There are countless pieces of machinery and equipment designed to simplify, streamline, and enhance your cooking and baking experience. From the simple garlic press to the sophisticated sous vide machine, the sheer catalog of culinary accoutrement and ever-growing list of must-have kitchen appliances make it natural for home chefs to question which pieces of hardware are truly quintessential.
Today, we dive deep into the debate between two appliances likely to be found in practically any professional kitchen: the food chopper and the food processor.
How do these two pieces of cooking tech stack up?
Sharpen your blades and tighten your apron strings: in this article, we’re exploring what you need to know about a food processor vs chopper.
Are you looking to make a quick, fresh batch of basil pesto for a pasta dinner for two? How about puréed fruits and veggies for some homemade baby food?
These are perfect jobs for the food chopper.
When we speak about food choppers in this context, we’re referring to an electric food chopper. Typically, these compact appliances are ideal for food prep, smaller recipes, and sauces.
A food chopper features a small bowl—capable of holding between 1 to 5 cups—and a single, multi-purpose blade. In most cases, the blade will have two settings: chopping and pulsing, which will allow you to perform several tasks, including:
● Making basil pesto
● Puréeing fruits and veggies
● Blending curry pastes
● Chopping nuts
● Mincing garlic and herbs
● Creating salsas and dips
● Making dressing and vinaigrettes
● Pulsing dry ingredients together
Generally speaking, a chopper is ideal for cooking for one to two people. It probably won’t have a feed tube, but may have a drizzle basin meant to emulsify liquids.
If you’re curious whether a food chopper is right for you, consider the appliance’s advantages:
● Compact – A food chopper is small in size and easy to store, making it the ideal gadget for kitchens with limited square footage and storage space.
● Convenient – It’s perfect for quick jobs like chopping garlic or making small batches of pesto.
● Easy to clean – Most choppers will have a single housing unit made of dishwasher-safe parts.
● Budget-friendly – Compared to food processors, food choppers are usually more affordable, with many options costing less than $100.
● Saves time – Food choppers can rapidly handle many chopping and food prep tasks that would take much longer to do manually.
That said, some of the drawbacks of food choppers include:
● Limited capacity
● Limited functionality
● Limited power
● Low durability
● Not designed for hot foods
● Can be quite noisy
A food processor, sometimes referred to as a batch-bowl food processor, is the Swiss Army Knife version of the food chopper. You can think of it as the more sophisticated cousin, taking the basic functionalities of a food chopper and expanding upon them within a bigger, more powerful housing unit.
With myriad attachments and innovative features, a food processor is great for tackling your most challenging culinary tasks—especially if you’re cooking for a larger group of people.
Standout features may include:
● Multiple feed chutes for different sized ingredients
● Multiple blades and attachments for slicing, dicing, and more
● A large bowl capable of holding between 7-16 cups
● A high-torque motor
Aside from saving time in the kitchen, there are a number of benefits of food processors, including:
● Versatility – A food processor can do more than just chop—it can shred, slice, grate, dice, peel, emulsify, whip, purée, mix, and more.
● Volume – Food processors have larger capacities than food choppers, making it easier to prep large meals or batches.
● Power – To accommodate the larger volumes and various demands, food processors will often have more powerful motors. Choppers will almost always have a low-powered universal motor, whereas higher-quality food processors may have an induction motor that is longer lasting, quieter, and more powerful.
● Precision – High-quality processors often have adjustable settings, variable slicing systems, and different attachments meant to achieve your ideal texture, size, and so on.
● Advanced features – High-end food processors may come with additional features like peeling discs, dicing kits, or three-feed chute systems.
However, food processors aren’t without their disadvantages. Some of the drawbacks include:
● Larger size (which can make storage more difficult)
● Higher cost
● More components to clean
● A louder machine
See related: How to use a food processor
By looking at how food processors and food choppers stack up in a head-to-head comparison, you can better determine which one best suits your cooking needs, space, budget, and preferences:
Food Chopper | Food Processor | |
Size | 1-5 cups | 7-16 cups. May also come with a nesting mini bowl for smaller quantities batches |
Functions | Chopping, mixing, puréeing, whipping, emulsifying | Chopping, mixing, puréeing, whipping, emulsifying, slicing, shredding, dicing, peeling |
Best for | Quick, small tasks Meals for 1-2 people | Larger more complex tasks Meals for 2 or more Meal prep |
Space | Compact | Medium to Larger |
Cleanup | Quick and easy | Can be as quick or complex as you like, depending on the attachments involved |
Price | Generally cheaper | More expensive, depending on features and quality |
Both food choppers and food processors can be incredibly useful kitchen appliances, especially when used properly. While both can handle most basic chopping requirements, if you want to cut, chop, peel and dice like a pro chef, the food processor is the ultimate culinary tool—a must-have for any serious home cook.
To upgrade your kitchen setup and chop like the pros, check out the Breville Sous Chef® 16 Peel & Dice—the food processor that does it all. Featuring a 12mm dicing attachment, three chute sizes to accommodate a variety of foods, a high torque 1200W induction motor, 24 different slicing settings, and more, the Sous Chef 16 can help you make high-quality meals in significantly less time. Plus, it comes with a compact Storage Box so that you can keep all of its accessories and attachments organized in one place.
Discover the masterpieces you can create by downloading our recipe e-book and exploring the Breville Sous Chef® 16 Peel & Dice today.
Sources:
1. Consumer Reports. Food Processors & Choppers. https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/food-processors-choppers/buying-guide/