by way of Christine Cyr Clisset, Michael Sullivan
This put up became completed in partnership with The Sweethome, a purchaser‘s manual to the finematters for your own home. examine the entire article here.
After spending 40 hours gaining knowledge of meals processors, interviewing professionals, and carrying out nearly 3 years of lengthy–time period trying out, we nevertheless suppose the Cuisinart custom 14-Cup food Processor is the nice choice for maximum home chefs. With simply pulse and on buttons plus asingle bowl, that is one in every of Cuisinart’s maximum simple fashions, however it always chops, slices, and kneads higher than any other meals processor we’ve observed for under $three hundred.
How we tested
Our meals processor alternatives (from left to right): The Cuisinart three-Cup Mini-Prep Plus, the Cuisinartcustom 14-Cup food Processor, and the Breville Sous Chef. image: Michael Hession
The satisfactory fashions need to chop vegetables and herbs calmly (with out pulverizing them), grategreens and cheese uniformly, slice cleanly, and finely grind bread crumbs, nuts, and other dry substances.higher–first-rate machines with strong automobiles and heavy bases may also grind meat and mix strongyeast doughs without skidding throughout the counter, in contrast to low-exceptional machines.
We examined five massive meals processors 10 instances every, reducing veggies and parsley,reducing tomatoes and potatoes, grating tender mozzarella, grinding bread crumbs, pureeing a specificallyscrumptious hummus, and mixing double batches of pizza dough. We additionally wiped clean eachmodel‘s bowl, lid, and meals presser 10 times—a test that proved extra revealing than we’d anticipated.
We examined mini choppers by way of making a blended salsa, a Thai curry paste, and mayonnaise, and grinding almonds. We chopped one onion in each mini meals processor to gauge evenness of texture. Wealso chopped whole almonds and shredded smooth mozzarella cheese if the chopper got here with a disk for shredding.
Our pick out
With just two buttons, the Cuisinart custom 14-Cup meals Processor has one of the most effective-to-use interfaces of the processors we examined. photo: Michael Hession
The Cuisinart custom 14-Cup meals Processor does the entirety that a super meals processor must with none useless extras that might boost its charge. With one bowl and most effective on and pulse buttons,it is sincerely designed—but it really works in addition to or better than machines with a couple of bowls and extra attachments. in contrast to some different models in our tests, the Cuisinart custom‘s base in no way shook even as walking, even if processing double batches of dough. The Cuisinart custom comes with simply the right quantity of blades and disks, and all of them will stow in the mixing bowl, so youmight not need to save a big box of attachments. The Cuisinart custom‘s base and jar have been alsoeasier to clean than those of most of the opposition.
We first advocated the Cuisinart custom in 2013, and over the past 3 years, we’ve got continuouslyfavored the usage of it. we’ve got made slaws, grated cheese, combined dips, and kneaded pizza dough in it, and it has labored nicely. The 14-cup bowl does not leak, and the controls are exactly what you want.
This processor’s base is heavy, so we have determined that preserving it at the counter to use frequentlyis the satisfactory method. over the years, the jar has gotten a chunk scratched (possibly because we’vestored the pointy blades in the jar). we have additionally noticed on other Cuisinart models that the plastic on the S-blade attachment discolors barely with extended use. but, we have not examined the Cuisinart custom long enough for this to happen. average, we nonetheless truly like the usage of thismachine.
outstanding for small batches
The chop and grind buttons at the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus move the blade in contrary directions. image: Michael Hession
in case you need a processor for little batches of French dressing or mirepoix, we really like the 3-cup Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus. It chopped onions greater calmly than the other fashions we examined it in opposition to. On pinnacle of that, its seamless plastic membrane buttons were less complicated to holdeasy, and its treated jar changed into more handy to apply. We also assume this version is themaximum convenient, idiotproof tool we have found for making small batches of mayonnaise (as long asyou are the usage of a recipe formulated particularly for a food processor). And it is a awesomealternative for folks that cannot or don’t want to put money into a $200 system. You couldn’t make bread dough or shredded salads in it, but you could grind or chop small batches of herbs or nuts and dodifferent duties that could be more tedious by hand.
super for strength users
The Breville Sous Chef finished pleasant ordinary in our checks, but it’s far very huge and has moreattachments than the majority need. picture: Michael Hession
The Cuisinart custom is a outstanding cost for the amount of performance it gives, however if you planto apply your meals processor numerous times every week, or you want a greater powerful device toprepare dinner for big companies, or you use a scale for maximum recipes, bear in mind making an investment within the 16-cup Breville Sous Chef. Its 1,two hundred-watt motor and its smart layoutprevent time in use and cleansing; in truth, in spite of its many accessories, it was the easiest to smoothof all the models we examined. That stated, in case you use a meals processor only once in a while, the Breville’s high value probable outweighs its advantages. And given that it is large—over 18 inches tall andnearly 20 pounds—you’d want a large kitchen if you need to keep it at the counter.
ought to you upgrade?
when you have an older system that also works nicely, stay with it. but in case your current device‘s motor base is so lightweight that the appliance stutters throughout the counter when in use, you’ll admirea version with a heavier construct. And if your processor is 11 cups or smaller however you prepare dinner for extra than , you may choose a version with a larger bowl.
in case you regularly make things like homemade mayonnaise, vinaigrette, or small batches of bread crumbs, you may want to pick out up a mini food processor—even when you have a e4028a5c6dae3ad5086501ec6f3534d0 version. A mini model will procedure smaller quantities greaterefficiently, and its diminutive size way it is easier to move around a counter and to keep and clean.
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