Help choosing food processor

Chris25

MrsE wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-Classic-KM336-Kitchen-Machine/dp/B000Q7ZCFK/ref=sr_1_67?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1251371644&sr=1-67

Is this really good?
I'm guessing you can add to it as you expand?

I do love my Chef and have lots of the accessories but have to say many were given to me by different people who, for one reason or another, were giving up their Chefs.

I suppose I mostly use whisk (but I also use an electric hand one if if it's just a small thing to whisk), beater, dough hook, liquidiser & mincer .

The butter maker, slicer, grater, coffee grinder & sausage maker- which are the only ones I can think of - I might use once in a blue moon - but don't want to get rid of them, just in case But they aren't all necessary and as I say, do take up a lot of room but while I've got the Chef, I can't bring myself to part with them. That's why everything else spills out onto my worktops

I've had pastry that's been made by a processor and it's been great and of course dead simple to make but I definitely don't have room for both.

iamana1ias - leftover meat makes the best cottage pie

MrsE_2

This might sound really stupid:o Sorry if it does:o

But how are they different from a food processor

I use my processor to finely chop onions, mix my cheesecake recipe, blend my soups & some sauces.

I would like to be able to mince (not pulverise meat), maybe make sausages;) & kneed dough:D

Now I know the chef has attachments to do the mince, sausages & dough, but will it also do all the things a processor does?
I don't have cupboard space for two & the processor needs replacing anyway.

Many thanks, sorry if it seems a stupid question:o:o:o:o:o:o

Chris25

Not stupid at all - I think one of the differences is the amount of space it takes up. The basic Chef is the mixer & stand with bowl, dough hook, beater and whisk. Well, they can all sit in together and that's fine.

The liquidiser screws into the top of the casing, the mincer slots into the front, as does the sausage maker and a few others & I can't honestly remember where I put the slicer or grater attachments

But for making something like pastry say, with the processor, it's all bunged into the drum and a couple of minutes later, how's-your-father!

But I may be wrong!! You really need someone that uses both and can give you a good comparison. Both machines have their devotees.

MrsE_2

Chris25 wrote: »

But for making something like pastry say, with the processor, it's all bunged into the drum and a couple of minutes later, how's-your-father!

But I may be wrong!! You really need someone that uses both and can give you a good comparison. Both machines have their devotees.

& that isn't how it works with a Kenwood Chef?

Does it do all the things I said I needed it to do?
finely chop onions & stuff, mix my cheesecake recipe, blend my soups & some sauces.

Chris25

it blends bread dough in the bowl but I don't make pastry with it.
Plus, if it's something like frangipane mix, a processor mixes that better. It will blend soups & sauces beautifully with the liquidiser & this will also blitz biscuits for cheesecake base. And it creams cheese, sugar and flavourings for cheesecake. But you need another attachement for chopping or grating.

Chris25

just had a quick look on the net and I think you can get a precessor attachment to the Chef - also several people have said that they make satisfactory pastry with their Chef so I might be misleading you - perhaps it's just me ?

katieowl_2

I've got a kenwood (no mincer) AND a magimix....

I always blitz my cooked meat in the magimix with the knife blade for shepherds pies...you stand over it and and you can easily adjust how 'blitzed' you want the meat...not a problem.

I use the magimix for making pastry too, and of course liquidising and stuff like hummous, brilliant for grating cheese, potatoes and stuff like that!

The Kenwood is better for making sponge cakes (with the K beater) Meringues with the whisk and bread with the dough hook.

That having been said, I sometimes use the magimix for banana cakes, as the knife chops up the banana at the same time - depends on the size of the batch. Magimix will also make decent bread dough - with the plastic blade...but only process enough for one small loaf...kenwood will take enough dough for three loaves.

Ultimately I guess... which is more useful to you??? I do a lot of cooking and I'd not want to be without either, as they both have a role for me!

I've got only two gadgets for the Kenwood...One is the drum that peels potatoes - which was very useful when we had loads of muddy spuds from our allotment. The other is a glass blender goblet we were given - used once and once only by DD to make a smoothie....

Regards

Kate

MrsE_2

katieowl wrote: »

I've got a kenwood (no mincer) AND a magimix....

I always blitz my cooked meat in the magimix with the knife blade for shepherds pies...you stand over it and and you can easily adjust how 'blitzed' you want the meat...not a problem.

I use the magimix for making pastry too, and of course liquidising and stuff like hummous, brilliant for grating cheese, potatoes and stuff like that!

The Kenwood is better for making sponge cakes (with the K beater) Meringues with the whisk and bread with the dough hook.

That having been said, I sometimes use the magimix for banana cakes, as the knife chops up the banana at the same time - depends on the size of the batch. Magimix will also make decent bread dough - with the plastic blade...but only process enough for one small loaf...kenwood will take enough dough for three loaves.

Ultimately I guess... which is more useful to you??? I do a lot of cooking and I'd not want to be without either, as they both have a role for me!

I've got only two gadgets for the Kenwood...One is the drum that peels potatoes - which was very useful when we had loads of muddy spuds from our allotment. The other is a glass blender goblet we were given - used once and once only by DD to make a smoothie....

Regards

Kate

Thank you for so much info:beer:

I'm not a cake or pastry maker.

I do want to kneed dough, a small amount for chapatis only.

Maybe I'm best off sticking with the food processors.

I have a box with a load of bits & bobs for mine, maybe I should look at them:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o

MrsE_2

Chris25 wrote: »

just had a quick look on the net and I think you can get a precessor attachment to the Chef - also several people have said that they make satisfactory pastry with their Chef so I might be misleading you - perhaps it's just me ?

Thank you Chris for your patience with my never ending questions:o

Bombchelle

I just check in Which? for you. The top 5 are:

KitchenAid Artisan 5KFPM770
Dualit 88610
Morphy Richards Food Fusion 48950
Breville FP26
Magimix Compact 3200

Hope it helps!