# Do you use food processors?



## broncoboxer (Feb 6, 2010)

Noob here,

I barely know the first thing about cooking.  In my short time trying, I've already broken the tips off two fairly inexpensive Chef's knives.  All the same, the knives still work.  Anyway, my question has nothing to do with Chef's knives (though I would like to get a nice one some day--just as soon as I can stop dropping them on the tile floor...).

My question is about food processors.  Ours is missing the blade--probably got lost while moving.  Plus, it was an old junky GE special from Wal-Mart.  We probably paid $20 for it.  So I'm considering getting a new one.  But since I never cooked much in the past, I have no idea if I'll get much use out of it.

So, do you guys and gals use food processors much?  Are they helpful?  If so, would you recommend a certain brand/model?

Thanks in advance.

--Bronco


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

The top two brands are Cuisinart and Kitchen Aid.  Both are more than fine. 

The best size, models and attachment sets depend on how often you'll entertain, and how often you'll use it. 

Home bakers who use their processors for things like mixing pie and bread dough tend to use theirs more often than those who mix by hand.   Barbecuing families that run through gallons of cole slaw every week can't live without them.  People who throw big parties or cook for big families not only use their processors more but want bigger work bowls. 

They can be fantastic time savers, or countertop space wasters.  I don't use mine that often through the course of the year, it's been sitting unused for three months right next to the bread box.  But as we swing into the holiday season, I'll run it more often -- so why put it away now?   

If you think it's hard for you to predict which purposes and how often, it's even harder for those of us who have no idea of what and how you cook.    

A medium sized Cuisinart or KitchenAid with a basic attachment set would be swell.

BDL


----------



## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

Julia Child used to say that you could talk about cooking in terms of BFP and AFP: Before and After Food Processors. Pretty much anything _can_ be done without a food processor, but some things are so awful without one that you'd probably never do it.

The big thing about a processor, in my opinion, is its ability to reduce a mass of material to a puree rapidly and effectively. A blender requires a good deal of liquid in the mix, without which you'll just get the blades whirling around at the bottom and nothing happening at the top. A processor doesn't need this, it just goes.

Since it sounds like you are not too deft with a knife, you will probably find that the slicing and shredding attachments of a processor are quite useful when you want to make a lot of equal-sized pieces. For example, you can feed carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, or potatoes into the feed tube with the slicing blade going, and you'll get a lot of fairly thin and mostly even slices very quickly. As BDL says, this sort of thing is a godsend if you make huge quantities of cole slaw, where reducing heads of cabbage to shreds is the work of a minute or two instead of a lot longer with a knife.

Processors make quick work of purees like pesto or fish quenelles, and you can use them very effectively to make things like mayonnaise and similar sauces.

One thing to watch out for with processors is that the blades must stay sharp or they will pound the ingredients. They also impart a good bit of heat and air to whatever is running, which can have adverse effects on the flavor; this is especially noticeable with extra virgin olive oil, which quickly takes on a harsh, astringent character.

On the whole, I'd say get a processor.


----------



## kathy8185 (Aug 27, 2010)

I have a mini one and only use it occassionally. I do however use a food stick when I need to pulverize things, like when I make hummus. It really does depend on how much cooking you will do and in what quantities.

personally If I only need to chop and onion it is easier to do it by hand


----------



## broncoboxer (Feb 6, 2010)

Thanks for all the responses, everyone.  You've definitely shed light on the food processor decision.

BDL made a great point.  It's difficult for you to give me advice when I've told you almost nothing about what I like to cook.  So I'm going to give that a shot.

I'm in that infancy stage where cooking, in all of its forms (at least the forms I'm aware of), seems mysterious and alluring.  I want to try it all!  So far, I've mostly chopped up proteins and veggies and threw them in a saute pan.  I haven't done much baking yet.  My favorite meat to work with so far is chicken--it seems to go with everything--though when eating at a restaurant I prefer filets, scallops, fish and even some pork.

My favorite types of cuisine include: Italian (love me some pasta), Indian (saucy and spicy!), Asian (Thai, Chinese, Japanese is the limit of my experience so far), classic American (BBQ, grilled meat & potatoes, etc.).  I am interested in French cuisine, but haven't really tried any.  The point is, I can see myself attempting to create dishes in each of these styles.  Unsuccessfully.  But I would try it all the same.   

I'm a saucy guy, so I can see myself using the food processor to make homemade sauces.  I also have a 5 month old daughter, so having the ability to quickly and easily puree foods sounds appealing.

So again, thank you all for the quick responses.


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

I don't have a food processor, and would like one, i guess, but they;re expensive and i don;t have enough room on the counter.  I do LOTS of cooking, i mean lots.  It;s possible to live without one.  I use my kitchenaid mixer really often (there were periods when the kids still lived at home when i'd use it 3 or 4 times a week) and i use my blender pretty often, an immersion blender also pretty often, (once a week?) and the chopping attachment occasionally (when i only need to chop one thing and the cutting board seems too big for it).  I'm good with a knife (and do all my own cole slaw with the knife) and yeah, it;s annoying for the chicken livers or chick peas or whatever to stay at the top of the blender while the blade whirls like crazy in the empty space, but i wouldn;t want that much space taken up by one more piece of equipment.  Babies eat purees for a very short time, and some never eat them at all  so maybe a blender would be fine for that.  If you don;t do much cooking, wait till you see what kind of stuff you like to cook and then decide.  If you have a limited budget, choose well.  I;d choose the kitchen aid mixer any day.


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

If you do decide to get one, learn how to use the pulse button. That's probably the biggest secret, and one many home cooks seem unaware of.

The pulse button gives you control that you'd otherwise lack.

There is also the question of quantity. When we got our first one Friend Wife would use it to do things like chop one onion. I'm sorry, but it takes longer to break down and clean the machine than it would to chop one onion by hand.

And therein lies the real tale. If you're going to improve and expand you culinary skills you need to put the time and energy into learning proper knife use and care. If you're dropping knives as frequently as you indicate it tells me several things; one of which is that you are perhaps afraid of the knife (and, thus, gripping it too far back on the handle).

While other posters have given you good advice in terms of the uses food processors have, frankly I'd as soon see you put the money a good one costs into decent knives, and learn how to use them.

There are numerous threads, here at Cheftalk, on proper care and use of knives. I recommend you read through a few of them.


----------



## broncoboxer (Feb 6, 2010)

KYHeirloomer said:


> There is also the question of quantity. When we got our first one Friend Wife would use it to do things like chop one onion. I'm sorry, but it takes longer to break down and clean the machine than it would to chop one onion by hand.
> 
> And therein lies the real tale. If you're going to improve and expand you culinary skills you need to put the time and energy into learning proper knife use and care. If you're dropping knives as frequently as you indicate it tells me several things; one of which is that you are perhaps afraid of the knife (and, thus, gripping it too far back on the handle).


I hear you. I wouldn't want to go through the hassle of cleaning the darn thing for a single onion. In most cases, I imagine a cutting board and a good knife is all you need. While I don't think I'm gripping the knife too far back on the handle, you're right that I'm still knife shy. I've watched a few videos and read a few articles on knife skills, but I still have a long way to go before I even hit mediocre.

What do you think the best veggie is to practice knife skills on?


----------



## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

A word of warning here: When you are shopping for your appliance, do not be misled by the "stated capacity". While the bowl might indeed _hold_ 7 cups, for instance, you may not be able to _process_ 7 cups, especially something with high liquid content. On most of the bowls, you will see a "fill line", which is the suggested maximum volume of food to be processed at one time. It will be about a third less than the actual capacity of the bowl. This is true with the Cuisinart Food Processor I bought a couple of years ago. My first ever FP, and I was "flying blind". Had I known about this at the time, I would have purchased one with a larger capacity. Its footprint was not that much greater, nor was the price. I am very pleased with the one I have, even with its limitation.


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

broncoboxer said:


> ...What do you think the best veggie is to practice knife skills on?


The "cheapest one" is probably potatoes, maybe carrots or celery or onions, ooo, 2 parts onions, 1 part carrots, 1 part celery = mirepoix, an "aromatic foundation" for lots of dishes!


----------



## Guest (Oct 4, 2010)

I generally dice my own vegetables, etc., but food processors help out a lot when time is of the essence. We just keep a little one (I think from the dollar store) that's useful for chopping up some onions or bell peppers before sauteing them. It's also _really_ useful for chopping up nuts finely for sauces, breading, and garnishing. Seeing as how you're more of a casual cooker, I'd recommend just getting a little one like that for five to ten bucks. Ours has lasted us for two years, I think.

If you do decide to go with a larger one, though, you might be able to get more use out of it by taking it out just once a week or so, chopping up some produce, putting it in ziploc bags, and freezing them back. Of course, you're going to lose a lot of flavor doing that, but it also helps to save a lot of time if you're busy.


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I reckon Pete summed it up, and for all the right reasons.

I would add that, IMO, potatoes might be a little easier to learn on. But onions would be my first choice, because they're so versatile you will use them up, whereas the spuds might go to waste as you practiced.

As to holding the knife: Are you cutting by holding the handle or by holding the blade?


----------



## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

You've raised several questions here, all important.

1. Knife skills. Yes, you should work on your knife skills, and this is not as simple as you might think. You need to develop a good grip, probably a classic pinch grip, and a habit of clawing your left hand to hold the food steady with your fingers out of the way and the knife cutting such that it's guided by your left hand knuckles. (If you're a lefty, reverse that.) Easiest to learn, probably, is celery, but you _must_ learn to chop an onion quick and clean. I strongly recommend that you watch Jacques Pepin: whatever techniques he demonstrates, whatever knives he might happen to have in hand, he always does everything cleanly in the classical French style.

2. Processors. A processor should not be used as a replacement for a knife. Until you are comfortable with a knife, certain things in large quantities will be cleaner and faster with the processor, but eventually you will not take it out for this purpose. But making a puree is unquestionably a raving pain in the tail if you don't have automation.

Somebody mentioned hummus, which is a wonderful example. To make hummus in a blender, you'll have to add quite a bit of liquid and you may end up with wet glop. To make it by hand is a labor of love requiring long pounding with a mortar and pestle such as you don't probably have. To make it in a processor, dump a can or two of high-quality chickpeas in the bowl, add a good squeeze of lemon juice and a good 1/4 cup or more of tahini, possibly a little minced garlic. Pulse and then run the processor until it's smooth. Taste, adjust a little bit as necessary, and it's done. Even with very ordinary canned chickpeas you will get better results than most hummus you can buy, and you won't believe how much cheaper it is. Now wipe out the bowl and do the same thing with roasted eggplant and you've got baba ghanoush.

Or try this: put four hardboiled eggs and a clove of garlic in and pulse a few times to break them up fine. Add some white wine vinegar, Dijon-style mustard, good pinch of salt and pepper, and a little parsley. You can also add a few anchovies, a bunch of capers, a little hot or mild raw pepper (the vegetable, I mean, not the spice), some shallots or onions, etc. Pulse a few times, then run it full-blast. As it runs, pour in some neutral oil in a thin stream (canola, peanut, corn, etc. oil). As soon as it starts to get thick, stop the motor, scrape it out into a bowl, and then whisk steadily and not too fast while you stream in good extra virgin olive oil. As you keep adding it, the sauce will get thicker and thicker, and eventually will be the consistency of mayonnaise. This sauce, basically _sauce Gribiche_, is an admirable (and salmonella-free!) substitute for mayonnaise in a great many applications, and believe you me, it is a raving horrible pain to make without a processor.

One more: Next time you cut up a chicken (a skill you should definitely learn --- saves money and produces great side benefits, like soup and the following), pull out the fat pads at the bottom opening of the chicken --- these are the big yellow wodges of fat around the sides. There might be one up by the neck, so pull that out too. Notice that the liver, which came probably in a little paper packet inside the chicken, weighs about the same as the fat pads. Put the fat pads in the processor and pulse briefly to chop up fine, then scrape them out into a small skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is basically melted and not hissing (meaning the water has cooked out). Put in the liver, cut into lobes if it's all one big chunk, along with about 1/4 minced onion or better one minced shallot, as well as a generous pinch of salt and a little black pepper. Cook, turning the liver now and again, until the liver is just firm and just barely pink in the center. Remove the pan from heat, wait a minute or so, and scrape everything into the processor. Add 1 Tb butter if you wish (I always do). Pulse until basically chopped up fine, then run until good and smooth, scraping down the sides now and again. Scrape out the mixture and push it through a wire strainer, the finer the better. Pack into a ramekin, cover by pressing plastic wrap right against the surface, and put in the fridge. After 1-2 hours, remove from the fridge, wait about 10 minutes to let the chill off, and then spread on good crusty bread. Cost? Free --- you bought the chicken. Work? Minimal, because of the processor. Result? Excellent chicken liver terrine.

I could keep going.

The point is this: you are just learning to cook. You will want to play with recipes, try new things. You will find that there are lots and lots of recipes that involve a processor to transform a hideous chore into a brief zapperooney, as it were. The things just aren't that expensive these days, if you don't buy a really big one, and once you get used to it you'll find it remarkably easy and fun.

Incidentally, I'm assuming you've got a dishwasher. If not, skip the processor: handwashing the parts of a processor is horrible and potentially dangerous. If you've got a dishwasher, just rinse and whatever under hot water to get it basically clean, then put the pieces in the dishwasher and it's all done.

Automation, used intelligently, is a good thing.


----------



## beargy (Sep 30, 2010)

That is good advice. I think it's a tough decision but a good one to make. Every kitchen should be fully equipped, if possible, in order to allow for a greater range of potential meals.
Are there any accessories that you all recommend?


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_I'm assuming you've got a dishwasher. If not, skip the processor:_

Puleeze!

One of these has little to do with the other. I don't own a dishwasher and never have. Cleaning a food processor by hand is like cleaning anything else. The blade is handled like what it is---a knife. Everything else is washed like any other cookware; hot, soapy water and a Dobie pad.

Is cleaning the blade by hand dangerous? Potentially so. But so, too, is cleaning a chef's knife. But putting it in a dishwasher is something nobody with any respect for their tools would every do.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Cleaning the food processor is super easy if you do it right away. Don't wait for the food to dry out and stick to everything. Or if you just can't do it right away, soak in water. I own a dish washer, but would never use it for the food processor, as to me it's one of the easiest things to clean!


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

You don't even have to soak it, FF. I find, for those times I can't clean it right away, that a quick rinse with the spray hose flushes away any build-up, and puts it in shape for a proper cleaning when you can get to it. But I agree entirely that if you let the stuff dry out you've got a mess on your hands.


----------



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Hey KYH, that's another option! Quick rinse right after using, deep soap cleaning later when you have time.


----------



## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

I dunno. When I lived in Kyoto, I didn't have a dishwasher and washed everything by hand. I had a little food processor, and I found it a tricky, awkward chore to clean it: getting every trace of ground-up whatever out of the hollow stalk with the blade was not so delightful, because I had to work around the blade. The blades on these things are basically durable serrated things, and they're fine in a dishwasher --- I flatly disagree with the argument that putting one in a dishwasher reveals a bad attitude toward tools, and as someone who uses exclusively carbon steel knives, I think I have a fair basis for this. A knife is easy: put it flat on the board, angle up until the blade clicks down, scour gently but firmly with a ScotchBrite that has lots of soap and very little water, run under hot water, and dry. Depending on what I'm cutting, I often just use very hot water and a towel and leave it at that. But handwashing a hollow tube with serrated curved blades sticking out the sides is a chore, however minor. I just rinse in hot water and shove it in the dishwasher, and the blades show no sign of deterioration in any sense.


----------



## missyjean (Nov 5, 2009)

I got mine (KitchenAid) a year ago and since then, I feel it is a must-have for me.  Aside from it's many uses in baking (I made an awesome ganache in it) it is a huge help in my salad making.  I use the shredding dish for butternut squash to sprinkle in my salads.  Also great for cabbage.  I have a grating disk (which I ordered separately) for grating carrots for carrot cake.  It saves so much time and effort.

I just made sweet potato and plantain with maple syrup.  After the potatoes and plantain baked, I scooped out the center and put it in the processor..the texture was so smooth

There are things I, personally, don't like it for..such as, I don't like to use it for a crumb topping. I much prefer to work the butter in by hand.


----------



## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

Yes, ganache is a great application, good point, Missy! I was blown away the first time I made an alternative chocolate mousse with a processor: you put chopped-up chocolate in the processor, pulse it until it's very fine, and then turn it on full-blast. While it's running, pour boiling-hot cream through the feed tube in a medium-thin stream. Stop when it's the texture of chocolate mousse. Chill and serve. Yes, it's totally evil, but it's also delicious and mind-bogglingly easy.

That reminds me. Take a bag of IQF (individually quick-frozen) berries, e.g. raspberries, thawed, and dump them in the processor. Add about 1/4 cup of sugar. Pulse a few times until it's going smoothly, then run it full-blast until smooth. Strain. Serve with an enormous range of desserts, from grapefruit supremes to flourless chocolate cake. Want to do this by hand? Me neither.


----------



## grumio (Apr 16, 2006)

I vote yes on food processors, but only on good ones.  The first one I had, a hand-me-down, was junk.  Here's how to get a good one cheaply:  find out what KitchenAid's or Cuisinart's top of the line food processor model is - the KAFP-1000, or whatever.  Then find out the model it superseded, ie their previous top of the line FP (very likely the KAFP-900, or something).  Then search for a refurbished one of those.  I don't remember the exact numbers, but my refurbished last-year's-model KA cost me about 40% what a new this-year's-model did at the time, and has worked perfectly for the last 8 years.


----------



## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

Bronco-

The food processor is probably the most revolutionary kitchen appliiance ever built. I say that as the owner of a KitchenAid mixer and a Vita-Mix 50-hp blender.You wanna get into cooking... get one (preferably on sale.)

My wife insisted on buying one in 1968 and I looked at it (as a lifelong woodworker and tool nut), and thought "what the heck can I do with that thing?' And, I've been cooking ever since. My wife says that before that, the only thing I ever cooked was... popcorn.

A food proocessor won't make you into an accomplished cook, but it will simplify your work for _many_ prep chores so that you can concentrate on other aspects of your cooking repertiore. It won't replace your need for at least some knife skills, either. Sorry. Everything but the blade can go through the dishwasher, so it's not that big a cleaning problem. Just rinse it out the moment you're through using - and clean the blade gingerly - and it's easy.

As Jacques would say... get one and... hoppy cookeeng!


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

I agree that it's no doubt useful.   I have a bunch of hand-powered gadgets that do some of what that does (the food mill or foley mill (remember that?) with it's crank on top, blade and flat cone-shaped holey thing - though most of what i;d use that for i do with the immersion blender.  I have another thing for shredding with a crank and flat disks like food processor ones, though i find i'm quick enough with the box grater, that i would never bother to have to wash a food processor to make carrot cake even if i had one.  I make chicken liver mousse in the blender (always put whatever liquid you use at the bottom FIRST,then put the other stuff) and an immersion blender for soups (why bother with a big machine?) I make ganache melting the chocolate broken in pieces in the double boiler with a little of the cream, then let it cool and add the rest if i want to whip it, otherwise i just mix the room temp cream into it.  I chop onions either by hand or with the little attachment with blade and cup for the immersion blender. 

Would i like someone to give me a good food processor?  Yeah, i guess, but i still wouldn't want to occupy more counter space.  Of course, never having used one, I may change mind if i did have one.  But i wouldn;t exchange it for the immersion blender (much easier to clean and can do the boiling hot soup directly with it).


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_I flatly disagree with the argument that putting one in a dishwasher reveals a bad attitude toward tools,_

Perhaps I was ambiguous, Chris. I was referring to your chef's knife and the dishwasher. And that I stand by. Anyone who puts their good knives in a dishwasher has no respect for them.

As to putting food processor parts through the dishwasher, if that's your choice I have no argument. But you didn't present it as an option. You dogmatically proclaimed that if a person doesn't have a dishwasher than they shouldn't own a food processor: "_Incidentally, I'm assuming you've got a dishwasher. If not, skip the processor:" _

So, I reckon the thousands of us who either don't own dishwashers or who choose not to use them for the FP are left sucking hind teat. Guess I better trade my KA in on a Vegamatic. Or can those not be washed by hand either?

For the record, while I've amassed many a knife cut through the years, I have never cut myself on the blade of a food processor.

I'm also wondering about this statement: "getting every trace of ground-up whatever out of the hollow stalk with the blade was not so delightful..." If you've fitted the blade to the shaft properly you shouldn't be getting much up into that hollow in the first place. Any that does should rinse right out under hot running water. If not, that's why we have cleaning brushes.

I will concede that if you 1. did get some ground up whatever inside the hollow, and, 2. let it dry before cleaning, that you might have difficulty scrubbing it out. But that's supposition on my part because my FP components don't sit around like that.


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Well, Bronco, you've seen the welter of applications; and, in fact, we've barely touched on them. Food processors are wonderful kitchen tools, well worth the space they occupy. Personally, and I'm sure others agree, if I had to be confined to just one power tool in the kitchen a FP is the only choice. 

Assuming you decide that you do need one, here's another piece of advice: Get the largest one you can afford. The more you use a food processor the more uses you find for it. Don't make the mistake of initially buying a mini, thinking you could learn on it and get a larger one later. The progession should actually be in the other direction. Get a full-sized unit first. Then later, if you think you need one, you can get a mini as well.

Most quality food processors (Cuisinart and KitchenAid, for instance) come with three cutters as standard: the steel blade, a slicing plate, and a grating plate. You might be tempted to load up on assessory cutters, but don't. Learn to use the ones that come standard. Then you can make an informed decision about others.


----------



## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Do you have a credit card that has a decent rewards point program?  It may be worth a look to see if they have a food processor on there.  I remember I redeemed some points and got one of the larger Cuisinart processors that they made.   I would stick with Cuisinart or Kitchen Aid.   But checking your rewards program may be worth the time.

  dan


----------



## chrislehrer (Oct 9, 2008)

KYH,



KYHeirloomer said:


> _I flatly disagree with the argument that putting one in a dishwasher reveals a bad attitude toward tools,_
> 
> Perhaps I was ambiguous, Chris. I was referring to your chef's knife and the dishwasher. And that I stand by. Anyone who puts their good knives in a dishwasher has no respect for them.
> 
> ...


Okay, fair enough, I was being a little dogmatic.

All I meant was that if you're new to cooking, and thus a lot of the processes --- including cleaning up --- are relatively time-consuming and irritating, and if furthermore you're constantly dropping your knives on the floor and chipping the tips off them (as the OP says), then cleaning a food processor blade is something of a chore without a dishwasher. I did not say that handwashing is impossible; on the contrary, I mentioned that I handwashed my processor for a year in Kyoto. I just said, and continue to say, that it's a bit of a chore.


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_I just said, and continue to say, that it's a bit of a chore._

Well, sure. But so is prepping a mirepois or breaking down a chicken.

I reckon it's what you're used to, and the procedures you choose to follow.

Short of entertaining for a crowd, I would never think to use my food processor to prep a mirepois. My knife is faster and more accurate for that small an amount. I could buy chicken parts and avoid the hassle of breaking down a bird. But I don't. When I first learned there were people who wash-up in the kitchen as they go along I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard. Now I do it as a matter of course, and can't imagine letting the dishes and cookware pile up.

Doesn't make my way right and the others' wrong. It just reflects different styles and different choices. To think otherwise just means falling into the Alton Brown fallacy.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

my chime....

 i use a kitchen aid(large), and i use it pretty much everyday, for all sorts of things..i'm sure that the purists among you will be rolling your eyes on this,but garlic and shallots are a daily grind(no pun intended)....i use so much at the restaurant, that i could not keep up otherwise....and ky is spot on about the pulse button...its perfect if you know how to use it.....pestos, pates, veggie terrines...anything that needs to be smooth, some dressings, pizza dough, and of course, 'frosty paws' for the pooch...i have several work bowls as well as a smaller bowl that fits inside the larger one, for smaller jobs...i hardly ever use it as i can chop something that size faster by hand.....i have used robot coupes in restaurant kitchens, and they are a bear to work with...just even to move...heavy, base/motor, difficult with all the blades and shoots for shredding and slicing, and very pricey as well...i've had my ka for years...before that a cusinart...both were just great...still are...unless you like crying alot, i would recommend another veggie to practice on than onions...how about apples? at least you can throw them out for the foxes or birds or even make a pie!...if you get one, you will use it, i promise...just don't get too small a one...they are practically useless!!!....

joey


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

KY,

There's a lot of good stuff in your post but some of it is only implied and some of it was glossed over (because you stuck to the point).

For instance,


> _When I first learned there were people who wash-up in the kitchen as they go along I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard. Now I do it as a matter of course, and can't imagine letting the dishes and cookware pile up,_


was frikking brilliant. 


> _Short of entertaining for a crowd, I would never think to use my food processor to prep a mirepoix. My knife is faster and more accurate for that small an amount. _


I seldom cut mirepoix with an FP. Mirepoix just for cooking should be too coarse for an FP to handle well; and mirepoix that will be incorporated in a finished dish should cut in in fairly regular shapes and sizes. FPs don't do medium dice, fine dice, or brunoise. Now mirepoix for meatloaf and other charcuterie -- nothing does itty bitty chips better. But, _Mirepoix and Me_ is not the real issue.

Buy a good FP? Emphatically, yes. But it's just one tool of many. It's very versatile and a godsend when volume means so much skill, effort or time that it's an FP or do something else. But it's not the _best_ tool for _almost_ any process you care to name.

When it comes to cutting, _a sharp knife and the skills to use it are every good cook's food-processor of first resort. _

BDL


----------



## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

durangojo said:


> and_ shoots_ for shredding and slicing,


shoots=chutes oh, but who really cares? LOL


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

boar_d_laze said:


> ...When it comes to cutting, _a sharp knife and the skills to use it are every good cook's food-processor of first resort. _
> BDL


Hm, IIRC, that sounds like something I heard YEARS ago on a TV show, let's see, oh yes, Yan Can Cook!, Martin Yan with a Chinese cleaver in each hand!


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

amazingrace said:


> shoots=chutes oh, but who really cares? LOL


oops....thanks...maybe i was thinking that everytime i used the 'chute', the food 'shot' all over the place.....

joey


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

boar_d_laze said:


> KY,
> 
> There's a lot of good stuff in your post but some of it is only implied and some of it was glossed over (because you stuck to the point).
> 
> ...


its not the best tool for any process you care to name? what about pestos, pates, terrines, and while we're at it, pureeing salmon for a mousse...or soups, like split pea or acorn or butternut squash...how is it not the best tool? i'd hate to have to do all that mashin' by hand...

joey


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_(because you stuck to the point)._

Ya know, Boar, if and when you finally finish your book, after I get through editing it it's only going to be a third as long. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif

_Mirepoix just for cooking should be too coarse for an FP to handle well; _

Don't know as I can agree with this. If you turn the thing on and let 'er rip, yes, you're correct. Unless you're making mirepoix soup. But if you really learn what the pulse button is all about you can make perfect mirepoix for cooking. One trick is to remember that there are three ingredients there, each of which should be chopped separately.

_mirepoix that will be incorporated in a finished dish should cut in in fairly regular shapes and sizes. _

Well, yes and no. In a restaurant, for sure. In the home kitchen, however, those of us who strive for perfect cuts do so to please ourselves. Family and friends mostly won't notice; and certainly won't care. So there's a danger of getting obsessive about it. I'm happy when I can convince the average home cook that knives need to be sharp. Getting them to make a perfect quarter-inch dice is above my pay grade.

I've quoted Mitchell Davis on this before, but it bears repealing: "I recall another recipes that had you strain a soup twice through a chinois...This sort of excess use of equipment and refinement is a hallmark of chef recipes...When we eat at home, the soup can be a little lumpy."

_But it's not the best tool for almost any process you care to name. _

I sort of agree with this. Call it 80%.

Our first food processor (actually, part of an Oster Kitchen Center) was a gift, and for years I wouldn't use the food processor part at all. Thought the whole FP thing was a wonderful, but unnecessary, marketing job on the part of the Cuisinart folks. As noted, Friend Wife would use it to chop a single onion. Gimme a break. But I've since learned the times and places a food processor makes sense (should say, have been learning, because I'm always discovering new ways).

Is a food processor indispensible? Not hardly. But it makes so many tasks quicker and more efficient that I'd hate to be without one.

_When it comes to cutting, a sharp knife and the skills to use it are every good cook's food-processor of first resort. _

Now that's something I can agree with 110%.


----------



## gobblygook (Aug 26, 2010)

When to use a food processor (all criteria must be met):

1.  The end result (product) is acceptable (if you want a square dice, you're not going to get one).

2.  The work required to prep the FP, the product, and the clean-up is greater than the work required to prep the cutting board and knife, the product, and clean-up. 

If you can do it appreciably faster or "better" by hand, then you shouldn't be using a fp.  For me, making pasta dough can go either way.  If I'm using the FP for other things, then I'll use it for the pasta dough. 

I never knew this could be so difficult.

BTW, when it comes to size, the bigger the better in ALMOST all cases of FP.  However, if you're going to be using the chopping blade on very small quantities, a smaller FP would be indicated.  An example would be me trying to make alfredo sauce.  I'm using room temp butter.  Well, a few whirls in the FP and I have butter coating the bowl, and the blade whirling around mostly untouched.  Same goes for trying to powder parm cheese. I'd expect grinding "berry" type spices would also work better in a smaller FP (or coffee grinder).


----------



## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

We've got a pretty good FP at home.  Number of times it gets used in a year - may 5 to 10.  Small family.  I don't make bread, biscuits, scones cales, pizza dought etc,

When does it get used?  When we are doing fund raising bbqs - use it for the onions and the slaw when I need to make 10kg of each - but that's about it.  And then a couple of other times, but I find the clean up too cumbersome to be bothered with.  I tend to use a stick mixer more, as in for pureeing soups, then I sieve it.  only 3 items to clean there.  The stick, the sieve, the pot.  The FP however you have to fuss with to get it set the right way to start with (ok I am hopeless at locating where it clamps on properly), then there are at least 5 items to clean including a nasty sharp one.

Stick mixers or simple blenders are the way I like it.


----------



## lyniebeck (Sep 8, 2010)

I've found cleaning a FP is easy if I dump some hot water in the work bowl with the blade in place, put in a drop (just a drop) of dishwashing liquid and whir for a few seconds.  I take the bowl and blade to the sink and rinse.  How hard is that?  The machine does most of the work if the bowl and blade are really gunky.  Just don't put too much dishwashing liquid in the bowl before you turn it on otherwise you'll think you're in an I Love Lucy episode with suds going all over the kitchen.


----------



## kcz (Dec 14, 2006)

I would figure out where you're going to keep it.  For years, my FP sat in an inaccessible corner of my counter, and the discs were in the pantry on the other side of the room.  I never used the dang thing.  Since my kitchen renovation, the FP is front-and-center on the counter in my prep area and the discs are in a drawer underneath.  I use it almost daily.  It's like many small kitchen appliances...out of sight, out of mind.


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Because I have no counter space to speak of, my FP lives on top of the fridge---along with the stand mixer and blender. When you have to move an appliance so radically, you make sure you actually need it.


----------



## broncoboxer (Feb 6, 2010)

KYHeirloomer said:


> As to holding the knife: Are you cutting by holding the handle or by holding the blade?


To be honest: both. It seems that I've read somewhere that your hand should straddle both the handle and part of the cutting blade. Hence, that's what I've been attempting. By the way, when I've dropped the knives it's been when I was pulling one out of the block and when I knocked one off the table accidentally with my elbow. It's never been while I was cutting.

All the same, I know I still need to practice.


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

If you haven't already, I suggest reading this thread: http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread/61906/proper-pinch-grip

We've had other discussions about proper grip and stance, but this one covers all the bases.


----------



## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

lyniebeck said:


> I've found cleaning a FP is easy if I dump some hot water in the work bowl with the blade in place, put in a drop (just a drop) of dishwashing liquid and whir for a few seconds. I take the bowl and blade to the sink and rinse. How hard is that? The machine does most of the work if the bowl and blade are really gunky. Just don't put too much dishwashing liquid in the bowl before you turn it on otherwise you'll think you're in an I Love Lucy episode with suds going all over the kitchen.


Good idea - thank you /img/vbsmilies/smilies//smile.gif I remember that episode of _I love Lucy _- hilarious, as always /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif


----------



## tgrandlife (Oct 4, 2010)

Hi, Marinus here,

Sorry about your knives, there is another tread with the question, are chefs abusive, hope you are not in that catagory.

I am a professional chef and also cook at home, I use my foodprocessor very regular and have mine for years, they are extremely handy, especially when you grind ingredients so you don't have to chop them e.g. onions, garlic,herbs and so on. I live in Malaysia and we use lots of grinded ingredients in the local cooking. What I do for example is buy cleaned garlic, (if you cannot find that, buy a kilo or so and peel it) now you grind in your processor and place the mix in a container, add vegetable oil (cornoil or sunfloweroil is fine) make sure the garlic is covered with oil, close the container and place it in your fridge or even freezer, it keeps for weeks and you don't have to peel a few cloves all the time. When you finish a batch use the balance oil for cooking as it has a nice garlic taste, so no waste

I have a Philips brand with a high blender on one side and a bowlblender on the other, the high blender is also great for fruitjuices or smoothies. I use the high blender also a lot for pastes which I use as a base for curries and so on..   

Panasonic or any of these electrical household brands all have good quality processors for home use.

As far as your knives are concerned, I would advise to buy reasonable priced branded pieces there is a Swiss brand called Zwielingen they have twins as their logo, they last a lifetime at least with me they do.

Good Luck and Happy Cooking


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Hi Marinus,

You wrote:


> _As far as your knives are concerned, I would advise to buy reasonable priced branded pieces there is a Swiss brand called Zwielingen they have twins as their logo, they last a lifetime at least with me they do._


The "Swiss brand called Zwielingen" is actually not Swiss but located in Solingen, Germany. Their brand is called Zwilling through most of the world, but is primarily known as "Henckels" in the US. Here, Zwilling is J. A. Henckels' collection of their German made knives. "Zwilling" means twin; and the Zwilling series have two little men holding hands screened on the blades as a marque.

So, those are your knives. While they're among the most respected brands in the world, and good knives for the money, here they are fairly expensive.

It's a funny old world, and some things just don't translate.

Similarly, I don't believe the Phillips food processors are available here.

Regards,
BDL


----------



## phreon (Dec 20, 2010)

I've been pondering the same question this thread posts.  I have a blender, drop bowl KA mixer, and intend to get a hand blender for certain sauces, chilis, etc. I also have a food mill and hand crank grinder as well.  I've avoided getting a mandoline to force myself to use the knife as much as possible.  I figure I'd do bread, pastas, etc by hand or with the KA mixer. I've never made a Pesto or Hummus, but I'd like to. Would a food processor do an appreciably better job than any of the above appliances to justify the cost and counter space?  I take no issue in dicing a bunch of onions with a knife or shredding cheese with a hand grater.

Sorry to hijack,

Doug


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Phreon said:


> I've been pondering the same question this thread posts. I have a blender, drop bowl KA mixer, and intend to get a hand blender for certain sauces, chilis, etc. I also have a food mill and hand crank grinder as well. I've avoided getting a mandoline to force myself to use the knife as much as possible. I figure I'd do bread, pastas, etc by hand or with the KA mixer. I've never made a Pesto or Hummus, but I'd like to. Would a food processor do an appreciably better job than any of the above appliances to justify the cost and counter space? I take no issue in dicing a bunch of onions with a knife or shredding cheese with a hand grater.
> 
> Sorry to hijack,
> 
> Doug


Doug, i think given your tendencies, unless you have limitless counter space (and if you cook, there is never enough counter space, to my mind) and limitless funds, you don;t need the processor. I make pesto and hummus in the blender. It would be absurd to buy a processor for pesto. I make hummus, and even chicken liver mousse in the blender. Yeah, a pain in the neck because you can only do a little at a time, but i make the liver mousse once a year and the hummus only once in a while and not in huge quantities. So really, i can't justify the space it takes up.


----------



## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

A lot of mixed feelings on FP's.

At work I use it alot--but almost exclusively for ganaches and chopping nuts.

At home I never use one. I cook for only 5 or so people so it's never needed.

Some might call me lazy, but I'd rather spend 30 seconds longer with a knife at the cutting board than a minute and half at the sink washing the darn thing. Coleslaw for under 10 people? Five minutes with a knife, and I'm still going to use that same knife and same cutting board for other veg prep.

Besides, many of the smaller Fp's shred the ingredients directly into the bowl, so you have to stop, scoop out the ingredients into _another_ bowl, put the lid back on, and continue. For me, it's kinda like ordering a de-caf expresso. The "intelligent" FP's shoot the shredded ingredients into whatever bowl you want to, and in the case of coleslaw, you're going to have to dress the cabbage anyway.

Hate doing doughs in a FP. Like I said, some might call me lazy, but I'd rather scrape out the dough with a plastic scraper or rubber spatula in a K.A bowl and be done with it in 20 seconds, than to spend a minute and half to chase around bits of dough clinging on to the central column and blade--and sometimes the lid.

Pates and terrines? I do a pate en croute for high tea on a weekly basis. Meat still has to be ground--you can't put 1" cubes of meat into FP and not expect to burn or shred the meat instead of grinding it. Fish is another story, but with pork or poultry Uh-Uh, no go. I do use a F.P. to "Finish" the farce, after it's been ground twice, I process it with half frozen cream or demi-- and as the English say, "it works a treat".

Hate the household FP's no matter how expensive they are. Bowls are always plastic and it always fatigues/cracks after a year's worth of dishwashing.


----------



## phreon (Dec 20, 2010)

I understand the problem pureeing certain food items in the blender is that thick ones don't circulate well and therefore "grind" unevenly, if at all.  I'm thinking that a good hand/stick blender (Waring WSB33) might to a bang up job with items in a common stainless bowl.  If the food won't come to the blade, bring the blade to the food. Does this sound plausible? It's not like I'll be making gallons of hummus every day.

Thanks,

Doug


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Glad to hear all that foodpump.  I never used one but imagine i would never use one - and for ganache - i just melt the chocolate with a little of the cream, then add the extra cream or i whip the rest of thne cream and add the melted and cooled mixture. 

I HATE washing complex instruments with goopy stuff on them.  And the space question. 

Pheron, i have a cheapo stick blender, so i can;t say.  I imagine a very strong one would work in humus, maybe (kind of doubt it) with liver mousse.  But the blender works (mine is a Braun).


----------



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Pheron, stick blenders do not have a lot of clearance between the blade and the bottom of the guard. So, with chunky products, you have to do a lot of lift-and-press action until everything is fine enough to feed into the blade.

For the occasional dip (i.e., hummus, baba ganoujh, etc.) I think I'd opt for one of the mini-food processors instead. You'll certainly find other uses for it as well.


----------



## chutney (Jan 2, 2011)

I have Cuisinart at home. I use it for special cooking times. It lives in a drawer. I wash it by hand or in the dishwasher, doesn't matter because I don't mind cleaning time at home.

At work the Cuisinart gets used more that the cheap food processors. I don't like cleaning them at work. I would never sent it to the dishroom and the blades are against rules.

For making mirepoix at work I would use the robot-coupe. Again, I don't like cleaning it, But if I'm prepping for a party of 300, I use it. We also have a buffalo chopper. I think cooking is about using the simplest tool for the job. 

Back to the OP. If you are going to be expanding your cooking buy a cheap food processor and use it until your cooking skills exceed it or you wear it out. Then think about buying a better one.

Knife skills are well worth learning as is knowing when your knife is dull. Good luck.


----------



## phreon (Dec 20, 2010)

A stick blender is a given for me, I have uses for one anyway.  I suppose I could get rid of the lousy steam pressurized espresso machine (somebody gave me) I haven't used in 5 years and store a flea market or ebay  FP in it's place.  Of course on eBay, there's a real danger from the "ooh, a Robot" factor.

I do have a 1.5  mini food processor someone gave me that is only useful for chopping onions and such, but by the time I've peeled and prepped the onion, I can just finish the job with the already dirty knife much faster than hauling it out and cleaning the danged thing.

Maybe I should just get a slap chop!

Doug


----------

