Food Processors

[Capucine]

Believe it or not I've never owned a food processor. Well, I just started cooking alot a few years ago. And, I have a fairly small kitchen. So, I never bought one because I didn't seem to need one very often, and I figured that was one more thing I didn't have to figure out where to store. However, recently I've been running in to more and more recipes where it would be nice to have one. So I figure it might be time to do it. Just wondering if there are certain brands that are better than others. And why.

TIA.

[blazedog]

Really you can't go wrong with either the Cuisinart or the Kitchenaid.

I bought my Cuisinart more than 20 years ago and it's still going strong. I also have a mini-Cuisinart which I keep on the counter and is very handy. I wouldn't go smaller than 11 cups for the regular food processor.

You can drive yourself crazy overthinking it because both of these brands will deliver years of good service.

If my food processor finally went to that pantry in the sky, I would probably just replace it with another Cuisinart because I've had good luck with their line -- probably the new model with the flat buttons in stainless steel because it is so easy to clean.

[cangoss]

I have a Kitchen Aid and love it. My mom has a Cuisinart and that's what I grew up with. I prefer Kitchen Aid because I am Cuisinart-impaired. I just can't seem to get all the pieces lined up correctly so it will turn on!

[dorothyntototoo]

I've had my Kitchen Aid over 15 years & love it though I don't have room to store it in my kitchen. I tried to use my aunt's Cuisinart last week & it took 4 of us to get it to work - seemed backwards to me. After that, it worked great for pie dough.

Dorothy

[funniegrrl]

I'm another person with a Cuisinart that's well over 20 years old and it still works like a charm. I had to replace the work bowl 4 or 5 years ago because it got cracked due to user error. :D Other than that, it works as well now as the day I got it.

[Lys]

I have the Cuisinart 11 Cup and absolutely love it.... I was initimidated by it at first, but once you use it once or twice, it's a breeze and works wonderfully...

[Capucine]

So no one has mentioned the Oster. I guess that means it's not acceptable?

Also, I found one Kitchen Aid that had 3 different size bowls. The largest is 12 cup. Would it be useful to have the other sizes or is that just a waste of my limited shelf space.

One more thing, if I have a food processor, do I still need a blender?

TIA, again...

[blazedog]

Oster - no good ;) In the food processor world, it's either KA or Cuisinart.

Regarding all the bowls, I have a small kitchen so everything has to "earn" its place. I'm happy with the 11 cup Cuisinart which I store in one of my closets which is all shelves and the mini which sits on the counter.

I tossed my blender and invested in an immersion blender which I love -- for soups, sauces and Smoothies. The good part of an immersion blender is that the Cuisinart is somewhat messy for pureeing soups and sauces -- you have to transfer the hot stuff and it's not entirely leakproof -- with the immersion blender, you do it right in the saucepan.

Storage of the immersion blender is also great because the parts fit in the drawer.

[Meganator]

So no one has mentioned the Oster. I guess that means it's not acceptable?

One more thing, if I have a food processor, do I still need a blender?



Just my 2 cents...I have a basic brand, I think Black and Decker, but maybe Oster, that I inherited from an old roommate. It is probably 15 years old now, and I have used it a lot. It does everything I need it to do - which is stuff like chopping a lot of onions, pureeing soups, stuff like that. I doesn't have the plastic pie-dough blade, which I've never had a need for. Anyway, the only reason I am thinking of replacing it is because it is a little on the small side - I'm guessing something like 6 cups; some of my soup recipes have to be pureed in 2 batches, for example. So, I would look more at the size you need, and go for a cheaper brand if you want.

I have both a blender and a food processor, and use both. The blender I use for stuff like frozen drinks, smoothies, sometimes pureeing soups (some appliance overlap there, depending on what I'm doing, because I could also use the food processor or the immersion blender for that). I find the food processor easier to clean than the blender.

In Costco this weekend, I was tempted by an 11-cup Cuisinart food processor with extra bowl for $149, but I didn't get it. Still thinking about it, though.

[mbrogier]

Oster, not powerful enough. I have a GE food processor that my MIL gave us two Christmases ago. It grates vegetables just fine, but when I made pie dough, the motor would start burning. The reason I wanted a food processor was to do doughs as well as vegetables, hummus, etc. I recently replaced my GE with a Cuisinart named Claude (the kitchenaid is named Ralph ;).)

My Cuisinart is the classic style in stainless steel. It is the 14 cup size because when I do doughs, I do two pie crusts (freeze one if I'm not making two pies). I haven't had a problem with the processor being too big. The 11 cup didn't look big enough to me. It is really easy to clean. The reason I went with the Cuisinart is that it was cheaper than the Kitchenaid and had the larger chute. I bought it at a going out of business sale, so I chose among the stock available. I think both Kitchenaid and Cuisinart are great.

I have a blender, and I rarely use it. I definitely don't use it for hot things. Bad idea. I should give my blender away when I give away my old food processor.

[marshcl]

I have the metal kitchenaid. I absolutely adore it.

[dlaboriel]

I, too have the Cuisinart that has been running for more than twenty years. Never had a problem with it.

[dorothyntototoo]

I never use my blender anymore, though it's not a heavy-duty one that will crush ice. I bought a cheap immersion blender at Walgreen's for $8 and it works great.

Dorothy

[Capucine]

I got a flyer from Tuesday Morning yesterday for a 11 cup Cuisinart for $99. :D
Might have to check it out!!!

[kash]

I bought a Kitchenaid and love it. Its the storage that one has to work with. I have to keep getting it out whenever I need it. Would love to find a place on the counter for it.

[Capucine]

I don't mind keeping it in a cabinet so much. In fact, I kind of like not having alot of stuff on the counters. I don't have much kitchen cabinet space however. :(

[donnamp14]

I have the KitchenAid 11-cup FP and I absolutely love it. Couldn't handle the holidays without my KA mixer and FP! Good luck!
-Donna

[blazedog]

I don't mind keeping it in a cabinet so much. In fact, I kind of like not having alot of stuff on the counters. I don't have much kitchen cabinet space however. :(

I have a small kitchen and decided that I couldn't live with lots of stuff on the counter and I wanted to save the accessible drawer and cabinet space for stuff that I used on a day to day basis.

I began stashing some of my kitchen stuff in places other than the kitchen -- I don't use the large Cuisinart every day and really not every week so it's stored out of the kitchen but on an easily accessible shelf along with the Crock Pot, Popcorn Maker and indoor grill. My baking stuff is also stashed out of the kitchen but all in one spot (more or less) so it is easily accessible when I bake but allows me to access my everyday stuff easily.

The more streamlined my kitchen has become, the easier it is to work with it -- more counter space, easier to clean and what I use is actually in the most accessible spots -- not way at the bottom or all the way at the top. :)

[Capucine]

I have a small kitchen and decided that I couldn't live with lots of stuff on the counter and I wanted to save the accessible drawer and cabinet space for stuff that I used on a day to day basis.

I began stashing some of my kitchen stuff in places other than the kitchen -- I don't use the large Cuisinart every day and really not every week so it's stored out of the kitchen but on an easily accessible shelf along with the Crock Pot, Popcorn Maker and indoor grill. My baking stuff is also stashed out of the kitchen but all in one spot (more or less) so it is easily accessible when I bake but allows me to access my everyday stuff easily.

The more streamlined my kitchen has become, the easier it is to work with it -- more counter space, easier to clean and what I use is actually in the most accessible spots -- not way at the bottom or all the way at the top. :)


I'm trying to do that also. I actually feel like I have plenty of space overall. Just not in the kitchen. I have a full basement and there are some cabinets down there. So, I've been moving some things down there that I don't use alot.

[funniegrrl]

I did get a blender a few years ago. I have an immersion blender but it doesn't produce as smooth a result as a stand blender, so for things I want really smooth it's not useful. I also like to make smoothies with frozen fruit, and the immersion won't handle that either.

I don't have a lot of appliances -- no crock pot, no stand mixer, and I have very little cabinet space. So having both a FP and a blender on my small counter isn't that big a deal.

[rburganmckinley]

I did get a blender a few years ago. I have an immersion blender but it doesn't produce as smooth a result as a stand blender, so for things I want really smooth it's not useful. I also like to make smoothies with frozen fruit, and the immersion won't handle that either.


My stand blender must be junk. The $20 immersion blender I bought does a much nicer job of blending everything smoothly. And it works with frozen fruit too for smoothies. The stand blender gets all gunked up with the frozen fruit.

[funniegrrl]

Are you dropping in the fruit after the machine starts running? That gets the best results. I put in my liquids, start the machine, THEN add the fruit through the hole in the lid, one piece at a time. I don't have an expensive blender, and it just has 2 speeds, but this method works fine.

[blazedog]

My immersion blender does a MUCH better job with frozen fruit when making smoothies -- absolutely no comparison plus it does it in the container which I drink from so the clean up is such a snap.

I LOVE my immersion blender -- it also has a whisk attachment which is great for beating egg whites since you need to clean beaters and bowls otherwise and this way I can use my KA for mixing and the immersion blender for the eggwhites. It also has an ice crusher which works well.

I hated the blender and hated cleaning it up. It was very inconvenient for blending sauces/soups.

I have no problem with the consistency with the immersion blender -- I just blend until it's the consistency I want. :D

[mbrogier]

I'm trying to do that also. I actually feel like I have plenty of space overall. Just not in the kitchen. I have a full basement and there are some cabinets down there. So, I've been moving some things down there that I don't use alot.

I have a friend who has a tiny but nice kitchen. She kept large platters, food processors, and her buffet full of silver and china in the basement. I think that was such a great idea that I'm going to do that when we move into our next house at the end of the month with the full basement. Life is way too short for clutter.

Right now, my food processor stays in the cabinet right below where I use it. I have the space for it there. The only thing I do keep on the counter is my Kitchenaid. That thing is way too heavy to carry around. I don't want to risk dropping that on my foot. :eek:

[shscharles]

I demo'd Cuisinarts for Crate and Barrel when they first came out in the 70s and mine is over 25 years old...still going strong!

For someone who has never used a food processor before, I'd advise leaving it out on the counter for several months to get used to using it. If you have to go get it and carry it into the kitchen everytime you think it might work for a recipe, you won't use it much!

And when I moved overseas in the early 80s, I initially didn't take my Cuisinart with me...big mistake! I carried it back on the next trip! It turns out I really couldn't cook without it! And my knife skills are pretty good!

[funniegrrl]

My immersion blender does a MUCH better job with frozen fruit when making smoothies -- absolutely no comparison plus it does it in the container which I drink from so the clean up is such a snap.

I LOVE my immersion blender -- it also has a whisk attachment which is great for beating egg whites since you need to clean beaters and bowls otherwise and this way I can use my KA for mixing and the immersion blender for the eggwhites. It also has an ice crusher which works well.

I hated the blender and hated cleaning it up. It was very inconvenient for blending sauces/soups.

I have no problem with the consistency with the immersion blender -- I just blend until it's the consistency I want. :D

:rolleyes: Yes, yes, those of us who have both MUST be fools since we didn't have the brains and foresight to pick an immersion blender as absolutely stunningly as wonderful as yours. We bow to you and your machines' superiority.

[jtoepfert100]

I'm another person with a Cuisinart that's well over 20 years old and it still works like a charm. I had to replace the work bowl 4 or 5 years ago because it got cracked due to user error. :D Other than that, it works as well now as the day I got it.

My Cuisinart is over 20 years old, too, and the workbowl recently cracked. I want to order a replacement bowl but I read somewhere online that if your Cuisinart is over 15 years old, you probably will need to replace the cover and feed tube, as well. Was this your experience?

[shscharles]

Oh! And the blender issue? I've never had a successful Margarita from a food processor! :D :D :D

[blazedog]

:rolleyes: Yes, yes, those of us who have both MUST be fools since we didn't have the brains and foresight to pick an immersion blender as absolutely stunningly as wonderful as yours. We bow to you and your machines' superiority.

Wow -- why in the world would you choose to take such umbrage at my post -- it was a post and didn't quote you or anybody else but merely stated my preference for my immersion blender in terms of what I do with it -- Do you always feel insulted when somebody posts an opinion about something with which you may disagree -- especially about something as banal as a small kitchen appliance? And do you then feel the need to insult the original poster for having expressed a contrary opinion?

[rburganmckinley]

Are you dropping in the fruit after the machine starts running? That gets the best results. I put in my liquids, start the machine, THEN add the fruit through the hole in the lid, one piece at a time. I don't have an expensive blender, and it just has 2 speeds, but this method works fine.

I usually dump it all in at once and end up with a big ice chunk at the base, get frusterated and hack at it with a butter knife. :eek: I haven't tried putting in one piece at a time. Do you cut banana up into smaller chunks then? Or add the whole thing? I can see where that would be pretty easy with blueberries or strawberries though.

I really do have a crappy blender though too. No matter what I put in there it gets all gunked up at the bottom. I think it would work better if it had a wider base. It's one with the tapered jar. Such a pain to clean too.

[Capucine]

Oh! And the blender issue? I've never had a successful Margarita from a food processor! :D :D :D

Question answered. ;)

[Meganator]

I usually dump it all in at once and end up with a big ice chunk at the base, get frusterated and hack at it with a butter knife. :eek: I haven't tried putting in one piece at a time. Do you cut banana up into smaller chunks then? Or add the whole thing? I can see where that would be pretty easy with blueberries or strawberries though.

I really do have a crappy blender though too. No matter what I put in there it gets all gunked up at the bottom. I think it would work better if it had a wider base. It's one with the tapered jar. Such a pain to clean too.

I've found that a blender only works well when you have an adequate amount of liquid; "adequate" probably varies depending on the model. Put the liquid in first, then add the frozen fruit a little at a time. The banana doesn't need to be cut up small, just broken into 2 or 3 pieces. If it's going along ok, then locks up, you need to add some more liquid at that point and stir it around so that it reaches the bottom where the blades are. After a couple of times, you will get a feel for how much liquid your machine needs from the start.