Meal prepping always sounds like a noble pursuit. But in practice, batch-cooking meals for a week requires a lot of time chopping, dicing, and slicing. When Ninja released the Prepi, which claims to handle those hands-on tasks quickly in one compact appliance, I was curious whether it could live up to expectations and make meal prep (and more) easier.
As a trained chef and contributing analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab, I’ve tested several of the most recent food processors that have come into the Lab. As a team, we’ve tested more than 25 food processors, plus food choppers and blenders, so we know a thing or two about chopping, slicing, and pureeing and have high expectations for our countertop appliances. I put the new Ninja Prepi to the test. Here’s how it went.
What is the Ninja Prepi?
The Ninja Prepi is a compact tool that works like a food processor with a few key differences. Most food processors have a heavy base with a bowl that sits on top. The Prepi’s motor attaches to the top of the bowl. It’s also much lighter than other food processors I’ve tested, and easier to move around the kitchen or store in a harder-to-reach place.
The Prepi comes with two plastic bowls (5-cup and 7-cup) and two interchangeable lids. After chopping, the bowls double as storage containers. Rubberized bottoms also help prevent slipping on the counter when the motor gets going.
The real versatility of this appliance, however, lies in its cutting attachments. The Prepi has discs for slicing, shredding, and even crinkle cutting, plus an S-blade for rough chopping and pureeing.
The motor attaches to the bowl lid, along with a food chute. The chute has three openings to accommodate ingredients in various sizes. Helpfully, all of the parts (except the motor) are dishwasher-safe.
However, one downside of the Prepi being able to do so many things is that there’s a lot to keep track of. The discs and blades don’t come with a dedicated storage solution.
How it performed in testing
I tested the Prepi using our Lab protocol for assessing food processors:
✔️ Chopping onions: First, I used the S blade to chop an onion. A large onion, cut into quarters, fit into the largest opening on the food chute and was evenly chopped into about 1/4-inch pieces after just four seconds of spinning on high.
✔️ Mincing garlic: Each clove took about one second to mince into small, even pieces. They weren’t quite as fine as they’d be after a pass with a Microplane, but the machine was much faster than chopping by hand.
✔️ Pureeing tomatoes: I filled the food bowl with whole canned tomatoes and their juices, then pureed them for a full minute. The machine didn’t leak, and the tomatoes were completely smooth.
✔️ Shredding carrots: The shredding disc produced mostly even results with hard carrots, though one leaned in the food chute and wasn’t fully shredded. A whole stick of pepperoni also sliced mostly evenly, with a few awkwardly shaped pieces and some ragged edges.
✔️ Grinding Parmesan: A whole wedge of Parmesan took less than two minutes to grind into a powder.
✔️ Prepping a salad: For lunch in the Lab, I made a layered salad in the bowl: First, I pureed a mustard vinaigrette in the bottom, then chopped tomatoes with the S-blade and sliced cucumbers on the slicing disc. I topped it with lettuce, used the dicing blade (sold separately) to cut chicken, then popped on the lid and gave it a good shake.
The bowl makes a great lightweight container for bringing lunch to the office, but the lids warped a little after one dishwasher cycle, which might not be a good sign for their durability.
Pros
- Versatile blades for cutting various shapes
- Bowls can be used as storage containers
- Most parts can be cleaned in the dishwasher
Cons
- Many accessories to keep track of
- Lids warp slightly in the dishwasher
The bottom line
This machine makes quick work of hard (or just annoying) ingredients like garlic, onions, and carrots. The storage containers are handy for bringing lunch, but if you already have a food processor with slicing and shredding blades (most do), you probably don’t need to add this to your kitchen.
However, if you’re looking for a small, lightweight alternative to a traditional food processor, the Prepi does many of the same tasks as our favorite food processors very well.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Lizzy Briskin is a contributing analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She tests all kinds of kitchen gear and appliances, develops recipes, and writes about her strongest culinary opinions. She’s a new mom with less time to chop than ever, and she appreciates any tool that speeds up prep time.
