The 7 Best Food Choppers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

How We Tested

These selected food choppers were tested for hours by our product tester for the most authentic results. We rated these choppers based on design, ease of use, size, ease of cleaning, convenience, overall effectiveness, and overall value. Testing was conducted with nuts and garlic, as well as with a variety of veggies. We also made sauces and purees and considered the final texture of the results.

Other Options We Tested

• Kwik-Kut Cutlery Serrated Food Chopper: A previous version of this roundup included this as a budget pick, but after testing, we feel that there are much better options out there. This one does not work for chopping garlic. In fact, out of all the vegetables our tester attempted to cut, the only thing it was good at was mushrooms. However, it could be very handy for making tuna or egg salad in a shallow bowl, for chopping avocado for chunky salsa, and for cutting other soft foods. In the end, though, we think there are more versatile options at similar prices.

What to Look for in a Food Chopper

By Sara Tane

Ease of Use

The ease of use of a food chopper essentially boils down to whether it is manual or electric. While both models are fine for cooks of all levels, an electric food chopper definitely takes some of the labor out of the process. It will run you a bit more money, but operating it is as simple as the push of a button.

In the case of manual food choppers, you will need to cut down food so that it is small enough to fit in the chopper. (Onions and peppers should fit as is, but longer items, like celery or carrots, will need to be cut down.) While it may add a few extra minutes to your prep time, using a manual chopper is still a great way to save time in comparison to chopping everything by hand. If you’re not confident in your chopping skills, both manual and electric choppers are easy ways to avoid spending too much time with your knife.

Size/Capacity

Food choppers can hold anywhere from 1 to 6 cups of food (in comparison, full-size food processors can hold anywhere from 11 to 16 cups), but the most common size is a 3-cup processor. Determining how many people you’re typically cooking for and how much vegetable prep you are generally doing are great ways to figure out what will work best for you.

If you are going to be using a chopper for big-batch cooking, meal prep, or occasion cooking, it might be a good idea to go for one with a bigger capacity so that you won’t have to keep working in batches to prep all the vegetables. If you’re typically just cooking for yourself and one other person, you’re probably fine to opt for a smaller, manual 1-cup chopper. Smaller choppers are great for prepping smaller items like garlic, ginger, herbs, and nuts, while larger units are great for bigger items like onions, carrots, peppers, and celery.

Blade Type

Most blades are made of stainless steel, because they can withstand rust or corrosion. Since the blade will be coming into contact with lots of moisture-heavy foods like onions and tomatoes, it’s a good idea to make sure that it's resistant to rust. Not only is stainless steel resistant to water, but it’s highly durable and easy to maintain.

There's no need to worry about any shards of steel ending up in your food and you won’t have to replace your blade for a long time because they can really withstand the test of time. If you notice that the blade of your chopper is made with any material that isn’t stainless steel, you may have to replace it sooner or care for it differently, so make sure to read the user manual before cleaning.

Price

A food chopper can run you anywhere from $10 to $50, so understanding what you want out of this appliance is crucial to making the right decision when shopping. Generally speaking, a manual food chopper will cost less than an electric version, so if you’re wanting something that’s more budget-friendly, go for the former. If you plan to use it a lot, you may want to spend a few extra dollars for an electric version. Not only can it process more food at once, it's also as easy to use as the push of a button, so there's no need to crank or press down on anything to chop the food.

Types of Food Choppers

Manual

The most common types of food choppers are manually operated. They are much less expensive and very straightforward to use. These choppers are usually operated by a cutting grid, and the food is chopped into a plastic lid or container. They are ideal for cutting vegetables like onions, peppers, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. If the food item is on the bigger side, it will need to be cut down enough to fit in the chopper before it can be chopped.

While these manual choppers still require a little bit of elbow grease to chop down into the veggies, it’s still much easier and quicker than chopping all of these veggies by hand. They are quite compact as well, so if you don’t have a ton of extra kitchen space, you’ll likely still be able to fit a manual food chopper into a drawer or cabinet.

Electric

Electric food choppers (aka mini food processors) are a great way to cut down on prep time. They take up a small amount of counter space and require access to an outlet (though there are some battery-operated choppers that are cord-free). Unlike full-size food processors, electric choppers are much smaller, only have one blade option, and cannot process as much food. Electric choppers can cut up small amounts of produce, while food processors can make purees, doughs, and sauces. Unlike manual choppers, though, electric food choppers can also make salad dressing, mayonnaise, and other emulsified sauces.

Maintenance

For the most part, food choppers—including their blades, bowls, and lids—are dishwasher safe. However, to maintain the sharpness and integrity of the blade, it is probably in your best interest to skip the dishwasher and hand-wash. Unfortunately, the blades on these choppers cannot be sharpened, so it’s important to take the best possible care of them. They should last you a long time, but not forever, so if you notice a blade dulling, it is probably time to replace it. Certain brands offer part replacements, so look first to see whether you can just replace the blade before buying a new appliance.

Soaking the parts in hot soapy water is a great way to remove any remaining residue. If you can, it’s a good idea to get into the nooks and crannies around the blade, inside the food pressers, and around the tube with a bottle brush or toothbrush. In the case of electric food processors, make sure that the device is cooled down and unplugged if you are going to wipe the base with a hot, damp cloth. Never submerge the electronic base in water.

FAQs 

Can you use a food chopper to make peanut butter? 

Electric food choppers that work like mini food processors can be used for making purees, including peanut butter. In theory, a manual chopper could do the same thing, but it would take much more time and effort than most home cooks would want to spend.

Can you use a food chopper to chop cooked meat?

It depends on the chopper and the meat. Ham has a great texture for easy chopping, with either a manual chopper or an electric one. Chopping cooked chicken breast to make chicken salad would be easy in many choppers. A medium rare steak would be more of a challenge and might not be possible in some choppers.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Donna Currie is a product tester and writer for The Spruce Eats. She's also a prolific food blogger and the author of "Make Ahead Bread," which is aimed at demystifying the art of bread making. Donna loves checking out new kitchen gadgets—she's tested hundreds of products for The Spruce Eats, including eight food choppers for this roundup.