper is 7.5 x 5 x 9.7 inches, and it weighs 4.7 lbs.
Related: Top Food Processors with a Glass Bowl
Proctor Silex 72500RY Durable Mini Food and Vegetable Chopper 1.5 Cup White
If you want to buy a very small yet powerful food chopper, then you should definitely check the Proctor Silex 1.5 cup chopper.
Key features:
- A 1.5 cup capacity (but is also available in a 3-cup version)
- A powerful 300-watt motor
- A stainless steel strong processing blade
- The pulse speed allows for a controlled speed of the chopping, pureeing, and mincing
- The bowl, blade, and lid are all dishwasher safe
- Very simple to use
- The processor has a stable base which will keep it in place as you are chopping.
- Suitable for preparing all kinds of ingredients and foods, including baby food
- Its dimensions are 5.13 x 5.44 x 8.5 inches, and it weighs 1lb.
Related: Top Quality Blenders Food Processors Combo
BLACK+DECKER 1.5-Cup Electric Food Chopper, Improved Assembly, Black, HC150B
The Black+Decker 1.5 cup electric food chopper is the ideal choice for those of you who want a simple and inexpensive small food processor which can handle most of the manual jobs during food prep at home.
Key features:
- A 1.5 cup capacity – ideal for a single person or for small families
- A 70-watt motor
- Sold at a price less than $20
- Thanks to the one-touch pulse control, you can chop all kinds of ingredients easily, quickly, and to the extent you want them chopped.
- Sharp bi-level stainless steel blades will last for long and stay sharp for long
- All of the removable parts of the mini chopper are dishwasher safe
- The lid has oil holes which you can use to add oil to your dressings or vinaigrettes as you mix easily and without making a mess
- Excellent for chopping herbs, fruits and vegetables, chocolate, bread crumbs, and many more
- Its size is 6.5 x 4 x 5 inches, and it weighs 1.25 lbs. so you can place it or store it just about anywhere
Cuisinart DFP-3 Handy Prep 3-Cup Food Processor
The Cuisinart DFP-3 Handy Prep food processor is still smaller than a traditional processor, but it has a powerful 600-watt motor and multiple functions and features which make it an excellent alternative to the larger appliances in the kitchen.
Key features:
- A powerful 3-cup food preparation appliance can be used for preparing more ingredients thanks to the continuous shredding or slicing option.
- An excellent alternative to large-sized food processors
- The motor is 600 watts
- It has an added chute attachment which you can use for continuous shredding or slicing.
- The bowl has a handy feed tube to add the ingredients
- It has a stainless steel chopping and mixing blade
- It also comes with a slicing disc and a medium shredding disc
- The ejector disk in the processor helps direct the food through the chute
- Its size is 15.9 x 9.8 x 6.7 inches, and it weighs 9.05 lbs.
- It is sold with a recipe book and a spatula.
Hamilton Beach Stack and Press Glass Bowl Food and Vegetable Chopper
The Hamilton Beach Stack and Press mini chopper doesn’t require any twisting and locking and is easy to use by just about anybody.
Key features:
- Very easy assembly and easy to use without any strenuous efforts, twisting or locking
- All you need to do is stack the 3 cup bowl on top of the base and blade without needing to align or twist anything.
- Once you place the ingredients inside, all you need to do is press the lid, and the appliance will start chopping. Keep pressing until you get the desired texture and consistency.
- It is 6.3 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches and weighs 3.46 lbs.
- The bowl is made of durable and stain, odor, and scratch-resistant glass, which is easy to clean.
- The bowl and the stainless steel blades can be washed in a dishwasher
- Suitable for chopping all kinds of veggies, herbs, nuts, as well as for making salsa, guacamole, dips, relishes, and dressings
- The processor has a clean and stylish design
- Thanks to the small size and the integrated cord storage, it is very easy to store and will take up very little countertop space
- Excellent for small kitchens, RVs, or other tight places
- It is sold with a 1-year limited warranty
Sources:
Why I Consider My Mini Food Processor to Be Indispensable | Kitchn
How a Mini Food Processor Can Make Cooking Easier | Epicurious
10 Ways to Use Your Mini Food Processor
The Benefits of Owning a Mini Food Processor For Your Kitchen