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Food processors - do you use yours?

106 replies

Pronkey · 17/01/2026 13:46

2026 is my year to cook more

Ive definitely upped my cooking game in the last few months. I make a lot of soups, breads, baked goods these days. Just works out so much cheaper.

I hate chopping and grating etc. Have been thinking about getting a food processor. Do you actually use yours regularly? I have a nutribullet but it struggles with chickpeas or anything harder. Probably need a new blade.

About to buy one in the sales. Do you actually use yours regularly?

I definitely use my kitchen aid daily and the nutribullet gets taken out fairly often so I’m in the “habit”.

Was batch making coleslaw for sandwiches and my God is it a pain

OP posts:
LegoLandslide · 17/01/2026 18:31

I use mine a few times a month for
Making waffle batter
Shredding cabbage and beetroot
Shredding sprouts for one particular recipe
Any other large amounts of grating

It lives on the side and I feel it earns its keep

I also have a bread machine which is used for dough (not bread) several times a week and I wish my food processor had a dough hook.

Mine isn't too bad to wash (it's a Kenwood) but the jug is badly designed and I've already had to have a replacement. I dream of a kitchen aid!

MyAgileHedgehog · 17/01/2026 18:25

The food processor gets used for pastry and scones

I use a ninja chopper, stick mixer and a box grater for chopping and blitzing.

Barrellturn · 17/01/2026 18:20

I moved mine to my garage and then haven't used it for 4 years. Itll go to charity on my next run.

The ease it adds to grating etc is cancelled out by the space it requires and the cleaning.

Somersetbaker · 17/01/2026 18:17

Jack of all trades master of none. It doesn't anything you can't do with basic bowls, chopping boards, knives and your hands, while being difficult to clean and you're going to end up cleaning bits several times while you prepare a meal. Buy one, get fed up with it on the worktop, put in a cupboard, then send it to the chazza. I've never seen one in a professional kitchen.

LLJETO · 17/01/2026 17:32

I’ve got the Kenwood compact and use it relatively regularly. I stick it in the dishwasher.

hahagogomomo · 17/01/2026 17:29

Not my full food processor, cleaning it is a nightmare but I have a mini one which grinds anything just the right size for spice pastes I use a couple of times a week, the bowl part and lid are dishwasher safe. I highly recommend one of those to avoid buying shop bought sauces

Zillyzillyzillymouse · 17/01/2026 17:29

I use mine all the time. I chop onions in it and loads of vegetables to make soups, bolognaise sauce, etc. It makes excellent pastry. I couldn’t be without it.

Papyrophile · 17/01/2026 17:26

I love my stick blender, and I have a Cuisinart cup-sized grinder thing-y. Most of the rest of the prep work I find easier with a sharp knife or a mandoline. I own a blender too but it's mainly used if I am making a bulk quantity of something for freezing in ice cube trays.

canklesmctacotits · 17/01/2026 16:42

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 17/01/2026 16:17

Where did she say that?

The only out of place comment on this thread was yours, as noted by multiple people, including the OP. Just stop it.

“Just stop it”?! “as noted by multiple people”??

I’ve seen some mental stuff on MN in my 15+ years here but being policed off a thread on kitchen appliances is next level 😂. Yes ma’am 🫡. It’s all yours!

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 17/01/2026 16:17

canklesmctacotits · 17/01/2026 16:13

To the OP, yes. She said so.

Bloody hell, who would have thought people would get snarky over kitchen appliances Confused

Where did she say that?

The only out of place comment on this thread was yours, as noted by multiple people, including the OP. Just stop it.

Jinglejells · 17/01/2026 16:16

I use mine ALOT

just made a ton of mince using chicken breasts. Used it to shred chicken for homemade stew.

I’ve used the mixer to make naan bread dough.

i have the ninja which is just amazing

canklesmctacotits · 17/01/2026 16:13

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 17/01/2026 14:52

Exactly. Size is also apparently an important factor. ‘Small’ gadgets appear to be fine. 😒

To the OP, yes. She said so.

Bloody hell, who would have thought people would get snarky over kitchen appliances Confused

Soluckyinlove · 17/01/2026 15:35

I've got a compact Kenwood food processor, Kenwood FP120A Compact Food Processor - White. (Under £40 at Argos)
I've had it for over a decade and it gets used most days. It has earned it's worktop space! I use it for making pastry and and crumble, making breadcrumbs, grating and chopping all kinds of vegetables, making paté and potted meat, and probably other things I can't think of right now. It is really quick and easy to clean .... unless I have used it for grating frozen butter.

thestudio · 17/01/2026 15:02

I have a big Sage processor which I use for houmous, chopping lots of onions and caramelising in wok then oven to freeze in cubes, pesto, grating cabbage for coleslaw. Basic cakes like nigellas Vic sponge / vegan banana cake can easily be made if you add a bit more baking powder. I need to get over my fear of pastry making because you can’t buy non upf vegan readymade. I prob use twice a week depending on how much scratch / bulk cooking I can be arsed to do. It goes away in an east to reach cupboard in between because I don’t like clutter.

the one I resisted getting but love is the magimix micro - tiny chopper, so easy to get out quickly and takes no room. It’s great for chopping herbs onion garlic ginger quickly to get a meal on the table fast.

my lovely kitchen aid is rotting away (fear of pasty extends to fear of bread making )

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 17/01/2026 14:52

PotatoBreadForTheWin · 17/01/2026 14:11

So you don’t believe in gadgets, apart from the ones you like to use 🙄

Exactly. Size is also apparently an important factor. ‘Small’ gadgets appear to be fine. 😒

abricotine · 17/01/2026 14:47

Have a look at thermomix. There are plenty nearly new TM6 available on eBay. Plenty of people don’t use them but they are brilliant for all sorts of things - like a more powerful food processor that also makes dough and pastry and cooks. Great for hummus and stuff and also soups

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 17/01/2026 14:47

I use mine daily. Sometimes multiple times a day. I cook A LOT, and my base for most stuff is a mirepoix, a sofrito or the trinity. Occasionally just plain diced onions. It’s much quicker and easier to do this using the food processor.

I also make lots of chopped salads and slaws, so handy for those.

I’ve also got a super cheap little spice grinder that I use every day, as I cook with whole spices. It’s also very handy for garlic (just chuck the cloves in, skin and all).

The Nutribullet is probably used the least. DH makes shakes in it and I very occasionally use it for soup. Tried to make nut butter in it once. This was a mistake. 🤣

I think appliances’ utility is very dependent on what sort of food you eat on a daily basis.

Pronkey · 17/01/2026 14:44

BobbyBrewstersMagicTorch · 17/01/2026 14:41

I use mine several times a week. Chopping onion, celery and carrot for Bolognese, grating veg for coleslaw, blending soup, making hummus etc. I would find it really laborious to cook without one!

Do you have any other gadgets like a nutri bullet, stick blender?

OP posts:
BobbyBrewstersMagicTorch · 17/01/2026 14:41

I use mine several times a week. Chopping onion, celery and carrot for Bolognese, grating veg for coleslaw, blending soup, making hummus etc. I would find it really laborious to cook without one!

canklesmctacotits · 17/01/2026 14:38

Pronkey · 17/01/2026 14:25

I have visions of homemade hummus, peanut butter, mayo etc. Seems like a nice idea but I don’t want it to be end up in my appliance grave yard next to my instant pot.

This is what I meant about not believing in gadgets except for the small ones that I have 😂. I made all three of those things with my nutribullet or stick blender! I suppose you might be limited quantity wise but those suffice for our average sized family.

Pronkey · 17/01/2026 14:36

Highlighta · 17/01/2026 14:32

Can't you make these in the Nutribullet?

Does your Kitchenaid take attachments?

I don’t know if our nutribullet has seen better days but it really doesn’t do a good job with anything remotely hard. The hummus was a complete disaster when we last tried. Celery is a struggle for it these days.

I am weighing up kitchenaid attachments vs whole new food processor though!

OP posts:
Dancingsquirrels · 17/01/2026 14:33

Brilliant for pastry

bilbodog · 17/01/2026 14:33

I have a magimix and use it for pastry, chopping but i do have it out on the counter because if i had it in a cupboard i wouldnt want to keep taking it in and out! Also have my kitchenaid and liquidiser out for the same reason.

dont forget its a kitchen - not a show home!

Highlighta · 17/01/2026 14:32

Pronkey · 17/01/2026 14:25

I have visions of homemade hummus, peanut butter, mayo etc. Seems like a nice idea but I don’t want it to be end up in my appliance grave yard next to my instant pot.

Can't you make these in the Nutribullet?

Does your Kitchenaid take attachments?

Kneadless · 17/01/2026 14:28

I use mine any day I cook - maybe three times a week but I batch cook to avoid doing something every day.

I have a magimix and knead dough and freeze a loaf, make choux pastry, grate cheese and also the coleslaw ingredients, make the mayo, chop all the onions in one go then freeze them in sandwich bags for anything else later. It works well for pesto, tartare, cake mixing, meringues, cheesecake bases, and I love the citrus press in the summer as well as bunging in salad ingredients. I wouldn’t eat nearly so much salad without it. Red onion, cucumber, peppers and a couple of pulses then add pomegranate seeds, walnuts and some cherry tomatoes (I do chop those by hand) and you have a chopped salad most people like.

it all goes in the dishwasher on eco.