Immediate need is something that can make hummus + falafel. I'd like to keep it around $100, but I am willing to spend more if it's worth it.

1/5/2014 10:08:24 PM

I have a little Cuisinart that I use for most of my cooking and I got a kickass kitchen aid for my wedding but it is giant so I haven't even opened it. It is the ~400 dollar buck one that you can change the cut size on from the outside.

But the Cuisinart does a great job. And it is definitely less than 100.

1/5/2014 10:38:14 PM

We've got the 14 cup Cuisinart and it is awesome. We do a lot of purees, dips and hummus in it and it stands up pretty well.
http://www.cuisinart.com/products/food_processors/dfp-14bcn.html
Its over your price at $180, but its well worth it if you plan on using it much.



We also have the Cuisinart Immersion Blender which came with a mini processor. We actually use the processor attachment more than the immersion head. It's great for when I don't want to spend forever mincing up things like garlic but don't want to dirty the big one, which takes up a whole rack in the dishwasher.
http://www.cuisinart.com/products/hand_blenders/csb-79.html

1/5/2014 10:49:52 PM

I own this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007SXIMM/



The thing I like most about KitchenAid is that a lot of their 9+ cup food processors come with an inset mini (4-cup) work bowl and mini blade

so it can work as a smaller machine if you want it to (comes in handy more often than you'd think)

[Edited on January 6, 2014 at 12:38 PM. Reason : .]

1/6/2014 12:37:50 PM

This thread is relevant to my interests. My wife wanted one of these for Christmas. Keep the recommendations coming please.

1/6/2014 12:58:04 PM

Still 12 months to go.

1/6/2014 1:01:40 PM

My giant kitchen aid also has the smaller container part and once we clean out the cabinets to make room for it we will be replacing the Cuisinart only because it is old as dirt and falling apart. It still works like a champ but the base is coming apart.

1/6/2014 1:25:35 PM

We also have a 14-cup Cuisinart, and it's been awesome for all over needs so far. We've mostly used for mincing meat for gyros, making fresh crumbs for pie crusts, and pureeing dense veggies like kohlrabi.

1/6/2014 2:09:06 PM

Seconded to the immersion blender. Fantastic little tool.

My only issue is that the head of the food processor part is a bitch to clean. If you put it under any running water, it gets inside the head. You have to sling it around the kitchen to get the water out.

1/7/2014 5:23:54 PM

Yeah don't put it under running water, that will wreck the internal parts.
I just fill a quart jar with hot water and soap and turn it on, then rinse it off under the faucet. Just don't let the black peice that connects to the motor get wet.

1/7/2014 6:18:32 PM

^are you talking about the immersion blender or your food processor? either way, I'm having a hard time envisioning what you're talking about

1/8/2014 1:44:57 PM

My mistake, I was talking about the immersion top.
The food processor cup and blade go in the dishwasher, its best to hand wash the top. All that needs to be cleaned is the underside that connects to the cup. If you get water inside of it by submerging it or running it through the dishwasher your could wreck it.

To clarify about cleaning the immersion blender:
it comes with a quart sized measuring cup (I have a bunch of quart mason jars so I use those)


Fill it halfway with hot water and add some dish soap
Then just place the immersion blender down in the cup and turn it on for a few seconds.

You can do something similar with the mini food processor and just fill it with hot water and soap, lock it up then turn it on. Just be careful when you rinse to keep too much water from pouring over the mechanism on top that connects to the blender motor.

1/8/2014 2:36:29 PM

So can I make hummas/falafels with that immersion blender or would a full blown processor be better for that?

1/8/2014 2:56:30 PM

Let me just say that immersion blenders are the fuggin bomb. I got a cuisinart one (and many for family and friends) on amazon for about $25, although I wish I had the cup attachment version.

1/8/2014 4:30:08 PM

Quote :

"Yeah don't put it under running water, that will wreck the internal parts. I just fill a quart jar with hot water and soap and turn it on, then rinse it off under the faucet. Just don't let the black peice that connects to the motor get wet."

I wasn't clear.

The part I'm talking about is in your second pic. The black dome thing that goes on the food processor part.

Yeah people, don't put electronics under running water.

1/8/2014 4:55:32 PM

For falafel and hummus, I would say a traditional processor

Just thinking about the thickness of falafel, mostly: it can be quite stiff

1/8/2014 10:28:50 PM

^^You still want to keep that thing from getting soaked. Its been several years since I read the manual, but I'm pretty sure it says not to run the dome in the dishwasher or submerge it. It's not because it has any electronic components, but it's not waterproof and has a lot of internal gears that convert the turning energy of the motor to the attachment.

Once water gets in there, it won't come out without a lot of effort.

^^^^I don't see why an immersion wouldn't do hummus (or falafel?, I've never mad it), but ^ is right, if you're going to make it, get a processor. An immersion blender will make only small amounts of it .5-1 cups. And for me hummus is enough work to where I want to make large batches and store enough to last a while.

1/8/2014 10:56:39 PM

I ended up having to try the $26 (well it's $30 now) one off Amazon and it's been working great so far.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-FP1600B-8-Cup-Processor/dp/B0038KPRG6

[Edited on March 19, 2014 at 11:31 AM. Reason : and an immersion blender...love that thing]

3/19/2014 11:29:21 AM

Good luck. Every Black and Decker machine I've ever bought has turned out to be a big mistake. They always seem to perform really well at first and then fall to pieces pretty quickly.

3/19/2014 11:43:35 AM

Their drills are good

We'll see...for the price I'm not expecting it to last forever.

3/19/2014 11:46:30 AM

my bf got me my coveted vitamix for my birthday, and I couldn't be happier. I was just about to lose it with my current cuisinart blender.

He got me this one, which ended up being cheaper than the more basic version at Costco with a 15% coupon (I know because I interrogated him; he was specifically instructed not to spend that kind of money on my bday)

http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-21070/Vitamix+Pro+200+Blender

I can't wait to blend all the things!! it's already made two awesome PWO protein smoothies.

3/19/2014 4:38:53 PM

You can pry my vitamix off my cold dead hands.

3/19/2014 5:37:48 PM

I'm gonna buy one of these mushroom cloud layin' motherfuckers if I can ever find a refurbished unit. Damned if I am willing to spend $600 for a new one.

3/19/2014 8:21:23 PM

I will second the 14-cup size, based on what my girlfriend tells me i have to do

3/20/2014 4:15:16 PM

The Nutribullet is badass - my sis gave it to me for Xmas and I love it

http://www.amazon.com/Nutri-Bullet-NBR-12-12-Piece-Hi-Speed/dp/B007TIE0GQ

3/22/2014 5:06:57 PM

Are we still talking about food processors, or are we talking about blenders? Seems that the thread is about 3/4 blender talk, haha.

3/22/2014 5:10:08 PM

SUCK IT UP

3/22/2014 7:41:12 PM

14 cup Cuisinart is legit.

3/22/2014 7:58:14 PM

Just use a knife. Knives can be used to chop up stuff. Why would you want to make hummus or falafel anyway?

If you buy a good knife, you will be fine.

I recommend this

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/9707381/?catalogId=25&sku=9707381&bnrid=3120901&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Cutlery&cm_pla=Chef%27s_Knives&cm_ite=Wusthof_Ikon_Damascus_Chef%27s_Knife_In_Collector%27s_Box_%7C_Williams-Sonoma&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-185139339-2

3/22/2014 8:43:55 PM

^holy shit.


I don't know if anyone wants a super-monstrous food processor, but I called KitchenAid the other day about that one I posted up the page, and they told me that some refurbished units should be coming on the market within the next few weeks. I think they're in the inventory already, but not priced or listed for sale, yet.

I'm sure they will still be fucking expensive. I'd guess $300 or maybe even a little more. They're bad ass, though, and your great-grandkids will probably be the ones to finally wear it out.

3/23/2014 10:51:50 PM

I never properly understood what a food processor is until I read this thread and did some research. But it seems like I could definitely use one. I'd specifically like to have a gadget that chops onions, green peppers, broccoli and tomatoes. So, if someone wouldn't mind answering the following...

1. would a food processor chop all these vegetables (onion, green pepper, broccoli, tomato)?
2. would I still have to prep them (core the onions and peppers and tomatoes)? I'm assuming so.
3. how much would I have to pay for a food processor that would do this job competently?

I fucking hate chopping vegetables.

3/24/2014 8:26:11 PM

1. To some extent yes. It depends on the food, the attachment used, and how long its turned on. Soft food like a tomato will be turned to paste while an onion will come out to diced consistency. The disks that come with it do a really good job of things like slicing and shredding. We use ours to shred cabbage for cole slaw and it saves tons of time.
2. yes.
3. That really depends. I think with a lot of units your paying more for the quality of the innards and thus it's lifespan. The units in this thread range from $27 to $600. I really like mine that I listed above, which is about $160.

And one thing you may not have found is that they may save on energy to cook, but they take more than the average tool to clean. Mine takes up an entire rack in the dishwasher because the parts are all awkwardly shaped and don't stack well with other things.

3/25/2014 8:53:34 AM

^
Thank you, very much.

Quote :

"And one thing you may not have found is that they may save on energy to cook, but they take more than the average tool to clean. Mine takes up an entire rack in the dishwasher because the parts are all awkwardly shaped and don't stack well with other things."

Dammit, there's always a catch. But thanks for pointing this out.

3/25/2014 1:53:32 PM

Don't let that throw you though. I've found it's pointless to use it if I'm making 1 portion of pesto or hummus, but if I make a bunch all at once its worth it. Then I can freeze a bunch.

3/25/2014 3:05:00 PM

You've frozen hummus? How did that work out/how long is it good after pulling it out?

I just wash my FP parts on the top dishwasher rack...works well.

[Edited on March 25, 2014 at 4:11 PM. Reason : ]

3/25/2014 4:10:50 PM

It did fine. Not as good as fresh, but my kid ate 90% of it and he didn't care about consistency at all. He would just eat it with a spoon, no cracker, chip or pita...just a bowl of hummus and a spoon.

3/25/2014 4:32:27 PM

For those are are in love with their Vitamixes, have you ever tried a Ninja. Seems like similar functionality at 1/3 of the price.

7/21/2014 1:32:34 AM

I, too, would recommend Cuisnart from a brand standpoint. I have one of those dual duty units, attachments for both a food processor and a blender. It might not be as big as some other single duty units but it works just fine for me.

7/21/2014 8:33:14 AM

Ninja

7/21/2014 1:30:12 PM

Quote :

"For those are are in love with their Vitamixes, have you ever tried a Ninja. Seems like similar functionality at 1/3 of the price."

I just ordered a 5200. I did a ton of research, and in the end, the Ninjas, while much better than any other standard blender you'll find, ends up being in the 'middle territory' between the standard blenders and the Vitamix/Blendtec blenders in both quality and performance. I ended up getting a refurbished Vitamix 5200, including tax and shipping for $263. Even the refurbs come with a 5 year warranty, and will look brand new, so it was a no brainer (over the Ninja).

The sale ended yesterday, but you can still get a refurb for $329 and free shipping.

I have always wondered what the hype was on these Vitamix. I got this for my wife's birthday. After watching all the videos, I am pretty excited to be able to make smoothies the quality of the big stores, as well as a lot of other things.

[Edited on July 22, 2014 at 3:36 PM. Reason : .]

7/22/2014 3:33:43 PM

I got one of those weapons-grade KitchenAid food processors. That thing will dice a sweet potato into 8mm cubes in about 1-second flat. It is bad. ass.

Also, regarding blenders, watch this:



I'll vouch that my KA blender works great. My first pitcher developed a leak, but I called KitchenAid to try to buy a new seal for the base, and they just sent me a new pitcher for free.

7/22/2014 4:05:19 PM

Quote :

" I ended up getting a refurbished Vitamix 5200, including tax and shipping for $263."

Damn that sounds like a great deal. Let us know how it goes...

7/22/2014 4:12:26 PM

^^ There are some serious flaws in that test. The Vitamix and Blendtec are not really designed to do really low capacity blends. They expect significant bulk in order to actuate that cyclone effect that gets food blended. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the off the shelf blenders could out perform on some of those tests. What is really surprising is that they didn't test the units by actually trying a proper smoothie recipe, that actually requires the machines to be loaded with material. You'd likely burn out at least 2 of the three trying the same things as the Blendtec and Vitamix. Not to mention, if you did get through, it wouldnt be sufficiently blended (it would be chunky).

I give them a D on creating a test to actually properly compare the units for what people are buying them for.

[Edited on July 22, 2014 at 4:24 PM. Reason : .]

7/22/2014 4:23:19 PM

PSA. Ninjas were just on the news for the blades snapping in half while in use.

7/22/2014 4:23:35 PM

I have this one and like it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LAREE2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

7/22/2014 4:28:58 PM

7/22/2014 4:32:34 PM

^^^^ I don't know, I've been filling my kitchenaid with frozen fruit for smoothies for a couple of years, and it never leaves a single chunk, and has never had a mechanical problem except that leaky seal that they took care of.

7/22/2014 4:38:19 PM

Your blender could be great I was only commenting on the test.

7/22/2014 4:47:23 PM