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From: greg@olivej.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: "Food Processor" vs. Electric Mixer
Message-ID: <146@olivej.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Feb-84 17:14:52 EST
Article-I.D.: olivej.146
Posted: Thu Feb 23 17:14:52 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 07:45:55 EST
References: <2613@fortune.UUCP>
Organization: Olivetti ATC., Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 49


I use a food processor, blender, mixer, spice grinder,
and meat grinder, all of which have overlapping 
capacities, but each of which seems better at certain things.

The blender chops and purees things more finely than the
food processor, but less so than the spice grinder.  Therefore,
I use the blender makes it good for mixed drinks
and finely pureed sauces such as green tomatillo sauce for 
enchiladas and Indian sauces and marinades.

The spice grinder (electric coffee grinder actually) grinds
to a fine powder, and is therefore ideal for Mexican and
Indian type spice mixtures (garam masala) and, of course,
coffee.

The mixer is great for cake and cookie batters, which can
easily get over-processed in the food processor.  It
can also, of course, beat egg whites.  I have had trouble
getting many Italian cake recipes to work properly in the
food processor which require long, slow beating.  For
these, the mixer is dandy.

There is a technique for beating egg whites in the food
processor.  It's detailed in Abby Mandel's "Cuisinart
Classroom" book and involves adding vinegar to the egg
whites, which is not supposed to affect the flavor of
the finished product.  I haven't tried it.


The food processor can mix and knead bread dough, chop 
large quantities of vegetables, and mix sauces.  As has 
been discussed here, these things can be done with knives 
and by hand, but take much longer.  Where it
is really unique is in being able to whip out things with a
mousse texture, such as quenelles, and making terrines and
pates.  You can make homemade mayonnaise in a food processor
within 2 minutes and be sure it will always come out perfect -
an often hazardous undertaking when done by hand (with a
whisk) or with an electric mixer.  If you do this, by the
way, expect to find yourself spoiled when you try to eat
store-bought mayonnaise again.

If I could only have 1 of these appliances, I'd keep the
food processor.

		- Greg Paley