Food processor - flexible, versitile........cheap?

Hi lovely people of the baking world ( I say baking because that is mainly what I do in the kitchen...) - I am indeed in a bit of a pickle. Even though it is not about food or recipe instructions, I've been pulling my hair out because of all the mess I make in the kitchen and all the time I spend chopping and blending and cutting (and not getting them done fast enough or well enough)! I am looking for a food processor which can 1)make nut butter 2)cut flour+cold butter for pie crusts. I do have a liquidiser and a chopper but they are not powerful enough. As anyone found a good food processor that can do both of these things and is on the cheap side? Around 60euros tops?(90USD?)

Posted by: lolalola
August 10, 2011

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14 Comments

14 Comments

beyondcelery August 11, 2011

I'm with Merrill and nomnivorous on the 7-cup KitchenAid. I've had mine for about 8 years and it still isn't showing any signs of wearing out. I use it 2-3 times a week or more, for everything from hummus and pesto to pie crust, nut meals, and potato grating. My only complaint is it's sometimes a little small for all I do (it only fits 1 single pie crust at a time). But I can't argue with how little room it takes up!

Emily H. August 11, 2011

I have the 7 cup KitchenAid food processor that Merrill linked too and I'm a fan. I've made pie crusts, hummus, and lots of other goodies in there, along with slicing and shredding with the circular blades. It's not too big for smaller kitchens (and smaller families) and it's affordable.

latoscana August 11, 2011

I also recently retired my original Cuisinart after 30 years - seems to be a theme here. But it also reinforces the message that these devices are true workhorses that really last. So, instead of thinking of it as expensive, think of it as something you will buy once or twice in a lifetime. The new ones are even more powerful, faster, and easier to use than the old ones. And the safety features are a lot safer.

Summer O. August 10, 2011

In 1996 the B&D food processor cost $50 US, within your budget.

Summer O. August 10, 2011

I enjoy my Cuisinart and would not trade it in but in my early twenties I had a Black & Decker food processor. It was not as efficient as the Cuisinart but it cost 1/4 the price of a Cuisinart. For all intents and purposes it got the job done. It did not die, I received the Cuisinart as a gift and passed on the B&D to a friend.

boulangere August 10, 2011

Costco dependably has good prices on Cuisinart food processors, and I agree with all the wisdom above that that's the only way to go. That said, I make pie crust dough start to finish in a mixer - KitchenAid or Hobart, depending on how much. I find that the paddle, on low speed, is much gentler on the butter than a food processor.

Peter August 10, 2011

Not to hijack the conversation, but I wonder if it would be easier on the motor to make nut butter if you took a first pass at the nuts with a meat tenderizer? Maybe put the nuts in a zip-loc and smash them up a good bit?

Or is the strain on the motor occur when the nuts are reduced to a thick, almost-done, near-paste?

susan G. August 10, 2011

About making nut butters: You need a powerful motor to do this with household appliances. I like to make them with nuts only, no added oils. When I first started doing them, I fairly soon burned out the motor on my blender. I think it's a little easier for afood processor to make nut butters. Currently, I have the simplest Kitchen Aid (probably the one Merrill mentioned, though it's not red!), and I'm putting in just enough oil with the nuts to get to the 'butter' stage.

Sam1148 August 10, 2011

The higher end Cuisinarts are great.
I inherited one that was about 30 years old--a big one, with motor so powerful the lights would dim when turn on. I rarely used it tho.
I normally just cook for two. My Cuisinart 'mini-prep' is just a few cups large, but sits on the countertop and is used every week. Perfect size for chopping a few things, grinding two hamburgers worth of meats (in batches). Or making one pie dough, or one pizza dough.
The mini-prep may not be the right fit for you, but for me it stays on TOP of the counter.

Kendall August 10, 2011

I would like to second and, in fact, third the recommendation for Cuisinart. I have had mine for sixteen years, and aside from a slight crack on the outer shell of the work bowl- where it rests on the base- no complaints. Amazon has the 7 cup model available for about your price range. Let me reinforce this- you can buy cheaper, certainly, but I have killed two Kitchen Aid stand mixers, three blenders and managed to warp Calphalon cookware in my kitchen adventures; I spent almost twenty years cooking professionally, and tend to be somewhat hard on appliances. My faith in the Cuis is strong.

ChefJune August 10, 2011

I have owned a 14-cup Cuisinart Food Processor for 27 years, and it has never failed to do all the things you want your food processor to do. I have taught cooking all those years as well, and students regularly tear their hair because their (much) less expensive fp's have never delivered.

Frankly, the cheaper food processors are just not powerful enough to perform all those tasks. If you shop sales (and there are quite a number going on right now... Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, cooking.com) you should be able to get a smaller one close to your price range, but I don't think any are less than $99.

Believe me, you WILL get your money's worth if you use it regularly.

Peter August 10, 2011

I agree with Merrill that KitchenAid makes excellent food processors (though right now I have a Cuisinart)... unfortunately the one Merrill links to is a 7 cup which is fairly small as the standard models are 11 cups -- which is 57% larger. It'll work great -- it just might hold enough for you so you might have to do a lot in 2 batches.

I guess bottom line, make sure you see it in person before you decide?

Merrill S. August 10, 2011

I had a Kitchen Aid food processor for a while and really liked it. Check out this one, which is close to your price range: http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFP715ER-7-Cup-Food-Processor/dp/B000NNDCJU/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1313001241&sr=1-8

Peter August 10, 2011

Anything that inexpensive is likely not going to last very long.

I'd think your best bet for that price would be to look a for a gently used model on eBay (or whatever eBay-like site you have in your country.)

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Food processor - flexible, versitile........cheap?

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