Diaper Swappers

smores · 09-27-2012, 11:50 AM

If it were me, I'd go with the food processor. You can do almost the same things with a hand mixer as a KA but a KA can't do what a food processor can. I have both and I use both rarely so I might not be a good judge, though! lol. I do cook a lot, just not with those things... I probably use the KA more but I'd be fine with a hand mixer, too.

PBAki · 09-27-2012, 09:04 PM

Unless you're going to process a large batch of things every time I'd stick with a smaller food processor. We love our KA food processor and have the KA mixer also but food processor weighs a ton! It's solid for sure but the size means more cleaning and takes up a bit of space.

3 ladybugs · 10-03-2012, 06:22 AM

I don't like my KA so I would go with the food processor. However I also make bread often so I would need a mixer. So I would go with the bosch like the PP said. I have heard nothing but good things about them and the negative things I have heard are things like they don't like the plastic bowl. That is mild compared to KA.

amandajiggles · 10-03-2012, 07:55 AM

I have both larger formats of the kitchenaid appliances. I haven't used any fancy attachments for the mixer yet. I haven't done much cooking since getting it as a gift two years ago for XMAS. We moved, I started a new job and got pregnant and had a baby. The mixer is great for double batches of most recipes... XMAS baking, lots of guests for dinner etc. I have used it for baked goods (cookies, brownies etc.), whipping cream, mixing pizza dough, mixing meatballs and other large batch wet mixes.

My Kitchenaid food processor has two separate areas where you can process food. It has a small task bowl and blade that sits on top of the main bowl. I can honestly say I used this once. It's good if you're doing a big recipe and need to do a small quantity of say... chopped nuts. But you don't want to use then clean the entire bowl for the rest of what you're preparing. I mostly use my processor for shredding cheese (15 minute job done in two seconds), and chopping/pureeing veggies for pizza toppings, sauces or meatloaf. My hubby HATES chunky food and the only way he seems to eat the veggies in a sauce or other dish is if I make it tiny or puree it before cooking. He's like a child, but this has made my life much easier.

clarinetb · 10-03-2012, 08:13 AM

Thanks for all the replies ladies!

One question that comes to mind is the shredding, in my food processor the way the disc is setup that does the shredding, when you get down to a smaller piece left it winds up getting stuck between the top of the foodprocessor lid and the disc and either spins around or eventually falls between the disc and the wall down into the main compartment, so you wind up with a fair amount of big chunks of what you are greating isn't one big piece (like doing a bunch of zucchini for zucchini bread, or a bunch of carrots, each piece you put into the food processor winds up with a chunk at the end that doesn't get grated) My question is, is this just a cheap food processor issue that you don't see with good ones? And does the Kitchen Aid mixer grating attachment have a similar issue.

Hmm, the comment about making some stuff in a blender makes me wonder if that would be an option to get a good blender, the Ninja seems popular. I tend to write blenders off cause the one I had would get the hummus stuck around it and I'd always be trying to move stuff with a spoon to get it to keep mixing

And I'm a bit daft cause I never thought of the immersion blender for the hummus :P

Things I use stuff for/make, I'm vegetarian so we don't really do anything with meat in terms of cooking. I make a fair amount from scratch and moving towards making even more. We have a breadmaker which is where the bread gets made (cause that is easy :P I'd be interested in trying some nicer breads outside the breadmaker, but I think it can still make the dough...) The pizza dough and other doughs like that I've made in the breadmaker. I usually wind up chopping all the veggies by hand but like the idea of something that can do that quick and easy.

The size issue with the Kitchen Aid is a good point cause we're short on counter space and not a lot of storage space either... hmmm...
And I hate cleaning hard to clean things :P I swear sometimes you spend more time cleaning a food processor than you saved using it :P Though I've never been comfortable putting mine in the dishwasher so maybe a good quality one would help with that :P

Thanks for the ideas! If I had lots of space in my kitchen and lots of money to spend on kitchen appliances I think I could have a lot of fun :P :P

madebymommy · 10-03-2012, 08:14 AM

I don't have a KA mixer (yet) or even a hand mixer, I do everything by hand myself. But I have a standard sized ancient Proctor and Silex food processor and I use it for literally EVERYTHING. Grating cheese, mixing dry ingredients, mixing pie crust or shortbread... I can applesauce this time of year so I use the processor like practically every day. I can't imagine life without it!

clarinetb · 10-03-2012, 08:20 AM

Ooh, the Bosch universal mixer says there is a blade for making fries, which my husband has been wanting something for that :P

09-27-2012, 11:50 AM	#11
smores Registered Users Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cincy Posts: 292 Ratings: 1 Feedback: 100%	Re: Kitchenaid mixer or food processor? If it were me, I'd go with the food processor. You can do almost the same things with a hand mixer as a KA but a KA can't do what a food processor can. I have both and I use both rarely so I might not be a good judge, though! lol. I do cook a lot, just not with those things... I probably use the KA more but I'd be fine with a hand mixer, too.

09-27-2012, 09:04 PM	#12
PBAki :D Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 5,122 Ratings: 8 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Kitchenaid mixer or food processor? Unless you're going to process a large batch of things every time I'd stick with a smaller food processor. We love our KA food processor and have the KA mixer also but food processor weighs a ton! It's solid for sure but the size means more cleaning and takes up a bit of space. __________________

10-03-2012, 06:22 AM	#13
3 ladybugs Registered Users Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 11,142 Ratings: 6 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Kitchenaid mixer or food processor? I don't like my KA so I would go with the food processor. However I also make bread often so I would need a mixer. So I would go with the bosch like the PP said. I have heard nothing but good things about them and the negative things I have heard are things like they don't like the plastic bowl. That is mild compared to KA. __________________ Jennifer (36) - When DH and I got married in Dec. of 2003, he said "in sickness, health, to death". What he didn't know was we would loose 3 children, have a miscarriage, have a living son and have me battle cancer all before our 7th anniversary! Cancer free 30 ...25....20....15.... days until Nathaniel Harlow Read story here.

10-03-2012, 07:55 AM	#14
amandajiggles Registered Users Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Niagara Falls, ON Posts: 732 Ratings: 24 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Kitchenaid mixer or food processor? I have both larger formats of the kitchenaid appliances. I haven't used any fancy attachments for the mixer yet. I haven't done much cooking since getting it as a gift two years ago for XMAS. We moved, I started a new job and got pregnant and had a baby. The mixer is great for double batches of most recipes... XMAS baking, lots of guests for dinner etc. I have used it for baked goods (cookies, brownies etc.), whipping cream, mixing pizza dough, mixing meatballs and other large batch wet mixes. My Kitchenaid food processor has two separate areas where you can process food. It has a small task bowl and blade that sits on top of the main bowl. I can honestly say I used this once. It's good if you're doing a big recipe and need to do a small quantity of say... chopped nuts. But you don't want to use then clean the entire bowl for the rest of what you're preparing. I mostly use my processor for shredding cheese (15 minute job done in two seconds), and chopping/pureeing veggies for pizza toppings, sauces or meatloaf. My hubby HATES chunky food and the only way he seems to eat the veggies in a sauce or other dish is if I make it tiny or puree it before cooking. He's like a child, but this has made my life much easier. __________________ Amanda EBF'ing, CDing, Co-Sleeping, Semi-Crunchy WOHM Mommy to DD Charlotte (Sept 2, 2009) DD Caroline (Aug 19, 2012)

10-03-2012, 08:13 AM	#15
clarinetb Registered Users Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canada! Posts: 3,677 Ratings: 159 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Kitchenaid mixer or food processor? Thanks for all the replies ladies! One question that comes to mind is the shredding, in my food processor the way the disc is setup that does the shredding, when you get down to a smaller piece left it winds up getting stuck between the top of the foodprocessor lid and the disc and either spins around or eventually falls between the disc and the wall down into the main compartment, so you wind up with a fair amount of big chunks of what you are greating isn't one big piece (like doing a bunch of zucchini for zucchini bread, or a bunch of carrots, each piece you put into the food processor winds up with a chunk at the end that doesn't get grated) My question is, is this just a cheap food processor issue that you don't see with good ones? And does the Kitchen Aid mixer grating attachment have a similar issue. Hmm, the comment about making some stuff in a blender makes me wonder if that would be an option to get a good blender, the Ninja seems popular. I tend to write blenders off cause the one I had would get the hummus stuck around it and I'd always be trying to move stuff with a spoon to get it to keep mixing And I'm a bit daft cause I never thought of the immersion blender for the hummus :P Things I use stuff for/make, I'm vegetarian so we don't really do anything with meat in terms of cooking. I make a fair amount from scratch and moving towards making even more. We have a breadmaker which is where the bread gets made (cause that is easy :P I'd be interested in trying some nicer breads outside the breadmaker, but I think it can still make the dough...) The pizza dough and other doughs like that I've made in the breadmaker. I usually wind up chopping all the veggies by hand but like the idea of something that can do that quick and easy. The size issue with the Kitchen Aid is a good point cause we're short on counter space and not a lot of storage space either... hmmm... And I hate cleaning hard to clean things :P I swear sometimes you spend more time cleaning a food processor than you saved using it :P Though I've never been comfortable putting mine in the dishwasher so maybe a good quality one would help with that :P Thanks for the ideas! If I had lots of space in my kitchen and lots of money to spend on kitchen appliances I think I could have a lot of fun :P :P __________________ Lauren - Mama to our little poppet (21-01-07) and new cutie pie (23-08-11)!