Part of the Black & Decker Home collection, the Ergo Chopper EHC650 is an ultra efficient machine that delivers uniformly chopped or diced ingredients in seconds. This unit has a large, 3-cup clear work bowl, which handles chopping more effectively than smaller bowls. The ingredients have ample room to spin around the bowl and then settle at the bottom in between pulses; this means you can not only process more, but you can get better results with the foods you do process.

We loved the design of this machine, which puts the motor atop the work bowl. A molded non-slip grip provides a firm hand hold with easy fingertip access to the pulse-activated power buttons. The dual-level stainless steel chopping blade is thin and super sharp to cut cleanly through an array of ingredients from peppers and papaya to mushrooms, onions, bread crumbs and more. You can obtain textures from a coarse chop to a fine puree.

Sometimes, simpler is better and, in the case of this unit's safety interlock mechanism, this is absolutely true. By placing the motor atop the bowl, a tiny button along the edge engages to enable operation. There's no awkward twisting -- no tabs to fit into slots -- just set it up and go. The only drawback to this design is that the motor acts as the bowl's cover and gets sprayed with whatever ingredients are spinning around the bowl. Although you cannot submerse it for cleaning, you can wipe it with a damp cloth.

The unit's two power buttons are identified with two dots (high) and one dot (low). Both buttons are pulse-activated and will stay on only as long as you hold them down. Most foods are processed in just a few pulses. As with all mini choppers, some initial prep work is required (e.g., peeling and cutting foods into manageable size pieces). The manufacturer recommends cutting into 3/4-inch pieces; however, we found that simply quartering an onion, carrot or tomato worked fine. The work bowl can handle up to two medium onions, four hard cooked eggs, or approximately 2-3 cups of nuts, herbs or celery. When using liquid ingredients, the capacity is reduced to 1-1/4 cups.

Another feature that deserves mention is the removable non-slip base, which keeps the work bowl firmly in position during use, and also acts as an airtight cover to let you store leftovers right in the bowl. The Black & Decker Ergo 3-cup Chopper EHC650 has a powerful motor yet is surprisingly quiet during operation. It takes up a bit more room than traditional choppers but its extra features and functionality make it an outstanding value.


Pros: Two pulse-activated speeds, non-slip handle grip, removable base doubles as bowl cover, extra large 3-cup bowl, easy assembly and use
Cons: Motor sits atop the bowl and consequently gets sprayed with contents during use, can't slice or shred

Warranty
1 year, limited