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Hi, I'm thinking I'd like a food processor for my birthday, but we are on a budget (so no $200 or more models, in fact around $100 would be best). I'd like it to do all the normal things, but also want it to julienne for fries and slice for all kinds of things. It doesn't need to be a huge one (it's usually just DH and I), but big enough if I'm cooking for company. Any recommendations?
We have a large GE that we bought 30 years ago - still going strong, but the one we use the most is the tiny Black & Decker mini - got it at the B&D outlet store for about $10. DW uses it almost daily, & I use it weekly.
The mini really chops things quickly, but does not have a slicing blade. But just 3 parts, so cleanup is done in a flash.
It's just the two of us so no need to break out the big one unless we are making a lot of whatever. Takes a bit more effort to clean this one.
We bought a mandolin for less than $20 that makes fast work of slicing eveything (including fingers if you are not careful).
I can slice a bunch of carrots, radishes, turnups, potatoes, apples, pears, etc. in a few minutes. Even used it to slice egg plant for lasagna noodles.
Thanks Bubba, I have a pretty good mandolin, though I confess that I worry about my fingers (a long, long time ago I got a knuckle with the mandolin I used to have). And I have a blender that can be used for blending soups, but it's not big enough and can be *messy*! I do also have one of the mini processors, and I love it and do use it often... again, just not big enough for some things. And, I'd like one (food processor) that can do bread dough as well. Okay, I like kitchen gadgets...
I know it's pricey but I love our KitchenAid food processor. The motor is really sturdy so when DH mixes a big batch of dough it doesn't burn out (though he did manage to strip a gear in his KA stand mixer with an extra stiff batch of bagel dough.)
My favorite thing to make with the food processor is any kind of cookie or pastry dough, pie crust, scones, etc. Anything that requires cutting butter into flour is so much easier to do if you shred frozen butter and then switch to the mixing blade and add the flour followed by the liquids. A few pulses after each addition and you have a nice dough that has been over heated or over mixed. Scones only take about 5 minutes to mix up and toss in the toaster oven for breakfast.
Nice, Katlian! I love my kitchen aid mixer... that would be my first choice for the food processor but I think it exceeds the budget right now... maybe I'll wait until I can get the one I will be happy with.
I have heard good things about the Cuisinart line also but I have never owned one and they're just as expensive as the KitchenAid. Maybe you can find a nice refurbished one or an unpopular color at one of the online outlet-type stores.
Maybe you can find one of these refurbished or whatever - I have a Magimix with a really powerful motor; it does most things, including blending dough. Mine also has a juice extractor which I expect to use if my grapes produce next year the way they did last year. This summer they rested, apparently...
Kitchen Aid is the way to go, check into refurbished or they have great rebates during the holidays. I have the 7 cup with the 3 cup insert and love it.
Brenda,
Here is a refurbished 7-cup Kitchen Aid food processor for $49.00 being sold by Kitchen Aid from their website. I may get one of these myself. They also have a 9-cup food processor for $99.00.
Nice link, Mike! That seems like a great deal. I really want a julienne slicer with my food processor which seems a bit difficult to find (I love to make sweet potato fries), but at least with that one I might be able to buy a julienne blade. Will check further. Thank you!
Use a knife it is quicker and easier than a whirligig machine!
By the time you have cut something in one of them, put it in a pan, then washed out all your little blades and the other bits etc (if you can find them), you can have it done and cooking using a knife.
Regards from England.
Neil.
Hi Neil! I know, and I am not fabulous at knife skills but I do tend to cut everything by hand now (including my sweet potato fries... there's one you should try if you never have!), but, I'd like to have an electronic whirligig machine to do it for me. I don't mind a bit of clean up.
On another note, Neil, I still cannot get a very sharp blade on my knives. We had a friend over this summer who took one of my husbands metal files and had my chef's knife sharper than it had ever been in a few seconds! (We were dining outside in the garden, right next to DH's workshop, so a file was convenient). How about a tutorial on knife sharpening?
