There are many devices on the market designed to cut up food. Some of these devices, like a food processor or a blender, are electrical devices. However, you can also find manual devices, such as the food chopper.
The food chopper consists of several blades that are pushed down and sometimes twist automatically. This chops up your food from different angles creating small, roughly chopped pieces. Other food choppers have replaceable blades that offer a variety of cuts. This tool helps you chop food in less time and with less effort than a standard chopping knife.
With so many food choppers on the market, how do you know the right product for you? Continue reading for everything you need to know about purchasing your next food chopper.
Why do you need a food chopper?
There are several reasons why you may need a food chopper. These include:
You are short on time
A healthy diet should feature lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Chopping up fruit and vegetables can take a lot of time. If you need to chop up fresh produce for your favorite meals but feel you do not have the time, you will benefit from a food chopper. Food choppers give you the same results as chopping by hand but in a fraction of the time.
You suffer from hand or wrist pain
If you have arthritis or RSI (repetitive strain injury), a food chopper is a less physically demanding way of chopping your food. As such, a food chopper is a great way to maintain your independence.
You cook with children
Food choppers have a cover that not only holds the food in place but also creates a barrier between the fingers and the blades. This is useful when chopping food near a child. A child may use a food chopper under supervision, but we do not recommend leaving a child to use it unsupervised.
Less mess
Some food choppers keep all the chopped food in a container, so there is no spillage or mess to clean up. If you love juicy ripe tomatoes in your salad but hate the clean-up, a food chopper could be the device for you.
Things to consider when buying a food chopper
There are many food choppers to choose from. You will save a lot of time knowing exactly what you are looking for before you make your purchase. We have listed several things you should consider when buying a food chopper below.
Ease of use
You want to choose a good chopper that is easy to use. If the food chopper comes with various attachments, make sure it comes with easy-to-follow instructions on how to fit and use them. A good way of gauging usability is to read customer reviews.
Dishwasher safe
Not all food choppers are dishwasher safe. If you are buying one to save time, this might be an important feature for you. Always read the base or packaging to check whether the food chopper can go in the dishwasher.
How does it work?
Different food choppers come with different ways of working. Before you buy a food chopper, think about how you want your device to start chopping.
As mentioned earlier, an electric chopper turns on with the push of a button. Some food choppers use a pull device that feels almost like starting a gas chain saw. This causes the blades to rotate, which is satisfying to use but isn’t the most user-friendly.
Some food choppers use blades under a push-down lid to chop the food. The food is caught in a container underneath.
Containers
Some food choppers also come with a plastic bladeless lid. Once you have chopped the food into a container, you can pop on the provided lid and use it as storage. This is a handy space-saving feature and requires less washing up.
You may like the added feature of measurements on your container to help you make a perfectly ratioed salad or salsa.
Size
The size of your chopper depends on how many people you cook for and what you will be using it for the most. You may find a smaller chopper to be cheaper and more space-saving. When the container is full, you can empty it and continue chopping more food into it. This takes up more time than a chopper with a larger container. A large container will take up more space but requires less time and effort emptying it. For the majority of people, a 2.5-liter capacity food chopper is large enough.
Design
You can get a food chopper in a variety of bright colors to compliment your kitchen. If you want something a little more stylish, there are plenty of food choppers on the market that fit this description.
Blades
Opt for stainless steel blades. They will remain sharp for a long time and are easy to clean.
Food chopper price range
Food choppers range in price from $7 to $700.
The more expensive models will have multiple functions and chopping, like grinding meat or processing food.
Food choppers on the low end of this price range often do not come with containers. They usually consist of multiple blades with a plastic handle. For a decent food chopper to use at home, you should budget between $35 and $40.
FAQs
What shouldn’t I use a food chopper for?
Try not to use a food chopper on anything too hard, like nuts or hard cheese. Your food chopper will likely chop these items, but the blades will become much blunter in the process. To chop up these items, a food processor is more suitable.
What can I do with a food chopper?
Food choppers can be used to chop up fruit and veg, dice up fresh herbs for sauces and dips, and make cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs. Many people say they chop their nuts with a food chopper, but as mentioned above, we would not recommend this.