Food processor, yea or nay?

[Bittermints]

Grateful for all advice! I bought my first food processor in the early 80s, I think, and have always had one since. I don't use it a huge amount but it can be very useful for certain things. Making breadcrumbs is one, rubbing butter into flour for crumble or shortcrust pastry is another. On the rare occasions I make a pate or hummus it's great. I like cooking but I don't do much of that kind of thing, though.

I don't tend to chop veg in it and I hardly ever use the grating or slicing blades. I used to blend soup in it but now I have a stick blender which is much better and more convenient. I don't make cake mixture or pancake batter in it. For those I use either my hand mixer or a balloon whisk.

I can't remember how long I've had the current model but it's been a good few years. The dial is starting to get very stiff to turn and occasionally hasn't turned at all, which means it doesn't work. This may be fixable but it's made me think whether I really need to have a food processor at all.

Thoughts? Is there another not too expensive gadget that would do what I need it to and take up a lot less space?

If not, any recommendations for another food processor? I don't want to spend £££ but I do want it to last.

Thanks in advance!

[crumbsinthecutlerydrawer]

I don’t know enough about them to give a decent recommendation but I spent years sneering at food processors because they reminded me of 80s cooking and I thought they were quite old fashioned. BUT then my Mil gave me her old moulinex master chef and it has been very well used since I’ve had it.

I’m the same as you, use it to whizz up ends of bread to freeze and doing pastry and crumbles mainly because I have carpal tunnel and can’t do it by hand for too long. I do use the grater attachment for vegetable croquettes but that’s about it. If mine came to the end of it’s life I would definitely replace it, I don’t have the space for a mixer to stand out all the time, the food processor just goes back in the cupboard when it’s done with.

[SmokeGetsInYourEye]

I bought one that works for mincing and so we've been able to mince meat for burgers and have them medium well done and juicy. I don't use it for much though, rather use my knife or the mandoline and I got a mini chopper for sauces and dressings like chimichurri and pesto. I use it for meatballs too and like you pastry. It has a variable slicer on it which I have used about 3 times in as many years. It's nice to have and unlike the juicer it gets used just now very often.