The Best Manual and Electric Veggie Cutters that Slice, Dice, Shred, and Puree

If you’ve spent your time chopping away vegetables instead of hanging out with your family and friends, chopped onions with tears streaming down your face, or nearly removed a finger while chopping something particularly tricky, we’re sure you would appreciate a veggie chopper.

Yes, stores are packed with pre-cut and shredded frozen and fresh vegetables, but they can cost more and/or come in plastic which you may prefer to avoid.

Because cutting fruit and vegetables activates the enzymes that start to break them down, fresh vegetables also go bad quicker than whole veggies. So, if you prefer not to run to the store every day, they are not the most practical.

If you want to save some time and use it to do more important things in life, going through product after product isn’t a great way to do that. So, we’ve compiled two lists so that you can choose the best vegetable chopper for your needs, either manual or electrical.

Best Vegetable Cutters (Manual)

1. Chef'n VeggiChop Hand-Powered Food Chopper (About 3 Cups)

Chef'n VeggiChop Hand-Powered Food Chopper (About 3 Cups)

Our Verdict: Simple to Use

If you want just a simple chopper, the Chef’n Chop Food Chopper is a good option. It chops fruit, veggies, nuts, herbs, spices, and ice and comes with a handy storage lid. You simply pull the cord to set the blades in motion. Pull it multiple times to chop the food finer.

It’s great at containing onion fumes too. It’s BPA-free and dishwasher safe so cleaning is easy. It also comes in different colors. It’s small enough to take camping and for small apartments.

But, it doesn’t do so well for softer veggies like very ripe tomatoes (they become mushy) or small veggies either (adding more would remedy this). The lid tends to retain water when submerged, so rather wipe it clean.

The lid can be a bit hard to get off but if your kids like to help you, that could be a plus since they can’t get to the blades easily.

Pros:

  • BPA-free
  • Easy to store and portable
  • Easy to clean
  • No more tears when chopping onions
  • Easy to use

Cons:

  • Can make softer veggies mushy
  • Lid retains water when washed
  • Lid is a bit hard to remove

2. Brieftons QuickPull Food Chopper (4-Cup)

Brieftons QuickPull Food Chopper (4-Cup)

Our Verdict: Best for Larger Batches (Manual)

The Brieftons QuickPull Food Chopper comes with two attachments making it a blender and chopper and slicer of veggies, fruit, nuts, garlic, herbs, etc. It’s BPA-free and dishwasher safe. It also comes with some handy recipe ebooks.

The bigger capacity makes it a better option for families or if you like to have guests over. It can be inconvenient in that you need to adjust the food inside so that the food at the top can also get chopped. This results in uneven chopping.

There are a few complaints of the pull string breaking and the bowl feels a bit flimsy but it is still quite durable.

Pros:

  • BPA-free
  • Comes with two attachments (for blending and chopping)
  • Larger capacity
  • Dishwasher safe parts
  • Comes with free recipe ebooks

Cons:

  • Top veggies don’t get chopped
  • You need to be gentle with the pull string

3. Vidalia Chop Wizard (2 Cup)

Vidalia Chop Wizard (2 Cup)

Our Verdict: Best for Small Kitchens

The Vidalia Chop Wizard is great if you are short on space and aren't cooking for many people. It comes with a chopping and dicing attachment, a hand cleaning tool, and the catch tray has measuring marks.

It also chops and dices softer fruit and veggies without squashing them. It's dishwasher safe, easy to clean by hand, and lasts for years if treated well. It doesn't say on the box whether it's BPA-free but the seller says it is, in fact, BPA-free.

If you prefer really small or minced food, this veggie chopper not a good option. You do need to be gentle as using too much force can break the hinges. If you are slicing very hard veggies cutting them in half or so length ways can help with this.

Pros:

  • BPA-free
  • Easy to store
  • Works well even on soft veggies
  • Easy to clean
  • Durable when treated gently

Cons:

  • Doesn't chop veggies very finely
  • Too much force on large veggies can break the hinges

4. Vegetable Chopper Slicer Dicer (1.2 Quart)

Vegetable Chopper Slicer Dicer (1.2 Quart)

Our Verdict: Best for Manual Versatility

If you want something manual but with all the bells and whistles, this Vegetable Chopper is the way to go. It has 7 different blades allowing you to slice, dice, chop, grate, cut julienne style, and make spirals or ribbons.

It's BPA-free and the blades are stainless steel and a safety glove is included. There is also a cleaning tool. The spiralizer doesn't work as well as the other blades and the mandolin can't be adjusted to vary the thickness of the slices. Despite the cleaning tool some of the attachments can be hard to clean.

You may need to use a bit of force when chopping the hard veggies which can be problematic for some. Never use or clean this chopper without the safety glove as the blades are incredibly sharp.

Pros:

  • BPA-free plastic and stainless steel blades
  • 7 different attachments for variety
  • Safety glove included
  • Larger capacity

Cons:

  • Not all the attachments work equally well
  • It is slightly hard to clean the dicing attachment
  • Some force may be required
  • Bulky to store

5. Gourmia Swift Chopper Pull String Manual Food Processor (4-Cup)

Gourmia Swift Chopper Pull String Manual Food Processor (4-Cup)

Our Verdict: Best Budget Buy

The Gourmia Swift Chopper is able to chop and blend. It works well on hard and soft veggies and you can control how small or big it chops by the number of times you pull the cord. It's easy to clean with dishwasher-safe parts and BPA-free and comes with a storage lid.

Available in various sizes so you can get a small one for camping or a small apartment or family-sized servings. Despite being marked as dishwasher safe, there are a few complaints about the bowl cracking or becoming misshapen in the dishwasher. But this is rare.

If you put in too little food it won't chop as well. If you do struggle with strength or arthritis issues, it can be hard to use.

Pros:

  • BPA-free
  • Easy to clean
  • Larger capacity
  • 2 attachments (chopping and blending)
  • 1-year warranty

Cons:

  • Can be damaged by heat
  • Needs to be at least half full to work
  • It can be hard for some to use

Best Vegetable Cutters (Electrical)

1. Hamilton Beach 72860 Stack and Press 3-Cup Glass Bowl Chopper

Hamilton Beach 72860 Stack and Press 3-Cup Glass Bowl Chopper

Our Verdict: Best for Firm Veggies

The Hamilton Beach Stack and Press Glass Bowl Chopper as the name suggests has a glass bowl but is still lightweight. It chops firmer veggies well and depending on how soft the vegetables are you can also puree them. This is just a basic veggie chopper but it will get the job done.

It has a hideaway cord so that the cord doesn’t take up space on the counter and it’s pretty simple to use. The removable parts are dishwasher safe which is also convenient. Despite the bowl being glass, the rest is plastic and there is no mention of whether it’s BPA-free, so bear that in mind.

If you want to use liquids in this chopper, use very little because the lid doesn’t seal properly.

Pros:

  • Bowl is glass
  • Stainless steel blades
  • Easy to use, just press the lid (can also pulse)
  • Cord Storage
  • Dishwasher safe parts

Cons:

  • Quite noisy
  • Plastic parts are probably not BPA-free
  • Might puree softer veggies instead of chopping them

2. BLACK+DECKER 1.5-Cup Electric Food Chopper

BLACK+DECKER 1.5-Cup Electric Food Chopper

Our Verdict: Best for Small Batches

The Black+Decker 1.5-Cup Electric Food Chopper is great for chopping veggies, herbs, and even chocolate. It’s also a convenient method to make breadcrumbs. Softer veggies can end up pureed instead of chopped.

The lid has holes to so that you can add a little oil or other liquid to the food inside as well. It’s small, doesn’t make too much noise, and has dishwasher-safe parts.  It doesn’t, however, dice, shred, or mince food very well so if you prefer that kind of versatility this is not the best option.

The holes for liquids also don’t prevent onions from ruining your time in the kitchen. There have been a few complaints about the blades and cup breaking, so be gentle with it. Bear in mind that the lid doesn’t lock down which can cause food to dislodge it.

Pros:

  • Dishwasher safe parts
  • One-touch operation (can also pulse)
  • Has holes to add a bit of liquid
  • Chops firmer veggies well
  • Doesn’t take up a lot of space

Cons:

  • Probably not BPA-free
  • Small capacity
  • Needs to be handled gently
  • The lid can come off easily

3. Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop (2-Cup)

Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop (2-Cup)

Our Verdict: Best for Small Kitchens (Electric)

The Ninja Express Chop is BPA-free and chops, minces, blends, and purees veggies, garlic, herbs, spices, nuts, etc. It works quickly, so be sure to try it in short pulses at first if you simply want to chop food as it's easy to end up pureeing or mincing the food unintentionally.

The parts that come into contact with the food are all dishwasher safe and it comes with a 1-year warranty. When using it, the splash guard always needs to be in place to prevent food from getting into the motor which is hard to clean.

You also need to be careful when picking it up to move it as the motor is not firmly attached to the jar. You do need to fill the jar at least halfway otherwise the food moves out of the reach of the blades.

Pros:

  • BPA-free
  • Works quickly and has measurement marks on the side
  • Can chop, mince, puree, and blend a variety of foods
  • Attach the storage lid to conveniently store the food
  • 1-year warranty

Cons:

  • The motor can get messy especially if the splash guard isn't used
  • Lifting the chopper at the top only makes the motor fall off
  • It doesn't work properly until halfway full
  • Few complaints of it breaking easily.

4. Presto 02970 Professional Salad Shooter Electric Slicer/Shredder

Presto 02970 Professional Salad Shooter Electric Slicer/Shredder

Our Verdict: Best in Versatility (Electric)

On one hand, the Presto Professional Salad Shooter is very convenient because you can load bigger veggies into the chute, it slices thick or thin, shreds, and creates ripple cuts and since there is no jar or attached bowl, you can make as much as you want fairly easily.

If you slice or grate veggies often, this machine will save you a lot of time. But, you may need to raise it up and aim into a bowl or straight at food depending on the height of the bowl or dish but it's lightweight so this isn't too bad.

If you want a chopper that can also dice and puree food, this is not the right option for you. Storing all the cones can also take up space so if you live in a small apartment, that doesn't work out so well. It makes a loud whining noise too.

Pros:

  • No limit as to how much you can slice/shred
  • Lightweight
  • 4 cones (thick slices, thin slices, shredded, ripple cut)
  • Detachable parts are dishwasher safe

Cons:

  • Difficult to store if you are short on space
  • Makes a loud high-pitched whining sound

5. Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor (3 Cup)

Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor (3 Cup)

Our Verdict: Can be Used to Make Juices and Smoothies Too

The Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Food Processor can chop, grind, emulsify, puree, and blend veggies, nuts, herbs, spices, chocolate, and as it's a food processor it can be used for liquids too. If you like a bit of versatility this works.

The blades reach the food right at the bottom too and it's BPA-free and dishwasher safe. Softer veggies and fruit like very ripe tomatoes tend to end up pureed so it's not gentle enough for chopping those. It also doesn't grind up seeds.

It does make quite a lot of high-pitched noise and it can feel a bit flimsy.

Pros:

  • Chops, grinds, emulsifies, purees, and blends
  • Can be used with liquids
  • Food at the bottom also gets chopped easily
  • BPA-free
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons:

  • Very noisy
  • Feels flimsy
  • Doesn’t do well on very soft veggies or seeds.

Your How to Guide for Purchasing a Veggie Chopper

a bunch of colorful vegetables ready for chopping

It mostly depends on your preferences and budget, and if you want the capability to handle harder foods as well.

In addition to looking at the capacity, there are a few extra considerations that you need to take into account.

Quality

Always choose the best quality that your budget will allow whether you go manual or electrical. Poor quality metal and plastic don’t just have short lives, but they pose some safety problems too. These are the two main things to look out for when it comes to quality:

  • Stainless steel blades: Stainless steel is durable and doesn’t rust as easily as some other metals. Flimsier blades can break off in smaller pieces and you could end up cutting your mouth as you chew or worse. Rust particles in your food are also a no-no.
  • Sturdy BPA-free plastic: BPA (Bisphenol-A) is used to make plastic harder, but unfortunately, it’s a known hormone disruptor. It can mimic estrogen in your body causing estrogen dominance. At the same time, you don’t want plastic that will break easily - whether you are slicing veggies or pressing tofu.

Manual or Electric?

Let’s look at the pros and cons of each:

Manual Veggie Choppers

These naturally require more effort and they aren’t as quick as electrical choppers. Having said that, they still require less time and effort than chopping with a knife.

How they operate depends on the type, some may require you to push the vegetables through the blades, or you might have a handle that you can turn to operate the blades. Some even have a pull cord.

If you enjoy camping or like to prepare your veggies fresh at the picnic site, these are great since they are portable and you never have to worry about electricity or carrying a cutting board and knives around.

Going manual is also sometimes the more budget-friendly option. Depending on the type, if you struggle with strength in your hands or painful joints, these can be difficult to use.

Electrical Veggie Choppers

If you really want to cut down on the amount of time you spend in the kitchen, these can be a lifesaver. You put your chosen vegetable in place and most electric vegetable choppers will do the rest.

If you have a big family or like to have guests over often, you can prepare a lot of vegetables very quickly.

They aren’t, however, as portable as manual vegetable choppers which, if you prefer to use a vegetable chopper any time you make veggies, can mean owning two. One for your kitchen, and one for if you go camping or on picnics.

The electrical options are also usually more expensive than their manual counterparts.

Accessories

Both electrical and manual vegetable choppers as well as nut choppers can have accessories like different bowls, and even better, different blades that will allow you to slice, dice, and shred your veggies.

They can come in different colors and have a range of extra settings that can provide you with even more convenience or a little bit more oomph.

There you have it, whether you want the best veggie dicer, best veggie shredder, or just simply the best veggie cutter, there is no need to go through hundreds of veggie chopper reviews.

Our Top Picks

If you’ve tried any of these, let us know what you think! Get choppin' :)

Last Updated on July 20, 2020

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