But here’s the problem, a lot of the new ones do not have slicers/graters that are attached to a shaft that goes all the way down the rotor. Instead they have holes lined with cheap-ass plastic that breaks and makes it worthless. Some have short shafts but I have no idea how fragile they are.
So what is a good durable current food processor?
For years, my ‘food processor’ was a Henckels six-inxh chef’s knife, and a box grater. When (then, the eventual-) Mrs. L.A. moved in, she convinced me to buy a machine. I ended up buying a Kitchenaid like this one (which looks to be the actual model). Not having had a food processor before, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money.
The cutting disc does not have a plastic insert. The shaft looks like this. I guess I’ve had this food processor for six years now, and as of about a year ago, I’m on my second cutting disc. The original one got loose on the shaft. The new one is tight on the original shaft. The original grater was also getting a bit dull. I always use the grater, and have not had a need to use the slicer. The machine is used weekly to grate potatoes for hashbrowns, and as-needed to grate Tillamook medium cheddar cheese, which we buy in 5-pound bricks. Less frequently, the chopper blade is used for onions, celery, cilantro, tomatoes, etc.
So: It’s not a heavy-duty processor. It’s usually only used once or twice a week. It has held up well for six years. It was inexpensive.
That would help IF they still made the blades like that.
They don’t. I need a CURRENT model.
Not really sure what you mean, but KitchenAid does still make processors with steel blades and a mounting shaft for them. Here’s one. Go down to the third photo and mouse over for magnification. The shaft is lying next to the grating blade.
Right but do you see on the blade how it is not attached to the shaft. Instead it is a ring of plastic that goes around the separable shaft? I do not want that. I want the full shaft attached to the blade like this.
I’m not seeing what the advantage is. I’ve had my KA with separate shaft for 24 years without an issue. A lot of spuds and cheese have passed through those attachments.
I have a Cuisinart. I like it and haven’t had any problems with the plastic breaking. Shaft for slicing blade. And attached.
My pet peeve are ones that list a size for the bowl that isn’t the actual capacity. The center doohickey is much lower than the outer rim so liquids and stuff spill down the shaft. Be on the lookout for that.
I had one where the plastic broke after 1 week and cuisinart refuse to replace it as it was not a manufacturer’s defect.
I have a similar Cuisinart (one of the stainless/black ones (Custom 14?) ) that we got for our wedding, and it’s bad-ass.
The shaft is interchangeable- you can mount the grater blade or the slicer blade on the same shaft. And it’s solid; no wiggles or anything, and we’ve used ours for 8 years now. You can also get additional blades that mount on the shaft- various sized grating ones and various thickness slicing ones, for example.
Plus, it’s easier to store- you’re storing a shaft and a series of discs, not a shaft/disk combination that takes up 3x the space.
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So what is a good durable current food processor?
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Robb-Who? These are the truly commercial-grade machines used in professional kitchens worldwide. If you break one at home, you’re trying too hard - they’re so nearly idiot-proof that they don’t even come with instructions in the box. Paraphrasing a review I saw, if you can’t figure out Off-On-Pulse and keep your fingers off the sharp parts, you shouldn’t be using this machine. Most of the plastic parts are ABS, so they’ll survive commercial dishwashers and can be used to fend off zombies.
Perhaps more practical for home use, my Breville has devoured everything I’ve put into it. It replaced a KitchenAid processor that succumbed to a known issue of stress cracks in the bowl.
Despite your fear of the KitchenAid model for shafts, it works, and the disks take up a lot less storage space than they would if the shafts were integral. Even the Sunbeam model you have has a plastic shaft, and it’s subject to the same torque as the separate shaft models.
I think Cuisinart shafted you (pun definitely intended).
I’m very happy with my KitchenAid.
