Questions About Food Processors

I absolutely love mine! I use it frequently, and I don't have it taking up space on my counter. I keep the blades where my kiddos can't get to them, because they are extremely sharp, and I keep the process in a cabinet and take it out when I need it. I use mine for cutting onions (so you don't cry as much :) ) and if I am making a soup or stew. It really cuts down the prep time. In the summer, it's great for making cold soups and gazpacho. I have the Cuisinart. I have had it for going on 6 years. It cleans well and still works like a charm. If you want some recipes I can give you some.

I love my food processor I use it a lot by thinking about all the things I can do with it. This year is the 1st time I used it for Pie Crust. Holly Cow it made my crust so flaky that I have had several people ask me to make pies for them for Thanksgiving. I did a lot of research when I was looking at getting a new one and the one that I choose was the food network one. (Available online and at kohls) I love it! It holds 12 cups and it will hold liquid (most of them do not) I really like the fact that it has a draw to hold the blades and some attachments. This is the second processor that I have bought. The 1st one was a cuisinart. This one is so much better!! i would highly recommend the Food network and if you watch a lot of cooking shows you will see that most of them use it. If a professional cook can use it then i know that it will work for me!

My second most used small appliance- more than the toaser oven less than the microwave- Even the Hubby will get it out. Mine's a kitchen aid (hand me down) that is between 10-20 years old (my Kitchen Aid mixer is going on 30- another hand me down) I've had cheaper models before- depending on your usage they may work just fine for you. Start out with the $15 "walmart special" (looked on their website they have about half a doezen under 20) to see if it is something you are going to use, if it isn't then no big loss, if it is, save up and make an investment in one that fits your needs. Many brands have one base that fits/runs multiple tops (ie a blender too) which may save you room if you need/use all of them.

My husband is the primary cook in our home and he uses it all the time. If you are interested in looking at good reviews for small appliances and kitchen gadgets America's Test Kitchen (a PBS show) has a great website where they review all sorts of things, including food processors.

A.,

My food processor was the best gift I ever received. If you cook or bake on a regular basis, you should get one. I got a Cuisinart and love it. I use it for everything: chopping vegetables, making salsas, pureeing soups, whipping egg whites, mixing cakes and cookies. You can even do bread dough in it. I don't have an electric mixer but dont need one, the processor does it all. It was expensive, maybe around $200.00. If you dont have a mixer or you think you will make cookies and other batters in the processor, I would advise to pay the money to get a good-sized (14 cup or more) Cuisinart. I use mine at least 3 times a week so I am glad it is a good brand that will last a long time. If you just want to chop the occasional veggie, you probably will be fine to get a smaller one. Happy cooking!

I love having a food processor! Many recipes that call for lots of chopping were intimidating to me, but with my food processor, I am ready to make anything!
Mine is a big KitchenAid. I think it's 11 cups capacity. It was a birthday gift and I think ran about $200.00, and was worth every penny!
I used a small, cheap, mini food processor before I had this one. You know, the kind that's about $20.00. It was a good start to realize how much I would enjoy having a big food processor. The lid on a little one cracked so I had to buy another one, and it could only chop a little bit at a time--I had to cut up the carrots pretty small before I could fit them in to chop them up fine. I especially found the mini processor so handy for chopping onions, a job I hate!
But this big food processor is the best because it has enough horsepower to chop anything in a few button presses. It will chop carrots and also slice celery in little crescents AND make bean dip or hummus or cheesecake filling or salsa or anything. It's also pretty easy to toss in the dishwasher, so I don't ever hesitate to use is for fear of cleaning it.
I remember reading an article from Alton Brown (perhaps you could Google it) from the Food Network and he says you only need three buttons on a food processor--Off, On, and Pulse. Anything else is a novelty waiting to break. Mine has only three buttons and that's just great with me. My kids come running when I start using it because they want to help press buttons and watch the food get chopped up. I use it at least two or three times a week, and it does live on my counter since it would be pointless to put away.
I have seen the Cuisinart model at Costco and in friends' homes and it seems to be another good choice. Maybe some people don't get their money's worth from a big food processor, but I find it indispensible for making big recipes to feed my three hungry boys. I'd give away the electric can opener before I parted with my food processor!
Best wishes!

I adore mine. I have a kitchen aid one, and recently bought a cuisenart one for my in-laws. It is a total necessity in the summer when I use it for salsa, canning pickle relish, and grating veggies for coleslaw. I just used one today to make an herb butter for Thanksgiving.

My only advice would be to make sure you get one large enough to do the job. The little ones are great if you're cooking for one or two, but if you're cooking for a family, you really want a large one so you don't have to do a ton of tiny batches.

In terms of attachments, I think you only need three: the blade (for chopping), the shredder disk and the slicer disk. Nothing else gets used in our house. And you do only need an on, off, and pulse button.

Happy cooking!

I think that it really depends on the type of cooking that you do. I asked for one for christmas last year - the big one because our small one was just too small (Cuisinart). My husband also asked for a stick blender. I've got to say, that we use the stick blender ALOT, and have used the food processor maybe a handful of times. The stick blender has replaced a lot of what we were using the small food processor for, and the new food processor seems like overkill with the amount of cleaning it requires compared to the stick blender...just my opinion.

I have an Oster and it is the cheapest of the cheap! I LOVE it. I use it nearly once a day. If you clean it right after use, it is simple to clean. It chops grates, purees! It is by far the best item in my kitchen - I couldn't live without it.

All that being said, I have not had any problems with my Oster but would certainly choose to spend a bit more money on it if I were to buy one again. This one does seem to have a couple of quirks and does not seem as sturdy as it could be.

Good luck and happy processing!

Love the Magic Bullet for smoothies and to puree foods. You can find one at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I use it almost every day!

I use mine all the time. I have the Kenmore, which is made by Cuisinart, but not as expensive. I've had it for 9 years and I really like it.

It is great for salsa, hummus, home made baby food, pureeing soups, chopping nuts, onions, etc, in a hurry, and large quantities of grated cheese when I am making mac and cheese.

If you really cook a lot from scratch, you'll find a bunch of uses for it.

I keep mine in the "cereal cupboard," which is tall, so it doesn't live on my sink. And I use mine 2 or 3 times a week on average. I use it for mashing bananas for banana bread, then throw all the wet ingredients in there, too. I use it for grating cheese (depending on how much), for pureeing beans (refried without frying), and more. I waited a long time to get one; I used to have a tiny oscar. With 4 kids, a food processor is nice because it holds a much larger quantity. Hope this helps!

My husband got me a food processor for Christmas a few years back and it is my favorite gift. He bought me a cusinart and I don't think he spent a lot (maybe $50). I use it all the time, daily I think. I use it to chop any veggies in my cooking, grate cheese, slice veggies. It has seriously cut my prep time in half for a lot of my cooking dishes. I love the safety feature that it has (it won't go until the base and the lid are locked on together) because my 3 yr old likes to help me make dinner so he pushes the button. I also use it to make smoothies for myself and sauces like guacamole. It has become a necessary piece of equipment in my kitchen. Hope you enjoy yours.

I LOVE my Cuisinart! I use it for everything from chopping nuts, making cookies and cakes, chopping vegetables, pureeing soup, salsa, even making bread. Macys usually has good deals, I bought my college age daughter a Cuisinart for $99 this summer when she moved into her 1st apt. They are really sturdy and last forever, too.