Do I need a food processor?

The processor will give you a larger surface area at the bottom and a more even puree. A stick blender is my favorite electric tool, easy to clean, and gets soups velvety.

I’ve owned a food processor for 15 years without using it. Give you an answer?

I bought a food processor just after I got married. In 23 years, it’s been out of the box maybe three times and the only thing I’ve used it for is making soup, which I now prefer to make the old-fashioned way. On the other hand I don’t do any baking: I think it would get more use if I did.

It really depends on what you like to make. I love making pesto, and it’s definitely better when I use the food processor. Same for a lot of other sauces/soups/dips. It’s pretty easy to make salsa in it, shred tons of cheese if needed, make chocolate chip cookie dough (right up until you add the chips), etc. If you never make pestos, soups, sauces, or dips, then you don’t need it, but it can definitely make your life easier if you remember to use it.

@downtide

haha..same here! lol

I have a power juicer too, and it is going the way of the FP and my eliptical….used a few times in a flurry of excitement and then devalued to a mere space taker and dust collector.

I’n not a gadget person, even though I have tried.

Thanks so much for your input. My slicer/shredder attachment does all the slicing and shredding I need. The blender does purees and chopping. The mixer does beating and stirring. So from what you are telling me, getting the food processor attachment would be a waste. I’m so glad that I asked.

I use mine when I make the dogs rice and veg mix and when I make pumpkin soup. If it weren’t for the dog food I would use it very infrequently.

They work great, they are a pain to wash (so many pieces), but not a necessity of life by any means.

@Adirondackwannabe Mine died. I will PM you my address and send you shipping money if you want to get yours off your hands.

I love having access to a food processor, I just haven’t been able to afford the one I want, a Cuisinart. Anyway, as @papayalily said, they are indispensable for making pesto, soups, mincing/chopping a lot of veggies or nuts, and all sorts of things. I personally prefer an immersion blender for soups, as it’s just much more convenient and easier to clean, but for pretty much everything else, I personally would find a food processor to be quite handy.

This summer, I probably made 100 pounds of red pesto and caper-olive-artichoke spread. My mom uses her constantly, on a near-daily basis. In fact, trying to make a real Italian ragù without one is a pain in the butt, having to finely mince the soffritto ingredients by hand.

Have a Cuisinart and use it every week. It does sounds like you ahve your bases covered with the other equipment though.

I use mine somewhat regularly. Pesto, pasta dough (I also have a hand-crank pasta machine), chopping nuts for cookies, making bread crumbs, grinding meat for various recipes. Maybe once a week it comes out, but I cook from real ingredients a lot and prefer not to buy convenience foods like ready-made bread crumbs when I can just use old bread. All of these things can be done without a FP, but it’s much easier with one.

I rarely use mine, but when I need to shred a lot of veggies it is fantastic. It is probably the only thing I use it for, so I only use it 3 or 4 times a year. I don’t think you need it really.

I use mine a lot for baking. For some things, I use the mixer but for things like mixing frosting or certain doughs, it is invaluable.

@janbb I never thought of it for baking, I just use an electric hand mixer.

You all use yours for a lot more jobs than I do, perhaps I should rethink!

I do use mine a lot as I say. Having it out on the counter all the time helps.

@janbb Do you put the parts in the dishwasher?

Yes.

I think the main thing is that pestos and dips aren’t going to be very evenly pureed. I’ve tried making them in a blender, and it almost ends up not worth it – by the time you get all of it fine enough, over half of it is too fine.

They’re not that difficult to clean, honestly. Usually there are four pieces that get dirty, the bowl, the blade, the top, and the base of the cylindrical pusher thingy. As long as you don’t let stuff sit and cake on it, you can have all the pieces clean in a minute or two by hand.

watch your fingers with the blade, though, it’s scary sharp.

@MissAnthrope ::Jedi Mind Trick:: You want to post the recipes for these…

I’d be happy to, but it’ll get modded. In fact, this will probably get modded, too. Anyway, PM me with what recipe you want (this goes for anyone else, if applicable).

I was dying to have one and now I do. I have never used it. I thought I would use it mainly for pie crust, but I like doing it too much with my hand (thats what she said). So….not really.

I hate food processors. They don’t do anything you can’t do by hand, they use up electricity, plus the give you a half a dozen things you have to clean up afterward instead of just two (the knife and the chopping board).

They are unwieldy and do not produce even results, sometimes too chunky, sometimes instead of chopping, they pulverize.

@YARNLADY Wow, I wish I was good enough with a knife that I got more even results without the food processor. And I worked as a cook in a gourmet restaurant. You must be a freaking Jedi with that thing!

Well, I gave my Bosch a workout on Christmas. I made divinity using the beaters. Turned out perfect. I made homemade noodles using the dough hook (first time I ever used a dough hook) and was pleasantly surprised. Then I used the slicer to slice up carrots and celery. I used the beaters again to make an angel pie. The best angel pie I ever made. However, I made the pie crust by hand. I think the dough hook would have overworked it. You have to be really careful with pie crust – barely handle it at all. The real test is going to be when I make my salsa in the summer. I’ve been using a blender, but it kind of blends the crap out of it.