Food Processor or Mixer for Pesach

sky

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 12:17 pm

I want to buy my SIL a food processor or mixer for Pesach (thank you present). I want to spend up to $100 if possible.

Any suggestions of what is good. She doesn't know I want to get her this, but she did tell me that she would love to buy one machine that would do both jobs - grate, food processor, beat eggs, etc. Does such a thing exist?

If not, what are your suggestions about machines to buy in this price range. I want to buy something good that will last her, so if they won't at this price then I'll get something else.

Thanks.

ra_mom

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 12:38 pm

The Braun food processor is one of the best machines out there. It is about $115, but it is small.
You can mix up a batter in there, but I don't think you can whip up egg whites.

I have only seen one food processor/mixer combo. (About $75.) I don't know much about it, other than it is a hand mixer/processor. (Not stand.)
http://www.braun.com/global/ho......html

sky

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 12:44 pm

ra_mom wrote:

I have only seen one food processor/mixer combo. (About $75.) I don't know much about it, other than it is a hand mixer/processor. (Not stand.)
http://www.braun.com/global/ho......html

I want one. My Braun immersion blender just broke and this looks like it does that job plus more.

I'm going to look into the Braun food processor. Thanks.

mltjm

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 12:46 pm

I would definitely go with the food processor. All those onions and potatoes to chop and grate are a lot more tedious and a lot more work. Spend all $100 to get the best one for your money, because the cheaper ones break in a year or two anyway.
You can get a decent hand mixer for $25- let her get it for herself, it's not THAT much money.

shalhevet

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 1:58 pm

For Pesach I would go on a bigger, less reliable model. The reason is say something breaks after 2 years of use usually = 104 weeks: that's over 100 years of use for Pesach. Even if it breaks after one year, that's 50 years!!

OTOH a large size model (cheaper make, bigger) is a big help when you are making loads of food.

ra_mom

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 2:03 pm

shalhevet wrote:

I did that with a few appliances. My experience? It is NOT worth it. The machine breaks (or ruins other kitchen equipment while it works) and you get left with nothing Sad

Meema2Kids

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 2:03 pm

I agree with shalhevet. Last year I finally bought the largest, cheap food processor I could find for Pesach, I think it was Hamilton Beach for less than $50 at Target. I love it!!! It made my food prep so much easier.

By the same reasoning, you could also get a cheap stand mixer (for eggs) for about $50 (I think the Sunbeam ones are about that much at Walmart) --- I have used a hand mixer for years for pesach but it makes sense to get a stand mixer because of all that time you spend standing there holding the mixer. Again, you're only using it a week and would still last for years.

Tech_mom

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 2:23 pm

Another vote for food processor. I chop so many onions and potatoes that I am very grateful to have it. I have the Braun Combimax and don't regret it.

I have no issue buying a cheaper one - but reliability is not the only consideration in a cheap model. Years ago, my mother asked me to get her a food processor for Pesach after the one that she had for 20 years conked. I bought one at Kmart for $25 and although it processes - it is very not user friendly - making it more annoying to put together and take apart than chopping all those veggies. It is also small.

But if SIL is into baking on Pesach - if you want to get good snow from the egg whites - it may be worth to get a decent mixer. The price of the cheapest kitchen aid was only $90 when I got it for my mom 2 years ago. she loved it and it was worth it.

OOTBubby

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 2:34 pm

shalhevet wrote:

OTOH a large size model (cheaper make, bigger) is a big help when you are making loads of food.

Years ago when I purchased my first food processor for Pesach, I considered that, and realized that no matter how big one might be, it still wouldn't be big enough to do what I need in one batch.

Instead, I purchased a very small Cuisinart (good motor) food processor with a chute, so I can grate as much as I need at once and it shoots it out into a bowl. I've had it almost 20 years and its great. It wasn't cheap -- maybe $75 that many years ago.

chocolate moose

Thu, Feb 04 2010, 2:35 pm

I have an inexpensive hand mixer for Pesach; I don't even use it every single year. But I must have a food processor!

ra_mom

Tue, Feb 09 2010, 7:24 pm

sky, just wanted to let you know that your sister can buy a $15 french fry attachment to the Braun food processor. It makes french fry making a snap. And who can resist freshly fried french fries on Pesach?

DefyGravity

Tue, Feb 09 2010, 8:07 pm

Another vote for buying a large, cheaper food processor. I've had my Hamilton Beach food processor that I bought nearly 6 years ago from Target and use year-round. I use it frequently and it's still around and kicking. When you're only using an appliance once a year for a week at a time, there's no reason to invest in something small and still expensive.

sky

Tue, Feb 09 2010, 10:17 pm

I ended up buying her the Braun. She was so excited.

Plus her chometz food processor is dyeing so she said she may have to use it for chometz in the end - but she is excited to have it.

So thanks for all your advice.

3Qts

Tue, Feb 09 2010, 10:20 pm

Great Choice. I bought mine last year (Although I dont even have one for all year round) and I enjoyed it alot and made the preparations alot easier. I have a cheap hand mixer ($8.99) for cakes and works fine!

GramaNewYork

Tue, Feb 16 2010, 1:29 pm

To those of you that have the Braun Combimax food processor, can you tell me exactly which model comes with the kugel (grater) disk? Is it the 600 or the 650. In a previous thread, someone wrote that the newer model does not come with the grater disc. I didn't know which model she meant by "newer" because I think there is also a 700 now.

A friend of mine has a 14-cup Cuisinart into which you can put a whole potato and she says it's great for kugel even though it does not have a grater. My mom always used a grater for kugel and I would like to do that as well because I love the consistency.

Tech_mom

Tue, Feb 16 2010, 3:04 pm

I have the 600 for chometz and the 650 for pesach. I think that they both come with the same blades. I haven't examined them side by side, though. I use the blade that has both very small holes and slightly larger ones for making potato kugel. It comes out with a great consistency - not too small pieces but not too big either.

Marion

Tue, Feb 16 2010, 3:11 pm

It really depends. I have a food chopper & a mixer...my chopper does NOT have a grater disk but I don't need one anyway. However I would not be able to make my charoset without a chopper/processor (dried fruit). My mixer, OTOH, needs time off by the end of the week!