The Food Processor Topic

[JoNorvelleWalker]

9 hours ago, tikidoc said:

My Cuisinart FP is starting to die, so I am looking for a replacement. The old one has started randomly overheating and stopping when performing tasks that should really not be too strenuous. It died yesterday when pulsing flour and butter to make Serious Eats pie dough (after about 15 pulses), so I had to toss the work bowl into the fridge to keep the butter cold. It worked when I went back to the task an hour later. This has been happening intermittently for a few months, so I’m looking for a replacement.

 

When I use the food processor, I often make extra food to freeze so I’d like a larger (12-16 cup) machine. Have been looking at another Cuisinart and also at the Breville Sous Chef. Thoughts?

 

If you have attachments for your Cuisinart you might want to select a new model that can use the same attachments.

 

I found myself not using my Cuisinart very often so I relegated it to the bedroom.  I can't say I have missed it.

 

[chromedome]

I was in the market for a replacement bowl for my old Cuise, and ended up getting a lightly used Cuise thrown in along with it.

 

I'm being facetious, of course, but not as much as you might think. Somebody on a local buy-sell page was selling said Cuisinart after splurging on a Robocoupe, and I got the whole shooting match (plus a tolerably full set of discs) for what a replacement bowl would have cost me on eBay.

 

ETA: The original point I was working toward is that these things are pretty durable, so (as Jo said above) buying a machine to match your accessories, even if used or refurbished, isn't necessarily a bad move.

Edited November 27, 2021 by chromedome (log)

[Annie_H]

On 11/26/2021 at 7:33 PM, chromedome said:

ETA: The original point I was working toward is that these things are pretty durable, so (as Jo said above) buying a machine to match your accessories, even if used or refurbished, isn't necessarily a bad move.

I have loved 'my sweet baby' Cuisinart little Pro Plus. Wedding gift from 1989. A monster. Discontinued early 1990's. Fast forward 25 yrs a chunk of ginger held onto the blade and washed me and the kitchen with wet ingredients all over. Before I could solve the problem, after a scream from the kitchen, DH found a new-in-the-box on E-Bay. Mine was found to be fine but the new one was on the way. 

The old one went to the beach house. I'm using the NIB now. I have two back-ups, realizing I can't ever live without. (not feeling nuts as I see others here have back-ups of favorite appliances)

E-bay has pretty much all the time 6-7 pages of parts. 

My point is, ---not necessarily recommending my cuisinart choice at all, but if you move to another brand, consider the blades and parts for others that might need them. Either thrift store donate for e-bay sellers to re-sale or offer to sell yourself. I've noticed some retired elders rely on extra income selling vintage parts. *I have a stellar kitchen fridge that has cracked freezer drawers. The replacements are so expensive. So many of those drawers are in landfills no doubt. 

This is mine. The 1989 on the left, a bit yellow, and the NIB freshie clean white DH purchased. Small footprint, monster motor. With the side shooter I can make 4-5 salads for a bbq crowd in minutes. Just keep switching out the bowls. Blade switch is easy for a celeriac/fennel sliced slaw/salad. 

I have two NIBox back ups. Always a few on E-Bay. Every few months a NIB is under 75$ free shipping. Buy-it-now.

Just a heads-up, if you see one at a yard sale or thrift store---it has value. 

Possibly the model had way too many parts. I gifted my sister just the circled motor, blade, bowl. She does not cook but I included salsa, and a few BBQ recipes.....humus, pico, dips, etc, she took it to her thrift I found out. (I asked here to bring it to my parents last visit and got 'crickets'. 

 

I only have one friend with the new Breville. Some issues with the bowl quality and replacements back-ordered. Some other issues I can't recall. 

I can't say enough love for a small footprint 'monster motor' early 80's Cuisinart LittlePro model. 

 

 

[ElsieD]

I used to have the 14 cup one which worked like a charm until it didn't.  I now have a fancy Breville one which I seldom use.  What does get a lot of use is the Cuisinart 7 cup FP.   I recommend that one to anyone looking for a small FP.

[lindag]

18 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I used to have the 14 cup one which worked like a charm until it didn't.  I now have a fancy Breville one which I seldom use.  What does get a lot of use is the Cuisinart 7 cup FP.   I recommend that one to anyone looking for a small FP.

Yeah.  I have the 14 cupper Cuisinart and it's really kind of big for me the way I cook now.  I may have to replace it with that 7-cup myself.

[chromedome]

On 12/3/2021 at 3:47 PM, Annie_H said:

I have loved 'my sweet baby' Cuisinart little Pro Plus. Wedding gift from 1989. A monster. Discontinued early 1990's. Fast forward 25 yrs a chunk of ginger held onto the blade and washed me and the kitchen with wet ingredients all over. Before I could solve the problem, after a scream from the kitchen, DH found a new-in-the-box on E-Bay. Mine was found to be fine but the new one was on the way. 

The old one went to the beach house. I'm using the NIB now. I have two back-ups, realizing I can't ever live without. (not feeling nuts as I see others here have back-ups of favorite appliances)

E-bay has pretty much all the time 6-7 pages of parts. 

My point is, ---not necessarily recommending my cuisinart choice at all, but if you move to another brand, consider the blades and parts for others that might need them. Either thrift store donate for e-bay sellers to re-sale or offer to sell yourself. I've noticed some retired elders rely on extra income selling vintage parts. *I have a stellar kitchen fridge that has cracked freezer drawers. The replacements are so expensive. So many of those drawers are in landfills no doubt. 

This is mine. The 1989 on the left, a bit yellow, and the NIB freshie clean white DH purchased. Small footprint, monster motor. With the side shooter I can make 4-5 salads for a bbq crowd in minutes. Just keep switching out the bowls. Blade switch is easy for a celeriac/fennel sliced slaw/salad. 

I have two NIBox back ups. Always a few on E-Bay. Every few months a NIB is under 75$ free shipping. Buy-it-now.

Just a heads-up, if you see one at a yard sale or thrift store---it has value. 

Possibly the model had way too many parts. I gifted my sister just the circled motor, blade, bowl. She does not cook but I included salsa, and a few BBQ recipes.....humus, pico, dips, etc, she took it to her thrift I found out. (I asked here to bring it to my parents last visit and got 'crickets'. 

 

I only have one friend with the new Breville. Some issues with the bowl quality and replacements back-ordered. Some other issues I can't recall. 

I can't say enough love for a small footprint 'monster motor' early 80's Cuisinart LittlePro model. 

 

 

Bumping this to ask a quick question: What's the actual "Cuisinart name" for the side shooter attachment? I'm drawing blanks in my head, on Google, and on Cuisinart's own site.

[Maison Rustique]

It is a chute.

[chromedome]

30 minutes ago, Maison Rustique said:

It is a chute.

Thank you. Duh. I knew I'd feel like an idiot once I actually saw the word.

 

[Annie_H]

The model with the 'shooter' attachment and the juicers is no longer made. The part that 'shoots' needs 4 key parts to work if it fits on an existing base motor. Circled. The stem extension and the two discs and the flat solid disc. 

 

[Annie_H]

So no time is wasted down a rabbit-hole-time-suck. The 'chute' was only made for this size and model. A pic without the chute part. Showing how the parts stack. --the solid white big chute goes on first, then the stem, then the solid disc, yada, yada. The slicer or the grater on top, cut side up. 

(the manual is a disaster without clear instructions). 

And a salad made this past weekend using the slicer disc. Cabbage, purple carrot, radish, fennel...

Would be nice to have a few more different discs but if I push firm I get a bit thicker--push through the feed tube lightly I get very thin slices. 

[chromedome]

Thank you for the extra info.

 

When I bought my backup Cuise I got a tolerably full set of accessories with it, including a stem extension and a truly startling number of discs (it was a pretty nice throw-in). In truth all I was really looking for was a replacement bowl (mine was cracked), and everything else was basically a throw-in. I have yet to use a single disc, but as time goes on and my arthritis worsens I can see this being useful stuff to have. Also, though we don't entertain a lot, it seems a much faster way of prepping for a crowd than knives or even a mandoline.

[Darienne]

51 minutes ago, chromedome said:

I have yet to use a single disc, but as time goes on and my arthritis worsens I can see this being useful stuff to have. Also, though we don't entertain a lot, it seems a much faster way of prepping for a crowd than knives or even a mandoline.

For years I was in exactly the same position...never used one disc.  Then Carpal Tunnel Syndrome hit in a big way and I reluctantly began to use those WONDERFUL discs.  Carpal Tunnel long repaired and I still use the discs.  In fact, the on/off function in the processor is long dead and Ed, who can fix things whether he understands how to do it or not, has made his own on/off system for the machine.  Of course, I have a large sticker on the machine that warns all users that the safety mechanism is no more.  You simply can't buy those kind of processors any more it seems.  

[Maison Rustique]

I am working to clear space on the kitchen counter to make room for my old Cuisinart workhorse for the same reason. Arthritis and tendinitis are just too bad now.

[Annie_H]

I've been aware of hereditary arthritis for about ten years now. I've gifted my mother with handy easy-to-use kitchen gadgets for years. 

Why we have been on a 80% vegetable anti-inflammatory diet for more than ten. I'm good with a mandoline for a quick cucumber/red onion pickle, or a celery/fennel salad/slaw. When I have a crisper drawer thinning with a dozen vegetables, a bit of each, the LittleProPlus comes out. Small footprint at 5 and one 1/4 inch wide. One on e-bay right now is NIBox. 150$ free shipping. When I was looking for back-ups for storage, I found them for 50-75$. But I was patient. 

FWI, the Amazon listing above for the 'chute' is a second party seller. Not connected to Cuisinart. The specs are all wrong. Only three reviews and two received dirty used chutes. 

One good storage trick, especially on a counter,--invert the top and place the pusher nesting. Height space saving. My 'sweet baby' takes up no room at all in my pantry. 

[Ann_T]

I had to bite the bullet and purchase a new FP yesterday.

 

The main multi-purpose blade in the KitchenAid Pro, which I have had for about 17 years broke and apparently, KitchenAid no longer makes this blade. I could understand not making many of the extra blades, but you would think that they would at least maintain stock in the main blade.

I'm a big fan of Breville small appliances so, after doing some homework I went with their big 16 cup. The Sous Chef 16 Plus.

It has a number of different blades, including one for fries. I don't really need a fry cutter as I have a commercial one.

 

But I couldn't resist giving it a test run.

I am pleasantly impressed with how the this blade actually worked.

I cut just one full size russet baking potato and of course had to fry.

[TdeV]

On 11/26/2021 at 11:57 AM, dtremit said:

The Cuisinart has been in production so long that the chances of being unable to buy a replacement are really slim. I have no idea whether Breville will have replacement parts available in ten years.

 

My 25+ year old Cuisinart Custom 11 engine works just fine but I have gone through many plastic workbowls (cutting up hard cheese). The last time I could no longer buy a workbowl from Cuisinart, so I ended up with a bowl from a Chinese outfit (Amazon) which didn't connect properly with the other plastic parts. I ended up replacing the rest of the assembly also. I think the new plastic is inferior (too soft) and already needs replacement.

 

I have a number of accessory blades, but actually only use 3.

 

Suggestions?

[ElsieD]

22 hours ago, Ann_T said:

I had to bite the bullet and purchase a new FP yesterday.

 

The main multi-purpose blade in the KitchenAid Pro, which I have had for about 17 years broke and apparently, KitchenAid no longer makes this blade. I could understand not making many of the extra blades, but you would think that they would at least maintain stock in the main blade.

I'm a big fan of Breville small appliances so, after doing some homework I went with their big 16 cup. The Sous Chef 16 Plus.

It has a number of different blades, including one for fries. I don't really need a fry cutter as I have a commercial one.

 

But I couldn't resist giving it a test run.

I am pleasantly impressed with how the this blade actually worked.

I cut just one full size russet baking potato and of course had to fry.

 

I have that one.  Works like a charm.

[palo]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

 

I have that one.  Works like a charm.

Ditto

 

I like Breville and have a lot of it

 

p

[palo]

Don't ask me to list all my Breville appliances 🙂

 

p

[rotuts]

way back when I baked bread 

 

6 loafs every saturday.

 

my Cuisinart 11 cup Plus made it all happen.

 

FP  are very easy to use and clean.for this 

[lindag]

I folded and bought the big-ass Breville FP last week.  It was a revelation last night when I made my creamy mushroom soup.  I sliced and diced everything!

I've had my old Cuisinart for years but have never used it to its full potential.

This one has a permanent place on my counter which I believe lends itself to full usage. putting away my much-loved Hobart-made KA mixer which gets little use these days.