food processor advice on buying

[Shivananda]

I've posted on a number of threads about this topic, but just realized there are several things to be said FOR the better quality (and more expensive) food processors that really haven't been mentioned before...

And to be clear, I have made my recommendations for what I consider to be acceptable inexpensive food processors on my "Cheeeeeep" threads. If what you can afford is an under $50 food processor, then I do want you to get the best value for money, absolutely. No worries.

But what I think has been missed so far is the rationale of why the better quality machines are actually worth the extra money IF you can afford them (such as the outstanding 12-cup Kitchen Aid currently available online for $159) :

1) Noise. The cheap ones sound like chain saws. The better ones just quietly hum.

2) Power. The better ones have bigger, more durable motors, which can do far more work with far less effort, and do it faster. The cheap ones heat up , and can quickly run out of steam if you are doing a lot of tuff stuff. My big KA can chop dates & nuts & carob into truffle balls for hours, if I need to do that, as I sometimes have. The same task would quickly burn out a $30 B&D. Even a $50 one. :)

3) Quality & Workmanship - the parts on the better machines just fit together nicer, are thicker, more solidly made, and a pleasure to use. Cheaper machines are made of flimsy pieces, break more easily, and it just stands to reason they won't last as long. One user here recently talked about the blade housing cracking in her cheapie in under a year. My Sabattier blades for the KA are still in perfect shape after 5 years of heavy use.

Also the blade edge quality on the better machines is better. When I slice and shred food it is noticeably more cleanly cut than the pulverized bits cheaper ones sometimes produce.

4) Accessories and replacements - With the cheaper machines you pretty much get whatever is in the box, and that's it. With the better machines you have a wider variety of available accessories, and they and the replacement parts (additional containers and lids, spare blades, the part that someone accidentally threw out with the garbage, whateva) are readily available for many years time. I have 4 different sizes of shredding disks for mine, and each has useful place in my pallette of food prep techniques. If I lose something, I can order a replacement, 5 years after I bought the machine.

5) Versatility - the convertable design of my 11 cup/ 3 cup Kitchen Aid (and my 9 cup/ 3 cup KitchenTools) means I can run a small chopper for an onion or a bit of salsa off the same big motor without dirtying the big container. And the slip in Chef's bowl means I can prepare one thing, then immediately pull out the Chef's bowl and continue with another thing in the main bowl. So I can actually do three different components of a meal without having to stop and wash out a container. That's a level of sophistication in the kitchen that sometimes can be a lifesaver, especially when entertaining.

Anyhoozits, that's my opinion. I have them so you don't have to. :)

[JinxieKat]

Yeap Yeap! I had the houseing crack on my cheepo food processor. I got a 7 cup kitchenaid with the smaller bowl that sets into the middle. I love love love it. It makes pate's that are much smoother than my old one ever managed. The blades set lower in the bowl so I don't get a bunch of mashed up stuff lining the bottom of the bowl that I have to keep scraping into the main mix. It is much quieter and the thing weighs a ton compared to my old one. Even the bowl it self is sturdier.
Now, with all that said, Alissa has certianly been useing her one from Target longer than I had my cheepo black n decker one. I've never used the one that she has, so if budget is your top priority then I can see where that one would be the way to go. I looked at that one myself, but the blade housing was exactly the same as it was in the one I broke and I couldn't see buying something that was so similar to one I had already broken. But, that's just me!

Jinx

[EastCoastie]

Last year at this time, I bought the 7-cup GE food processor from Wal-Mart for less than $40. It worked great for everything, including all nuts.

This year I got the 11-cup Kitchen Aid from Bed Bath & Beyond for my birthday. Even with our discount, it cost 3+ times as much and it does not work even 1/2 as well on nuts. I must admit it the KA is more attractive and a little quieter but definitely not worth it. Since I gave my 7-cup away, I might have to go spend the money and buy another GE.

Good luck to you in finding the right one.

EC

[Shivananda]

it does not work even 1/2 as well on nuts.

Hi EastCoastie, (Ha! I typoed EatCoastie the first time!)

Sorry to hear you are having a problem with your KA. I'm very surprised. In the past I've sold maybe a bazillion of them (I no longer do) so I'm really familiar with how they work, and I've never heard of anyone with a complaint like that. Perhaps, if you care to share some details, I can figure out what is keeping you from getting the results you expect. Maybe not, but what the heck, my consultation is free... :)

If you want to play, please tell me what container and blade you are using, what kind of nuts and what quantity, soaked or not, the procedure you are using, etc. In other words, just like you were writing down a recipe.

[Linda1970]

Strawberry Fields - I know you didn't ask me, but I have found that the combinations are not good at all. It's better to get the $29.99 Hamilton Beach food processor (that Alissa uses) and then get a blender with the strongest motor possible (not an Oster!!).

Linda, you definitely still need a food processor. Again -- the one I mentioned above is great!!! Mine's still going strong after using it for really heavy batches of recipes in teaching classes.

Do you have Alissa's book yet? She explains in the equipment section why you need both a blender and a food processor. It's really simple - they do two different things.

How great that you have a Vitamix, by the way!!

Thanks for your response, Rawtruth. Alissa's book should be here any minutes. So excited! Yah, I love the Vitamix. I've had it since last November, and I've been using it almost everyday. I also bought a dehydrator recently. It's stainless steel by Sausagemaker. I know everyone uses Excaliber, but I try my best to use glass and stainless steel products.