Effortless Cooking with KitchenAid’s Chopper
After a busy workday, the prospect of preparing a hearty meal can be daunting. However, I was eager to try the KitchenAid Cordless Top Down Food Chopper, which promised to simplify meal prep. With its help, I effortlessly whipped up everything from fresh salsa to creamy hummus.
Product Highlights and Price
- Original Price: $99
- Current Price: $79 at Amazon
The KitchenAid Cordless Top Down Chopper stands out as one of the most efficient tools I’ve encountered for chopping ingredients and creating quick dips for gatherings. Its compact design makes storage easy, and being cordless due to the KitchenAid Go battery means it can be used conveniently anywhere in the kitchen.
Outstanding Performance
This chopper excels at dicing vegetables quickly—turning a large carrot into finely chopped pieces in mere seconds. Dicing an onion requires only three pulses. Weighing just 2.82 pounds, it can be stored on high shelves or tucked away easily. Additionally, cleaning is a breeze: the bowl, shield, and blade are dishwasher safe, while the motor simply needs a wipe down with a damp cloth.
Concern Over Missing Features
While KitchenAid advertises the chopper’s versatility in chopping, mixing, and pureeing, I found myself puzzled by the absence of a crucial feature: a feed tube. This essential component is typical on many food processors and allows for the addition of ingredients while the machine is in operation, thus reducing the risk of injury.
The feed tube is a standard feature in other models, like the KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper, which leaves one wondering why it was omitted in this design.
The Challenges Without a Feed Tube
Without a feed tube, achieving smooth mixes and purees can be cumbersome. For instance, to make a perfect frosting, one must gradually add liquid, a tricky task without a proper spout. The same goes for creating hummus, where slow incorporation of oil is vital for the right consistency, particularly given variations in the moisture of chickpeas.
A Workaround Available
Despite this drawback, there is a workaround, though it can become tedious. To add new ingredients gradually, you must stop the blending, detach the motor, and remove the shield—a repetitive process.
While testing the chopper, I attempted to make hummus, which requires meticulous ingredient addition for optimal texture. After placing a can of chickpeas and olive oil into the bowl, I started blending but had to dismantle the top three times to achieve the right consistency. Though a bit frustrating, the hummus turned out excellent; it simply could have been made easier with a feed tube.
