The Food Processor from Cuisinart - Anything More than Just a Neat-Looking Gadget?

The food processor is simple in design. The food is chopped or "processed" by a turning blade that's sitting on a circular mixing container that's put into a lid-mounted chute. The base holds the motor and pane controls, and sits securely on your counter with rubberized feet. If you are looking for one of these devices, you can find them in all sizes which are sure to meet your needs and space requirement. Most of them also have a variety of unique blades to choose from, so that your appliance can perform many different functions. You can chop, slice, dice, grate, along with blend and puree. There are accessories sold that will allow you to knead dough and stir concoctions that are too thick for a traditional blender.

History

The new appliance was the creation of Carl Sontheimer, a retired engineer and physicist with a love of the culinary arts. He had seen industrial food processors in France, and he wanted to create a version of these devices for home use here in America. The Cuisinart Food Processor made its debut in Chicago in 1973. This product, well-known to pro chefs but not previously made in a home model, found a very high demand because of its ability to be helpful in so many ways.

The Cuisinart food processor continues to be the hallmark of all the corporation's products. At the moment, Cuisinart sells about twenty-four different versions of this device, in all different shapes and sizes, for home use.

Cuisinart's Food Processor Models

* Extra large - The largest of the Cuisinart line is the DLC-X plus. This has a 20 cup mixing bowl and is rated for industrial use with a price tag to match.
* Large - The PowerPrep uses a sleek, intuitive design and touch-sensitive controls, and has 14 cup bowls.
* Medium - Two different versions, the Original and the Classic, each have a seven cup mixing bowl with bigger feed chutes than other products; they also sport additional settings and adjustable speeds. The Prep Nine Processor is even bigger, because it has a nine cup bowl.
* Small - Nestled in the set of smaller processors are the mini-prep and its smaller sibling the mini-mate. These are good for crushing herbs or garlic, pureeing baby food, or anything else you need a small quantity of, rapidly diced.

More Information

Cuisinart's webpage has an overview of their products, while the Wikipedia's page has a good intro and some links to other resources.