Food Processors

[fidgiegirl]

Do you have one?

Do you like it/not like it/use it/not use it?

So many recipes call for one and we have been fine without it so far, using the blender and sometimes a food mill, but I wonder if I'm missing out on something great?

[Rosemary]

I have one that was given to me by a friend. I use it, and I like it - but if I didn't have it, I would be fine doing things by hand. It's really nice when I need to do a huge amount of chopping or shredding.

[Gina]

I have had one for years and consider it one of my most important kitchen tools. I still slice most things by hand, but for mixing things, chopping, and fast slicing certain other chores, there is nothing easier. I use it for 'grinding' meat, making pizza dough, chopping tomatoes, slicing strawberries, making dips, bread crumbs, and all manner of things. It's especially helpful when you have lots of something to do like shredding carrots or cabbage - and it does it so nicely.

I got mine at a yard sale many years ago. A cuisinart. I keep a second yard sale find as a back-up since I don't often see nice ones for cheap.

[lhamo]

I got a small one a couple of years ago. Haven't really used it much until I tried making hummous with it -- that alone makes it worth the investment! I also made pizza dough with it this week. I will probably use it quite a bit from now on. I think if you can find a good used one it is a particularly useful tool. I had my mom's old Cuisinart for a long time and I used to use that a fair amount.

lhamo

[iris lily]

I've got one but could live without it.

DH uses it the most. He shreds carrots (for carrot cake) and zucchini (for zucchini bread.)

[herbgeek]

My husband gave me one for a Christmas present the first year we were married. I was NOT happy to get an appliance, but I tell ya, I use the thing every week and its still going strong 26 years later, though I've replaced the work bowl a couple of times. I used it most for bread dough, before I got into the no knead method. Still use for pureeing soups, chopping large qtys of veggies, making herbal cream cheese, processing herbs for freezing (chop into little bits and freeze in ice cube trays).

[Stella]

I have one and I like it. There are a lot of recipes I probably wouldn't make very often if I didn't have the food processor to help with the chopping.

[bke]

I had a chance to get a brand new one for free several months ago. I "bought" it for the same reason that you said-so many great recipes mention using one. Well, its still in the box and has never been used.

I had wanted one for over a year before I got it but ...

I do think it would make great hummus!

[Bastelmutti]

I got one recently. Works great where you need to incorporate finely chopped stuff - I made a nut crust for a pie & it whirled up a couple of cups of nuts and dates into the proper consistency in less than a minute. Also good for shredding cabbage.

[treehugger]

I got a Cuisinart for a wedding present 15 years ago and it's a sturdy machine that's still going strong. I can't speak to the durability of newer models. I use it regularly for making hummus and other pureed bean dips, shredding cheese (so we can buy 2.5 pound blocks at Costco, shred and freeze), mixing up garlic and butter for garlic bread, grinding chicken for the cats' food, and all kinds of other tasks.

Side note: I have tendonitis, so shredding by hand doesn't really work for me. I only use the machine to slice vegetables when I need to do a large amount; otherwise, a knife is fine for me.

Kara

[Stella]

I dont know why it had never occured to me to shred cheese. Brilliant! Thanks for the tip!

[ApatheticNoMore]

No. But I always see recipes calling for it. So there are recipes I decide not to make because I don't have one. So maybe someday I'll get one.

[janharker]

I have a regular sized one and a mini. I use the mini pretty regularly, the other one, not so much. Seems to me that the bigger one is too much trouble to clean for the little bit of chopping I do for the two of us. And I'm not happy with the quality of shredding that mine does--leaves too much in the top that didn't get shredded. I do use it for hummus because when I make it I make a lot.

[AmeliaJane]

I use mine more than my stand mixer. I hate chopping, shredding, etc by hand, plus I have a tiny kitchen right now without much space for a cutting board. The food processor lives on a rolling cart just outside the kitchen and is easily accessible, and I can throw all the parts in the dishwasher.

[happystuff]

My big one rarely gets pulled out and then mostly for big shredding jobs. I have a smaller one that is a combo food processor/blender that sits on the counter and is used slightly more often - also a Cuisinart. Dough is done in the kitchenaid.

[Rosemary]

I was thinking about this yesterday while using my immersion blender with jar attachment to puree a small amount of garbanzo beans. Depending on how you cook, one of those sets might be more useful to you. The immersion blender is incredibly convenient for pureeing soups, applesauce, etc. The motor and blade are separate pieces so many of them come with a small food processor-like attachment that can be used for chopping.

[Float On]

I'd like to have one if I had a bigger kitchen.

[mm1970]

love my food processor. Use it about once or twice a week. Used it to make cole slaw this week for the first time, and won't ever do that by hand again.

[Gregg]

We have the big Cuisinart and the little handy chopper one as well. Used the big one constantly for almost 20 years. Now that 2 of 3 kids are out the door we don't need to make such big batches all the time so it collects a little dust between uses. I use the little one almost daily to chop herbs or for hot chilis where you want the flavor, but maybe don't want to bite into a big chunk or for any other mincing chores (onions, garlic, etc.).

[winterberry]

I love mine and use it once or twice a week. Today I used it to blend the ingredients for cheesecake bars. The other day I used it to make a clam dip.

[Tradd]

I have a really nice KitchenAid one I got on sale right before Easter last year at Target. It was a $140 one for about $80. Well worth it to me. I've got carpel tunnel and I *need* to get away from doing some things by hand. I use it to make hummus, as well as cheese Pascha, a sweet cheese spread/dessert, that's a Russian specialty at Easter - I have a modified recipe for using food processor. I pulled it out again today to make my huge amount of cheese Pascha for church bake sale on Sunday. I really need to use it for pizza dough and other things. I've got the space for it and keep it in a high cabinet. I don't have a blender.