Food processor? Do I need it and which one?

[BeckyFL]

I've been wanting a food processor (I think) although I have done fine without one for a long time. I have a blender attached to my Bosch and that works for some things. I also have a Salad Shooter and that will grate carrots/cheese. I keep coming across recipes though, where I would need a food processor. I looked at my points from Wachovia (using debit card as credit earns points) and I have enough for a $100 Amazon gift card.

Should I use it for a food processor? If so, which one, how big, etc??? I need the hive mind! Thanks! :001_smile:

[cjzimmer1]

I have one but don't use it much. I use the grater/slicer disk far more than actual food processor disk (the one that sits on the bottom and mixes). I have used the bottom one for making crackers and tortilla dough but I have my Bosch now and prefer to make the bigger batches in there. The only thing I regularly use the food processor for is making my laundry soap (since I prefer a powdered version rather than the liquid one many people use) and even that is only once every few months.

[OnTheBrink]

I have a kitchen aid food processor, and I use it occasionally. I use it mostly for prepping meals for over 100 people at church.

 

I used to have a Salad shooter and it broke easily. I've had no problems with my food processor.

[Carol in Cal.]

I don't use it very often, but when I do it's invaluable.

 

I mostly use it for making perfect slices for potatoes au gratin, for coarsely pureeing soups (it is SO much stronger than a blender for that kind of thing), for grating large amounts of cheese for Mexican food, for making pesto, and for making butter and flavored butters. Now, there are alternative methods and gear for all of those things, but the food processor is just better. Operations that heat up my blender motor and make it smell alarmingly ready to burn out are just chugged through without missing a beat by the food processor. I do use a stick blender for some soups, but the food processor is more efficient, more effective, and less messy. The slicing and grating are SO fast and SO easy, there is just no comparison. There are dishes that I just wouldn't even bother with without it...to my family and guests' loss.

 

I have a Kitchen Aide mixer that has a similar 'feel'--more substantial and less 'on the edge' than other appliances that do similar things. It's just a question of quality. A good tool for an expert is a wonderful thing.

[Kate CA]

I've been wanting a food processor (I think) although I have done fine without one for a long time. I have a blender attached to my Bosch and that works for some things. I also have a Salad Shooter and that will grate carrots/cheese. I keep coming across recipes though, where I would need a food processor. I looked at my points from Wachovia (using debit card as credit earns points) and I have enough for a $100 Amazon gift card.

Should I use it for a food processor? If so, which one, how big, etc??? I need the hive mind! Thanks! :001_smile:

 

You don't state how large your family is, but we have the bigger one and I use it almost every day. I use the large blade to make sauces like pesto and to very quickly chop up things like cilantro. I use the slicer blade for almost anything from onions to cabbage to carrots to olives for tostadas. I use the shredder for the normal things - cheese, potatoes, etc. I have used the plastic blade to make pie crusts from scratch.

 

I *love* this model and have had an older one that is at least ten years old and is still working well. The price on the new one is *so* good that I am very tempted to buy it! We have even used the sharp blade to blend ice for slushies in the summer. I cannot say I recommend that as I think it really was hard on the machine, but we did it! LOL :D This is one kitchen appliance that in my opinion, takes the place of many. It is well worth it to me.

[Ferdie]

I've had Cuisinart 11 cup prep for about 7 years. I use it every week and it is still going strong. I have even dropped the plastic part on our tile floor and few times and it is indestructible.

 

I tend to use it on the weekend for bulk cooking like:

- grating cheese

- grating veggie (I do them in bulk then use them all week long in soups, salads and wraps. I grate carrots/celery and use the slicing blade to cut celery/cucumber)

-puree cooked veggies (for Sneaky Chef recipes)

- cutting butter into flour, (for scones and pies-I hate cutting in butter by hand)

- grinding oatmeal for oat flour

 

We have a blender too, but I use that for blending smoothies. Not really for chopping or grinding.

[TKDmom]

I have the same Cuisinart model that Kate linked above. I love it. We use it all the time. I had a blender (until I broke it yesterday), but the blender couldn't puree anything well, so I always use the food processor to puree. I like to make hummus and pesto, chop up large amounts of things like parsley or cilantro, grate cheese, etc. Up until recently (I got a Kitchen-Aid mixer for Christmas), I used it to make bread dough--it kneads the dough in 90 sec. But you can't make large batches of bread b/c only one loaf worth of dough will fit in and it seems to put too much strain on the motor if you put in a second batch of dough right after the first.

 

I looked on Cook's Illustrated's website. The last time they did an equipment review on food processors was in 2004. At that time they highly recommended one of the Kitchen-Aid models, but that was 5 years ago.

 

The one thing I sometimes wish I had was the option to put a smaller bowl on to chop smaller quantities. But then again, I also wish that it had a larger capacity for liquids (you can only fill it about 1/4 full with liquids). So I guess it's a good middle ground.

[TraceyS/FL]

I'd like a bigger one than what i have - it's just a small one i got in college eons ago (hey, i'm 40). I just used it this morning for making laundry soap :D

 

So i'd go for it!!

[stripe]

I have a small but not too small one from Kitchen Aid; it holds 7 cups and has a 3 cup mini bowl. I used to have one with a side shoot for the stuff that you grate (veges/cheese) and I decided to replace it with one that takes up less space. For doing things like soup/sauce purees, I mostly use an immersible blender (cheaper, easier to use, fewer things to wash), but I do like having a food processor. For something like chopping onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes into a sauce to use in cooking, I find it fast and easier than any other method. Also great for pastry making, and things like hummous.

[Zoo Keeper]

Love my Kitchen Aid:) I make pie crust in large batches and freeze the extra; scalloped potatoes are a breeze; grate up carrots and zuke for my asian noodle stir fry thing; great for smoothies and smoothing out soups; much faster way to stir my natural peanut butter... I could go on.

 

Worth every penny for me.

[BikeBookBread]

I love my Kitchen Aid, too! Got it for my birthday. The bigger, the better, when it comes to food processors. Really. I'm not a "bigger is better" person at all, but in this case it is really true. Find the brand you want and get the biggest you can afford. I've heard Cuisinart is very good, as well (they did invent them, after all). If you are a member of Cook's Illustrated online, or can check out an old copy from the library, they did a pretty thorough study of them a while back, and KA just nudged out Cuis. by a hair...but both were great. They did say to stay away from the cheaper ones.

 

I chose mine on Amazon, and because it was white instead of black, was $50 less!!!

[Nestof3]

I love my Cuisenart. I use it for nuts and onions more than anything.

 

I also have a tiny Black and Decker I use for small amounts of nuts and onions, but I use my Cuisenart one for veggies.

[BeckyFL]

I'm excited! I'm ready to order and get slicing, dicing, chopping and (hmmm what rhymes here?). Anyway... you ladies have wonderful ideas. Now I just have to choose between KA and C. Thanks for your help. :-)