Food processors: Choosing a food processor Food processor video guide

Food processors, stand mixers and mini choppers: what's the difference?

Mini chopper Magimix

Mini choppers are good at chopping nuts

The three types of food preparation appliance featured in this buying guide are: food processors, stand mixers (sometimes known as a kitchen machines or food mixers) and mini choppers. 

Food processors, stand mixers and mini choppers are designed to make life in the kitchen easier for you. 

You’ll still have to weigh and prepare food, but you’ll save more of your precious time by letting the food processor, mixer or chopper tackle the trickier tasks – often in seconds. Plus, the results are a lot more consistent than the average person could achieve by hand.

Food processors and stand mixers are great if you want to cook a batch of meals ahead of time and freeze them for another day.

Mini choppers rose to fame after Delia Smith used one as a ‘cheat’ gadget on her TV programme in 2008. They’re basically a very small version of a food processor and are excellent at speedily processing small portions of food. 

You read reviews and get Best Buy recommendations of food processors and mini choppers in full independent food processors review or get the lowdown on the latest and best stand mixers in our stand mixers reviews area. 

Video: how to make tomato salsa in a mini chopper

Check out our mini chopper video to see how quickly you can make fresh tomato salsa:

 

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Recipe for fresh tomato salsa

Ingredients

  • Two small tomatoes – quartered
  • One small onion - peeled and quartered
  • One garlic clove - peeled
  • One small green pepper - peeled, cored, quartered, then brushed with oil and grilled or roasted until the skin is slightly blackened
  • One small green chilli
  • A few sprigs of fresh coriander

Method

Quarter the tomatoes, place four or six pieces into the mini chopper, along with one quarter of the grilled green pepper, a small piece of green chilli, the clove of garlic, two quarters of the small onion and a couple of sprigs of coriander.

Pulse for a few seconds and then continuously blend for a couple of seconds more until the desired consistency is reached.

Process the remaining ingredients separately to make a larger batch.

Which? works for you