See what MNers think of Kenwood’s new kCook and be in with a chance to win your own! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 20 Mumsnetters who tried the Kenwood kCook.

Here’s what the people at Kenwood say, “Whipping up a one-pot wonder for your family has never been easier thanks to the new kCook cooking food processor from Kenwood which not only chops and stirs, but also cooks delicious dishes at the touch of a few buttons. All this, plus a fantastic specially-developed recipe app to provide a little inspiration at every meal time, makes the kCook the new must-have kitchen essential.

The three bowl tools coupled with the app make the laborious tasks of thinking up a meal, preparing ingredients and endlessly stirring over a hot stove a thing of the past. Simply follow one of over 200 recipes available on the app, or adapt them to your taste using the kCook’s manual modes which allow the speeds and temperatures to be changed.”

Testers, we’d like you to answer the below questions:

Q1. How would you describe the kCook to friends or family who had never heard of it before? What was your overall impression of it?

Q2. How easy, or not, did you find to use the kCook? What time saving tips did you find when using the kCook?

Q3. What family meals did you create with the kCook? Did they go down well with your family? We’d love it if you could post some pictures of your dishes on this thread.

Q4. Did you use the Kenwood recipe app? If so, what did you think of it? Did you discover new recipes you hadn’t tried before?

Q5. If it came up in conversation, do you think you’d recommend the kCook to friends and family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Non-testers, what’s your favourite dish to make in a food processor? Everyone who adds their thoughts to this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win their own kCook.

Thanks
MNHQ

Anyone else testing not had a food processor before? I was wondering if people that had already got one found it easier. I have nothing to compare it to IYKWIM.

I am getting to grips with it all gradually.

I have never had a food processor either but think I have got to grips with it pretty quickly, it may be harder if you have as you are more set in your ways and used to a certain way of doing it and now have to change

Yes true Feeling. I am just used to my old fashioned manual ways I think.

I keep remembering I can use it for stuff.

Whizzed up onions, chilli, mushrooms, peppers and carrot and cooked it for 30 minutes for sauce for meatballs tonight :)

Non-tester

Like others have said, my favourite use of the food processor is for pastry. For some reason I always have trouble making it by hand (think my hands are naturally too hot) but it always perfect when I use the processor.

My second favourite is to use the grating attachment for cheese, onions, carrots etc, especially when I have loads to do. It's so fast, and avoids the risk of grated fingernails and skin!!!

Realised last night that the kCook would be brilliant for slow-cooker fudge - with the stirring attachment it would eliminate the risk of catching on the bottom, and I wouldn't accidently use the wrong spatula and end up with plastic-flavoured fudge again!

My testing is being massively curtailed by the weather - too hot for anything hot. I may try to make ice cream in it today

I am going to make the apple cake when things cool down a bit.

I have started a pasta sauce off, I can't do bolognese because I like to brown the veggie mince off first, and I like to blend sauce at the end. I will cook some veggie mince later and then combine

Carrot, onion, celery, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, fresh tomatoes...think thats everything so far

Once that has cooked down a bit I will add passata, tomato puree, salt, pepper and sugar, oh and a tiny bit of veg stock (powder not liquid) for good depth of flavour

I add the salt last (and stock really is a tiny amount) to cater for adults and children, put the children's portion out then add some salt and serve adults

I much prefer using homegrown tomatoes (no passata) as they are full of flavour, machine will be in constant use later in the year when they are ready!!

Bamboo - recipe below. It's for the Thermomix but I assume it can be done by the kCook in the same way:

530g jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained
1 batch TM31 Mayonnaise [about 270g if you are going to use jarred]
½ Onion
250g Parmesan, cubed

Method

Place the Parmesan cheese in the bowl and grate for 16 seconds on speed 9. Remove and set aside.

Add onion to the bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7.

Add drained marinated artichokes and set dial to closed lid position then pulse a few times on Turbo [if kCook doesn't have this setting then it's a sort of low to medium speed chop but only for a few seconds]

Add Mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese and mix on speed 4 until combined.

Bake in oven (Preheated 180ºC) for 30 minutes.

Serve with Turkish Bread (closest UK equivalent is ciabatta) that has been cut into pieces and baked in oven for 10 minutes.

I've done the stroganoff from the app. It was ok, but TBH I've had better. I don't see that there's much convenience if I need to brown the meat separately. And if I don't brown it, it just steams.

I did the cheese sauce from the macaroni cheese recipe to put in a fish pie, and that was very good, very smooth.

Ooh thank you knot got a jar or artichokes and loAds of mayonnaise that needs using so will make it over the weekend :)

Non-Tester - Pasta Sauce :)

Tester. Bit late to the party, but life got in thexway

Q1. How would you describe the kCook to friends or family who had never heard of it before? What was your overall impression of it?
It is a cross between a food processor/steamer/slow cooker allowing you to prepare soups, sauces and meals.

Overall impressions - Reading the blurb the kcook is the answer to my prayers - chopping and cooking meals leaving me to deal with the kids. The kcook looks good, there are lots of recipes in the app and it's easy to use (once you work out the lid). Currently I don't think it has been the answer to my prayers but perhaps with a fair bit of experimentation and practice it might help.

Q2. How easy, or not, did you find to use the kCook? What time saving tips did you find when using the kCook?

It was easy to use following the recipes. The lid is a nightmare to put on and take off initially, but once I worked it out was ok. When each stage completes the kcook beeps and beeps and beeps until you do something about it. I can understand why but it was really annoying if I was trying to do something like feed my DS.

Most of the ingredients need to be roughly chopped before adding to the kook so there is a bit of a saving, but not lots. The saving really is in not having to keep stirring and checking on it.

Q3. What family meals did you create with the kCook? Did they go down well with your family? We’d love it if you could post some pictures of your dishes on this thread.
So far I have made vegetable pasta sauce, chicken bhuna, potato and leek soup, bolognese and used the kcook to steam some veg.

In general the meals were a bit watery. The pasta sauce was ok, but not as nice as when we usually make it. Chicken bhuna was tasty and went down well but the chicken was over cooked. When the soup was not to mine or DDs taste, but more a recipe issue than the cooking. The steamed veg were extremely al dente.

I have the ingredients to make risotto and chicken casserole over the next few nights and will try and do photos.

Q4. Did you use the Kenwood recipe app? If so, what did you think of it? Did you discover new recipes you hadn’t tried before?
I used the app for bolognese, bhuna and soup. In general I found it easy to use. DH made the bhuna and found it extremely frustrating. I plan to make the risotto and chicken casserole over the next few nights.

There is a good mix of recipes available and I plan to try some which are different from our usual meals. I want to adapt most of them though to fit with my current Weight Watchers regime. Each recipe suggests using quick a lot of vegetable oil. As someone who does not normally use oil to cook (just spray oil) this is not to our taste. I tried making my usually vegetable pasta sauce by following the ratatouille recipe on the app. Adding the oil made it quite greasy. I will try again reducing out content.

Q5. If it came up in conversation, do you think you’d recommend the kCook to friends and family? If so, why? If not, why not?
At the moment I would not recommend at the rrp as I do not think the cost represents the time savings. Perhaps with more practice and experimentation I may change my opinion.

I need to read through the thread to get tips from the other testers too

Non tester. I make curry paste in a food processor.

Well the pasta sauce was kind of a mixed result, it was a lot chunkier than normal, normally very smooth. Adults quite liked that but it was a big no for the kids so had to be blended out of the machine (I had chopped as much as possible but it wasn't getting any less chunky)

Taste wise it was pretty much the same as if I did it in a pan but without me having to stand there stirring it, I will definitely make it in the kcook in future.

I have found that pasta sauce doesn't really photograph well but have included a pic anyway

We had it as veggie bolognese so I browned veggie mince off in a pan then added the sauce and heated that through, can't see a way of doing it all in one in the machine and everyone eating it

One tip I have found is that leaving the stirring paddle in but using chop function gives you a really good mix, useful if you are adding extra herbs or seasoning to a thick sauce as it gets it right through

just wanted to add some further thoughts on the questions asked.

Q4. Did you use the Kenwood recipe app? If so, what did you think of it? Did you discover new recipes you hadn’t tried before?

The app was ok, but it was awkward cooking from a recipe on my phone. Wasn't sure if this could be used on a PC so that recipes can be printed.

Q5. If it came up in conversation, do you think you’d recommend the kCook to friends and family?

TBH i don't think I would. I didn't find it to be much of a time-saver, which I'd hope it would be. I don't think it fulfills all of the functions of a processor, so you'd still need one of those, and it's expensive for what would be an extra , rather than essential, for most people.

Mumsnet-i have added a review to the review page...but stupidly in 'my other nickname'. I am sure you can work it out

Non-tester:
I love making hummus in my food processor - so quick, easy & delicious to whip up a batch. Also use it to grate tons of carrots when I want to make carrot cake muffins which the DC love.

I make guacamole in my food peocessor

I use my food processor to make a wonderful curry sauce, peppers , onions. curry powder, cumin, garlic salt, coriander, ginger, garam masala and passata, simmer then whizz !

Non tester -
Like a lot of others my favourite thing to make in the food processor is hummous. I make all different types and it just doesn't compare to the shop bought stuff. I also find the food processor great for whipping up masala for curries - saves a lot of elbow grease with the pestle and mortar!

Far too hot to be standing over the hob today - in jumps the kcook to solve all of my problems!

I have frozen veggie mince (sainsburys own, nicer than quorn!) And onion in the kcook and later will add a bit of gravy then put in to ready made and rolled puff pastry to make yummy pasties which I will cook this afternoon and we will eat cold tonight with salad. So simple and no bother to do in the heat!