All posts in: Food Processors

A tale of two customer service departments

Kitchen & Food
By Amy Livingston on March 4, 2013 in

Customer Service

The day you bring home a shiny new food processor can be the best of times--or the worst of times. 

Consider the case of two fictitious customers, Audrey and Brian. Both of them have decided to buy new food processors. After consulting our report, Audrey selects the top-rated Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus DLC-2011CHB (*Est. $200), while Brian settles on the Runner-Up KitchenAid KFP750PK (*Est. $160). At first, both of them are very happy with their new kitchen tools. There's no reason not to be; both machines get very good scores for performance in professional tests, run quietly, have dishwasher-safe parts and are generally well rated by owners for ease of use. Then unexpectedly, after about a month, both machines break down. Read more

Blender vs. food processor: How do they match up?

Kitchen & Food
By Amy Livingston on October 8, 2012 in

Food guru Mark Bittman, writing for The New York Times, has declared the blender "an endangered species." A good food processor, he argues, can do everything a blender can do, and lots more besides. His own blender, in fact, has been shut unused in the closet for over a year, while his food processor has earned a permanent place on his "itsy-bitsy counter."

There's no denying that a food processor can do many jobs a blender can't. It can slice vegetables, shred cabbage, knead bread dough and make flaky piecrust. But what about the foods that both a blender and a food processor can handle, like smoothies or hummus? Which appliance does a better job with these? Based on professional test results and user feedback, here's how these machines would fare in a small-appliance boxing match: Read more

Pop culture: A closer look at popcorn poppers

Kitchen & Food
By Sarah Burns on March 26, 2010 in

Man eating popcorn.

It's fluffy, it's crunchy, it's mandatory for movie night. Yes, we're talking about popcorn. Ever wonder how it's created? To learn the answer, we picked the brain of The Popcorn Board, (a national non-profit organization funded by popcorn makers). What we learned: Popcorn kernels contain a tiny droplet of water, which, when heated, expands and causes kernels to pop, releasing their starchy interior from their sturdy outer shell. How exactly you transform this hard nugget into America's favorite light, white snack is totally up to you. To achieve more perfect corn, most consumers use popcorn poppers. Under that umbrella, there are currently four main options: hot air, electric, stovetop, and microwave poppers.

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Dynamic duos

Kitchen & Food
By Sarah Burns on November 1, 2009 in

Need a new food processor but strapped for counter space? Consider a combo model. These creative appliances conveniently bundle a blender and a food processor.  Most have a base unit that's interchangeable with both a blender jar and small food processor bowl. Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach and Oster all currently offer these combinations. Although we couldn't find any professional evaluations; Amazon and Cooking.com offer many insightful owner reviews.

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