Powerful, convenient mini food processor.

Author's Rating:

Pros: Size, convenience, ease of use and cleaning.

Cons: Plastic component around blade is cracking.

The Bottom Line: 
I highly recommend this appliance.  Since it is easy to use and clean, I use it often, particularly for small tasks such as chopping one onion or mixing salad dressing.

Author's Review
This is a very good small food processor, useful for tasks such as grinding nuts or breadcrumbs; chopping onions and garlic; blending salad dressings and mayonnaise.  Other reviews have commented that when chopping, pieces are not uniform in size, which is fairly accurate.  However, I know that when I use a food processor -- regardless of brand or size -- I will not get uniform sized pieces when using the chopping blade.  For more precision, I will use my full-size Cuisinart with a slicing (or other) attachment. 
 
The Mini-Prep model is a convenient size, fitting nicely into any cupboard or taking up minimal space on a counter.  It is easy to assemble:  simply set the bowl on the base and turn slightly until it clicks into place; then drop the blade on the centre post, add your food items (cut into pieces about 1" in size), and put the cover on and lock it into place.  I chose the grey colour to match my stainless steel appliances, and while the Mini-Prep itself is not stainless steel I cannot tell the difference just by looks.

The Mini-Prep has two speed settings:  grind and chop.  The blade moves in one direction for Chop, and reverses for Grind.  Be VERY careful when handling the blade because it is extremely sharp.  To wash it, I simply plunge it up and down in hot soapy water, then very gently dry it with a towel.  I don't like to leave it sit in my dish drainer rack because of the risk of forgetting that it's there and having someone seriously injured.  Cleaning the other components is easy, and there are no nooks and crannies to worry about getting food stuck in.

I have had my Mini-Prep for 4 years, and within the last year the plastic components around the blade have started to crack.  I would also caution against using this processesor for extremely hard food items such as peppercorns, Parmesan cheese, or coffee beans, since these items will scuff the inside of the bowl.  The bowl is still functional, but it does not look as nice. 
 
Overall, I am very happy with this food processor, and if I have to replace it because of the cracked part, I will not hesitate to do so.