The cutter itself comes in four main sections. The main body of the machine is a compact motor-unit that includes built-in cable storage (nice and tidy) and is small enough to easily stow away when you're finished. Next there is a feeder unit into which you slot one of the three blades included for different cutting tasks. Food is pushed into position for cutting with a closely fitting prodder much like you would find on a traditional food-processor. Chopped, sliced or grated food then spills directly out of the front of the machine onto a waiting plate or into a bowl (not included). A spatula is provided to assist in the removal of excess food from the blade once you have finished chopping.

The whole unit is exceptionally well-designed and there are no unhygienic food-traps. With the exception of the main motor unit (which never comes into direct contact with the food you are chopping) everything can be popped straight onto the top shelf of the dishwasher for cleaning and won't take up excessive amounts of space.

The machine does have a couple of drawbacks, including the fact that some softer ingredients (eg: apples or pears) can become slightly mushy as they are chopped (firming them for a short while in the freezer is one solution to this problem). Also, the position of the on/off switch at the rear of the unit can be awkward to use.

Overall, however, the Kenwood Gourmet FC100 is a great tool for cutting preparation time for a whole range of foodstuffs and beats bigger multi-function machines hands down when it comes to convenience, size and the amount of washing-up it generates. --Adi Himpson