Well, I'm quite a hand with a French chefs knife... I'm not going to say
that I as fast as a FP chopping, but I will say that by the time I cut up
onions, celery, peppers, etc., rinse and wipe the blade and put it up,
having neat evenly sized pieces, rings, etc, Depending upon How big a meal
I'm planning.... Not forgetting that a 14" knife will cut one or many
whatever with a stroke, I'm probably about even.
I do have a BE&DO food processor that I use for cheese, potatoes (hash brns
and chips) but if I'm just doing enough for a family meal, I just use the
knife. Plus, I'm tricky with the knife... flip it, balance it vertically
on the tip of my finger...
BUT I AM INTERESTED IN... making dough with the processor... I don't believe
that MY food processor (10 yr. old and small) will do the trick.
Went on Ebay and found them from $59 to $1000.00




Since I still don't have a food processor, I'm curious about food
processors
but don't a clue what I'd use it for or where I'd put it.

How long does it take to clean the food processor?

You can think of a food process as a mechanized knife - with some added
abilities. Therefore, a FP will slice, chop, mince, and grind. You can
use
a FP to chop vegetables, grind your own meat, slice vegetable, make bread
crumbs, chop or grind nuts, shred cheese or vegetables, cut potatoes into
French fries, julienne vegetables, crush ice, and so on. You can use it
to
make short dough like pie pastry and biscuits - anything that needs fat
cut
into the flour. It can be use to mix cookie dough and make flat icings.
You can make yeast dough. You can chop chocolate and then pour hot cream
over it with the blade rotating to make ganache in seconds. A food
processor can be used to make an emulsion - like mayonnaise. Most of the
jobs can be done with the metal blade. Some units come with a special
blade
for dough. Mine has a whisk for egg whites and cream. They all come with
a
basic set of disks for thin and thick slicing, fine and coarse shredding,
and julienne slicing. Some models have additional attachments like citrus
juicers. Some allow you to mount a blender jar, giving you two appliances
in on footprint.

To clean mine, I generally just put the bowl, blade, and lid into the
dishwasher. It can be quickly washed by hand like any other bowl. I do
use
a brush to clean the blade as it is very sharp and it is dangerous to try
to
clean sticky dough off the bade with a cloth.

I keep mine on the counter all the time. It takes about the same amount
of
space as a coffee maker and less space than most bread machines.

One nice thing about a FP is that you can often do multiple task in the
same
bowl. For instance, when I make potato salad I start with the dressing.
I
put a raw egg in the bowl with some vinegar and the spices that I want in
the salad - salt, pepper, mustard, celery seeds, hot sauce, etc. Then, I
start the machine and add oil. This make the mayonnaise based dressing.
Then I can put in some pickle chunks, onion, celery, and green and red
pepper - pulsing until the veggies are chopped. In go the boiled eggs
(which I boiled in the pan with potatoes) and then I pulse. Once the hot
potatoes are peeled and diced, I add them back to the pot they were boiled
in and pour over the dressing from the food processor bowl. You can do a
similar thing with coleslaw, making the dressing in the FP and then
shredding the cabbage into the same bowl.

If you have no interest in baking and only want some fresh bread, then a
bread machine makes sense. I know that many people will disagree, but I
don't think using a bread machine has much to do with baking. To me,
using
a bread machine and claiming that you bake bread is like putting in a DVD
and claiming you are an actor.
Furthermore, it is a singe-use device. You can't make mayo, grind nuts,
or
shred cheese with a bread machine, but you can do all this and make dough
with the FP. Therefore, if all you are using a bread machine for is
making
dough, it seems like the FP would be a better choice. I also think that a
FP gives you more control over the mixing process because you can see what
is going on. If the dough needs more liquid or more flour, you can add it
down the feed tube to make corrections in real time. I gave my bread
machine away because it was a "load and pray" situation for me. I put in
the ingredients and prayed that I had done everything right and the gods
were with me.

"jimmyjames" wrote in message
ink.net...

Well, I'm quite a hand with a French chefs knife... I'm not going to say
that I as fast as a FP chopping, but I will say that by the time I cut up
onions, celery, peppers, etc., rinse and wipe the blade and put it up,
having neat evenly sized pieces, rings, etc, Depending upon How big a
meal
I'm planning.... Not forgetting that a 14" knife will cut one or many
whatever with a stroke, I'm probably about even.
I do have a BE&DO food processor that I use for cheese, potatoes (hash
brns
and chips) but if I'm just doing enough for a family meal, I just use the
knife. Plus, I'm tricky with the knife... flip it, balance it vertically
on the tip of my finger...
BUT I AM INTERESTED IN... making dough with the processor... I don't
believe
that MY food processor (10 yr. old and small) will do the trick.
Went on Ebay and found them from $59 to $1000.00



There is no substitute for a good knife. I don't use the FP for all slicing
and dicing either.

You might try your old FP. Mine is at least 15 years old and only 400
watts. It does a fine job with one pound or so of flour ( 3 - 5 cups).
That is more than enough for a nice sized loaf of bread or a couple of
pizzas. Once the dough forms a ball ( which should be in a minute or two)
you only have to knead for an additional minute or about 40-50 rotations of
the ball around the work bowl.

Thanks for the long and thoughtful response, but I'm still not convinced
that I'll get enough use out of a food processor.
I love gadgets and I keep walking past a Cuisinart at Costco. each time I
stop and look at it and try to imagine myself using it. I'm trying to
justify making a purchase. I'm still in the research stage...

I'm an average cook, I love to bake pies and breads, make mostly basic
comfort foods, Soups, stews, casseroles, chicken pie etc.

For almost 40 years I've managed with a good set of knives and my KA mixer.
About 10 years ago I bought my first bread machine at Costco (impulse
purchase)... It's probably my most used appliance, I love the thing! I have
since purchased another. I use it 4-5 times a week. It's not a dump and go
appliance as many people think. I make all our bread, rolls & sweet buns and
have recently turned to sourdough. I do use the bread machine to mix & knead
that too. I rarely use the KA for dough any more, I like the dough from my
bread machine better and I don't have to stand by it while it works. I doubt
that I could switch to a food processor for my dough, but never say never.

Does a FP produce heat when you pulse pie crust or cookie dough? I wouldn't
want my crust to get warm. I don't want my bread dough too warm either.

My blender is having issues, I'm wondering if I could replace the blender
with a food processor. About The only things that I use the blender for is
an occasional diet frappe (crushed ice instead of ice cream) and smoothing
lumps out of rushed gravy, and sometimes salad dressings or marinades. You
mentioned fruit, could you make frozen fruit drinks... not that I need one,
I'm getting too fat from eating all my breads, I'm thinking about kids
treats here.

Cleaning is a big concern, I don't want to get stuck with something that
takes longer to clean than use. The KA mixer has a bunch of attachments, but
they are a pain to use clean and store, I never would have purchased any of
them they were a gift. My husband ground meat once... It took forever and it
was messy...that was enough!

Oh.. Chocolate , hot cream, ganache... I'm drooling

Rina






"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...


You can think of a food process as a mechanized knife - with some added
abilities. Therefore, a FP will slice, chop, mince, and grind.

You can chop chocolate and then pour hot cream
over it with the blade rotating to make ganache in seconds. A

If you have no interest in baking and only want some fresh bread, then a
bread machine makes sense. I know that many people will disagree, but I
don't think using a bread machine has much to do with baking. To me,
using
a bread machine and claiming that you bake bread is like putting in a DVD
and claiming you are an actor.

On Wed 04 May 2005 06:20:00a, Vox Humana wrote in rec.food.baking:


"Mary Beth Goodman" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 03 May 2005 22:55:17 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:

You can make pizza dough in your food processor in under 5
minutes.


Sounds so ridiculous, but I do this regularly with the recipe that came
with my cuisinart processor. I tried it the first time because I had a
real hankering for pizza and figured what the heck. Turned out Great!

Takes longer to heat the oven up. And having a really hot oven is
important.

I do use a pizza stone and also have a larger one for bread making.
Makes a real difference for the crust. I got the pizza stone on sale at
Dansk and consider it a real plus. I got a larger one later on because
the pizza stone wasn't big enough to bake two loaves of bread on.

I'm sure glad I tried that recipe! It's a fun part of my week.

Just to be clear, I make the dough in 5 minutes (mixing and kneading)
but I let it rise until double - about another 45 minutes. My point is
that if all you are doing is making the dough in a bread machine, then I
think a bread machine a huge piece of one-use equipment that could be
easily replaced with a food processor. I overlooked using the FP for
dough making for years. Once I decided to give it a try (because of a
message posted here) I was amazed. It doesn't seem like it would work
well, but it does. And I find that it is a lot less messy than using the
KA stand mixer.

I agree, Vox. I also avoided using the FP for years to make any type of
yeast dough until I saw several recipes for pizza dough. The FP is all I
use now for my pizza dough and it's much easier and faster.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

On Wed, 4 May 2005 21:03:36 -0400
"Rina" wrote:

Does a FP produce heat when you pulse pie crust or cookie dough? I
wouldn't want my crust to get warm. I don't want my bread dough too warm
either.


Not a lot. At least my mother's 80's era Cuisinart 7 cup doesn't. We
used to buy raw milk, separate the cream, and make butter by pouring it in
the FP and turning it on. We'd walk away and wait for the gurgling sound to
change. Never melted any, even in the summer.


My blender is having issues, I'm wondering if I could replace the blender
with a food processor. About The only things that I use the blender for
is an occasional diet frappe (crushed ice instead of ice cream) and
smoothing lumps out of rushed gravy, and sometimes salad dressings or
marinades. You mentioned fruit, could you make frozen fruit drinks...
not that I need one, I'm getting too fat from eating all my breads, I'm
thinking about kids treats here.


The major difference between a blender and a FP in these cases is the
width of the vessel and the position and size of the blades. A blender
tends to send material up the sides of the pitcher, and they then return
down the vortex. The FP is simply wider, and less gravity is involved. It
still achieves a vortex.

You can do all of the above in a food processor, the blender might be
better at frozen drinks.


Cleaning is a big concern, I don't want to get stuck with something that
takes longer to clean than use. The KA mixer has a bunch of attachments,
but they are a pain to use clean and store, I never would have purchased
any of them they were a gift. My husband ground meat once... It took
forever and it was messy...that was enough!


I think the FP is easier, in a sense. There are more parts, but they're
easier to handle. I've never come up with a really good way to clean the
blades in a blender. In extreme situations the pitcher has to be
disassembled and the blades cleaned with a brush or something.

The blades in a food processor are big enough to clean with a cloth,
sponge, whatever. They also pretty much just lift out of the bowl - they
sit on a spindle that comes up through the bottom of the bowl. The bowl is
easily rinsed or washed in a dishwasher. The lid can be a little complex,
but it usually doesn't get very dirty.

"Rina" wrote in message
...

Does a FP produce heat when you pulse pie crust or cookie dough? I
wouldn't
want my crust to get warm. I don't want my bread dough too warm either.

No, You pulse it a few times. It is very fast. I also use very cold (if
not frozen) butter.

My blender is having issues, I'm wondering if I could replace the blender
with a food processor. About The only things that I use the blender for is
an occasional diet frappe (crushed ice instead of ice cream) and smoothing
lumps out of rushed gravy, and sometimes salad dressings or marinades. You
mentioned fruit, could you make frozen fruit drinks... not that I need
one,
I'm getting too fat from eating all my breads, I'm thinking about kids
treats here.


The FP is not an exact replacement for the blender, but you can do the
things that you mentioned with it.


Cleaning is a big concern, I don't want to get stuck with something that
takes longer to clean than use.

As I said, mine goes in the dishwasher.

On Thu, 05 May 2005 14:25:23 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:

As I said, mine goes in the dishwasher.


....and I learned long ago to buy three workbowls.



The Fine Art of Cooking involves personal choice.
Many preferences, ingredients, and procedures may not
be consistent with what you know to be true.
As with any recipe, you may find your personal
intervention will be necessary. Bon Appetit!

"Ida Slapter" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 05 May 2005 14:25:23 GMT, "Vox Humana"
wrote:

As I said, mine goes in the dishwasher.


...and I learned long ago to buy three workbowls.


Absolutely! That is one reason I like my Braun FP. The parts are very
inexpensive so you can have several bowls and lids without a major
investment. I also have two bowls for the KA stand mixer.

"Eric Jorgensen" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
On Wed, 4 May 2005 21:03:36 -0400
"Rina" wrote:

Does a FP produce heat when you pulse pie crust or cookie dough? I
wouldn't want my crust to get warm. I don't want my bread dough too
warm
either.


Not a lot. At least my mother's 80's era Cuisinart 7 cup doesn't. We
used to buy raw milk, separate the cream, and make butter by pouring it in
the FP and turning it on. We'd walk away and wait for the gurgling sound
to
change. Never melted any, even in the summer.



Interesting. Since I don't have access to raw milk, I won't be trying that
soon. There are directions with my FP on how to use milk and butter to make
a substitute for cream. By varying the amount of unsalted butter added to
the fixed amount of milk, you supposedly can make light, medium, and heavy
cream. I haven't tried it so I don't know how well it works.

On Thu, 05 May 2005 17:00:23 GMT
"Vox Humana" wrote:

Interesting. Since I don't have access to raw milk, I won't be trying
that soon. There are directions with my FP on how to use milk and butter
to make a substitute for cream. By varying the amount of unsalted butter
added to the fixed amount of milk, you supposedly can make light, medium,
and heavy cream. I haven't tried it so I don't know how well it works.


I think that'd be a near miss at best - there's a lot of whey protein
left over in the liquid after you remove the fat from cream. They used to
try to feed it to livestock and even use it as fertilizer (it's lousy
fertilizer) but these days they put it in fad diet snack bars.

Dishwasher is fine, but I just got an AWFUL coffee Pot that says pieces can
be washed in the dish washer... DUH... I only run my dishwasher once a day!
and use the coffee pot a lot more than once. I would expect to do the same
with a food processor.

BTW I'm sorry, I didn't intend to hijack the "pizza " thread... it just
happened.

Rina


"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...



Cleaning is a big concern, I don't want to get stuck with something that
takes longer to clean than use.

As I said, mine goes in the dishwasher.

"Rina" wrote in message
...
Dishwasher is fine, but I just got an AWFUL coffee Pot that says pieces
can
be washed in the dish washer... DUH... I only run my dishwasher once a
day!
and use the coffee pot a lot more than once. I would expect to do the same
with a food processor.

BTW I'm sorry, I didn't intend to hijack the "pizza " thread... it just
happened.


Thread drift is normal for Usenet.

I sometimes use the coffee maker more than once a day. I just rinse out the
pot and dump the grounds. I don't wash it each time. There is nothing in
it that will go rotten and no one has drunk out of the pot - at least not in
my household. Therefore, I don't see any reason to wash it. Restaurants
don't wash the coffee maker between pots.

As for the FP, if I have a series of foods to prep, I try to do it in some
logical order to minimize washing the bowl. For instance, I might grind
some bread for crumbs, then chop the onion and celery, then grind the meat
if I am making meat loaf. There is no need to wash the bowl between jobs.
If I am making bread and grinding meat, I just pop on a clean bowl. I have
a Braun FP. It is very simple. There is a bowl, a lid, and pusher for the
feed tube. The are no complex interlocking parts in the lid like you find
on some models. If I need to do a quick wash between jobs, I simply put
some water and detergent in the bowl and wash it. The lid rarely gets dirty
as food doesn't tend to reach it. Again, if it needs a quick wash, I do it
with the bowl. I always have a sink brush handy. I use it to scrub the
sink and scrub dishes and pans. It is very useful and a good aid in
scrubbing sharp or irregular items like knives and your food processor
blade. I think you are over-thinking the hygiene aspect of this device. It
isn't any harder to clean than the bowl and beater from the stand mixer.
When it goes in the dishwasher, I use both the sani-clean and heated rinse
setting, so it gets subjected to very hot water. The dishes are so hot when
the cycle ends that I can't handle them. The Lexan bowl and lid easily
stand-up to the heat and detergent in the dishwasher. If you are concerned
about cleaning the bowl, make sure to find out how much additional bowls and
lids cost. In my case, that is about $20. For some machines you might be
looking at several times that amount for a second bowl.

I would buy another Braun FP if mine died, but since Gillette was bought by
Proctor and Gamble recently, and Braun is a subsidiary of Gillette, I am a
concerned about the future of Braun. As an alternative I would look at the
Wolfgang Puck FP from HSN. It looks great and there are two version. There
is a standard version and one that is a combination FP and blender. I would
probably get the dedicated unit. Here is a link:
http://www.hsn.com/cnt/prod/default....=1693115&sf=qc