Our second Oster Food processor died in a way different from the first one. It was a ‘warrantee’ replacement when the first one died from a physical malady. This one died from an electrical fault. I should have been suspicious when Oster’s response was not ‘We’ll ship you out a new shredding blade’ but ‘Here, we’ll ship you a whole new unit.’
It happened because I purchased based on price more than quality, I guess. I was frustrated that our long term Cuisinart was starting to crack, and the replacement bowl cost more than the Oster that replaced it. (Little did I know). I’m also frustrated in how ‘lawyer engineered’ food processors are getting. It’s not much of a processor when you have to pre-chew the food before processing. Cuisinart is getting a little nuts with it.
So. I’d like a large food opening, that I can place food in without needing the plunger in place to make the motor spin. I’d ALSO like a food processor that can shred a chunk of cheddar cheese without breaking the shredder blade. I’d also appreciate it if it could withstand a half-dozen uses without an electrical fault.
Mine does all that, no problem. I’m no sure but I think is a KitchenAid. I’d never buy a crappy one - didn’t even know they made them that had to have the plunger in. I have resisted the impulse to pulse my hand this far.
I want one that trusts that I’m not stupid enough to stick my hand in when running. That means a reasonable sized mouth that doesn’t require the plunger in place to get the motor running.
Cooking is dangerous. We purchased a deep fat fryer once that, I swear to god, said to ‘put food in basket, turn fryer on, lower food into fat, raise when done, then let oil cool before removing basket.’ That would work well with tempura. :dubious:
But that’s a whole 'nother thread. We can talk about turkey frying and 300 degree sugar there.
Do you still have your old Cuisinart? If so, buy a replacement bowl. I have my Cusinart that I bought in the mid-80s and it’s still going strong. Bought a replacement bowl about, oh, 8 or 10 years ago and it’s still fine; use the old cracked one for scratchy/dry things like nut and breadcrumbs).
To me Cuisinart is really the only brand of FP to have; I’d consider a KA if there were no Cuisinarts left on the face of the earth. It’s true that Cuisinart isn’t the same company it was – literally – when I bought mine, but to me it’s still the best of the bunch for the home market.
When we got married in the 80s we bought a cheap & nasty food processor. I can’t remember the brand but my husband might - he was the one that had to get it apart for me. & it used to have a bunch of nasty little pockets that got food stuck in it. So when her boss died, my mother gave me his food processor. (she helped clean his flat out & his son gave her anything that he didn’t want) Its a Ralta from the 70s & its never missed a beat.
I often think the simpler the appliance the less that can go wrong. But that too is a whole 'nother thread!
Not real germane, but is it that hard to hand grate cheese? I’ve been doing it for years with only a few scraped knuckles to show for it. It’s neither hard or high tech.
Re the crappiness of new appliances–I completely agree. We had a toaster (that I hated) for almost 15 years. Worked like a champ, I just didn’t like the way it looked (it was a bridal shower present). I replaced it with a snazzy brushed chrome one (an Oster, oddly enough. Hmmmm.) and it died after 2 years. Grrrrr.
Not at all, but if you have the tool, and have a lot of cheese to grate, then it’s something a food processor should be able to do with one blade tied behind it’s back.
(That and we have this crummy plastic cheese grater)
I have a Kitchen Aid food processor. I believe it’s the 11 cup bowl with the mini bowl that comes with it. I do not have to have the plunger in place to get it to run. Which is nice because my kids do the dishes and they often forget where things, like food processor plungers, go.
It’s a good FP. We use it every year to make apple cider. We like shred the apples before we put them in the press and the KA handles the all day work load like a champ.
That’s exactly why I don’t like the KA – feet tube too small.
It occurs to me that since the OP wants a machine free of safety features, the Robot Coupe might be worth looking at. RC invented the FP (remember “La Machine?” And the attendant “La Machine” jokes that involved dead babies and/or frogs?). They are now produced primarily for the professional kitchen market. I don’t know about CURRENT models – haven’t seen one in a long time – but I believe back in the day they didn’t have the locking mechanisms. They can be very expensive, but you might be able to pick up one in a restaurant supply store that sells used/reconditioned models.
