Rob_T

I might be a little anal here or..... I vacuum seal my roasted beans and then put them in the freezer. I tend to get out a couple of days worth of whole beans for an airtight jar in the fridge. THe only problem I have is that the vacuum seal canister I use isn't designed for the freezer and sometimes it will "freeze" shut. It can be very very frustrating needing a cup of coffee that is hermetically sealed and isn't cooperating. It has been a while since I did my own empirical research or kept beans long enough to matter but as I recall I have kept beans for several weeks without any noticable flavor change.

I, too, am new to this board. I have never been a “joiner” before and may not know all the forum etiquette so, please, be patient with me if I am off course. I am also a native New Mexican and food lover who, until, recently lived in Seattle. I always bought my Chile’s from the Wagner’s in Corrales. Or if feeling lazy (while in college) at Costco frozen in cryovac (Bueno). But Wagner’s was always better. Anyway, a year and a half ago I drove through Hatch and bought dried *green* chile powder. They had samples out and it tasted good. I had never seen green chile powder before. They also had dried green chile …flakes?... I thought that if nothing else I would sprinkle it on my eggs. It is really good and still has decent flavor not to mention the convenience factor. It certainly can’t replace fresh but I find it has been well worth the cupboard space. I even made a green sauce with the powder and a few cans of the hatch “hot” chile with some pork and potatoes in it. It was surprisingly good (or I was desperate for chile). I ate the left-overs cold as dip on tortilla chips. I just moved to Scottsdale, Arizona so I am within shouting distance of Hatch. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get back…..yet. Anyone been to Sadies lately? My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

My question is regarding my Cuisinart DLC2011. As I was super-gluing the handle to my work bowl back together again last night it occurred to me that this is my second bowl/lid pusher that I have been through and they need replacing…again. I am afraid I am a Cuisinart abuser. It’s all that buying in bulk. Oddly, I started out not liking food processors because I like my knives but then somehow, this became my power tool of choice. I knead stiff doughs and have even been known to slice bulk prosciutto with it (bad idea, btw). I have made it make some very sad grinding noises on more than a few occasions. So, my question is… Does anyone have any experience with this model? I don’t want to shell out another 80 bucks for a new work bowl/lid and then have the motor go. If it is time to upgrade then so be it. I don’t have any other complaints. This one has performed admirably even with the noises she occasionally makes but I am concerned that maybe I should consider a total replacement or upgrade. Anyone have any advice?