Ina Garten Swears by This Kitchen Tool for Fast Food Prep

As the cook of the house, loving vegetables can be a blessing and a curse. For my partner and me, who defer to veggie-packed meals when possible, eating enough vegetables entirely depends on whether I feel like taking out my vegetable knife and cutting board to chop carrots or mince garlic. Some days, I have to settle for shortcuts, one of the easiest being a food processor.

Especially after a busy day at work, my food processor is a weeknight cooking essential, making quick work of dicing onions, ginger, zucchini, and more. And I’m not the only one who thinks this way — Ina Garten employs her food processor for multiple tasks, including mincing garlic, grinding Parmesan, and prepping marinades. She and I both own the Cuisinart Pro Custom 11, which makes quick work of bulk tasks, such as cheese shredding and purées. However, if you just need something for quick, everyday food prep, the petite version of Garten’s go-to machine, the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus, aced our tests and is currently 32% off at Amazon.

Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus

With just two settings, the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus has ample functionality for nightly dinner prep. The chop setting spins the blades one way to use the sharpest sides for chopping vegetables and herbs or emulsifying sauces. The grind setting spins in the opposite direction, breaking down harder ingredients like nuts, seeds, and hard cheeses. Whether you’re blitzing shallots, making mayonnaise, or grinding spices, this mighty appliance can handle the job. We also appreciate that you can use the two settings to your advantage when ingredients get stuck, reversing the blade direction until food comes loose. If you’re ever curious about which setting to use for the task at hand, the instructions are fairly thorough and walk through how to process most compatible vegetables.

You may even ask, “Why not just buy the 11-cup food processor Ina Garten uses?” Our best answer: This mini food processor is much easier to clean. Large food processors are most useful when you need several included attachments and a tall feeder chute for heavier-duty functions. Otherwise, bulky components can hide hard-to-reach crevices and latches that dishwashers typically can’t clean thoroughly. The Mini-Prep Plus’s simple, dishwasher-safe components include a work bowl, cover, blade assembly, and spatula, none of which have non-detachable and inaccessible parts. Not to mention, this processor occupies less counter space than an average two-slice toaster and weighs almost 90% less than the 11-cup model.

Of course, we’re not the only ones who recommend the Mini-Prep Plus. At least 5,000 have been purchased in just the past month on Amazon, and more than 18,000 shoppers have left five-star reviews for the mini food processor’s ease of use, storage, cleaning, and more. Right now, the brushed chrome and white colors are listed at $34, but that price may not last for long. Whether you need it for your next holiday dinner or everyday meal prep, grab this powerful tool ASAP to shorten your meal prep from minutes to seconds.

More of Our Favorite Food Processors to Shop Now

Cuisinart Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor

Hamilton Beach 4-Cup Mini Food Processor

KitchenAid 3.5-Cup Food Chopper

Breville Sous Chef 16-Cup Food Processor

Ninja Food Chopper Express

At the time of publishing, the price was $34.