What do I need to look for in a food processor?

[nappyaddict]

I know I want one that does ice crushing, blending, whisking, whipping, chopping, grating, slicing, shredding. What else should I look for? A dough tool might be nice as I've been looking at getting a bread maker too.

I presume the more powerful the better?

Any in particular to avoid or take a look at?

This seems like a bargain but does it have everything I'm looking for and is it any good?

I'm looking for one too and my uncle who is a professional chef recommended getting a magimix4200. Hope that helps you a bit. He said the more powerful the motor the better.

I think you should look at the Kenwood Prospero. It's not primarily a FP, it's a stand mixer with a FP and blender that go on top - basically a mini version of the Kenwood Chef.
You will get better results for the dough, whisking and whipping with a stand mixer than a FP, and it's easier to clean.
I'm well chuffed with mine. I've never had a stand mixer before and it's amazing. There's a thread of Prospero obsessives - have a look for Wood Pussies in the food topic.

There's a 900W model too though my 650W one has plenty of grunt. You would need to make sure the one you get comes with the fp included - the cheapest ones don't.

See that only has a 500W motor. It's 139.99 in Currys so I thought it would be a decent one, but that motor doesn't seem very powerful at all

x post - i was talking about the one I linked to there :)

The one you linked also doesn't seem to have a julienne disc - neither does the Prospero, just fine and coarse grating discs and a rasping disc for parmesan, but I THINK Kenwood makes them to buy separately - you would need to email Kenwood to check what fits.

What's a julienne disc?

it's for cutting veg into matchsticks; you can get bigger ones that cut chips as well.

I should have said, the normal discs that you get with basic models slice as well as grate.

Oh like carrot batons and sticks of cucumber etc?

ive got a kenwood k mix, but its no good for chopping/blending. looks lovely when out ont eh work top and makes dough fabulously, but in reality unless you're baking every day its a bit of a waste.

ive got this one as well now which does everythign else i need. makes fab coleslaw! www.comet.co.uk/p/Food-Processors/buy-BOSCH-MCM4100GB-Food-Processor/708488

oops clicked too soon, i wanted a magimix but was a bit too ££ for what i need really, especially as i have the k mix.

I'm trying to think if I really need one of those ....

Does the Prospero do dicing and chopping?

It chops, it doesn't dice (do any FPs do that?)

Dunno lol never had one before.

Perhaps I need a mini chopper for dicing.

Turnip Is the chopping/blending part of the Prospero good? Or will I end up having to get something else like KW had to after getting the KMix?

YOu need to buy the processor as an extra for the propero, so for the money that it would cost in total i would go for a better food processor, rather than a mixer with the processor as an attachment.
If i didnt have the k mix the bosch would do everything that the k mix does and everything else beside, would only have had one piece of equipment in my cupbard and not two lol.
also if the propero is like the k mix, the bosch is easier to clean, shove it all in the dishwasher, or wash by hand and no fiddley bits to get stuff stuck in and make hard to clean.
id say the propero was better for a hardcore baker rather than a general multipurpose food processor.

Yes it is good, it's a proper food processor, just that it shares the motor with the stand mixer.
I bought mine to replace my old fp which was useless at grating and slicing veg, and I've been thrilled with how good it is.
However the fp bowl is slightly smaller than the one you get with a dedicated fp like the Magimix so if you are cooking for a large family you might have to do your slicing in 2 batches sometimes.

The fp is included with the £128 Prospero on Amazon but not the £80 one in Sainsburys.

KW Which bosch one do you have?

Just seen the Prospero with FP on offer on Amazon for anyone else looking. It's £112.99