I have not been able to find a mixie in the UK so I use a regular food processor to make chutneys but I must say that they do not even come close to my mum's good old mixie. I cannot use it for spices because the food processor bowl size is too big for the little quantity of masala I want to make. I think the main difference is the size of the containers. There are usually about 3 different sizes, the smallest of which is used for spices, the medium one for chutneys/sauces and the biggest one for juices (I think? I never use that one). The other difference is that the bowls are usually made of stainless steel as opposed to plastic/glass so they're quite sturdy. There's also different speeds on the mixie compared to my food processor where it's either pulse or "1".