Hi,
I already have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer which I love, but I am thinking about buying a small food processor for recipes which require lots of fine chopping and for making things like pesto, salsa, etc.
Which brands/models are your favorites?
Thanks
Sarah

I would have to say that lately some of my favorite kitchen appliances have come from Breville. I have several of them and they are all very well made.

I do not have one of their food processor, but I do have one of their heavy-duty blenders, which I am sure is similar in quality and performance. Here is a link to their selection of blenders.

The food processors that I do have are, an old Cuisinart from about 15 years ago, it still works well...not sure about their newer models. I also have a Viking food processor that is pretty good, but it seems a bit clunky to me. The handle is also quite heavy, but it does perform well.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Dawn, I'll check out some of them :D

I use a Viking and love it. As Dawn said, it is a little clunky, but that doesn't create any problems for me. It chops very evenly and it has a very quiet motor. These are the two most important things for me in a food processor. Many processors produce a high pitched noise that is quite grating (pun intended!), especially when making something like hummus when the processor has to run for quite a while.

I would have to agree with Anne on the Viking...it is noticeably quiet, which is a very nice feature!

I don't yet own a food processor, and I have been wanting to get one. As usual, I have no idea where to begin! I think I just might take the advice that is given above and look for a "Viking". Thanks for the help!

The viking is a good one, but I would not just take 2 peoples opinion Joseph. Food processors can be expensive and what someone likes in one machine does not mean you will like. I would say to do a bit more research and even go to some kitchen stores.

I would also check out the Breville line, as they make some really great stuff. But again, that is just my opinion - and those of here at Rouxbe I guess...so hopefully that does carry a bit of weight :-)

Good luck!

Thanks Dawn! I have actually heard from many different people before that they really liked the Viking. In fact, I haven't heard much about any other kind of food processor. I was thinking of going to the World Market nearby to purchase a few things and maybe go window shopping for a food processor there - just to see what is most available and what is most recomended there. Also, while I have it on my mind, I wanted to ask what you think would be the best kind of mortar and pestle to purchase (as that is one of the things that I need from the World Market). I was generally planning on getting something nice and large (because I like to make quite a few pastes that contain ingredients that need to be mashed well such as in a Thai curry paste). What are your suggestions?

The large one in this Mortar and Pestle Drill-down is what we use and really like. Cheers!

Hey Dawn,
I went looking around in a few stores, and as far as Breville goes, they only carried juicers/blenders and coffee-makers. I checked the link you gave me again and it seems like it is for Breville in Australia - I went to the Canada website and I could not find the processors. Have you ever seen them in a store somewhere?

I have not actually seen them in Canada, but then again, I wasn't really looking either. You could always give them a call to see if they know when and if they will be available in Canada. Cheers!

What make & model are the food processors I see in the Rouxbe cooking videos?

We have a few that we use. One is by Cuisinart and the other one is a Viking food processor. For a bit more info about these models see my second comment from the top. Cheers!

Cooks Illustrated did comparison testing on food processors and the Kitchen Aid came out on top of all processors tested.
Here is a link http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/product.asp?docid=26286&parentdocid=26352
But again you just have to find what works for you. I bought a Ninja processor/blender. Yeah I know but I seen the infomercial so many times I finally ordered one. To be honest it hasen't failed me. It perfroms as advertised. Makes great blended drinks. I like to do alot of my own chopping and cutting because my knife skills really need practice. I have the left handed affliction.
I also find any excuse to use my mortar and pestle.

for the Cooks Illustrated article. It's a really useful analysis! Is the Ninja blender you bought sorta like the magic bullet? I've never seen the infomercial. I use my Magic Bullet all the time for smoothies. Super handy for a single sized serving and not having a lot of clean up to do!

It is similar to the Magic Bullet. The Ninja came with 3 sizes of processing bowls/pitchers which is what I liked about it. It really does work quite well. It's forte is blended drinks like margaritas, pina coladas etc. It does turn ice into snow better than anything else I have seen or tried.

But it also a great device for making that vinagarette or a large batch of salsa. But when I need to only cut up one onion 2 or 3 carrots and a few stalks of celery I reach for the knife rather than get the Ninja out. Although when I first got it I did chop up some carrots onions and celery just to see how it worked and it did a fine job. I think with shipping I had $150 invested so it is there in price with many of the other more traditional processors. But I would not hesitate to recommend the Ninja to anyone.

I own the Kitchenaid recommended by CI and it's been great so far. My only problem is trying not to over-process foods because I'm used to using my old, crappy food processor.

I own a Thermomix, German engineered, manufactured in France. If you need that extra set of hands in the kitchen, this is for you. This one kitchen appliance does it all. Food processor, blender, steamer, wheat mill, ice cream maker, etc. it has a built in scale, timer, speed controls (60 rpm-10,200rpm) It cooks, chops, Sauté’s, purees sauces, soups, cooks a beef stroganoff in 25 minutes. Tempers chocolate, it has exact temperature controls from 37c to 120c. It's an amazing piece of machinery. Take a look at the website for more information.
www.easycooking.ca
Cheers
Kalayra

I have a Magimix food processor and a small Braun hand held one too (came with my stick blender). They're both great. I use the Braun for day to say stuff as it can take up to 1 litre. The Magimix comes out for more complex tasks.

Kalayra - Shame on you. Rouxbe is an online cooking school, not a forum for you to peddle your kitchen wares. The whole point of this site is to teach people to cook properly and not "throw it all in to the Thermomix for a beef stroganoff in 25 mins".

I have used a kitchen aid for 20 years and a Magimix that I bought in Europe more than 20 years ago. It had duel electricity so I could use it in the states also. I purchased a new Magimix last year and love it. My children have inherited my old processors.

If I had to choose only 2 small appliance it would be my magimix and my rice cooker!!