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For curious cooks and creative chefs, a food processor is an integral part of any functional kitchen. The most basic options allow for easy food prep by chopping and mixing ingredients, though most are loved for their ability to thoroughly purée foods, easily creating sauces, butter, dips, and dressings.
One of the leading kitchen appliances companies is Hamilton Beach, founded by two entrepreneurs in Wisconsin more than 100 years ago. Among their many products are food processors, which range in size, power, and capability to cater to various needs in the kitchen. Notably, Hamilton Beach offers easy-to-use kitchen gadgets and other products at affordable prices. Thus, the company’s food processors are useful for those on a budget as well as frequent cooks.
A food processor comprises four main pieces. There is a motorized base that sits securely on the countertop. Next is a plastic bowl that’s BPA-free and locks into the base. In the work bowl is a blade, known as an S-blade, that loosely locks in place. (Food processing will not start unless the bowl is locked into the base.) Lastly, a lid latches onto the bowl. The lids feature a food chute, which varies in size depending on the capacity of the unit. The chute allows you to add food or liquid safely while the unit is operational. It includes a pusher to help guide any additional food into the bowl.
Most food processors have a capacity of 8 to 12 cup bowls. Price generally increases with size. Consider your cooking tendencies as well as how many people you regularly feed. Larger households will want a processor with greater capacity. Keep in mind, however, that a bigger unit requires more space. This could mean leaving it on the countertop permanently.
In most cases, a 10-cup food processor will serve a household well. However, if you like extra-large batches of food, you may prefer the biggest option.
All food processors allow users to chop and purée. These two basic functions cover a lot of ground: prepping vegetables, mixing ingredients, and blending items to create dips, sauces, and pastes that may serve as key components of meals or even as sides in themselves.
Hamilton Beach processors refer to chopping as mixing or pulsing, which is an intermediate operation. They feature two speeds: low and high.
These food processors range in power from 300 to 500 watts. Power typically increases with size.
A more powerful motor allows not only for more items to be chopped and puréed at once, but it also allows the unit to take on harder dryer foods. With a smaller motor, you’ll want to fill the processor slowly and carefully. The reason: if you overfill it, the motor won’t have enough power to mix everything properly.
As power correlates to size, it may be useful to opt for a larger model simply for the added power, regardless of whether you will regularly fill it up.
Most food processors allow the user to shred and slice food. Cheese and carrots are two popular items for such treatment. This is done using a double-sided disc blade that typically comes with the model, but it also can be bought separately. Some discs offer different thickness options for the slices and shreds. One side of the disc allows for shredding while the other side is used for slicing. Discs that create different cuts and reversible slicing also are available and are sometimes included.
Some models include a dough blade or dough hook, which aids in the making of pastries, bread, and pizza dough. The dough blade is blunt and plastic. You can use it to gently pull and knead dough. Newer cooks may find it particularly useful.
This clever feature comes in some food processors. The bowl scraper attachment allows you to simply clean the interior sides of the bowl without having to turn off the unit and take off the lid. As items may frequently stick to the sides, scraping them off with a spatula is regular work, but the installed plastic bowl scraper saves time and energy.
A stand mixer is a necessity for anyone who enjoys baking. Hamilton Beach offers some great choices at affordable prices.
Using a food processor requires scraping the sides and bottom to get everything mixed properly. A quality spatula is always a good addition to a kitchen.
Smaller food processors cost under $40. Note that although these items cost less, the best food processor for you depends on your needs.
Most 8- and 10-cup food processors cost between $40 and $60 and may include a shredding and slicing disc.
For $60 and up, you can purchase a 12-cup food processor, which likely includes useful accessories. You can also find a 14-cup food processor in this price range. Often encased in an attractive stainless steel housing, these processors are designed to serve multiple functions: food chopper, shredder, dicing machine, and more.
A. Most components are dishwasher safe. You can place the bowl, lid, chute, and blade in the top rack of the dishwasher, though it’s recommended to wash the blade by hand to avoid dulling. Dry the blade with a cloth after rinsing.
If you forgo the dishwasher, you can easily wash the lid and bowl by hand. Wipe the base by hand with a damp cloth; do not run under water.
A. For the most desirable and efficient outcome, add ingredients in the most sensible order. Begin with smaller ingredients that should be finely chopped or ground, like garlic. Continue to add items increasing in size, maintaining a bit of moisture within the bowl by adding oil or liquids as needed.
Items that only need to be mixed can be added at the end. Add items slowly, regularly checking the mixture and scraping down the sides to make sure everything is mixed or blended properly.
A. Hamilton Beach food processors offer two speeds, either identified as low and high or 1 and 2. The faster setting is ideal for puréeing and mixing items, as it will thoroughly churn ingredients to create a consistent paste or sauce. For chopping, use a low speed or pulse option so the items don’t end up as a purée. The lower speed setting is also recommended when using the disc for shredding or slicing.
