7 Best Mini Food Processors of 2023

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The top mini food choppers, whether you want to puree baby food, emulsify dressing or mince vegetables.

This article was updated in February 2023 to ensure that all products were in stock and reflected current pricing. We removed discontinued products and added new picks from Black + Decker, Zyliss and Hamilton Beach.

Whether you're just chopping an onion for a soup, quickly grating some Parmesan or plowing through a mountain of veggies because you meal prep like a pro, a mini food processor is a compact and handy way to speed up your cooking. A full-size food processor can be worth the kitchen real estate, but it has a large footprint, which is less ideal for apartment kitchens or dorm rooms. Mini food processors are also useful for smaller batches of items, like herbs, nuts, salsas, pestos and vinaigrettes as well as tasks like prepping homemade baby food. They mean you don't have to have great skills with a chef's knife and are easier to clean than a blender.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab experts test all kinds of products for prepping food. When we test food processors, we look for models that chop evenly, have intuitive controls and are easy to clean. For this list, we focused solely on stand-alone mini food processors — but many immersion blenders come with quality processing attachments with a similar capacity, and some full-size food processors come with a second, smaller bowl (though we've found they are more prone to leaking).

In recent years, we've tested over 30 food processors, including mini versions. This list includes some of our top-tested favorites as well picks that we haven't yet gotten our hands on but that come from Lab-trusted brands we've thoroughly assessed based on years of experience with kitchen appliances.

Read on for more detail on how we test mini food processors as well as what to look for when shopping for one. For great advice that can be handy for your mini, check out our tips for how to best use a full-size food processor.

Cuisinart aced our Lab tests. Our pros like the 3-cup bowl, which accommodates generous batches and is a comfortable size for prepping a range of ingredients. The simple buttons allow you to chop or grind, and you can pulse or run continuously in both modes. The blade was effective in chopping mode, and when using the grind setting — perfect for spices — the blunt side of the blade is engaged for more gentle processing that helps crush rather than chop. The lid has two holes and a long well so you can add liquid when making dressings or mayonnaise. One note is that some users felt the motor was somewhat noisy.

Though we have not tested this model in the Lab, it has nearly 15,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. It's an affordable and compact model that is a good choice for both small jobs and small spaces. It has a very user-friendly design that lets you merely press the lid to operate the chopper. Our caveats are that the 70 watts of power are the lowest on our list, so it may get overwhelmed by tough ingredients or thick mixtures, and the 1.5-cup capacity can limit some recipes or require multiple batches. But it's a great choice for processing herbs and making quick salad dressings and sauces.

Many mini food processors chop and puree but fewer shred and slice. We were pleased to see that this pick includes a shredding and slicing disk like most full-size counterparts. While we have not tested this pick in the lab, we have found that Hamilton Beach products are generally reliable. This model also includes a reasonable chute for its size, meaning you can easily feed through standard blocks of cheese as well as carrots and cucumbers. We did note that many reviewers complained that the lid is designed with a delicate tab that broke for some users.

This rechargeable cordless mini food processor gives you the freedom to work wherever you have the space — no need to be near an outlet. The tradeoff, of course, is that you have to remember to charge it: It will fully charge in less than two hours but can give you enough chopping power for some tasks in 10 minutes if needed. Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou said the battery was powerful and that she found the model "lightweight and sturdy."

It chops and purees and includes a whisk attachment for whipping cream or beating eggs. (The attachment stores right in the work bowl for convenience.) The handle and spout are handy for transferring sauces to bowls or adding dressings to salads. Though the 5-cup capacity can be too large for some jobs and veers toward full-size food processor territory, it does give you room for larger ingredients, making it a versatile option.

Ninja's mini food processor includes a two-in-one lid for the work bowl: Flip the hinged center tab open to add the motor; flip it closed to seal the lid for storage. The power switch is one large button on top that makes the unit very intuitive to use. The bowl is designed with measurement markings, so you won't have to dirty measuring cups when preparing recipes. And the blades are set at two levels on the center post, which is designed to more evenly chop and incorporate ingredients. Take note: The head of the machine can pivot during processing, so you'll want to hold it in place.

In our Lab tests, we found this KitchenAid mini food processor very easy to use. The controls were intuitive, and the lid locked tightly (though note that some found the lid difficult to remove). The lid includes a "drizzle basin" that acts as a funnel to slowly incorporate oils and other liquids. The bowl's handle and built-in pour spout make it easier to transfer liquids and sauces like salsa. The two settings — chop and puree — are controlled with a press of your thumb on top of the handle.

Take a hands-on approach with a manual mini food processor, which can be used anywhere — no need for charging or plugging in. Lab Director Papantoniou likes this model because it has "an oversized handle that's easy to pull and use, and it is overall simple to clean." She notes that it's great for garlic and other quick jobs. Because you must pull a cord to operate it, it could pose the risk of fatigue for some users and requires some dexterity.

The Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab has tested more than 30 food processors, including mini food processors in recent years.

For each mini food processor, we chop onions with both the minimum and maximum load to assess chopping ability, mince parsley to determine how it handles delicate ingredients and grind Parmesan cheese to see how efficient and even it is when tasked with a fine texture. We note how quickly each model performed these tasks and whether any food was left unprocessed.

We also evaluate the ease of use: How helpful is the owner's manual? How easy is it to assemble? How intuitive and easy are the controls? What range of settings are included? How easy is it to clean?

✔️ Size and seal: A 2-cup capacity is ideal for a mini food processor. You want the bowl to be compact enough that all the ingredients will reach the blade, but not so small that you have to chop in a million batches. Pay attention to how the lid locks on as well: You want a tight seal so you can make a vinaigrette and puree sauces.

✔️ Controls and speeds: Look for simple controls like large buttons or an easy-to-turn dial — some even operate just by pressing the top of the device. Our pros prefer those with a pulse function, which allows you to better control your chopping and prevents over-processing. Look for models with at least high and low speeds for control when working with tough or delicate items.

✔️ Additional features: Some mini food processors come with disks that allow you to slice and shred. These models are versatile and will have you reaching for them more often. But note that because of the small size of the mini food processor, the shredder and slicer generally work only with narrow foods like carrots and celery.

Sarah Wharton has a diploma from the International Culinary Center and has worked as a recipe developer. She led the GH Institute's testing for immersion blenders, many of which come with a chopper attachment.

Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor for the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).

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