Food processor vs. food chopper — which is your kitchen ally?

What can a food processor vs. a food chopper do?

Let’s take a quick look at what each one can do. These kitchen appliances vary by model, of course, but you can expect most choppers and food processors to power through these tasks:

*Dependent on model

What is a food processor?

Food processors are masters at breaking down food into whichever texture or cut you want for your recipe. Magic! This may be slicing up a pile of carrots, grating cheese, shredding beetroot or even shaving ice. The idea is to make fast, light work of those kitchen jobs which can be tedious, time-consuming or just plain fiddly. Due to the range of blades and disc attachments in a food processor, you can quickly achieve whatever you would have done by hand, in exactly the right shape and thickness. For example, the 3.1L food pro has a multipurpose blade, dough blade, discs to precisely slice and grate, and a dicing kit for cubes.

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What are the reasons to buy a food pro?

• Get precise, consistent results that are truly Instagram-worthy

• Large bowl capacities (1.7L, 2.1L, 3.1L or 4L) means you can cater for more people

• Powerful food processors can cope with heavier loads and ingredients

• Cut prep time on recipes with lots of steps or when catering for a group

• A mixture of blades and discs give you versatile options, such as julienning or dicing

• Wider feed tubes can accommodate big chunks and even whole potatoes

Great ideas for what to do with a food processor

When you’re cooking up a storm, here are some situations where you’d reach for that food pro…

• Quickly slice up veg for pizza toppings, pickles, or a Gratin Dauphinois

• Shred cheese for fondue, cheese sauce or quesadillas

• Shred onions, cabbage or zucchini for fritters and slaw

• Dice up veggies for salads, salsas, soups, chutneys and more

• Slice fruits like apricots and apples to make beautiful pies and tarts

• Julienne peppers and carrots for a vibrant fish dish

• Create your own french fries from a batch of organic potatoes

• Shave organic chocolate for a decadent party dessert

What is a food chopper?

Put the knife and chopping board away! A food chopper (or mini chopper) lives up to its name, chopping food in seconds with an efficient multipurpose blade. These compact appliances are perfect for routine tasks like chopping nuts or cutting onions. They don’t take up much room and get to work quickly. A food chopper or mini food chopper from KitchenAid will give you a choice of two textures (chop or purée) so that you can adapt to suit the recipe. Plus, the 1.19L food chopper has a whisk accessory too, that you can swap with the multipurpose blade to briskly whisk and aerate cream or eggs.

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What are the reasons to buy a food chopper?

• Compact size for tight spaces and little kitchens

• Small bowl capacities (830 ml to 1.19L) for routine tasks

• Easy to use and clean with dishwasher-safe parts

• You can leave them on the countertop to grab every day

• Jobs like chopping onions are taken care of

Great ideas for what to do with a mini chopper

When there’s plenty on the To-Do list, here are some situations where you’d reach for that chopper...

• Make nutritious baby food like puréed sweet potatoes, squash and peas

• Chop toasted nuts to fold into a banana bread

• Process herbs like coriander, parsley and garlic for a chimichurri sauce

• Emulsify olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard for a vinaigrette

• Pulse together all the ingredients for a batch of falafel

• Whip up fresh cream for a delicious dessert topping

• Blend up a curry paste for your favourite Indian or Thai recipe

Which accessories come with food pros and food choppers?

KitchenAid food processes have a multipurpose blade, a dough blade, and various discs to slice, grate and shred. Larger models come with a dicing kit and even a citrus press and egg whip. An ExactSlice system means you can change the thickness of your slices easily with an external lever. Accessories in each type of food processor may have different varieties. The handy food choppers from KitchenAid have a multipurposes blade which can be run at a choice of two speeds for different textures. They also have a whisk accessory (except the mini food chopper) for dropping in to whip air into ingredients like egg whites or heavy cream.

Food pro or chopper - how to choose yours

Think about how you usually eat and cook throughout the week. Will you use it every day? Do you like to batch cook and freeze mid-week meals? Is it for whizzing up a pesto or salsa, or much more than that? Passionate makers and those who cook large portions will welcome the flexibility and power of a food processor, while food choppers and mini choppers are super handy to have nearby too. Budget may be a factor. You’ll find a food chopper, especially a mini food chopper, will cost less than a more heavyweight, advanced option. It’s well worth investing if you want to widen your culinary horizons in rustling up wholesome and creative dishes. Explore choppers and food processors now.