Club Benefits
This manual food chopper is ideal for chopping small amounts and works by using a plunge action to cut down on the food items.
Based on the traditional design of a food processor, this version has a manual pull cord to rotate the chopping blade.
For someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, my knife skills aren’t up to scratch, which is why I rely on gadgets to help me slice and chop. However, my countertops can quickly become cluttered, and the last thing I need is another electronic appliance with a cable getting in my way.
Design and use
The first food chopper I tried had me at the name. Who wouldn’t want to own a gadget called the ‘Zick Zick’? The Zyliss Zick Zick 3 food chopper, $32 at Amazon, is a compact food chopper that fits together for easy storage.
How does it work?
You place the food in the storage cup — but be warned, the bottom lifts off, and it’s not designed for liquids or anything messy. Then you twist the top section and press the plunger down, which exposes the zigzag-shaped blade that chops the food. But, once will not be enough, you will need to continue using the plunger until the food is chopped to your desired consistency.
The second food chopper I put to the test didn’t have me quite so excited about the name — it’s the Zyliss Easy Pull Food Processor, $29 at Amazon — but it does require a hands-on action that makes it fun to use.
How does it work?
Unlike the Zick Zick 3, this version requires you to pull and extend the handle on the top section, which in turn rotates the blades. Once you release the pressure on the pull mechanism, it will return to the base so you can pull it out again.
The blades
Rather than having a traditional rotating blade, as you might expect with a food chopper, the Zick Zick 3 has a blade unit that is pushed down onto the food. However, it does still rotate, but not how you would expect.
On the first plunge the blade cuts down, and then on the next plunge, it rotates to land at a different angle, ensuring the whole area of food is covered.
You'll also notice that the blade is in one section. I thought it looked sturdy and robust, quite different from its counterpart.
The blades within the Easy Pull Food Processor form part of a removable section, that insert into the center of the bowl’s base. The blades consist of a slightly thicker plastic blade at the bottom and three thinner metal blades above. To keep you safe, they come with a protective casing for storage.
I felt the blades looked quite lightweight, and I was skeptical of what they’d be able to slice through.
Performance
If you’re used to using an electric food chopper or processor, you might be disappointed with the results or surprised by how much energy you need to put in to achieve them.
I started with red onions and cut them into eighths before placing them into both gadgets. My aim was to get finely chopped onions suitable for sauteing. It was clear from the start that the Zick Zick 3 found the onions a struggle, and I had to intervene to move them around. The vegetable's texture was too tough for this chopper, despite its sturdy blade. It didn't have enough movement to achieve the chop.
The Easy Pull Food Processor was much more impressive, even though I was concerned that the blades felt lightweight. However, I did find after 10 pulls that the blade dislodged from the central point and I had to reposition it. After another 10 pulls, I finished up with the finely chopped onions I desired.
My next food-chopping mission was to chop frozen mango into a puree. Neither of the food choppers could handle this tough job, so I defrosted the mango in my microwave before giving it another go. The mango was now much softer, and the Zick Zick performed well, although it struggled to achieve a smooth puree. However, it was still perfectly adequate as a fruit sauce to add to my overnight oats.
There wasn’t a huge difference between the two food choppers, although I think the Easy Pull Food Chopper achieved a slightly better result. You also have the added advantage with this version, as it has a fixed base, which will avoid any messy accidents.
One of my favorite healthy snacks to make is low-fat pancakes. The recipe calls for finely chopping the oats and seeds, in an effort to help the ingredients bind together as it foregoes the usual sugar in favor of dates. These are very dry ingredients to chop, and although the Zick Zick 3 did make a difference, it didn’t achieve the fineness I was after.
In this instance, the Easy Pull Food Chopper achieved a much finer result, and there was a clear winner.
Cleaning
One of the problems of using extra gadgets to help you chop and prepare food is the extra cleanup that’s often involved. Although both gadgets are dishwasher-safe, with the exception of the top part of the food processor, they were both fairly tricky to hand-wash.
With four blades to contend with on the food processor, I found it hard to remove all the food residue, however, since the blades detach, the bowl was easy to clean.
I also had an issue with the Zick Zick 3. I found it hard to reach into the blade sections to remove the food residue. And then replacing the plastic guide cover was a bit of a fiddle.
But if I had to choose between the two for ease of cleaning, I would opt for the Easy Pull Food Processor.
The verdict
There are plenty of reviews that show consumers love these products and say they’ve been using them for years. And at Tom’s Guide, we know that there’s nothing better than hands-on experience with a product over time to show whether it’s worth buying or not.
However, these Zyliss manual food choppers haven’t made me change my mind — I’m still going to keep using my electric food chopper. But if I was to recommend one out of the two, I’d choose the Zyliss Easy Pull Food Processor.
I thought it performed best when chopping, where in some cases the Zick Zick struggled. And on the cleaning front, I found it easier to clean up. It also has the added advantage of a slightly larger bowl capacity and a bowl with a base that can’t be removed. And although neither gadget is expensive, my preferred version is slightly cheaper.
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