Food processor - what do you use it for?

[MooFroo]

Looking at buying a new blender/smoothie maker. I’ve seen one that’s on offer which also has a food processor with it.

I used to have one years ago but didn’t really use it. Just wondering what people use it for on a regular regular basis?

i’m not a big baker, although my DD has bouts of baking and would probably do more if she could do it all in one bowl

i do chop a lot of veg things like peppers, onions, cheese, grating, et cetera so I was just wondering if it’s worth spending the extra money to buy a two in one machine or will it just be an expensive thing that I don’t use

would love to hear how you use yours?
how often, and what do actually do with it?

can’t imagine taking it out to chop 2 onions and grate some cheese so is it best for batch cooking and meal prepping on one day?

Mine sits on the worktop. I make a smoothie every day but use the processor for grating cheese, blending dates to make date caramel. Yesterday I blended oats into flour and then pulse function on the processor to bring together the recipe for digestives that I was making. I’ve used it to slice potatoes for dauphinois, shred the veg for coleslaw, make breadcrumbs to coat fish, blitz tofu to make mouse. I think I hardly use processor bit really but I’m glad I have it.
I do still chop my onions and peppers by hand though. Not sure what attachment would do it the size/shape I want really.

I got one but made sure it wasn't too expensive as I knew I wouldn't use it that much. Several recipes involve making pastes etc but as for chopping, I weigh up whether it's worth it for the faff of getting it out of the cupboard, washing up the blades, bowl and lid afterwards - I rarely deem it to be! It doesn't really 'dice' carrots etc but chops them small - I quite like chopping little dice by hand...

If you're grating large amounts of cheese it's good.

I don't really drink smoothies etc that much.

For stuff that doesn't need particularly fine blending like soup, guacamole, pasta sauce mixtures I use a stick blender that's cheaper and easier to store.

I re bought one recently.

I use it mostly to make sauces.

There's a Nigerian sauce based on tomatoes and peppers which is lovely.

I'm going to make some baba ganoush in mine later on

Oooh I love baba ganoush - would you mind sharing how you’d use the processor for it and recipe pls?
thanks so much

Ours is an old Kenwood one. Don't do any fancy shredding or cutting with it but use it to blitz big portions that the are too faffy for the hand blender like bread crumbs. Yesterday I made smoked mackerel pâté with it. Don't feel the need to have anything that does more than blend or blitz ingredients.

Breadcrumbs (for Sunday's stuffing)

Buns

The other week I made some funky dish and used the food processor to emusify some carrots. Worked amazing and I couldn't even tell the carrots were in the finished dish (nor could my toddler 😉)

My husband keeps talking about making some soup, but it hasn't happened yet!

I've got an old Kenwood processor and blender. I use the processor for breadcrumbs, pastry, hummus, pesto and salsa, chopping nuts, making tapenade. I don't use it for chopping veg or grating things, I didn't like the texture all that much and then decluttered most of the attachments. I use the blender for soup and purées.

Breadcrumbs from the ends of loaves I store in the freezer until I have enough.
Pastry
Crumble mix
Scone mix
Fish cakes
Chopping loads of onions for the freezer for using when arthritis flares (and soffrito etc)
Salsa verde
Chopping vegetables for a bunch of Ottolenghi recipes that otherwise call for endless dicing like the traybake ragù or tofu baked chilli

I use the stick blender for hummus, tapenade and baba ganoush as it’s much faster to clean

Occasionally there's a recipe that something to be done in one & I think damn, I really should get one. But I don't bake anymore (I have to eat very low carb to avoid taking medication for diabetes).

I wouldn't want the faff of cleaning it day to day to chop veg etc. I don't have any more space on the worktop for 'gadgets' and it wouldn't get used at all if I had to get it out of a cupboard (which I don't have enough of anyway!)

I make soup on a heavy bottom pan & blitz with hand blender if desired.

i love smoothies, but don't make them as it's far too carby for me, it's better for me to eat anything low carb, like berries, and the 'nice' things are just too carby anyway. (Bananas etc)

so I resist the urge to buy one!

Mainly making pastry/crumble/biscuits where you need to rub the flour butter and flour together. I occasionally use it for chunky sauces or dips. I have a nutribullet too which I tend to use more though

Everything!! Including things that it's probably not meant for...

Cakes, pastry, tortilla dough, hummus & other dips, almond paste, coleslaw, buttercream, and probably a load of other stuff I've forgotten!

@MooFroo

Just this one, except I usually use smoked paprika instead of chilli and a bit less toasted sesame oil instead of tahini

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/baba-ganoush/

Mine likes to sit in a cupboard, taking up space whilst I figure out what to use it for.
Best kit I have is a stick blender and a vegetable chopper.

A magimix.

I don't think food processors are very good for cakes, so your DD would be better off with a stand mixer or electric rotary whisk. You can incorporate more air that way.

I've got a Magimix which mostly sits in the cupboard as it's so big and heavy, but I inherited a smaller Kenwood processor which I use lots for batch grating, pastry, dips, veg burgers, fine chopping, tandoori pastes etc.

Chopping veg for soup, sauces ( I batch cook)
I make breadcrumbs out of stale bread,
Pastry for pies etc.
Chopping herbs, mine has a small attachment.
I also make burgers and fagots
Grating cheese.

Makes the best scones and pastry because you don’t have to handle the dough much.

Hummus
Whipped feta
Grating veg
Grating cheese
Breadcrumbs
Blending soups
Salsa verde

Loads other stuff

Today I used my ninja blender to make hummous

I have several accessories for mine and I don't really know what they do.

Gathering dust in a cupboard. it’s excellent at that job. With a sideline in taking up space that could be better used for something else. And also giving me a mild brain itch because I’m not sure the best way to get rid of it.

Grating veg and cheese
Pizza dough
Pancake batter
Dips / sauces / herby rubs for meat
Blitzing meat with spices etc for kebabs, chicken nuggets, meatballs
Whisking egg whites
Mayonnaise, hummus
Nut butters, DIY Nutella

Finely chopping onions, because I can't be bothered to do it manually.

Breadcrumbs.

I used it to do carrots for a carrot cake the other day.