Mini Choppers

Small choppers are handy for nuts, dried herbs

Cooks partial to petite portions should consider mini choppers. There are several mini choppers on the market that have a 3-cup capacity and are meant for smaller, simpler tasks, such as mincing garlic. Although most units have a 3-cup bowl that snaps into a base that houses the motor, the Black & Decker Ergo EHC650 (*Est. $20) has the motor and blade in the lid. Some reviews prefer this design which doesn't require handling a sharp blade, while other found it more difficult to clean. Another option is a manually operated mini chopper like the Slap Chop (*Est. $15), which operates without electricity.

ConsumerReports.org and Cook's Illustrated offer the most thorough reviews of mini choppers. Each of these reviews compares eight models, including the Black & Decker Ergo, KitchenAid Chef's Chopper KFC3100 (*Est. $40) and Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus DLC-2A (*Est. $30).

One professional review highly rates the Black & Decker Ergo and Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus, but gives the Black & Decker chopper the blue ribbon because it costs half as much as the Cuisinart. The KitchenAid Chef's Chopper Series gets a lower score for its poor pureeing. Testers also say the KitchenAid is noisier than the other two models.

Cook's Illustrated also tests some mini choppers. Editors have them turn curry ingredients into a paste and chop almonds. One foodie magazine says the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus performs as well as the KitchenAid, but it is very "jumpy" and has to be held firmly during operation. It does not recommend the Black & Decker Ergo, which did not completely chop the almonds in one test. Editors also thought the top-mounted motor on the Black & Decker was a drawback, since it made it more difficult to see how chopping was progressing and wasn't very easy to clean.

Owner-written reviews on Amazon.com and Cooking.com reveal a split decision. Several hundred owners at Amazon.com give the Black & Decker a top rating, saying it chops beautifully and the ergonomic design makes it easy to hold. The KitchenAid Chef's Chopper Series and Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus both receive lower rankings and have fewer reviews posted. Still, at Cooking.com, the Chef Chopper Series is the top-rated mini chopper by owners, with an average of 4.5 stars from nearly 100 reviewers. The Cuisinart has a slightly lower rating from fewer reviewers.

All three of these mini choppers look like good choices. We've chosen the Black & Decker mini chopper as our pick since it's the least expensive of the three similar choppers.

One "as seen on TV" product, the Slap Chop, doesn't require electricity to operate. The bowl of this mini chopper is placed over small amounts of food, and then the blade is lowered and rotated by pressing down on a lever. One advantage: It can easily chop some foods like onion or garlic without peeling them first; the skins remain intact, so they're easy to remove. However, this mini chopper receives only one star from over half of owner reviewers on Amazon.com. Owners complain it doesn't cut through tomato skin well, so the tomato ends up looking smashed rather than chopped. Additionally, one foodie magazine reports that the Slap Chop has trouble slicing through potatoes; testers complain of lodged pieces in the blades.