Food Processor Reviews – Quick Guide
After years of preparing meals for my family, I have had a lot of experience and here I would like to share the wonders of a food processor! In this blog, you will find pointers in buying a food processor, product reviews, food processor ratings and some guides to put your food processor to good use. When cooking, you'll need to use a variety of methods to prepare foods. Such methods include chopping, grating, and so on. Using conventional tools can require a lot of time and effort-which few of us have enough of. Enter the food processor. This electric kitchen equipment includes a high-speed motor and various types of blades, to make these cooking tasks much easier. So, the next question is: how do you find the best food processor? Here are some guidelines to help make your search easier:
1. The Bowl
One of the most essential parts of most food processors is the bowl. The bowl tends to be round, clear, and plastic. Your job as the cook is to attach different varieties of blades inside the bowl-depending on which type of function you need to do. Some of the most common tasks include cutting, mixing, grating, and mincing. To feed ingredients into the bowl, simply place them into a tube or chute at the top of the machine.
2. Size
Yes, size matters when choosing a food processor. The typical capacity range of different models varies from 2-14 cups. So before buying a food processor, consider the size of your household, and also if that size would likely increase in the future. It's always best to having some "growing room" when considering the food processor capacity you need.
3. Functions
While it's nice to brag about and demonstrate how many functions your food processor has, it's important to consider basically how many you would actually need for the type of cooking that you do. If you need a machine that does run-of-the-mill chopping and blending, then a small blender would probably suffice.
But if you need a machine with more advanced functions, then consider which ones would complement the type of cooking you do. Do you like making breads, whipping up smoothies, or topping foods with shredded cheese? By first thinking about your cooking needs, you can more easily determine which functions would be most practical for you when selecting a particular food processor. While it's okay to have some features that you use rarely, it would be wasteful to buy a food processor with more functions that you never use-than those that you use!
4. Cost
You can find food processors whose prices range considerably. Some cost less than $50, while others have price tags over $600. While these machines can be somewhat pricey, consider it as an investment. Depending on how much cooking you do, the amount of time and effort that a food processor saves you could be substantial.
5. Brand
While several companies produce food processors, you should generally pick a model from one of the top brands. For instance, KitchenAid and Cuisinart produce some of the top food processor models available. Buying from these manufacturers can help to prevent future problems.
When you want to make your food preparation easier, then search for the best food processor that meets your particular cooking needs. These tips will help to make it possible. Best Food Processor
I'm looking for a new food processor and I'm not sure which one to buy. I currently own a discontinued Braun model. I use it mainly for salsa, hummus, and I have a juicer attachment that I use a lot for lemons and limes.
I've had the Braun for 15 years. It's the first one I've owned and I thought it was great, but now that it's broken I have to admit it's not the best device. Anything put in the food tube ends up underneath the lid spinning around, so I never used it for grating cheese or slicing carrots or what not. Basically, except for the juicer, the attachments suck.
Price is not a concern. I cook a lot and I want the best.
Also, I have a Kitchen Aid standing mixer that I use constantly for baking, so I'm not looking to knead dough, if that helps.
Product Description
Delicious recipes for the indispensable food processor.
Although millions of food processors are bought each year, they are seldom used to their full potential. With 125 Best Food Processor Recipes, the prep time to create delicious dishes is just a few minutes. These foolproof recipes are specifically created for food processors: - Appetizers: Crab Feta Mushrooms, Herbed Chicken Puffs, Roasted Red Pepper Guacamole Dip - Salads and Salad Dressings: Pepper Pasta Salad, Blue Cheese Peanut Coleslaw, Chipotle Mayonnaise - Salsas, Sauces, Marinades and Rubs: Peach Mango Salsa, Jerk Chicken Marinade, Homemade Ketchup, Hot and Spicy BBQ Rub - Soups: Roasted Pumpkin Pecan Soup, French Onion Soup, New England Clam Chowder - Main Dishes: Fast and Easy Meatloaf, Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Red Hot Chili - Vegetables: Tomato Basil Tart, Pecan Yams, Potatoes Au Gratin - Breads and Rolls: Crusty French Rolls, Honey Whole Wheat Sunflower Bread, Fast and Easy Pizza Dough - Cookies: Lemon Citrus Cookies, Quadruple Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Cinnamon Apple Shortbread - Pies, Tarts and Pastries: All-Butter Pie Crust, Three Berry Pie, Caramel Chocolate Tart, Pear Pandowdy - Cakes and Quick Breads: Deep Dark Rich Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake, Blueberry Pecan Muffins, Fresh Savory Herb Scones
For cooks using a food processor, this book will become the ultimate resource for its outstanding recipes. The wealth of timesaving tips and techniques will appeal to cooks at all skill levels.
About the Author
George Geary, CCP, teaches in cooking schools throughout North America and is a regular contributing editor to magazines and newsletters. He was the pastry chef and production manager for the Walt Disney Corporation and for the Marriot Corporation. The author of three cookbooks, including 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes he lives in Fullerton, CA. Choosing the best food processor
food processors
More expensive than most of my kitchen tools, but how could I live without a food processor.
There are all sorts of food processors on the market today to fit all sorts of budgets. While some are so inexpensive as to cause caution and others are so expensive as to cause laughter, there is still a broad pricing spectrum of food processors that are of excellent quality. Do your homework, find the food processor that meets your needs and your budget, and make an informed decision.
What Is a Food Processor?
A food processor is a tool designed to make repetitive kitchen activities go very quickly. Chopping, mincing, grinding, pureeing, slicing and shredding are all repetitive chores that are made much easier with a food processor, especially when done in quantity. While there are some non-electric food processors on the market (mandolines), most of us think of an electric appliance that has interchangeable blades housed in a work bowl generally made of clear plastic.
A Brief History of the Food Processor
In the history of kitchen equipment, food processors are relative new-comers to the scene. They made their appearance in commercial kitchens in 1960. These very reliable commercial workhorse machines were introduced by Robot Coupe (say Ro-Bo-Koo) and are still in production today. Home cooks in Great Britain could purchase a Magimix (produced by Robot Coupe) back in 1972, and North American home cooks were introduced to the Cuisinart food processor in 1973.
Do I Really Need a Food Processor?
Even less expensive food processors of good quality can set you back a bit, so before buying, ask yourself these questions.
Do you do a lot of chopping, mincing, slicing and/or shredding?
Do you make a lot of homemade dips and salsas?
Would you use a food processor at least once a month?
Do you have enough storage room in your kitchen/on your counter? (You’ll need 1 to 1 ½ cubic feet of space)
Do you have a dish washer? (Food processors have lots of pieces that need cleaning. All I’ve seen are dishwasher safe, and it’s safer to clean the sharp blade in a dishwasher than by hand).
If you answered “yes” to at least three of these five questions, you probably need (and probably more importantly, would use on a regular basis) a food processor.
buying a food processorCan’t I Just Use My Blender, Instead?
The short answer is “no.”
Blenders are designed with a conical bottom and require at least some liquid to keep food moving around through the blades. A food processor, with its broad, flat bottom and its wide sweeping blade does not require any added liquid. In fact, putting very “liquidy” ingredients in a food processor can result in a bit of a mess. If you already own a blender or an immersion blender and you answered “yes” to at least three of the above question, you probably could benefit from owning a food processor, too.
What Should I Look for in a Food Processor?
Since all food processors basically do the same tasks, you will want to find a powerful food processor that can process food quickly and consistently.
A heavy chassis will keep the food processor from “walking” during heavy-duty processing tasks.
A large capacity—at least 9 cups. Keep in mind, if you are processing liquid ingredients, the effective bowl capacity is just about cut in half.
A wide feed tube. A wider tube lets you push larger pieces of food through.
Safety features. You want to make sure that the bowl locks onto the base and that the top locks onto the bowl and that the processor will not start unless the unit is locked together securely.
Simple controls. Many models offer a wide array of speeds, but since processing takes place very quickly, you really only need On/Off/Pulse.
Optional Features That are Nice but not Essential
Extra attachments. Most food processors come with a stainless steel S-shaped chopping/mincing/pureeing blade, a plastic dough blade and slicer/grater discs. Any other attachments are nice but not essential.
A mini chopping attachment. Some models come with a smaller 2-4 cup mini bowl and blade, perfect for processing small amounts of food, such as herbs for a garnish.
Touch pad controls. These models have buttons that are behind a sheet of plastic. Nice for keeping food out of cracks, this feature makes a food processor easier to clean.
Instructional DVD. All food processors come with an instructional booklet with recipes. For visual learners, the DVD makes a nice addition to the instructional packet.
Continuous feed slicer/shredder. This is an extra attachment that allows you to slice or shred as many vegetables or as much cheese as you want without having to stop and empty the bowl. A chute directs the processed food into another bowl instead of depositing it in the integrated work bowl. The KitchenAid KFP750 Food Processor has a powerful 700-watt motor. This convenient food processor quickly and easily slices, dices, chops, and purees, helping to reduce prep time in the kitchen. Its durable sealed housing creates a sound barrier for quiet operation, while pulse control provides precision results when a light touch is needed.
The food processor features a large 12-cup-capacity work bowl, dual feed tubes, and a premium-quality multipurpose stainless-steel blade. Its seven-piece accessory set includes a 4-cup mini bowl with a stainless-steel blade, a 2-mm slicing disc, and a 4-mm slicing disc, as well as a 4-mm shredding disc, dough blade and spatula. It carries a one-year hassle-free replacement warranty.
This food processor is available at Amazon for an immediate discount of 33%. Click this link to save $90 on this great food processor!
The KitchenAid KFP750 received a “best” review by Americas Test Kitchen. It’s powerful, smooth, efficient and quiet! The power, versatility and ease of cleanup of this machine have made daunting tasks do-able.