Overkill to buy both a Vitamix and a food processor?
kaysd
12 years ago
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breadandsuch
12 years agokitchendetective
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Blender / mixer / food processor combo?
Comments (3)Cuisinart does have a couple of stand mixers for which you can buy attachments that run from its power-take-off port. Cooks Illustrated thinks highly of the stand mixers. (Equal to or slightly better than the longstanding Kitchenaid champs, according to Cooks.) The smaller one (5 quart bowl, I think) starts at around $350. I do not remember what the larger one (7 quart bowl) goes for. The attachments, which have to be purchased or ordered separately, into a power take off at the top rear of the machine. If I recall, the blender attachment has something like 40 oz. capacity, so it sits pretty tall. I saw it once and it seemed to blend soup reasonably well. Do not know about its performance with other functions. The food processor attachment I saw was small, maybe 3 cups capacity. More of a chopper. There might be other attachments. A lot of on-line and brick-n-mortar retailers carry these so you should be able to find prices and reviews on-line. You also might have been thinking of the Ninja blenders which can be had as part of a "kitchen system" which is supposed to combine several devices using the same power base. There are several versions of this, I recall that Consumer Reports thought highly of one version and not so highly of the others. Ninja used to ba QVC/Shopping Channel item but it has made the leap into brick-and-mortar stores. I saw one on offer at Costco a couple of weeks ago. Not sure which version it was but Colstco was charging either $100 (coupon) or $120. I also recall some detailed discussions of Ninjas in eGullet and Chowhound threads that also discussed VitaMix and Blendtec. Try searching there. (Just tried a search on "ninja" here at THS and turned up nothing, which seems odd.) The only Ninja I've ever used myself was as a blender at a friend's house. It seemed to be an excellent blender and ice crusher. Do a search for reviews. If you are not budgeting hundreds of dollars, Vitamix and Blendtec are probably out of the question because the least expensive models start at $400. To be sure, both are splendid blenders, absolute workhorses and durable enough for commercial use. By all accounts, they do an excellent job of making hummus. Don't recall seeing anything about pimento cheese, so don't throw away that old food processor. Vitamix offers several types and sizes of blender jars. When the largest one (64 oz. capacity) is on the base, the unit is 20 inches tall. From that comes comments about measuring cabinet heights. My recollection of the Cusinart mixer's blender attachment was that it sat even higher when assembled. If counter-to-cabinet workspace is limited, the Cuisinart blender attachment is not going to fit, either....See Morebest food processor/blender for pureeing ice?
Comments (8)I heard that the Ninja Prep Professional received a really good review and it is only $60. So I went and bought one at Lowe's and we have been really happy with it. Makes snow with no problem. This link at Amazon shows it for $53 with $12 shipping: Ninja Master Prep Professional Blender, Chopper and Ice Crusher: More Power & 2 Times Faster Works great but I don't know how long it will hold up. There is a 1 year manufacturer's warranty....See MoreBlender, food processor, or what?
Comments (36)To dehydrate kale: Wash thoroughly. Remove stems (save to use in another dish, stir-fry, or soup). Cut the kale leaves (kitchen scissors work well for removing the stem and cutting the large leaves into smaller portions) or tear the kale into manageable-sized pieces. (After you've made dried kale once, you will decide what size/s of pieces work best for you and fit in your dehydrator.) Dip the cut pieces in an acidic water bath (1 t. citric acid powder, OR vitamin C powder,OR Fruit Fresh per quart of water). This aids in preventing bacteria growth, helps maintain color, and adds a little vitamin C. Drain (I give the cut pieces a gentle spin in my salad spinner). Place same-sized pieces together in a single layer on a dehydrator tray - or on one side of a tray if you mix sizes on a single tray. Equal-sized pieces will dry in approximately the same amount of time. If you put a combination of large, medium, and small pieces together on the same tray, the small pieces will finish drying first, and you will need to remove them so they don't over-dry - so keep the same sizes together as much as possible. Dry between 105-120-degrees F. until crispy dry (or about 4-6 hours). When crispy, allow the kale to cool to room temperature while on the trays (20-30 minutes). Don't let the dried kale sit in high humidity or it can rehydrate, and if enough moisture is absorbed, it can mold in storage. As soon as it is cool, store in an air-tight container and keep in a dark, cool place. This is a great way to "save" some less-than-perfect kale you forgot in the crisper drawer. -Grainlady...See MoreWhere does your stand mixer and food processor live?
Comments (50)Holly - from the KDs I talked with, all of them were figuring the Rev-a-shelf, so I wouldn't be surprised if yours is too. Most of them didn't even seem aware that K&V made one, let alone that it had the gas cylinder. I haven't used the Knape & Vogt one, so I honestly don't know how much of a difference there is between the two...I'm just going by other things that I've had the gas assist cylinder available for in life and those worked more smoothly. I'd hate to steer you toward something that I have no first hand experience with...so, definitely look into it more. I didn't find a lot of info out there on the K&V. I did wind up buying mine online through Home Depot, but I didn't see it at the stores (when it arrived, it was shipped directly from K&V, I think) - it seemed that they had the best price that I was finding on it overall. Still more expensive than the R-a-S one though. Here's the HD link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/203303465?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=knape+vogt+appliance&storeId=10051&N=5yc1v&R=203303465#.UWGPBVejslU And here it is from Kitchensource: http://www.kitchensource.com/cau/kv-hal-1.htm#body_page_header As near as I can tell, the R-a-S one has a pull-bar type mechanism that runs under the board where the mixer rests and the K&V one has the "buttons" to release built in along the sides of the mechanism - they are the two darker grey things you see at the bottom front of the mechanism. Mine's sitting in my basement just waiting...I wish that there was an easy way to test it....See Moreholiday2525
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