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mixfinder

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May 1, 2006
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I need to prefice my thoughts with an admission that I could live the rest of my life and not miss a food processor.  I use it for chopping and some dough, but never slice or shred in a processor.  Since I am a devotee of Sunbeam and did test cooking with the LeChef it was the processor of choice.  The achilles heel of the the LeChef was inferior plastic on the drive stem for the blades.  When the stem cracked it would round off the D shaped drive.  It required replacing the stem and drive sleeve, cheap, easy, available but annoying.

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Cuisinart Snob

Cool people had Cuisinart processors and the mechanics are bullet proof but the plastics fail over time and the parts cost for Cuisinart makes me livid.  Cuisinarts have anxpanded feed tube which is hard to clean and cumbersome.  I used the dough cover almost exclusively on mine.

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Kitchenaid Perfection

I have loved Kitchenaid processors and find no fault in their function but earlier models have plastics that etch and look grimy.

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Good thing to know about drive shaft stems on these LeChef Sunbeam Food processors.with its strong motor-could see why the plastic stems may not last-and guess if you use it a lot-probably should have some spare stems handy.Wonder what shape my Moms is?she doesn't use her mixer or processor much anymore. Her Mixer is Green KA tilt head-1972.I have a Waring food processor I bought at a yard sale that needs a new stem for the motor drive shaft.any ideas where to get a replacement?Would like to use the Waring.Its a nice machine.And to be honest-I don't use food processors that much either.Sometimes they do the job,though.Love how they were touted to be the ultimate kitchen machine of the 70's,80's- that food processors could do EVERYTHING!
 
The newly-remodeled KitchenAid food processors have been getting horrible reviews from nearly all quarters. The older models, like the ones you and I have are great at everything---except bread doughs using more than 3 cups of flour. That's why I keep a classic-style Cuisinart, which handles up to 6 cups of flour. The newest designs for both KA and Cuisinart are inferior to previous models, which is sad.

I never slice with a food processor, and only chop with one if huge quantities are required, or if items need to be very finely minced; but I use one or both of my processors nearly every time I cook.

You're so right about the annoying plastics (bowl/feeder/lid w/ locking mechanism) failures in Cuisinarts. I always put mine in the dishwasher, which seems, unfortunately, to accelerate the process.

This is always the first part to fail on my Cuisinarts. The metal bar is supported by a ridiculously thin piece of plastic at the top. Past designs forced one to remove the chute every time you wanted to remove the lid, which made the KA more convenient to use. Fortunately, the classic model has a new safety mechanism which doesn't require you to pull the feeder chute out every time you want to remove the lid. That should save on the wear/tear of this part, and it makes the Cuisinart as convenient to use as the KA.

My holy grail processor is the 20-cup uber-powered Cuisinart. A bread-makers dream machine. The $1,000 price tag has been the deal-breaker for me up to this point.

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Parts

Waring and Cuisinart joined company some years back.  Parts for the Waring processor may be difficult to find because they weren't marketed heavily in the retail market.  Waring makes a commercial line for insitutional use with several sizes and styles of processors and blenders.  A little investigative work should turn up parts for the Waring processor.  At one time Robot Coupe made processors for both Cusinart and Kitchenaid.
 
Kelly,

Thanks for your wonderful insight, per usual, of the world of food processors. Like you, I could easily live without one. But I keep one at home and one at the cottage, both Cuisinarts. I've never tried a Sunbeam LeChef or a KA, so I con't have any basis to compare. When I decided to get my first one - which was only about 10 years ago - I thought Cuisinart was the brand to buy. I do hate the bowl cover/feed tube configuration because it's a pain to clean.

I found a 1980's vintage Cuisinart at a rummage sale for $5 - the bowl was cracked but the machine worked well and it had all the blades and discs so I bought it. I cost me over $50 just to replace the bowl. But now I have a perfectly usuable machine.

I have never made dough in a food processor, but many have told me it does a good job. My uses for the processors have been limited to:

-slicing cabbage for large amounts of coleslaw
-slicing cucumber pickles for our annual "bread & butter" pickle canning in August. The processor insures uniformity in the thickness of the pickle slices.
-making hummus
-making pesto
-chopping onions when I have more than 5lbs that need chopping

Sure, there are a million other things I could do with these machines, but I seem to prefer to either do them by hand or engage one of the other appliances.

As always, I love and appreciate your information, insights and advice!
 
Dough Boy

It takes 35 seconds to mix and develope enough gluten to make decent bread in a processor.  Pie crust, cream puff dough, Pate Brisee, short bread etc are quickly and easily made.  The metal blade is sharp enough to cut gluten strands so it makes great short pastry but not the best bread.  The plastic dough blade does a better job of bread baking although dough mixed in the processor can be hand kneaded a bit to resurrect the gluten.  I shred a few things but using the RVSA on the Kitchenaid is easier for me and quantity is not limited to the workbowl of the processor.

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Well............

I am an unreserved processor cook!

My processors slice far more consistently than I can. My 12 cup processor kneads bread dough wonderfully, without oxidation. People here who know bread like the breads I make in the processor. In fact, an older lady from church had given up on homemade bread, because of her hands, and after having some of my cheddar bread, bought a Cuisinart Classic 11, and is very happy with it.

My carrot cake, which I have posted here several times, is made entirely in the processor, in one bowl. Batter goes together in seconds. (Super Searchalator).

The 5 cup processor is great for smaller batches, and has the wonderful KitchenAid solo disc... one side for slicing, one side for shredding.

I could, and have done without my K45 mixer, and would give up most of my other countertop appliances, but not my proceessors. I might even give up my beloved Radarange over my processors.

I have used a Sunbeam Le Chef, and I agree that it is/was the equal of the Cuisinart. I have used other processors, and firmly believe that no processor is better than most belt drive processors, like the early Farberware and the early Hamilton Beach/Sears.

I dislike preshredded cheese, and with a processor's shredding disc, it's moments to have just the amount of shredded cheese you need. Bread crumbs? Instantly! Grated Parmesan? Poke the button! Grated Parmesan keeps well in a sealed jar in the refrigerator....and tastes worlds better than that nasty stuff in the green shaker can!

I am intrigued by the Breville processor, recently rated best by CR, and also by the Magimix, but I am very satisfied with the machines I have.

I suggest Jean Anderson's Process This! (most recent,) or her New Processor Cooking. (from the 1980s.)

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Kevin-- You should try making dough in the processor! I've made many hundreds of batches of dough in 14-cup capacity Cuisinart processors for sandwich loaves, dinner rolls, French/Italian breads, focaccia, ciabatta, hamburger buns, etc. I used to cater, and would have to make 20-30 loaves of French bread for weddings or other large events. I've never once kneaded dough by hand, and I've been making bread since my early 20's.

The only doughs I make in the KitchenAid mixer are for sweet rolls and 100% whole wheat or Jewish rye loaves.
Those super-heavy doughs are tough on even a 14-cup Cuisinart (which is why I want their 20-cup monster someday).

In reality it takes only 7-9 minutes longer to make the dough in a KA mixer, but back in the "days of many loaves" those extra minutes per loaf really added up, so I've always used the processor.

I also use processors for shredding and, as you mentioned, things like salsa, hummus, pesto, etc. The basil plants are looking great this year, so the freezer will be filled with little deli containers of pesto by fall. I like to make sandwich spreads from leftover ham, chicken, or roast beef, and the processor makes quick work of that sort of thing, as well. I detest cutting butter/shortening into flour by hand, and again, a processor has the job done in just a couple of pulses for things like scones and biscuits.
 
Well Maybe The Odd Duck Out

But in a bid to downsize some kitchen appliance clutter my FP may end up gifted to a family member soon. If one can do good pie/pastry doughs in the vintage Bosch then the FP will be gifted to my cousin who just had a baby. Will come in handy when the wee one goes onto solids as she can join the legions of mothers around here that have gone back to homemade "baby food" instead of store bought.

Have a vintage Cuisinart "mini" FP that came with extra bowls and use that for chopping/dealing with small batches of things. It came NIB for a steal at some long since closed upscale outlet here in the city.

Will say one finds doing cheesecake fillings a snap in a FP. Because one uses blades and not beaters little air is incorporated into the batter which helps keep the cake from cracking during baking as well. The blades reduce bricks of cream cheese to slurry quite quickly.
 
Food processers.

In the old days the KA and Cuisinart were quite nice and well built. (I have 2 of them).  To replace them today,and I belive most of my fellow chefs would agree Robot-Coupe is the way to go.   The one we have at the restaurant gets used for at least 8-10 jobs a day and the bowl and blades go through the dishmachine that many times.   The durability is amazing.  You can get one for around the same price as that insanely priced KA and have a TRUE COMMERCIAL MACHINE. 

Nick  WK78
 
Robot-Coupe

A French company founded around 1960 made food processors for French/European commercial kitchens. The invention was in response to observations of how much time was devoted to chopping,slicing and other food perpetrations.

Around the 197's the MagiMix line was introduced to North America sold under the brand name "Cuisinart", indeed if you look underneath vintage Cuisinart FPs of that era they will say "Made in France". By the 1980's however Cuisinart felt Robot-Coupe wasn't doing it's best to ensure quality controls and began sourcing their FPs from Japan (again look underneath). Soon thereafter Cuisinart and Robot-Coupe ended their relationship.
 

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