I use my food processor for making hummus which means I use it to puree
chickpeas. I've never tried to puree chickpeas in a blender. I can't
imagine it would work very well at all. I pulse the chick peas until
they are well pureed then add tahini, garlic, and lemon juice
(sometimes cumin and a bit of red pepper). It doesn't take long and
it's easy to do as something to take to a party, etc.

I also use it to grate large amounts of cheese and, yes, you will have
a thin slice that doesn't grate. I either up end it with a new chunk
of cheese or snack on it.

I've also used it to grate carrots for carrot cake and cabbage (for
coleslaw or stir fry). I imagine you could use it to grate potatoes for
hash browns, too.

The first one I had was a La Machine. It lasted many years but the
motor finally broke. I have a Cuisinart on "permanent loan" from a
friend who wasn't using it. Mine broke right before my daughter's
graduation last year and I needed it to make hummus for the graduation
party.

Heidi