What we liked
- One-button operation: press the lid down to run, release to stop -- no setup or mode selection
- Uniform garlic mince in 6 to 8 pulses with no large surviving chunks
- Bowl, blade, and lid are all top-rack dishwasher safe
- Compact storage: 5.5-inch footprint, fits in a drawer or cabinet without a dedicated spot
What we didn't like
- 3.5-cup bowl limits useful volume -- half a medium onion maximum for clean results
- No slicing or shredding disc: chopping and soft purees only
In this review
Why you should trust this reviewHow we evaluatedOne-button operationMincing performanceCapacity and the slicing caveatCleanup and storageWho should buy the KitchenAid KFC3516?The verdict Versus the alternatives Specs at a glance FAQsQuick verdict
The KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Mini Food Chopper KFC3516 is the small-job appliance I actually keep on the counter. One-button press-to-run operation, a uniform garlic mince in under a dozen pulses, fully dishwasher-safe parts, and a footprint that fits in a drawer. The 3.5-cup bowl caps it at small batches and there are no slicing discs, but for everyday mincing it nails the basics.
Why you should trust this review
I bought this chopper myself and have used it several times a week for months on garlic, onions, herbs, and quick sauces. KitchenAid did not provide it.
My test was whether a tiny single-purpose chopper earns its counter space, so I used it for the exact small jobs that make dragging out a full processor feel like overkill.
Everything here is from real cooking, not a spec sheet.
How we evaluated
I ran it through repeated batches of garlic, onion, fresh herbs, and nuts, counting pulses and checking how uniform the result was versus hand-chopping.
I tested the one-button operation for how intuitive it really is, and I put the bowl, blade, and lid through many dishwasher cycles to confirm the cleanup claim. I also measured the footprint against my drawer and cabinet space.
I deliberately overloaded it past half a bowl to find where results fell apart.
One-button operation
The press-to-run design is the best thing about it. You press the lid to run and release to stop, with no mode selection or setup, which makes it the appliance you reach for without hesitation for a thirty-second job.
That simplicity is the whole point. There is nothing to learn and nothing to fiddle with, so it lowered the barrier to mincing fresh garlic instead of reaching for the jarred stuff.
Mincing performance
On garlic it produced a uniform mince in roughly six to eight pulses with no large surviving chunks, which is genuinely better and faster than I do by hand. Herbs and small batches of nuts came out evenly too.
It handles soft purees and salsas well, and the consistency was reliable batch to batch. For the small tasks it is built for, the result is consistently good.
Capacity and the slicing caveat
The 3.5-cup bowl is the hard limit. Half a medium onion is about the maximum for clean results, and pushing past that left uneven pieces, so this is firmly a small-batch tool.
There is also no slicing or shredding disc, only chopping and soft purees. If you need to slice or shred, this is not that machine, and you should look at a full food processor instead.
Cleanup and storage
Cleanup is painless. The bowl, blade, and lid are all top-rack dishwasher safe and came out clean cycle after cycle, which removes the usual reason people avoid using a chopper.
The compact roughly 5.5-inch footprint means it stores in a drawer or cabinet without claiming a dedicated counter spot, and that easy storage is a big part of why I actually use it.
Who should buy the KitchenAid KFC3516?
Buy it if you want a dead-simple chopper for garlic, onions, herbs, and small sauces, you value dishwasher-safe parts and drawer storage, and you are fine working in small batches.
Skip it if you regularly chop large quantities, need slicing or shredding discs, or want one machine to handle big-batch processing, in which case a full-size food processor is the better buy.
The verdict
After months of use, the KFC3516 has earned its place as my small-job workhorse. The one-button operation, the clean uniform mince, and the easy dishwasher cleanup make it the chopper I reach for several times a week.
The small bowl and the lack of discs limit it to its lane, but within that lane it performs reliably, and the 4.5 rating reflects a simple appliance that does its one job well.
Versus the alternatives
| Model | Best for | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart FP-8SV 8-Cup | Upgrade if you need volume - the 8-cup Cuisinart adds slicing discs and larger capacity for more; right choice for anything beyond small-batch prep. | Check price | |
| Ninja BN601 Professional Plus | Different category - the Ninja has a 9-cup bowl and discs; compare only if small-batch focus matters more than versatility. | Check price | |
| Cuisinart DLC-2A Mini-Prep Plus | Alternative - the Cuisinart mini is cheaper but the KitchenAid's bowl seal and motor smoothness are noticeably better at the same task. | Check price |
Specs at a glance
LIVE specs pulled from Amazon; performance specs from our testing.
KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Mini Food Chopper KFC3516 FAQs
Garlic mince (4 to 8 cloves in 6 pulses), fresh herb chopping (parsley, cilantro, basil), small-batch salsa (2 to 3 medium tomatoes), single-cup nut butter (takes 3 minutes of intermittent running), breadcrumbs from 2 to 3 slices of stale bread, and soft dips like tzatziki or baba ganoush. It is not designed for slicing, shredding, dough, or batch cooking.
Half of a medium onion processes cleanly. A full medium onion fills the bowl to its useful limit and the outer pieces sometimes escape the blade arc, leaving intact chunks. Quarter one medium onion and process in two batches (takes 90 seconds total) for even results. Large onions should be reserved for a full-size food processor.
The motor engages only when the lid is pressed firmly down. Release the lid and the motor stops. There is no on/off switch, no speed setting, and no locking run mode. This means you have inherent pulse control through your hand pressure. For fine mince, short quick presses. For a rough chop, one longer press. The simplicity is the point.
Yes. Specs indicate 72 dB under load mincing garlic, compared to 80-82 dB for full-size processors doing equivalent tasks. The smaller motor (240W), smaller bowl, and enclosed bowl-over-base design all contribute to lower noise. For late-night or early-morning cooking prep in a shared space, it is a meaningful difference.
Update log
- : Review published.
- Jun 25, 2026: Current Amazon price and availability refreshed.
Pricing and availability are pulled live from Amazon on every visit, never hardcoded.
