Best gadget for chopping vegetables?

[gentlesea]

I'm confused by all the options! Preferably want something that will dice/cube for salads and be able to cut through things like butternut squash. Is a manual one that you slam down better or can a food processor do all this?

A knife!

Pressed too soon! I use a Chinese type cleaver for almost all chopping. Its so large, I can scoop the whole lot up with the knife to put into a bowl etc. Personally, I find a knife does it all and far less washing up than using a machine.

IF you want a processor though, check how much Kw the machine is, which will indicate how strong the engine is. The higher the better/stronger. Check for ease of cleaning and read as many reviews as you can.

I bought one from lidl years ago, and it only lasted 6mths. That was to chop cabbage and coleslaw things- not nuts or anything really hard. For pumpkin, a manual slam thing would be useless.

Potentially stupid question but do food processors dice or just slice? I'm looking at the mini ones as I have a small kitchen so I can't work out if they also dice!

I'd say a knife, too. Go to somewhere like John Lewis and ask for some advice and pay for a good quality one. We have one which hasn't been sharpened in the 4 years or so that we've had it.

It's so much easier to cut through tough things, the difference is amazing.

I’ve had all types of gadget and still use a knife .

I have a ninja chopper and it’s great. I paid about £20 for mine. Small enough to sit on the counter and not take up space.very speedy and if you hold the button down for longer it chops so finely that it basically blends/purées as well.

https://ninjakitchen.co.uk/product/ninja-professional-stackable-chopper-200w-nj1002ukbk-zidNJ1002UKBK?utm_source=awin&utm_medium=680777&utm_campaign=Connexity+Inc.&clickref=EAIaIQobChMI4626qITfggMVlJBQBh0BGQPsEAQYASABEgJ3NPD_BwE&gad_source=1

Food processors chop and can slice or grate/julienne if they have different blades. The don't dice though you could dice julienned veg afterwards, but it would be very small and a faff. Unless you're dealing with large quantities I would just use a good, large knife.

I regularly get taken in by those slam choppers and realize I don’t have the core strength to push hard stuff through. I even got one for watermelon (like a maxi apple corer) when all a smart person needs to do is lever a large knife into it and twist!

So I’d say invest (Xmas?) in a set of Victorinox knives, the ones with black plastic handles are good value, and learn the different uses. You really can’t chop with a carving knife for example, or fillet with a chef’s knife. MN often recommends the 3 small Victorinox vegetable knives including the serrated tomato knife on Amazon. But handle with care they are scary sharp!

So for butternut squash you need a triangular chef’s knife and use the deep blade and your body weight to slice through it.

Nothing beats a good set of knives. Buy yourself a good knife sharpener and never put them in the dishwasher.

I have a mini chopper ^ that came with my hand blender (£25 for an adequate metal one with mini whisk too, Russel Hobbs IIRC) and I mostly use it for chopping herbs into mayo, like tartare sauce or vitel tonné, I expect mine would turn butternut squash into marbles!

Kenwood mini chopper for small quantities of hummus or pesto, liquidising a portion bolognaise sauce for the child (16), dicing celery up teeny to hide in sauces from DH 🙄.

Big food processor for Xmas batches of piccalilli, coleslaw, braised cabbage etc.

Hand blender for soups.

Bang down chopper for softer stuff for salads, plus carrots and cheese being grated on a rotary grater.

I love a gadget and am easily parted with my money, but also have arthritis.

This guy is a true professional who got me through a restaurant standard beef Wellington last Christmas. He’s also a hoot!
Chef Jean Pierre, How to chop vegetables A to Z.

Depending on your budget this Sage food processor would do the job.

If you have either a KitchenAid stand mixer or food processor I believe you can get a dicing attachment for that. I think I actually have a dicing kit for my food processor which I haven’t used which was bundled with it. Other brands may well have similar things.

Thanks, everyone. Think I'll get myself a better knife and a mini processor!

This looks great @CompaniesHouse! will have to wait for it to come back in stock.