What do you use your food processor for?

[peachcake]

Hi, just wondering if it's worth investing in a food processor? What do you think? Will it stay in the back of the cupboard or do you use yours in a regular basis? Opinions would be most helpful.

I have a Magimix & use it to make:
Dough - bread, chapatti, naan, pitta, focaccia, French bread, pizza
Cakes - cupcakes, fruit cakes, tray bakes, Victoria sponge, carrot cake, banana bread, courgette cake, lemon drizzle, gingerbread, cheesecakes
Pastry for quiches, tarts, pies
Meringues & Pavlovas
Whipping cream, buttercream
Coleslaw, shredding lettuce, chopping onions, salsa, hummus, pesto, slicing salads, cucumber, tomatoes, dicing potatoes & carrots & other veg (mirepoix)
Slicing bananas for banoffee pie, carrots, lemons, etc
Grating cheese & Parmesan (have special Parmesan & chocolate grating disc)
Crumble mix
Sausage meat mix - breadcrumbs, onion, meat, herbs, spices
Mayonnaise & dressings
Ice cream
Smoothies & cocktails, Lemonade
Crushing ice
Juice & coulis (have a juicing attachment) for topping cheesecakes or desserts

In fact pretty much everything! I have it out all the time and have an extra set of bowls so don't have to constantly wash up.
I plan my prep so that I don't have to wash up too much in between.
Eg I'll make Mayo in small bowl first then shred cabbage into large bowl then grate carrots & onion on top, mix with mayo.
I grate a block of cheese, use some, put some in fridge & freeze rest in portion size bags. Same with onions, chop a load (actually I use the dicing attachment to get even size pieces) use some, freeze some.
Crumble mix - make big batch, use some freeze rest
Pancake batter, Yorkshire pudding batter, crumpet batter, pakora batter
Dosa/idli batter
Herbs, chop a load & freeze
Bread dough, make a big batch, bake some freeze rest.
So I can whip stuff out of freezer and quickly prepare a meal.
I keep crusts and any leftover bread in bag in freezer & blitz into breadcrumbs when I need it or if I have loads of bread leftover, I'll make breadcrumbs & freeze.

Choc hazelnut mousse - whip cream till soft peaks then warm a jar of Nutella in microwave or in pan of hot water, so that it starts to go runny (not too much as will be too hot) & add to cream and pulse until just mixed in. Spoon into serving glasses. I sometimes put in a few raspberries. Chill in fridge. Yummy!

Just a few of the things I use mine for.
I'd be lost without it!

Forgot also use it for chopping meat for meatballs, burgers, bolognaise, chilli and making smoked salmon pate/dip, veggie dip to eat with crudités and/or breadsticks

Smoothies, soups, cakes, most stuff in the deliciously Ella cookbook

Thanks Chatty I was thinking about getting 5200xl

Yours gets some use Pengy I like the fact that I could bulk chop onions/herbs/breadcrumbs. Do you just use them all from frozen? Do the dicer and fry attachments work well, I currently do all my chips by hand so this would be really handy for me if it works.

Making g banana bread
Making humour
Making coleslaw
Making bread crumbs
Making refried beans

Chopping onions in bulk to freeze (one lot of tears only). Grating cheese for bulk freezing. Making pastry. I can't use it to chop up liver to make faggots anymore because I cracked the bowl and it's held together with duct tape. Chopped liver looks like a blood bath.

Fantastic ideas! Not sure my cooking would warrant a food processor after reading these replies!
My friend is a thermomix rep and keeps trying to convince me to get one of them, they look amazing but so expensive!

Mustbethin: I use herbs, breadcrumbs, etc straight from frozen. Find it much better than defrosting & using. I also do ginger & garlic pastes & freeze in thin layer in reveal able plastic bag. Flatten bag, mark out in square grid with blunt edge of knife and freeze. When you need to use, snap off as many squares as you need. Defrosts quickly as thin not thick, as would be in ice cube tray.

I use the dicer but tbh not used for chips as we get chip shop chips and I don't deep fry much these days. Must try it out actually!

The size of the chips will be more like French fries I think.

Bread dough is very quick too. Only need to process for 1 minute. Then leave to prove. Makes very yummy bread. I bake it with a tray of water at bottom of oven to get a soft crust. Only thing is I eat far too much of it warm out of oven!

Pastry is soo quick too - just combine ingredients until it comes together then pat into disc & chill in fridge while you prepare fillings.

I would get the most powerful one you can afford & keep it out. Most people don't use it if you have to get it out & set it up. I didn't use it much until I left it out all the time. And then got extra bowls as using it so much.

Not used a thermomix or seen one in action but £1k+ price tag puts me off straight away! I like cooking & gadgets to help but can't see how it is worth the cost. I like to make large batches so have stuff frozen that family can heat up & not have to cook after long day at work. Don't think a Thermomix is big enough. 😄