# Anyone Use a Food Processor? What For?



## tombrooklyn (Feb 19, 2003)

Do many chefs use a food processor?

I never saw one in any kitchen I worked in or knew about, but I may be old school. 

If anyone does use them, is that because they don't have a slicing machine and a dough mixer with a grating attachment, or are there some particulars uses where a food processor excels?


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

It's amazing to me that the presence of a food processor in the kitchen have been eluding you.

Pretty much everywhere I worked at has a Robot Coupe.

It's used for grinding nuts, making breadcrumbs, marinades, dips, sauces, etc.


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## frankie007 (Jan 17, 2015)

+1
I haven't been in a kitchen without one! it is absolutely essential, Robot Coupe saves hours and hours in labour, pesto, hummus, mayo it has lots of uses....


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

My world?

Choux paste, frangipani filling, but especially ganaches.

I first used one in 1984, in a 480 yr old kitchen in Switzerland. There it was used for mousses, farces, chopping garlic, mie de pain, and gawd knows what else.

30-odd years later, I have to say--like the others above me said, I've never been in a kitchen without one.


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## dogfood (Mar 3, 2018)

I use my old Cuisinart/Robot Coupe RC1 several times a week.
Difficult making taramasalata & the like without one.
Threw out all the silly grating attachments years ago.
Just got a replacement bowl/cover/blade last week (while they're still available).


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

I used a Robot Coupe to make dough for fruit fried pies. It was a little tricky not to over work the pastry.


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## linecookliz (Jun 8, 2017)

The only restaurant where I haven't seen one was when I worked at a bar. They had pre-packaged and pre-bottled product.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

tombrooklyn, Tom, I worked many kitchens and never used them either. I did use the large mix a lot. I think I did use it in one restaurant for pesto.....My pantry gals used a Robot Coupe for making Salsa.


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## Beltway Chef (Mar 14, 2018)

I'm shocked you've never seen a robo coupe in any of your kitchens. Food processors make life really easy for you.


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

foodpump said:


> My world? Choux paste, ...





21TonyK said:


> I use a RC 301 every day, ..., choux pastry, ...


How are you guys doing it? How do you use a food processor for choux pastry? Just for mixing in the eggs at the end?


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Just the eggs in the end, I like to dry my mix a bit in the pan, but then again I'm an old guy....


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## chefsing (Dec 19, 2015)

I think I may be a little lost in a kitchen without my robot coupe. Use it every day for hummus, pesto, batches of minced garlic, small batches of vinaigrettes, but also heavy on the shredding attachment for cheese/potatoes/vegetables as well.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

I can't think of any one more old school than Jacques Pepin and he uses one frequently in his cooking shows. He was an apprentice long before the food processor was invented. Technology doesn't always improve things but in this case it's a tremendous help. There's been one in every kitchen I can remember and I use one at home, for all the work already mentioned. I can imagine doing the same things without food processor but I wouldn't want to. 
Then there are all the attachments for my home Kitchen Aid, which makes other tasks much easier. 
I don't use any of it for every meal but it sure helps to have it there when I need it.


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## capricciosa (May 30, 2015)

Ours is only used for vinaigrettes - works great. Everything else is either by hand (herbs, onions/trinity) or with a Hobart stand mixer with a grate attachment (garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, slaw mix).


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Things that I feel a food processor (Robot Coup) really excels at:
-making small batches of pie dough
-making emulsified dressings and sauces
-when wanting to make larger batches of items that are finely chopped, but not quite pureed such as pesto, hummus, certain types of salsa (with a blender it is easy to go too far and end up with a full puree)

Sure all of this stuff can be done by hand, but a food processor cuts down the time dramatically and in some cases, can actually create a better, more consistent product, if used properly.


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## ktanasy (May 6, 2010)

I can imagine a professional kitchen that doesn’t have one. If fact when starting a new job one of the first things I do is an inventory of the equipment and if there’s anything I use that isn’t there I buy it. A food processor is Important in any kitchen. I use it for many things like pesto for example.


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## redbeerd cantu (Aug 7, 2013)

I use it for hollandaise. My chef made me produce it by hand for an entire month, when I first got there. One day, after a month, he looked at it, tasted it, and told me, "Good. Now you can use Robot Coupe".


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## harrisonh (Jan 20, 2013)

you've never seen a robo coupe in a kitchen? You've never seen a Waring Pro, Electrolux or a Hamilton Beach Commercial in a kitchen? you don't have attatchements on your kitchen aid stand mixers?

It depends on the quantity you're doing. Yes, there are some kitchens that take great pride in doing everything by hand, but most have them even if they don't use them. I guess a lot of companies buy precut,


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## doraima3875 (May 3, 2015)

tombrooklyn said:


> Do many chefs use a food processor?
> 
> I never saw one in any kitchen I worked in or knew about, but I may be old school.
> 
> If anyone does use them, is that because they don't have a slicing machine and a dough mixer with a grating attachment, or are there some particulars uses where a food processor excels?


I am so surprised you haven't seen a RoboCoupe. This is a versatile and great tool since I have used it every day slicing, julienned or grating vegetables for my salads. I used it to coarsely grind my nuts and fresh herbs too. Even making sauces, dressings and vinaigrettes for salads. This tool will definitely cut down the time when doing slicing, grating, julienne and even mixing doughs especially pie, biscuits, or anything in less than few seconds to several minutes. I wouldn't do my job more efficient and productive every day.
Only a few chefs rely on their knife skills and their speed because they have been prepping fruits, vegetables, meat and other food items for a long time.


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