19 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
So-so, if you don't put the bowl or lid in the dishwasher..
Date of Review: Nov 1, 2000
I purchased the Proctor-Silex mini chopper about a seven months ago to replace a combination hand blender/chopper (since I used the blender more for chopping than blending)... I considered buying a full size processor but I wasn't quite ready to commit myself to a new expensive gadget. I thought I'd just try it out. For $12, how could I miss? In hindsight, with all the chopping that I do (at least once a day), I probably should have purchased something a little bigger, more durable and inevitably more expensive. The chopper did a great job, onions, bell peppers, walnuts, bread, etc in 1 1/2 cup batches with a one pulse action button. I even used it to make salsa and a small batch of falafel. It could hold vegetables cut into large chunks before processing. And it had an excellent safety feature so that you didn't accidently loose a finger. You had to lock the bowl in place, then secure the lid by turning it and snapping it under the interlocking part on the top of the base unit.
Yet, I didn't really like that I had to chop the pieces so small (almost 1 inch cubes) before I could get them in the chopper. That kind of defeats the purpose of a mini chopper. And often larger flat pieces of onion, pepper, or celery would get stuck and just whirl around instead of getting chopped.
But, the motor was strong, it didn't burn out like my hand blender combo. Overall, I didn't have any problems with the mechanism itself.
The real problem for me is that, it claims to be "top-shelf dishwasher safe". NOT! The first time I put it in the dishwasher, it came out with that etched glass look... So I decided that it probably should be washed by hand which was easy enough except most nights my husband loads the dishwasher. And if it happens to be next to the dishwasher, it's going in even if it's drying on a towel on the counter after already being washed.
Consequently, it ended up in the dishwasher one time too many and the plastic bowl began to crack and chip. First, one of the prongs that locks the bowl into place was missing and then (about five cycles later) the other. I resorted to holding it in place rather firmly while I used it but that got old rather quickly. And although it came with a 2 year warranty, I decided I'd be better off just putting it to rest. I mean, it only cost $12 in the first place. And it lasted about 6 months (not quite 2 years). That's $2/month. Not bad if you don't wash it in the dishwasher.
