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What The Pros Prefer: What To Look For In A Food Processor |
by Mike Churchill � 2007, All Rights Reserved
In 1973, Carl Sontheimer took the culinary world by storm. He adapted a French industrial blender for home use. It was outfitted to do far more than blend. The landscape of cooking schools as well as professional and home kitchens has never been the same.
Practically every cook - whether amateur or pro - wants a good food processor. With so many options in the marketplace how do you know which will work best for you? Is price the best indicator of performance or should you start small and work your way up as your culinary skills improve?
The Basics
Food processors range in price from $50 to $500, depending on the quality, brand and attachments you select. As basic kitchen equipment, there are certain features you'll want to look for. Attachments can usually be added later.
As standard equipment, most culinary school and professional kitchens make use of food processors that chop, slice, shred, grind and puree. The food processor may be one of three sizes: mini, compact or full. The amount of counter space you have along with the quantity of food you need to process will be the best indicators of which size is best for you.
Each machine traditionally comes with a motor, at least one bowl, a lid, a feeding tube and a set of attachments that perform the basic functions described above.
Your Needs
Do you cook for a large family? Are you a cooking school student? Do you own a caf� or restaurant of your own?
If cooking for two, you probably won't require as large a unit as someone cooking for a family of four, five or six. Someone with a large family will do less cooking than a professional chef. In addition, the amount of food you process at one time will come into play. For instance, a wedding caterer could easily prepare enough food for hundreds of people within a day or two.
Do you plan to juice your own fruits and vegetables? Will you be baking bread? Grinding your own meat? Some of these attachments may come standard on larger, more expensive, models. If you don't plan to use them, you may want to opt for a smaller, more practical machine.
Budgetary Considerations
Lastly, look at pricing. Many different stores and websites have drastically different pricing on the same brands and models. If you've decided what type and size of machine you need, but feel you can't afford it, don't give up. Do a little more research or wait for a holiday, then buy it on sale. To save money you may even want to purchase a model now that does not include a few of the attachments you want. You can usually add them on later when funds are more readily available.
From the basic to the extravagant, there's a food processor out there for practically every need, capacity and budget. Be sure to check product review magazines and websites to find brands that offer consistently good performance. A quality food processor of high quality can serve you well for years to come.
Mike Churchill provides online marketing support for Western Culinary Institute. Cooking school applications are currently being accepted. If you have a love of cooking and are in <a href="http://www.wci.edu/">Portland, culinary school</a> could be your next step. Visit us at <a href="http://www.wci.edu/">http://www.wci.edu</a>.
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