Black & Decker EHC650 2-Speed Food Chopper with 3-Cup Bowl
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List Price: Our Price: $18.87 You Save: $6.12 (24%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $17.98 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker EHC650 2-Speed Food Chopper with 3-Cup Bowl
Customer Review: FANTASTIC, JUST ABOUT PERFECT
Summary: 5 Stars
I make Pasta sauce in a 3 gal pot and every year usually 4-6 pots so I can give jars of sauce either alone or in a pasta dinner basket as gifts. That is a LOT of sauce and a LOT of spices. Previously have used commercially available ingredients but have switched to all natural and freshly prepared raw spices including Vidalia onions and garlic (it takes 1/2 BAG of garlics for a pot). Since that is a lot of hand work & suffer from both arthritis and tendonitis in my hands, even using my ceramic knives becomes a painful chore.
This year I bought this chopper as a replacement for the 'slap chop' (yuck) and the food processor we gave away because of the counter space of infrequent use. It didn't arrive in time for the Vidalia onions but did arrive in time for the second half of the bag of garlic and it was a FABULOUS experience. Garlic is so darn STICKY, that I had to wipe it off the blades of the slap chop but this does a LOVELY JOB of producing small even chopped bits of garlic for my sauce. It handled all the other spices well too..the leaves of sweet basil, oregano & dill. I like using the high power button in a pulsing motion. BTW, the thing is so light you can pick it up and shake it to stir up the leaves & lighter items WHILE chopping.
It is easy to clean, easy to store and easy to use. Only complaint: The CORD is too SHORT. But, I guess that is what they made extension cords for lol.
I think too that this will increase our salad eating since I like mine very cold and hand chopping takes so long that some of the ingredients have warmed up by then, Home salads just never seem as good as bought ones, but this will make them quick and fun.
Customer Review: Great
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this for my wife about a year ago. We have a high quality food processor that it great but it takes up counter space and it is a hassel to take it out. Therefore, we only really use it when we have a big batch of something. My wife tried a couple of those "slap shot" devices, but they always would break after a short time. I had tried another motorized mini-chop that cost about $14 at a local store but it just didn't work very well.
For $20 I thought I would give the B&D a try and now we both use it and love it. It is really small and light weight and it is very easy to grab it and use it. Clean up is super easy too, I just add some water to the bowl and a drop of soap and let it run for a couple of seconds. I rinse out the bowl, wipe down the motor housing and I'm good to go.
It does a great job at chopping and it offers a lower speed which is great for chopping succulent vegetables like green peppers. Our big processor is so powerful that it turns them into a liquified mush.
I make a lot of soups and stews and have chopped onions, garlic, green pepers, celery and carrots. All of the above have been chopped to perfection. Naturally, you have to do large quantities in batches or you will stall out the motor.
How often do we use it? Tonight my wife used it to chop onions for a turkey breast she made in a slow cooker (yes, it was great). Tomorrow, I'll use it to chop up a bunch of vegetables for a black bean and corn soup!
It is small enough for the smallest kitchen and cheap enough for the tightest budget. How can you go wrong?
Customer Review: Absolutely Love This!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using mine for about a month now and for what I need it for, it performs so well! I actually was worried because of some of the one star reviews. Glad I listened to the higher ratings.
I use this to chop up fruit and veggies for my birds in the morning. When I use fresh fruit it chops it great, but when I use frozen fruit that is thawed it does puree it, which is fine, my birds seem to like pureed fruit.
Veggies it chops up to the perfect size for my parakeets. If I use it to make chopped veggies for my kids, I just don't chop as long. I've also used it to grind up almonds - it was in teeny tiny pieces after a few seconds. And as gross as this sounds to humans, it crushes up an egg, shell and all for bread that I make for the birds perfectly.
(I'm putting all that I do with it for the birds, for people who know an all seed diet is bad and have been using a knife to prepare food for them but don't want to put out a lot of money on an expensive chopper.)
Cleaning, I have no problem. I really don't know what the big deal is. I just rinse it out and throw the blade and bowl in the dishwasher. I've never had it come out with food on it. And to clean the top part where food does get stuck, I just clean it with a soapy dishcloth, then the soap out of the cloth, and wipe the soap off with it. Air dry, it's ready to go.
Compared to the Magic Bullet, which I also have, this thing is the magical one. Costs so much less and chops up veggies, nuts, etc so much better. The only thing my magic bullet is good for is drinks.
Customer Review: my hand saver!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have joint and muscle ailments that make chopping foods a challenge so I have owned small choppers since they first appeared on the market. Most of these choppers have a small piece on the plastic lid that must lock into the base in order for the chopper to work - a wise safety device, but that piece broke off my first 2 choppers and replacement lids were not available.
When I was shopping for my third chopper 2.5 years ago, I found this one at a local discount retailer. I was immediately struck my two things: 1) it is made in such a way that there are fewer important small plastic parts to break off and 2) the ergonomic top and controls are infinitely easier on my hands than my previous choppers. The dual speeds have also proven to be a great advantage, providing more options of how finely to chop foods. I have happily used this chopper for 30 months and have recommended it to my similiarly "hand-challenged" friends. I am still amazed by how comfortable the top of this chopper is and how gentle to my hands the controls are.
I have not found cleaning the underside of the top to be a problem. I use a wet soapy dishcloth to wipe it off well, using an old toothbrush on any areas that might need scrubbing. Then a quick rinse of the underside ONLY of the top and it's clean. No problem - much easier to clean than the bases of the more common small chopper shape - and when you use choppers as much as I do, you find yourself cleaning them a lot!
Customer Review: Love to cook, Allergic to Onions, So Happy with this Chopper!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've always loved to cook and I love to eat onions of all sorts and in so many recipes. Unfortunately, I've developed an allergic reaction to the odor of onions when using a knife to prep them by hand. I'm just a mess with excessive tearing and nasal congestion. It literally drives me out of the kitchen and to the medicine cabinet to eat antihistamines. It's become so bad, I dreaded cooking so many of my favorite recipes.
In response, I knew I needed some kind of chopper. I also have a limited income, i.e., as much as I covet a food processor, I just can't afford one. So I researched the mini-choppers and chose this one and I am so happy with my choice.
It does a great job at chopping onions and other veggies too. And as a lover of pesto for pasta all I can say is that it works mighty fine. The two speed pulse switches allow great control for a wide variety of ingredients.I can create soft bread crumbs or chop hard nuts. The 3 cup volume is very usable.
I've recommended this product to friends like me who love to cook but are on a tight budget. For me, it came down to buying a really nice Chef's knife recommended by America's Test Kitchen (R.H. Forschner by Victorinox 8-Inch Chef's Knife, Black Fibrox Handle) or a mini-chopper. I bought this one and I am very happy. (I still plan to buy that chef's knife and eventually a full-size food processor.)