The Joys of the KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper

The Small Appliance You’ll Actually Use Every Day

Large food processors are useful, but they are also heavy, bulky and often more trouble than they are worth when dinner requires only half an onion and a handful of parsley or a few ounces of grated parmesan.

The KitchenAid 3.5-Cup Food Chopper succeeds precisely because it is designed for these smaller, everyday jobs.

Compact enough to remain on the counter—and light enough to retrieve without fuss—it quickly chops onions, garlic, herbs, nuts, vegetables, and hard cheeses. It can turn chickpeas into hummus, tomatoes into salsa, stale bread into crumbs or cooked vegetables into a smooth base for soup. Two speeds and a pulse control make it possible to choose quickly between a rough chop and a finer purée.

One particularly useful feature is the small drizzle basin built into the lid. Oil can be added gradually while the machine is running, making vinaigrettes, mayonnaise, pesto and other emulsified sauces considerably easier.

Just as important, cleanup is painless. The bowl, lid and stainless-steel blade are dishwasher-safe, while the cord wraps neatly around the compact base for storage.

This is not intended to replace a full-size food processor when slicing potatoes, shredding cheese or preparing dough. Its virtue is convenience. It handles the small, repetitive jobs that arise almost every time one cooks, without taking over the kitchen.

Buy yours here.