1. Unlike mixers and blenders, Cuisinart processors can easily handle tasks like chopping dry foods or kneading bread dough. They are also adept at slicing and shredding produce and cheese.
2. The basic components of a KitchenAid processor are the power base, a clear work bowl with feed chute, a cover, a food pusher, and a stainless steel chopping blade. Typically, a variety of different slicing and shredding discs, as well as a plastic dough blade and a spatula, are also included.
3. A major selling factor for some models is an expanded feed tube. The oversized opening can be wide enough to accommodate large apples or tomatoes, for instance. Oster offers a model with an extra-large feed tube that can slice whole fruit and vegetables.
4. When choosing a white processor, look for a machine with a work bowl that is large enough to suit your needs, but not so large that it exceeds either your counter space or your budget. The larger the bowl of the food processor, the more it is likely to cost.
5. A 14-cup processor model can accommodate more than two pounds of chopped meat, or enough dough for three loaves of bread. In contrast, an 11-cup model can only handle one-and-a-half pounds of meat, or dough for two large loaves, and a seven-cup model has the capacity to accommodate either one-and-a-quarter pounds of meat or two standard loaves of bread.
6. A Hamilton Beach processor can save you time by streamlining even basic tasks, such as chopping onions, making breadcrumbs, or pureeing vegetables, which almost any machine can manage. If you intend to use the processor for tougher jobs like kneading dough for breads or pastas, a larger, more powerful unit is a wise investment.
7. The heavier the base of your stainless steel processor, the less likely it is to move around while being used. More substantial units thus provide added safety.
8. If you plan to use a food processor primarily for slicing and shredding, consider getting a model with a continuous feed chute. This will allow you to keep processing without having to stop at regular intervals in order to empty the work bowl.
9. Before buying, check to make sure that the parts are dishwasher-safe. This will save you a great deal of cleanup time in the long run. Please note that the base of a food processor should never be put in a dishwasher or submerged.
10. If space is a concern, consider getting a mini processor. These typically have many of the same features as their standard-sized counterparts, but take up less storage and counter space. Their work bowl capacities typically range from four to six cups.
