Mini chopper or multifunctional food processor: which appliance is right for your kitchen?
Between a multifunctional food processor and a mini chopper, the right choice depends mainly on the quantity you chop each time. For garlic, herbs, an onion, or a small sauce, the mini chopper is quicker to get out, use, and wash. As soon as you prepare a stuffing, a blended soup, or whipped cream for the whole family, the multifunctional food processor takes the lead thanks to its power and accessories.
The two appliances are compared on five concrete criteria: capacity, power, uses, size, and cleaning. Here is in which situations each one wins, when it is better to combine the two, and how to avoid buying an appliance that will end up at the bottom of a cupboard.
Multifunctional food processor and mini chopper: two different logics
The mini chopper is a single-task appliance: a small bowl, a blade, a motor. In our range, the bowls go from 100 to 350 ml, with a 30 W motor plugged into the mains or a USB rechargeable battery. It is designed for small daily quantities, those you chop at the last minute.
The multifunctional food processor is based on a powerful motor block on which several accessories are attached, and it exists in two forms. The bowl food processor, placed on the countertop, adds discs for grating or slicing and sometimes a dough hook: it is the most versatile, but also the bulkiest. The multifunctional hand blender comes, depending on the models, with a chopper bowl, a whisk, and a blending cup: a single motor blends in the pot, chops in the bowl, and whisks in the cup.
In our range, the multifunctional food processor takes this second form, with motors from 600 to 1500 W. The comparison below is based on this format, but its conclusions also apply to a bowl food processor.
If you are still hesitating about the very form of the appliance, our guide food processor chopper: how to choose details the different bowl and motor formats.
The criterion-by-criterion comparison
This table compares the mini chopper and the multifunctional food processor on five criteria: capacity, power, uses, size, and cleaning. Read it line by line to see which one corresponds to your kitchen.
| Criterion | Mini chopper | Multifunctional food processor |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 100 to 350 ml depending on the models | 500 ml chopper bowl and 600 to 700 ml blending cup on a hand blender, several-liter bowl on a food processor |
| Power | 30 W corded, or motor on USB battery | From 600 to 1500 W, with several speeds and sometimes a Turbo function |
| Uses | Garlic, herbs, shallots, chili, small sauces, baby puree | Chopping, blending, whisking, and mixing: soups, smoothies, ground meat, whipped cream |
| Size | A single block that fits in a drawer | A motor block and several accessories to store |
| Cleaning | A bowl and a blade to rinse | More pieces to wash after each preparation |
Reading the table is simple: the mini chopper wins on speed and simplicity, the multifunctional food processor on versatility and volume. To estimate the volume you really need according to the size of the household, refer to our article what capacity to choose for a chopper.
When the multifunctional food processor is the best choice
The multifunctional food processor pays off as soon as you cook in quantity or want a single motor for several tasks. It becomes the right choice in these situations:
- you regularly prepare soups and cream soups that you blend directly in the pot
- you chop beef, lamb, or chicken meat for meatballs, stuffing, or kefta
- you make smoothies, vegetable purees, or whipped cream
- you cook for three people or more and a 250 ml bowl would force you to do multiple batches
Its power also makes the difference on firm ingredients like raw carrots, dried fruits, or meat. The adjustable speeds allow you to go from a coarse chop to a smooth texture without changing appliances. If you want this single motor to do everything, the 4-in-1 and 5-in-1 models are gathered in our multifunctional chopper collection.
Its limit is the counterpart of its versatility: for a single clove of garlic, mounting the bowl, plugging in the motor, then washing several pieces takes more time than the preparation itself.
When the mini chopper does better
On small quantities, the mini chopper is more efficient than a large bowl. In a bowl that is too wide, two cloves of garlic or a handful of parsley are thrown against the walls and the blades spin in the void. In a 100 or 250 ml bowl, the ingredients stay in contact with the blade and the cut is regular.
It imposes itself in these cases:
- everyday garlic and herbs: persillade, chermoula, marinade for chicken
- an onion or a shallot for a sauce or an omelet
- small portions for one person or a couple, or a baby puree
- a kitchen where there is little space on the countertop and in the cupboards
The rechargeable models add a practical advantage: cordless, they can be placed anywhere and fit in a bag. To choose between a corded model and a USB model, compare the formats in our electric mini chopper collection.
Can you chop meat in a mini chopper?
Only in very small portions, cut into cubes, since its bowl only holds 100 to 350 ml. To chop meat for several people, a multifunctional food processor with a chopper bowl and powerful motor is much more suitable, and you avoid overworking a small motor.
Should you have both appliances?
In many kitchens, the best answer is the combination. The mini chopper stays on the countertop for everyday garlic, herbs, and onions. The multifunctional food processor comes out for weekend preparations, soups, and large gatherings.
If you can only choose one, ask yourself one question: what do you chop most often?
- Small quantities of aromatics point towards the mini chopper.
- Various preparations for the whole family point towards the multifunctional food processor.
If you are also hesitating with a large bowl chopper, our guide what chopper capacity to choose extends this reflection.
Mini chopper or multifunctional food processor: the right appliance for your kitchen
If you mostly chop garlic, herbs, and onions in small quantities, choose a mini chopper: it is fast, compact, and washes in a few seconds. If you cook for the family and want to blend, chop, and whisk with a single motor, the multifunctional food processor is the most versatile investment, and our multifunctional chopper collection will help you find the right model.
Our entire range, from the most compact to the most versatile, is on Hachoir Cuisine.