Ok here is my question. I do low carb cooking for a friend on Atkins. I do all his cooking for him. He has lost close to 100 lbs so far. He has found a recipe that requires a food processor and wants to run out and buy one for me to use. This is just one recipe and I dont know if I want him to spend all that money for one silly recipe.

My question is.. Do you find food processors useful in low carb cooking and what are the different things you can do with them? Also I know nothing about them could you make some suggestions about what I should be looking for when/if purchasing one? I know seriously zero about them except they are good for mushing stuff lol.

will appreciate anything any of you can tell me.

sherri

Lots of people use them almost constantly, especially to grind nuts into flour, whip together cream cheese and something, or do baking.

Some people make sauces, salsas, etc., in the food processor, or slice their veggies.

Personally, I don't own one, and every time I think about getting one, I think I have a blender and a mixer, and really don't want to just go out and buy an appliance that will sit in the cupboard unused.

Guess I don't do enough baking or meal preparation that would require the services of a food processor.

Someone else will likely have a much better explanation, and will tell you they can't live without it. I think that's Dana Carpender's opinion, in her cookbook.

What kind of recipe is it? You may be able to get it done without a processor.

If you're only going to use it once, then it is kind of silly. But, it may open the doors to cooking new and different things.

The processor I get the most use out of is the LittlePro Plus. I have a bigger one but I hardly ever use it. Besides pureeing, it grates and slices. It's also small and easy to handle.

I find other brands - except for Kitchen Aid - don't have the power.

Here's a few examples of what it can be used for

• mayonnaise
• creamy, chunky dressings
• chopping nuts
• nut butters
• making sauces, like a sesame ginger sauce
• making devilled ham/egg salad
• cheesecake batter
• nut crusts
• muffins
• puddings
• grating large quantities of cheese, which can then be frozen
• shredding cabbage
• "instant" ice cream - frozen berries with cream and water

Hope that gives you a hand!

Karen

I use my little Cuisinar Food Processor to make coleslaw.
Nice little batch of coleslaw for two.
I use the big one for everything .When I bought the big one 18 years ago ,a friend told me to just use it ,so many people buy it and forget to use it .
It comes with a recipe book and, by the way, the ice cream that Karen talks about?
It takes less than 2 minutes to make.
I find Cuisinar make the best .Powerful motor .It is worth it.
Pene

I use my food processor for anything I can think of. Any bake/mixing I can do I do in the food processor. Cookies, cakes, muffins, crusts, dressings, chopping, slicing, grating, mixing, drinks, ice crushing, making flours/pastes. The only thing I use a mixer for is whipping egg whites.

It is always on my counter. I never put it away. I use it too much.

I love the cuisinart. It's very powerful.

I also use my FP constantly; daily I believe. I have an 11-cup Cuisinart and a mini-prep Cuisinart.

Like Karen, I shred cheese, make nut butters, shred veggies, etc. I also like it for fauxtatoes in large quanities.

I bought a cheap food processor at a Thrift Store for $2.00 about 5 years ago--just to see if I would actually use one enough to justify paying a big price for one. I'm still using it--lots! Chopping peppers, onions, mushrooms or cabbage--you name it, I use it.

I don't make bread or cracker crumbs with it anymore, however

So maybe finding a used one for a few bucks would be your solution, especially if you think you won't use it much...?

~Debbie~LoveSong~

How could I have forgotten about all the great cauliflower purees?

Cauliflower and mushroom, cauliflower and spinach, cauliflower and broccoli, cauliflower and Swiss chard, cauliflower and pumpkin...

Karen

You know I found owning my food processor has been the greatest investment. Especially working and cooking alot.
I use to keep it in the cabinets and would hesitate to take it out. But after seeing a program about being more efficient, I reorganized my counter space,and made it look good in the surroundings. By being there I use it so much more. Almost 5 times a week. I even cook better because it takes seconds to slice or mixed up things.

Hope that helps many. Really I cook an bake better because of the extra helping hand. My wrist don't get that pain of doing so much by hand. I feel more happier when I bake an cook for family.

Amazin77

Little Pro Plus? Well now you have given me another gadget to start thinking about. A bit of a technical point here. Whenever looking at any appliance, steer away from things that are BELT driven ( direct drive is the best)and read the horsepower stats. And I've found that America's Test Kitchen ( www.americastestkitchen.com) is a reliable site for things tested by actual cooks, but you have to check in regularly if you want to see for free. I purchased a Cuisinart "Prep 11 Plus" and love the power, but hate the new idiot protection features thay have included. See if you can get a model without them.

Oh yes and I do have to give a big thumbs up for the Vitamix (vitamix.com?)blender I got last year. I find that I am using it more than the food processor now. But over all I must admit that a sharp chef's knife is often the most convenient tool, seconded by those new silicone spatulas. Happy collecting!

Colin

Oh, duh? I can't stand the new features! Did too many people actually manage to stick their hands in the food processor and lose a few fingers?

I have to use these newfangled machines in cooking classes and I look like a big idiot trying to figure it out. It just looks bad on Cuisinart because if a pro can't figure it out, who can?

While I'm on a rant, a few years ago KitchenAid decided to create a blender container that you lifted off the motor instead of twisted off. What happens when you've been twisting off blender containers for years? You twist of course! When you twist with the kitchenAid, the bottom comes off and everything runs out onto the counter and floor. In my case it was a black bean vinaigrette. Not pretty!

Karen