KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper review: ditch the power cable and chop anywhere

KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper two-minute review

KitchenAid is a trusted kitchen appliance brand that already offers a range of food choppers, but the KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper stands out for being battery-powered. Moreover, the same battery can be used across the KitchenAid Go range of appliances.

Whether you’re short on space, short on power outlets, or you simply want the best blender to use wherever you choose, having a battery-operated food chopper can offer the convenience you crave.

The size and functionality is similar to KitchenAid’s plug-in 5 cup food chopper, except the KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper offers two speeds and the freedom of not having to place it near a power outlet. But with this convenience comes a higher price tag.

On test, it reliably chopped, mixed and whipped its way through a variety of ingredients. I was relieved that the battery lasted long enough for several uses and didn’t need charging at all during testing. Plus all the accessories can be easily washed in the dishwasher.

It’s compact and easy to move around, which also means it doesn’t take up too much storage space. But the flip side of this is that its capacity won’t be enough for everyone. Read on further for my in-depth review of its design and performance.

• KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper with battery for £179 at KitchenAid

KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper review: price & availability

• List price with battery: US$129.99 / GBP £179 / AU$228
• List price without battery: US$89.99 / GBP £149 / AU$159
• Availability: UK / US / AUS

The KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper can be purchased with or without the battery. This makes a lot of sense because the KitchenAid Go Cordless Collection is a range of battery-powered small kitchen appliances that all work using the same removable, swappable battery.

The prices above are for the version that includes the battery, and buying it without the battery will save you $30/ £30 / AU$69. A word of warning though, a spare battery will cost $49.99 / £69 / AU$69. So if you're in the US or UK and think you may need it, then it makes sense to buy it bundled in with the appliance itself.

Being cord-free does come with a premium price tag, however: a standard variable speed corded food chopper from KitchenAid will cost significantly less at around $70/ £109 / AU$159.

Whether or not being cord-free is worth the extra investment will depend on your circumstances. For example, in a kitchen that lacks power sockets it’ll be worth considering spending the extra for the convenience of battery power.

Of course, you can always keep your eyes peeled for a discount. In the US it was on sale at the time of writing for $99.99 including a battery , so if it’s not discounted when you look, check back again later.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper review: design

• Compact and easy to store
• Streamlined appearance
• Simple to use and assemble

The KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper is a 39.9oz / 1.18 liter capacity food chopper. In addition to a chopping blade, it comes with a plastic whisking accessory.

There are two speeds to choose from, each speed represented by a button that has to be held down for the duration of the chopping or whisking task. Alternatively, the buttons can be pressed briefly but repeatedly, for a pulse action. There are no other controls to worry about, so using it is very straightforward.

The removable, swappable battery is charged via the supplied USB cable, but you’ll have to supply your own plug. Or, you can invest in a charging dock if you prefer.

In terms of dimensions, it measures 10.4 x 5.7 x 7.2" / 26.5 x 14.5 x 18.4cm (h x w x d) and weighs just 2.9lbs/ 1.3kg. It’s compact compared with a standard food processor, but still a usable size for chopping small to medium quantities and portions. It’s small and light enough to store neatly away in a drawer or cupboard, without being a hassle to move around.

The BPA free clear plastic bowl slots directly into position without a twisting or locking action. The lid however, does have to be twisted to lock it into place. On top of the lid there’s a handy little hole for drizzling oil or water in during mixing.

Unlike many other KitchenAid appliances, it doesn’t come in a multitude of colors, just the matte black finish. The appearance overall is streamlined and inoffensive.

• Design score: 5 out of 5

KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper review: performance

• Fast, efficient chopping
• Copes well with all ingredients
• Useable capacity for smaller batches

For my first test I added roughly 7oz of a mixed whole nut selection including brazil nuts, hazelnuts, and pecan nuts. I was looking for a chopped, not ground nut texture, so I pressed the lower speed button for quick one second bursts to pulse the nuts.

I stopped pulsing once there were no large nut pieces left, which took about 20 pulses. The finished texture of the nuts was a combination of chunkier chopped pieces and some powder. But in my experience it’s quite difficult to achieve a consistent chopped nut texture, especially when chopping a variety of nuts at once. With that in mind, this wasn’t a bad result.

When I needed to chop some whole dried apricots, I started off trying to pulse them like with the nuts, but it was quickly obvious this wasn’t doing a lot. So instead I kept the lower speed button pressed.

The apricots were chopped up in just 30 seconds and the pieces were impressively even given how sticky and difficult-to-chop dried apricots can be.

To make hummus, I put all the ingredients into the chopper and blended on the lower speed setting. It took just 25 seconds to create an evenly textured, slightly coarse hummus. It did wobble a little during blending but not so much that I felt the need to put a hand on the top to steady it.

Just before the end, I poured some extra olive oil in through the drizzle hole at the top. It’s very convenient to be able to do this without taking the lid off.

It’s not too noisy and since it’s generally only used for short bursts, I didn’t find the noise offensive. My noise meter registered 84dB on the lower speed setting and a slightly louder 88dB on the higher speed setting. These are pretty average noise levels for a blender or one of the best food processors .

When making a falafel mixture I used the chopper for several stages. First I chopped a small red onion. I peeled and quartered the onion before adding it to the chopper, then chopped on high speed for five seconds. I scraped down the sides and chopped for a further five seconds, which was all that was needed for a finely chopped texture.

Next I added roughly 1oz / 30g of parsley and cilantro including stalks, and again it speedily chopped the fresh herbs in just five seconds on the high speed setting. Finally I added all the falafel ingredients back into the chopper and blended it for 30 seconds on the lower speed, followed by 30 seconds on the higher speed.

The falafel mixture is relatively dry and heavy, so I had to stop mixing every 15 seconds and scrape down the sides. But the end result was beautifully evenly mixed and chopped.

To try out the whisk accessory I whipped up a ½ pint / 300ml carton of heavy cream on the high speed setting. After just 20 seconds I switched to the lower speed and it took only another five seconds before it was thick and whipped.

The battery life will vary somewhat depending on the type of use. But to give you a realistic observation from my time using the chopper, after all the chopping, mixing and whisking I’ve described above, the battery level still displayed 75%. After a further two minutes chopping on high speed, it was down to 50%, but I think that’s still pretty impressive, given how much I used it.

A full charge takes around three hours, but you can buy more batteries if you’d prefer to always have a backup charged and ready to go.

Any appliance with a sharp blade is always going to be a bit of a pain to clean. But all in all I didn’t find cleaning the parts by hand to be too tricky. In part this is because everything is small and cleans quickly. Additionally, though, after making particularly messy or oily mixes I just popped all the parts into the dishwasher, which was an easy and convenient way to clean up.

• Performance score: 5 out of 5

Should you buy the KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper?

Buy it if…

Your kitchen lacks convenient power outlets

With so many appliances in our kitchens, the battle for a power outlet is real. And even if you do have enough, they aren’t always located where you need them. If these problems are familiar to you, then cordless, battery-powered appliances might be the answer.

You don’t have space for a full-size food processor

The KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper is much more compact than a big food processor, but it still has the ability to chop, mix, and whisk. The 39.9oz / 1.18 liter capacity is enough for smaller portions.

You want to take the hard work out of chopping

Having a food chopper really speeds up mundane tasks like chopping herbs or onions. Even if you own a large food processor, most people wouldn’t bother to use it for such simple tasks, but that’s where a smaller food chopper comes in super handy.

Don't buy it if…

Budget is your priority

Thanks to the battery technology, the KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper is more expensive than a plug-in equivalent. So if budget is driving your decision, opt for a food chopper with a cord and save some cash.

You’ll forget to charge the battery

Being cord-free is all well and good, but if you don’t remember to charge the battery, this appliance will quickly become more frustrating than it is useful.

You need to chop large quantities

If you regularly batch cook, or feed a crowd, you may find that this food chopper doesn’t have the capacity to meet your needs. In which case, a full size food processor might be more appropriate.

How I tested the KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper

I used the KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper in my own home. I kept it on my kitchen counter for several days and used it to chop a variety of single ingredients, as well as to mix up hummus, and even whip cream.

I kept a keen eye on the battery to see how much I could use the chopper before it needed a re-charge. And I also noted how easy it was to clean, as well as any other design quirks or ease of use issues that I came across during normal day-to-day use.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2024