# What size food processor should I get?



## cadharose (Jun 17, 2014)

I am going to buy a food processor and have decided on the Cuisinart Prep. But I don't know whether to get the 7, 9, or 11 cup size.

I want to be able to store it away when not in use, so it would not be sitting permanently on my countertop. For this reason and because I am not that strong I do not want it to be too heavy. It is just me and my son that I cook for so I usually don't make a lot of food at one time. However, I have read reviews on food processors that say not to get one less than 11 or 12 cup size.

Grating cheese and slicing vegetables would be my primary uses for it so it should have a good-sized chute.

Any thoughts?

Thank you.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

I would buy the 9 cup. Once you buy it and discover all the ways it makes life easier, you may find yourself using it more often for more things. The weight is related to the power of the motor and you definitely want a strong motor so a good one may be a little heavy.

     Don't worry too much about what reviews say you should buy if you know how much quantity you will be cooking. Of  course, for grating and slicing, a larger size will have a larger chute but part of the concern with size measurement is not that you will be using all of the size every time, but that the food needs room to move around in the bowl while processing. Too small and you will have to do everything in small batches, too big and you have a lot of wasted space. For home use I think a 9 cup is about right. 

     If you live near a retail store dedicated to kitchen supplies or a place that offers cooking classes, see if any of the employees use one at home.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I'd say get the larger one, 11 cups. It should come with or have as an option a mini workbowl for your more common routine work, but you'll appreciate the option of the larger bowl for when you need it. The bases will all be fairly close in weight IMHO. My 11 cup cuisinart has the two different workbowl options at least.

The large bowl is nice for making breads, cheescakes and such.


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## cadharose (Jun 17, 2014)

I don't plan on doing any baking or bread making with it. The only thing I would probably ever use it for is pasta dishes, stir-fries, etc.

I am thinking since often all the veggies for a dish don't go into the frying pan at the same time, would it make sense to just get the 7 or 9-cup? Because you could just process one or two vegetables at a time, remove them and then do the next vegetable. Or would that end up being too painstaking? Often ingredients are added one at a time or at least the garlic or onion is sauteed first. So I am wondering if I would ever need the 11-cup bowl, or even the 9-cup for that matter?


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Is there any chance you could find one you can physically handle? A friend or a demo model perhaps. Just to see how much food the bowl actually holds and how that compares to your typical cooking event. Your kitchen experiences and needs will be different than ours but phatch has a point. Having a model with two bowls is probably the best option. While you may use the smaller bowl more often, the larger bowl will be a welcome addition when the time comes. 
Although I don't know your situation, I have found that the easier cooking becomes for people, the greater variety of things they want to do. 
As the processor is such a labor saving device for all kinds of cooking, the chances you will expand your repertoire increase dramatically. In that event, you will be glad you had the foresight to get a model with the larger bowl included. In the unlikely event you never end up using it, no harm done.


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## mocoondo (Aug 20, 2012)

I have a 9 cup Cuisinart which works fine for most tasks I use it for.  The only times I wished I had a larger working bowl was when pureeing soups and also when making larger batches of salsa.  Otherwise, 9 cup has been just fine. 

One recommendation I would make, however, is to get a food processor with a stainless steel housing instead of plastic.  My previous food processor was a Cuisinart with a plastic housing and it just didn't hold up too well in the kitchen environment.  My current one is a stainless and I am a hundred times happier with it.  As an added bonus, it is super simple to wipe clean after use.


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## cadharose (Jun 17, 2014)

I've been cooking for a long, long time. I just don't want to spend money on something that is more than I need and too cumbersome to move around.

I like the suggestion about getting the largest one and the one with two bowls, except I don't believe the Cuisinart Prep series offers one with a 2 bowl sizes. So I will probably get the 9 or 11-cup as well as a mini processor 4-cup in addition.

And I am definitely planning on getting stainless steel for both.


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