Kitchen Gadgets

[non_canon]

I was wondering if y'all could give me some advice regarding food processors and hand mixers. Primarily, I'm looking for recommendations for well made versions of either that would be good for a small kitchen. I'd also like your opinions on food processors vs. blenders as well as stand mixers vs. hand mixers (as some of the various department

Comments

[goose_entity]

I have had bad experiences with cheap mixers. They tend to struggle under anything more than a very light load, so forget making bread in them. It's worth saving up for a heavy duty model, especially if you have a Costco card - my Professional series Kitchen Aid mixer was not a lot more than the base model, and it is a *beast* at working through large loads :)

[non_canon]

Definitely going for something that will last, but I wasn't sure which brands were the best being new to cooking. Cuisinart and KitchenAid seem to have the most votes so I will definitely be looking into those. Thanks for the advice!

[goose_entity]

you can often get refurbished Kitchen Aid equipment on amazon.com

Well worth it :)

[dragoon811]

I pretty much swear by Cuisinart and KitchenAid, purely because they're worth every penny and reliable to boot.

I have an immersion blender cuisinart, which has several attachments, including a processor. I got it because I had a small galley kitchen at the time, and between the blender, whisk, and processor, it took up very little space and was versatile.

As for standmixers... get one, no question. A good one. It's worth the money, and will last a very long time! I've got a 4.5qt kitchenaid and it's amazing. My mom's got a 5qt kitchenaid, and I am jealous of the extra space, but mine was $100 less, so there. :) Her last stand mixer was Sunbeam and that thing took about 18 years to die.

If you find a reliable brand for cheap, go for it.. but I would advise that it's better to pay once for a long-lasting and reliable product than multiple times for a piece of crap that breaks frequently.

[non_canon]

Definitely going for something that will last, but I wasn't sure which brands were the best being new to cooking. Cuisinart and KitchenAid seem to have the most votes so I will definitely be looking into those.

I hadn't heard about immersion blenders before I started looking at the replies to my post but they look pretty cool. Do you think one could take the place of a food processor or is one better than the other?

[dragoon811]

For the cooking I do for the two of us, the immersion blender with the blender/whisk/processor attachments works best. It seems to handle cooking and whatnot for 2-6 people just fine. It think it depends on how heavily you'll be relying on it. :)

[non_canon]

I mainly just cook for myself, although occasionally I'll whip up something for a family event or something to bring to the office. I'd like to keep my tools to a minimum for the moment since my current kitchen has very minimal counter/storage space, although I may branch out in the future. I'm also intrigued because it seems I could use an immersion blender in the bowl I'm using to cook with, which would save time.

[bandicoot]

One comment on KitchenAid mixers. They have an outlet store that sells factory refurbished mixers for a lot less than new ones. I picked one up a few years ago and I'm very happy with it. The thing about refurbished or remanufactured products is that there is a lot more attention paid when they're worked on than when they whizzed through the line in the first place, so they're generally a very good deal if you don't mind the possibility of small cosmetic dings. It may mean that you can pick up a top-of-the-line model for the price of a more basic mixer.

For hand mixers, I was given a one-piece Braun that the previous owner replaced with a newer, more versatile model, and for what I do with it, it's great. Stick with a good brand name with good reviews.

[non_canon]

Definitely going for something that will last, but I wasn't sure which brands were the best being new to cooking. Cuisinart and KitchenAid seem to have the most votes so I will definitely be looking into those. And I am always up for good deals on things of quality, so thanks for pointing that out!

[tudorpot]

It depends on what you make in your kitchen. I feed large groups - 50-60 or so as well as my pickling, jams etc and somehow manage without a stand mixer. I do have a small, hand-held kitchen-aid mixer. What I can't live without is my Robot-Coupe - Cuisinart, food processor. Found at a yard sale over 20 years ago for $30, still working well. Immersion blenders - best thing to do is buy the cheapest one you can find. The $12 one I'm using has lasted 5 times longer than the fancy, name brand one that died after minimal use. I use a cheap plastic mandolin and the other appliance that I love is a citrus juicer. Coffee grinders are great for grinding whole spices.
Check out thrift shops, yard sales for kitchen stuff, you'd be surprised at what you can find.

[non_canon]

I mainly just cook for myself, although occasionally I'll whip up something for a family event or something to bring to the office. Cuisinart and KitchenAid seem to have the most votes so I will definitely be looking into those. Will definitely be looking in thrift/resale shops now that I know more of what I'm looking for. Speaking of which, I hadn't heard about immersion blenders before I started looking at the replies to my post but they look pretty cool. Do you think one could take the place of a food processor or is one better than the other?

[anita_margarita]

I have a 30+ year old Cuisinart food processor and a -1-year-old blender that was a gift.

My advice: they are good at different tasks. I use my blender primarily for making mayonnaise and pureeing small amounts of liquidy things. The food processor I use for larger, tougher things: kneading bagel dough, chopping raw veggie to make pickles, pureeing large amounts of soups.

I also have a small electric beater mixer; I use it for making cake batter, mashed potatoes, and (very occasionally) making butter. And my immersion blender is useful for dipping into sauces-in-progress or hot soups.

I like all of these. If I had to narrow it down, I suppose I would choose my blender and a really sharp knife over all four, but each does a certain few things well.

[non_canon]

Thanks for breaking this down for me. My current kitchen has very minimal counter/storage space, so I'm trying to keep my tools to a minimum. Cuisinart and KitchenAid seem to have the most votes so I will definitely be looking into those.