Food Processors

[pigletwillie]

Hi peeps,

as its nearly "Good Food Show" time again I am going to buy myself an early Christmas present in the form of a decent food processor. At present I manage with a Moulinex Masterchef which is ok for basic chopping and blending etc but is very limiting.

Can anybody reccomend a food processor that is good and reliable and comes in around the £350 mark?
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Kindest Regards, Piglet

[Earthbabe]

We have an ancient Moulinex that belonged to my mother (OK not that old - she is after all only 61). I'd say at that budget you could look at the Magimix 5100 and I'll be jealous for a very long time.

Or possibly a nice Kenwood but don't know what they have in their range. I don't think Which have done a review of food processors recently but I'll have a look for you.

[Alison]

There's a review on Which dated April 1 (don't let that put you off!) but they're all much lower price than your budget so presume you're looking for something more sofisticated. Suppose you need to decide what feature you're looking for and what you need it to do and then maybe it'll be easier to advise.

[Snadger]

There's a review on Which dated April 1 (don't let that put you off!) but they're all much lower price than your budget so presume you're looking for something more sofisticated. Suppose you need to decide what feature you're looking for and what you need it to do and then maybe it'll be easier to advise.

Whats the best of the cheapies then Alison ?

[Alison]

The top five are as follows:

1 - Magimix Compact 3100 for £147 which got 82%;
2 - Magimix Le Mini Plus, £100, 80%;
3 - Moulinex Masterchef Delicio DFB249, £40, 80%;
4 - Philips Cucina Click and Go HR7745, £100, 80%;
5 - Philips Cucina Click and Go HR7735, £70, 79%.

Not used any of them as mostly do stuff by hand and when fine chopping etc required resort to an ancient Kenwood which I've only ever used about 10% of the features.

[Earthbabe]

I'd deffo go for the magimix if your budget will stretch Snadger. As used by many a celeb chef on sundry TV progs.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hows about this for an oldie? Im still using the moulinex multichef my in laws got me for my 21st!.....erm, 23 years ago! and its still going strong ............that's it now, it will probably break the next time I use it! DDL

[blackkitty]

I'd definitely recommend a magimix. If your budget can stretch to the 5100 its fantastic. Mine has three different sized bowls for everything from a small onion to an eight egg sponge mix. The main advantage of magimix is that the motor is directly below the blade mechanism, a lot of the others have it to the side, this means that they are far more powerful.
I've used lots of different processors including some industry ones and the magimix is really the 'rolls royce' of food processors.
I don't think they're as much as £350, although mine was a pressie, I also think that Amazon (the book people) where among the cheapest.

[Sue]

Yes, definately the Magimix, I've got the 4100 which I think was around £270. My last one wore out after 26 years of continuous use. Wouldn't be without it, especially now with soup making in full swing. If you are preparing food for the freezer and dealing with gluts some of the cheaper ones just too small and not powerful enough.
Sue

[Alice]

Hello Piglet, you can see them all reviewed at amazon.co.uk Hope you find what you want. You've got a big budget there.

[pickledtink]

I'm still using the Moulinex I got for a wedding present 24 years ago!
Also come to think of it the Moulinex cake mixer thing my MIL gave me as a birthday present shortly after. Being a dead cool punk model/actress at the time I was NOT impressed. Oh-how-we-change......

Now they are virtually family heirlooms.

So my advice is find an oldie. They are not programmed to pack up 2 minutes after the 1 year guarante runs out.

[pigletwillie]

Choices and decisions, AAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHH

[25cowlane]

I'm another magimix fan, we've got the 5100 and it a superb bit of kit, use it all the time, its so versatile.

[Earthbabe]

That would deffo be my choice if I were in the market 25cowlane and so cool in chrome!

**Can't find little green monster icon**

[valmarg]

Food Processors

I would agree with the postings that recommend Magimix, but the only downside of them is that they only have one speed - on. There are other processors that have varying speeds, so that if you want to 'roughly chop' rather than reduce to mush. Having said that you have the 'pulse' option.

The three most expensive pieces of food processing equipment I have are:

(a) the Magimix
(b) the Kitchen Aid, and
(c) the Bamix stick blender.

I wouldn't be wihout any of them. In some cases they overlap on functions.

Another piece of equipment I am contemplating is a decent mandolin (as opposed to the orange plastic thing I've got at the moment).

If you are going to the Good Food Show at the NEC I would recommend that you stop by the Bamix stand, and watch the demonstration.

All the above have their place in food preparation, but, for example, where the Bamix scores over the food processor in soup making, is that you put the chopper blade onto the blender, and leave the soup in the container you have cooked it in. No tipping into the food processor, whizzing it, and then returning to the pan.

I would also stress that the Bamix stick blender is far superior to any of the others, insofar as you get three discs, the aerator, the blender and the chopper. Piglet, just go and watch the demonstration!!

You get 'special offers' on most of the equipment for sale at the NEC. What it boils down to is that I can fully recommend the Bamix.

valmarg

P.S. I hope it's not Mrs Piglet's 'giving up smoking' money you are spending!!