Food Processor?

Ozzie_Isaac

TL:DR - Looking for food processor recommendations <$500

I have always done all my chopping, slicing, dicing, etc by hand.  I use a bix grater for cheese and a blender for purees.  However, my wife asked me after 20 years why I don't use a food processor.  Honestly, I always thought of them as just another kitchen gimmick (I have a shelf full of limited use gadgets, so I am not opposed to them).  After looking into them, it looks like they could reduce my prep time a lot.  I have decided to get one to try during Thanksgiving Dinner prep.

Do you all have any recommendations?  Any accessories I should look for?  Graters, shredders, adjustable blades, egg whiskers, etc?

I went to buy one last night and just gave up.  There is a million different ones and the descriptions on what they can/cannot due is not really clear.  I don't want to break the bank, but I also don't want to buy twice or have to buy a ton of additions later.

4TheGrillOfIt

We have a heavy duty Kitchenaid FP, that has to be 15 years old now.  I prefer to chop by hand and since buying a Vitamix last year I rarely use the food processor for the things I used to do with it like vinaigrettes.  The FP is least used appliance in our kitchen.

Good luck on your hunt.  

1voyager

Definitely not a kitchen gimmick.

Our Cuisinart Pro Custom 11-Cup is about 25 years old and still going strong. They sell for about $250 with accessories. We use it 3 - 4 times per week. (Get at least the 11-cup. There is also a 14-cup.)

We also have a Mini-Processor that's great for smaller jobs. Picked it up on sale for $75.

ColbyLang

Have the kitchen aid mini for quick small tasks. Also bought the Ninja 11 cup, love it. Came with multiple blade set ups as most do, we probably don’t use it enough given all of the things it can do 

Botch

My KitchenAid is about 20 years old, came with its own mini-bowl/blade, shredder blades, and an egg mixer (which I've never used).  
If I had to buy again, I'd compare the KA with the newest Cuisinart, and probably select the one that looked easier to clean; my current KA has ribs all over the lid and bottom of the bowl, kind've a pain to wash/dry.  
I use mine constantly; its the KA stand mixer that doesn't get used much anymore (well, the pasta rollers see regular use, I guess).  

Carolina Q

I've had a small (7 cup) Cuisinart for maybe 30 years (DLC-10E). No longer available of course. Still runs great though I haven't used it as frequently as I thought I would. Shreds stuff for coleslaw like a champ. Lately, been using it to make peanut butter. Also, it does a great job grinding beef and/or pork for burgers or meatloaf. The standard attachments included in the basic kit have been enough for me. 

Also, it you want to just try out the concept, Ninja sells a small one for under $35. Mine is fairly new, but so far so good.

https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-400-Watt-Processor-Blending-QB900B/dp/B003XU3C7M/ref=sr_1_2?crid=N8W4L4RDORQS&amp;keywords=ninja+food+processor&amp;qid=1637438448&amp;sprefix=ninja+,aps,180&amp;sr=8-2

GrateEggspectations

Carolina Q said:

I've had a small (7 cup) Cuisinart for maybe 30 years (DLC-10E). No longer available of course. Still runs great though I haven't used it as frequently as I thought I would. Shreds stuff for coleslaw like a champ. Lately, been using it to make peanut butter. Also, it does a great job grinding beef and/or pork for burgers or meatloaf. The standard attachments included in the basic kit have been enough for me. 

Also, it you want to just try out the concept, Ninja sells a small one for under $35. Mine is fairly new, but so far so good.

https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-400-Watt-Processor-Blending-QB900B/dp/B003XU3C7M/ref=sr_1_2?crid=N8W4L4RDORQS&amp;keywords=ninja+food+processor&amp;qid=1637438448&amp;sprefix=ninja+,aps,180&amp;sr=8-2

I grew up with one of these in my household and my wife grew up with the same in hers. Takes me back just seeing this photo. They are still running strong in both homes. 

Ozzie_Isaac

I had ordered a Breville 16 quart off Amazon, but then went to Costco and they had this at the entrance.  For 1/3 the price of the Breville, I cancelled my order and bought this.  Figured if I hate it, Costco has a good return policy.

WeberWho

Ozzie_Isaac said:

 Figured if I hate it, Costco has a good return policy.

You're obviously talking about the Christmas tree right?

PigBeanUs

I am thinking you have some excellent knife skills. 

So I honestly don’t know the benefit for you unless you are prepping in huge amounts. 

I had a mini one, and used it ultimately only to do mushrooms in large amounts (2-3 pounds) for duxelles.

It was a p.i.t.a. doing one-cup batches

So I got the large cuisinart, midrange. Maybe $80-125. Not sure

The bonus was I could use it for so much other stuff, right?!?!

nah. I use it for large amounts of shrooms, and that’s it. 

Most other stuff I use the chef’s knife. 

And when my wife wanted mushroom risotto this week, for two, I didn’t even bother getting it down from the top cabinet. Just rough-chopped the two-plus pounds of shrooms and cooked them down. No need to clean the cuisinart. 

So:

You? I really don’t think *you* need one. 

That said? If a hundred bucks is nbd, get yourself a cuisinart and have a ball. It does make quick work of large amounts of prep. But you’ll never truly need it for a dinner of two, four, six. 

danhoo

I bought this one in 2018 for $144, and now its $246. 

I use it for bigger prep work, but tend to not use it as much as I probably could.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AXM4WV2

TechsasJim

I bought a small Cuisinart years ago strictly to make chimichurri.   Works like a champ.  

Botch

PigBeanUs said:

I am thinking you have some excellent knife skills. 

So I honestly don’t know the benefit for you unless you are prepping in huge amounts. 

I had a mini one, and used it ultimately only to do mushrooms in large amounts (2-3 pounds) for duxelles.

It was a p.i.t.a. doing one-cup batches

So I got the large cuisinart, midrange. Maybe $80-125. Not sure

The bonus was I could use it for so much other stuff, right?!?!

nah. I use it for large amounts of shrooms, and that’s it. 

Most other stuff I use the chef’s knife. 

And when my wife wanted mushroom risotto this week, for two, I didn’t even bother getting it down from the top cabinet. Just rough-chopped the two-plus pounds of shrooms and cooked them down. No need to clean the cuisinart. 

So:

You? I really don’t think *you* need one. 

That said? If a hundred bucks is nbd, get yourself a cuisinart and have a ball. It does make quick work of large amounts of prep. But you’ll never truly need it for a dinner of two, four, six. 

Salsa, hummus, canned tomatoes for italian gravy, there's probably a bunch of other things, you can't do with a knife and could do in a blender, but if you want texture, no.  
To each their own.  

Corv

I have a relatively small one that I bought off Craigslist some years ago. It has several blades. I use the general purpose blade, the one that grates cheese and stuff ( mostly cheese in my case) and once in a while, the same blade to slice things. I never use the fine grater, the dough blade or the small bowl that came with the set. I think there are other blades that I haven't used. It's been robust and reliable. It's awkward to clean (traps water if in the dishwasher) but has done the job.

PigBeanUs

Botch said:

PigBeanUs said:

I am thinking you have some excellent knife skills. 

So I honestly don’t know the benefit for you unless you are prepping in huge amounts. 

I had a mini one, and used it ultimately only to do mushrooms in large amounts (2-3 pounds) for duxelles.

It was a p.i.t.a. doing one-cup batches

So I got the large cuisinart, midrange. Maybe $80-125. Not sure

The bonus was I could use it for so much other stuff, right?!?!

nah. I use it for large amounts of shrooms, and that’s it. 

Most other stuff I use the chef’s knife. 

And when my wife wanted mushroom risotto this week, for two, I didn’t even bother getting it down from the top cabinet. Just rough-chopped the two-plus pounds of shrooms and cooked them down. No need to clean the cuisinart. 

So:

You? I really don’t think *you* need one. 

That said? If a hundred bucks is nbd, get yourself a cuisinart and have a ball. It does make quick work of large amounts of prep. But you’ll never truly need it for a dinner of two, four, six. 

Salsa, hummus, canned tomatoes for italian gravy, there's probably a bunch of other things, you can't do with a knife and could do in a blender, but if you want texture, no.  
To each their own.  

Agree totally. 

OP never mentioned any of those things

which makes you completely correct

if that were the question he asked

(it wasn’t)

pretty sure he has a blender for salsa,
hummus, and canned (what?) tomatoes too. Not exactly some special equipment required for that. 

Botch

Sigh.  

PigBeanUs

Botch said:

Sigh.  

Have you always been a p?ssy, or this this a new thing?

what’s the problem?

OP didn’t ask for a fvcking salsa maker. 

Your point is valid.  Great! Yaaaay Botch

my point was “OP said he doesn’t need a food processor.”

His wife thinks he does because “he be choppin alla time.”

but he probably really isn’t

so. 

If Botch ( who for some reason is acting put upon on behalf of OP [which is pretty sad actually]), cam demonstrate how my suggestion that OP may not actually *need* a food processor actually merits Botch adopting some sort of Lit-type beta-male “sigh”
reply, then I’d be happy to buy both of them a food processor.

but if either or them are men, they don’t actually need one. 

PigBeanUs

Botch, in case that wasn’t clear:

OP doesn’t need your help. And ”sigh”  is a little Biden of you. No?

alaskanassasin

PigBeanUs said:

I am thinking you have some excellent knife skills. 

So I honestly don’t know the benefit for you unless you are prepping in huge amounts. 

I had a mini one, and used it ultimately only to do mushrooms in large amounts (2-3 pounds) for duxelles.

It was a p.i.t.a. doing one-cup batches

So I got the large cuisinart, midrange. Maybe $80-125. Not sure

The bonus was I could use it for so much other stuff, right?!?!

nah. I use it for large amounts of shrooms, and that’s it. 

Most other stuff I use the chef’s knife. 

And when my wife wanted mushroom risotto this week, for two, I didn’t even bother getting it down from the top cabinet. Just rough-chopped the two-plus pounds of shrooms and cooked them down. No need to clean the cuisinart. 

So:

You? I really don’t think *you* need one. 

That said? If a hundred bucks is nbd, get yourself a cuisinart and have a ball. It does make quick work of large amounts of prep. But you’ll never truly need it for a dinner of two, four, six. 

He already bought the fahking thing so I don’t know what you are carrying on about.

fishlessman

Ozzie_Isaac

@Ozzie_Isaac i went with the ugly blue kitchen aide, was half price because its an ugly discontinued color.  been using it all summer for those barria styled tacos. the trick with these things is immediately rinsing it out, oily stuff sticks all over them if you dont. rinse it before moving on with the cook. thats the key with a food processor

Ozzie_Isaac

WeberWho said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

 Figured if I hate it, Costco has a good return policy.

You're obviously talking about the Christmas tree right?

Is your tree not up yet!?

FanOfFanboys

This pig bean person seems miserable

Ozzie_Isaac

FanOfFanboys said:

This pig bean person seems miserable

That was not "one" person.  The login was shared among a number of folks.  That is why the posts came across as eclectic.  Range from super informative to bonkers crazy.  Most of the time Styke used it.  Unlike some of the other handles, nothing was meant maliciously as near as I can tell, just pot stirring.

nolaegghead

Jon Stryker is a pretty complex guy.  I don't think he's miserable tho, despite being worth some serious money.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Stryker

OhioEgger

Our 34 year old Cuisinart DLC-10 doesn't get used very often, but when I get it out I have to say it does an amazing job.

WeberWho

Ozzie_Isaac said:

WeberWho said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

 Figured if I hate it, Costco has a good return policy.

You're obviously talking about the Christmas tree right?

Is your tree not up yet!?

Still in the box. I have another two or three years yet to decide if I like it with Costco returns. 

hoosier_egger

I'm surprised Robot Coupe hasn't been mentioned in this thread. I'd never spend that much coin on one, but if I found on in an auction or something I would grab it

lkapigian

nolaegghead said:

Jon Stryker is a pretty complex guy.  I don't think he's miserable tho, despite being worth some serious money.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Stryker

  

Ozzie_Isaac

ColtsFan said:

I'm surprised Robot Coupe hasn't been mentioned in this thread. I'd never spend that much coin on one, but if I found on in an auction or something I would grab it

I checked them out and really liked them.  No local dealers and no Amazon, so didn't fit my timeline.  In the end, happy with the $150 one from Costco.  It worked really well and made short work of the dressing.  Only issue was I need to learn order to put in ingredients.  It liquified my parsely.

GregW

I have a Robot Coup R2- I didn't mention it because it's not something your average home cook would have room for in their kitchen. 

nolaegghead

I used to use Robot Coup to make cheesecakes and prep veggies when I worked at a restaurant back in HS/College.  Great machines.  My brother found one highly discounted the other day.  I'm envious.

But I don't use them enough to justify the expense...and they weight a ton, not easy to move around the kitchen.