Do I need a food processor?

AndB456

I think I need to be talked into or out of getting a food processor.

I am trying to reduce the amount of kitchen ware I have but my Ninja blender is on the way out and I'm trying to decide whether to replace it and what exactly to replace it with. I have a pretty good handheld immersion blender that I will upgrade when it dies. I also have a stand mixer that I don't use often but will probably hold onto.

I do (sort of) need something that will chop nuts and would like a grater for cheese veg. I make a lot of dips like hummus and usually use the handheld blender but would like a smoother consistency. We would have the odd smoothie so a blender would be handy but not an absolute need.

I was looking at the kenwood multi express or the ninja 3in 1, my budget would be up to 200. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Or is it just a pointless add on anyway...I don't have a lot of storage.

L1011

I got rid of the full food processor and replaced it with the then equivalent of this - or more accurately, I originally got a slightly smaller version (the then equivalent of this), then sent that one to my holiday house to replace the food processor there, and then bought the bigger one.

If the link breaks, its a Bosch immersion blender handle that comes with the normal immersion head, a whipping head, and a micro version of a food processor big jug with various chopping blades, the smaller one has a smaller main vessel and less heads/choppers

The only function I've lost from the food processor is the poor quality dough mixing 'capabilities' it had, which never worked well enough

Currys have that for 160 but I'm sure I paid a lot less.

The space saving is huge, and because its smaller I'm more willing to actually take it out and use it. In the holiday house, the food processor took up a considerable % of the entire available cupboard space!

JMcL

Food processors are certainly very handy, and from your post you probably have enough justification to get one. We bought a Magimix 5200XL a couple of years ago which is a fair bit above your budget, but given our usage it was the one to go for. While we don't use it every day, it does get used several times per week - chipping, sauces, soups, slicing veg/potatoes, finely copping veg, smoothies etc. If you have the space, letting it live on the countertop as against having to pull it out of cupboard every time is a great boon for using it. I realise this isn't an option for everybody.

AndB456

I have used a magimix before and they are great but it is currently out of my budget and counter space would be a problem. It is on my "would love a" list.

The bosch looks good actually. L1011 how do you find it with chopping nuts? It's a good size wattage at 1000 too.

It may actually suit my kitchen better as I have awkward counter spaces and sometimes end up using the kitchen table for prep and this would be a lot easier to move about the kitchen.

TheKBizzle

I have a ninja blender with food processor attachment. Gets plenty of use. Good all rounder. Does everything I’ve put in front of it

awec

We have a Magimix, they are excellent.

Only downside is the washing up, it's a bit of a pain to be honest.

Personally, I am decently fast with a knife so I'll use that unless I'm cutting a ton of stuff, much less cleaning up required.

Tree

So if you don't have the space, can you give up any other equipment? I'm another one with a magimix 5200XL and I love it even though I had to get a cart to put all the bits on.

I used to have a tiny chopper for doing falafel and hummus and small amounts of dough, some lidl job where you just press on the lid. It was better than nothing but the upgrade did really make me happier.

A good stick blender will do a lot of what you want but a dedicated small chopper is good for nuts and spices (I've a tiny spice grinder for making a few tablespoons of nut butter but mostly grinding spices).

Before I got my current processor, to make hummus I started from channa daal as it has no skins, but have since just gone to whirring for longer than you think in the food processor.

I also have an overpowered (1kW) Braun stick blender, honestly I only use the immersion bit and the whisk but it's great blending anything. Came with bigs but never used them and the blender attachment broke after falling on the floor (never used was just in the way and got knocked).

(I can store stuff in the utility but my kitchen isn't actually huge. the food processor lives on the counter permanently)

Muahahaha

I got a Kenwood Compact Multipro a during the Black Friday sales, its the version that is also a weighing scales. Picked it up for €130, they are normally €180+. Find it really handy for grating cheese and chopping or shredding veg. Have yet to make hummus with it but will use it for that too. I love it and it sits on the counter top all the time as I use the scales a fair bit. Because its the compact version it doesnt take up a huge amount of space. Plus it has meant Ive given away my Nutribullet blender as the Kenwood does smoothies perfectly fine.