Come and talk to me about food processors!

[blushingmare]

I've never had one. Should I get one? Will it transform my life?!

This thought is triggered by the fact that dd is approaching weaning. We're hoping to do baby led weaning with her, so will be aiming to be making a lot of food from scratch to avoid salt and additives etc. But obviously having a non napping 6 month old means time is limited. Would a food processor help me with all the chopping, grating, blending, mixing type things? Or will it just be an expensive decoration for my kitchen?

If the answer is "get one", recommendations on which one would be gratefully received. Ease of cleaning and minimal faff in use a priority!

Get a hand-blender first.... preferably the kind with a mini food-processor attached like this one Modestly priced and you can chop, puree or blend small to medium amounts of all kinds of food. Great for soups, smoothies etc. A full-size food processor is great if you're planning to go into much larger quantities. But try the hand-blender first.

Yes I have a hand blender, but think perhaps I need a better one as mine's a bit rubbish.

BTW When you upgrade to a food-processor, save up for any of the Magimix models. Expensive but really powerful and durable.