Which size food processor? 16 or 12 cup?

[HappyAnniversary]

I bought the Williams and Sonoma Cuisinart Elite 12 cup with a 4cup insert bowl. Now I am thinking I shoulda bought the 16 cup with a 13 and 4 cup inset and box for the blades. I have never used a FP before, and space is an issue, the bigger one is quite heavy. Please tell me 12 cups is enough for most uses, I wouldn''t mind occasionally having to do things in 2 batches, but not always. Oh, and no big family, almost empty nesters, but of course holidays mean more people.

Also any wisdom on recipes-- And what are you all using it for? I dreamed of cutting up carrots, onions and celery all night long.

 

[ljmorgan]

I have the 16 cup, but that is because I wanted the dough cycle. For chopping, dicing, shredding, the 12 cup will be plenty! Enjoy, it''s a great processor.

I make pizza dough, fast pie crusts, puree huge batches of watermelon (for watermelon lemonade), shred my own cheese (cheaper than pre-shredded), make coleslaw, shred potatoes for hashbrowns (no more frozen shredded potatoes for me!) I use it for salsa which is very fast, pureeing soups, and of course chopping vegetables. I love it!

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Thanks for answering Lindsay! Dough cycle? Explain please, mine doesn''t have it ?, it is a special cycle or just not big enough? I only make 2 loaves at a time and use my Kitchenaid mixer. Might that fit in the 12 cup?

 

[elrohwen]

I have a Cuisinart 11 cup and I find it to be an appropriate size for almost anything I need to use it for (it's only me and DH at home, so I'm not making huge recipes either). The only thing I need to do in two batches is mashed potatoes or something.

I use mine to chop up veggies if I have a lot to do. I use it for mashed potatoes and mashed cauliflower - I usually puree part of the batch and mash the rest, so I get a mix of whipped and mashed. I love using it to make pasta dough - I find it can get a lot more flour into the dough than kneading by hand and keeps it from getting sticky later. I've used it for pie dough, but I don't make a lot of pies. I have used it to puree tomatoes sauces, but now I have an immersion blender so I tend to use that.

 

[ljmorgan]

HappyAnniversary, the 14 and 16 cup Cuisineart Elite''s come with another button next to the On/Off buttons named "Dough." This allows the motor to run at a lower RPM which allows the machine to actually knead the dough, when used with the special dough blade also included with the 14 and 16 cup models.

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Ok, now I am totally thinking I bought the wrong one, I didn''t know it had a special cycle for dough. I think I''ll go to W&S and talk with SA and look them over again. I have not opened it yet as I knew I was still on the fence. And I am a total sucker for little boxes that hold the pieces parts (blades) and mine doesn''t come with one. I have to decide quickly .The 10% off is only this week cos I bought a charity card that gives 10% off electric things at W&S and 20% other stuff. ( you pay $60 to charity and many stores are giving 20% off merchandise this week.)

Thanks so much lindsay and Elrowhen for replying.

 

[Camille]

Hi HappyA,
size it depends on the family size and if you are often is going to be used.
Heavier ones are hard to drag to the counter, that''s for sure. We have the Cuisinart Power Prep Plus [14 Cups] in white, SSteal is a pain to clean

It has a very simple look on the front: OFF/ON/PULSE/DOUGH it makes 2 large loaves [up to 6C flour] mine doesn''t have the smaller bowl insert, but def powerful

I make special butters and all pie crusts in there in half a minute w/o warming/touching the butter

Good Luck.

 

[ljmorgan]

HappyAnniversary, do you have an area of dedicated counter space to put the 16 cup? I have the die cast metal one and it is unbelievably heavy -- if I had to store it in a cabinet and pull it out to use, I would never use it! It is such a great machine though. Enjoy checking them out at WS, 10% off is lovely because they hardly ever have sales!

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Camille and Lindsey --I finally spelled it with the E-thanks for your reply

I''ve made my decision--I am taking it back and switching to 16 cup version. I called a local W&S and found the 16 cup has a 20 year warranty on motor v/s 12 cup at 10 years, and 16 cup has all steel blades, where 12 cup has some steel blades (I think its dough blade is plastic). Add to that the blade box and 3 bowls (won''t have to wash immediately for second use), and a retractable cord--- I think the extra $50 is worth the bigger size.PLus darn it , I want the extra Dough button. So a BIG THANKS to you all, especially Lindsay for mentioning the Dough cycle.

I was shopping with my adult kids and didn''t talk to SA as much as usual, I asked a real young boy and he just said the 16 cup was so big, he thought the 12 cup was better, no mention of the differences. Next time I''ll not shop with my kids or ask a kid who has probably never cooked a meal in his life about the products when I am spending so much money.

I did find out Sur la Table has a 14 cup Cuisinart Elite FP identical to 16 cup except for 2 cup diff, actually, same price. So, is there any advantage to smaller size? It would be easier for me to just stick with W&S anyway. Thanks again!!!

I thought I submitted this, but didn''t so I am now replying to Lindsey warning of its size--yea, it is big and heavy, I think I will just have to let it set on the countertop and look messy. I''m letting my waffle iron sit out for the winter, so it will match, I guess.

 

[movie zombie]

now you all have me interested in this piece of equipment!

how easy is it to clean? if it has a dough cycle, does it replace a stand mixer?

Happy, what do you think?

mz

 

[ljmorgan]

movie zombie, I love mine. This processor was made specifically to address the complaints about other processors on the market. Namely that the larger processors with nested bowls LEAKED, which meant you had to clean multiple work bowls even if you just used one of them. No thanks! This processor has an extremely powerful motor, and the construction of the housing is high quality, with smooth buttons so that food cannot get stuck into crevices.

Yes, this could replace your stand mixer for kneading. A word of warning though -- this kneads dough MUCH faster than my kitchenaid. The first time I did pizza dough in my new food processor, it was going well, the dough formed a ball and then disaster struck -- the dough blade started shredding the dough apart. I scraped it down and restarted it, same thing! So I finally crack open that instruction manual and it told me that the dough would be done in about a minute... oops. I was just overkneading! Anyway, I love it.

 

[movie zombie]

thanks for the info: i''ve been a rather old-fashioned, hands on cook....w/o even an immersion blender stick!

i really don''t want to spend a lot of $ on both a processor and a mixer. i don''t want to duplicate appliances that basically do the same job.

as i don''t really bake any longer, it may be that a high quality processor would be best for me? what is it that this processor won''t do that a mixer would do? i''m guessing attachments to a mixer are more varied....ice cream making, pasta making, meat grinding? i''m guessing its possible a processor could chop meat welll enough to be considered "ground"?

i''m so glad that HappyA started this thread! given what i''ve read thus far at at the williams-sonoma website, i think the 16-cup is by far the more versatile processor.

mz

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Movie Zombie, I read that the food processor cannot incorporate air into the batter, for example, you could not make whipping cream with it, so I don't know if one appliance can do it all. I plan on using it for making sauces, hummus, shredding carrots for carrot salad, garlic/onions/ccelery etc chopping, maybe slicing potatoes, cucumbers. I know it does is bread dough, pizza dough and pasta dough. I never hear anyone talk about cake batter, probably cos it is not incorporating air. I also don't hear about cookie dough either, but maybe I was not paying attention. One bog said how it made great meatloaf cos you use the same bowl to chop the onions, then add the rest and mix quickly--to much mixing and it tears the meat fibers apart. I think it goes from mix to liquid mush really quickly and that is where the pulse action comes in handy. I never considered it as a replacement for my mixer (which BTW is 30 years old and going strong with electrical tape on the cord where my dog chewed it a bit.)

 

[movie zombie]

Happy, well, my cake making days are over, i think. my oven is totally unreliable but i can cook the heck out of chicken, lamb, and pork in it...as well as roasted veggies. its just not good enough for baking....

and thus far i haven''t made cookies in years.....and i''ve been old school in the past just doing it all by hand.

the problem i have with getting a processor is that i don''t want something that is hard to clean which would make inclined not to use it.

i want something more to cream sauces and a long the lines of what you''re going to use it for. i did use my blender to cream a soup and it turned out really good....however, i think i had to do in 3-4 batches as my blender is quite small.

mz

 

[Camille]

It's true that you may not able to make whipping cream in a food processor and def not a KA replacement. But a great toy for all my Pâte type of crusts [Brisêe/sucrêe] double batch in seconds.
There's a book called The Food Processor Bible [Gilletz] it's loaded with salsas, pastas, blintzes, crêpes, simple buttercreams [nothing fancy] here's a recipe SIL shared with me from that book and very moist

Honey Apple Cake

3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 medium apples, peeled and cut in chunks
3 eggs plus 2 egg whites (or 4 eggs)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup liquid honey
3/4 cup cold tea
1/4 cup brandy ** I use Grand Marnier, SIL uses OJ**

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Steel Blade: Process flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger for 10 seconds, until blended. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Process apples until finely minced, 8 to 10 seconds. Measure 1 cup firmly packed and set aside.

Process eggs and egg whites, sugar, oil and honey for 2 to 3 minutes, until light. Do not insert pusher in feed tube. Add dry ingredients to batter alternately with tea and brandy. Process with quick on/off pulses, just until blended. Do not over-process. Add apples and process with quick on/off pulses, just until mixed.

Pour batter into sprayed 12-cup fluted tube pan (Bundt pan). Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until cake tests done. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out dry. If necessary, cover top of cake with foil to prevent over-browning. Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen with a flexible spatula; invert cake onto a serving plate.

Yield: 15 servings. Freezes well.

 

[movie zombie]

recipe sounds great....although i don''t like and/or use canola oil....

checked the cookbook on amazon.com: has cookie recipes and it seems that with this cookbook one isn''t limited in how to use the processor.

i may have to buy one!

mz

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Neat--I can make cookies and cake. I love how you can chop up the apple in the same appliance you mix the rest of the stuff in. Sounds like it would be perfect for carrot or zucchini cakes or bread. I can''t wait. Regarding clean up, I think you just wash out the bowl and when you clean the blades, be careful, more than one person in a blog mentioned they cut themselves.

 

[movie zombie]

so, do the blades get dull? does one sharpen them periodicallly or take them some where to be sharpened? or does one buy a new one?

or, gasp, are they made to last and stay sharp?!

mz

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Ok all---I exchanged the 12-cup for the 16 cup. I have watched part of the DVD and guess what--they made whipped cream, Ha--so the blog I read was wrong! However, just cos it does it doesn''t mean the mixer doesn''t do it Better! I guess you''d have to compare. They have cookie and cake recipes, too. As I researched the 2 choices I realized it wasn''t really about size 12 v/s 16 cup, but more about the extra features on the 16 cup like the Dough cycle. Thank you again Lindsey for telling me about the Dough cycle.

MovieZombie--I forgot to ask about the blades, but I think they last a long long time, I have never heard any one mention replacing them?

Camille- I am going to try your apple recipe this weekend, thanks so much.And I am going to buy that cookbook. it looked great.

The DVD showed them often cutting things into 1" pieces before using the food processor, to ensure even cutting, so there goes my idea of just putting in large chunks of stuff. Although if you are using the slicer part, I think you don''t have to do it as much.

Can''t use it till tomorrow night, will update you when I think I have more info. I definitely want to make bread this weekend and a carrot salad. A co-worker asked if I would shred carrots for her when she wants to make carrot cake, maybe she''ll share a bit of the cake with me!!

Anybody with more recipies, especially baked things feel free to add them here!

 

[movie zombie]

hey, Happy! i went to W&S this afternoon to have a look-see. i asked about the blades: they cannot be sharpened but can be reordered. $299.95 at the los gatos store.......

await your report!

i''m still on the fence. couldn''t find a copy of that cookbook to have a look-see if its what i''m looking to do.

W&W had an 11-cup cuisinart, white and very plastic looking that also had the dough setting. i picked up the 16-cup and it is HEAVY.

mz

 

[Camille]

style="WIDTH: 99%; HEIGHT: 80px">Date: 11/1/2009 10:09:17 PM
Author: movie zombie
recipe sounds great....although i don't like and/or use canola oil....
checked the cookbook on amazon.com: has cookie recipes and it seems that with this cookbook one isn't limited in how to use the processor. i may have to buy one!

Hi MovieZ, you could use melted butter instead of the canola, SIL got her copy from overstock, the cheesecake recipe is very simple as well. Blades never go dull, unless they were dropped/improper use, ie sand in the machine [something my little guy would do]

You have very good points, experimented this morning, inspired by your other post since I learned breadmaking with a wooden spoon and huge SS bowls

Dough A placed all dry ingredients, swirled, added liquids zapped: done in 1 minute, placed the dough on lightly floured board kneaded only 4 times [4 seconds] because it felt 'ready' cleaning the bowl wasn't fun but not that bad.
Dough B made in the bowl/wooden spoon, kneaded for 4 minutes, scraped the bowl clean in 8 minutes total.
1.5 hours later they rose equally, divided them in half and shaped them, after another hour B on the right, looked fluffier/faster:

 

[Camille]

Congrats on you new kitchen toy HappyAnni

I'm sure is loaded with all kinds of recipes

Here are the results: A

in the food processor B by hand:

​

 

[Camille]

crumb: Have to admit it....very, very close.

 

[Camille]

What to do with other halves:
A B

 

[movie zombie]

wow! not bad....although i do think that the dough/loaf B mixed by hand is a bit better to look at....but i'm betting they taste the same....! wow! lovely to behold!

i'm so on the fence......debating Debating DEBATING.

camille, which food processor do you have? i'm guessing its the 2014.....

i've considered this just to see if i'd use one: http://www.amazon.com/Miallegro-9090-MiTutto-Immersion-Professional-style/dp/B00281QTE0/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1257304291&sr=1-7

and i'm wondering if i'd be just as happy with an immersion stick.....

mz

eta: if the other halves aren't eaten or stored in the freezer yet, can i come over?!

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Camille--Wow! Comparing two methods of mixing bread and pictures no less !!!!! I am so impressed with your side by side comparison of hand v/s processor bread. Looks delicious! Do you think the processor was easier enough that you''d be more motivated to make bread more often?

Well, I shredded carrots, sliced radishes and mushrooms. I started late and didn''t have time to do any bread, but after looking at your pics, I wish I had!
Movie Zombie, there is a lot to the cleanup--mainly drying all the pieces inside and out. And having the room to lay out the pieces. I found it easiest to have the sink full of soapy water and swishing stuff lightly and then laying all the parts on a towel on the counter. I don''t trust it to my dishwasher (at least yet). I would definitely try to use it for more than one thing at a time, and can see that there will be a learning curve on finding the right way to incorporate it in my cooking. But it was all fun, and I can see how neat it will be to combine the chopping of ingredients and mixing in one piece of equipment.

There are lots of recipes including videos on the Cuisinart website, and they had a cinnamon roll video that looked fabulous, so that is my plan for this weekend.

 

[movie zombie]

HappyA, and therein lies the problem. i have the room to spread out. and i do clean up as i cook. part of my hesitation is the clean up issue.....and now that i''ve held the thing and lifted it, i know i don''t want to be doing that each time i want to use it. also, i''m short so feeding into a taller container could be an issue as my counter is a bit high. and i''m not keen to leave it out......but i really would like to broaden my cooking and incorporate some other things. please report back re your weekend projects!

mz

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Yep, the height is a bit weird for me, too, I will be placing it on my table instead of countertop when using it a lot. I know i am going to like it, it is just that it will be something I am going to have to learn about to get its best use. There are lots of videos online so I''ll have fun learning. Someone asked me if I would really use it. I said absolutely, the first month it''ll be fun, the rest of the time if nothing else, I''ll have to use it out of guilt for spending so much money!!!

And one more time--Camille--I am so impressed with your baking!

 

[Camille]

Thanks for your kind comments ladies

MovieZ, I wouldn't advise anyone to spend $200+ on a machine to make bread. If it happens that you have a processor, it can be done. You are right on the model mine is 2014N Power Plus Prep. Between four of us 2 loaves go fast [we don't buy bread] but I would gladly send you one

HappyA I see using the Processor as an initiative to start/try baking. As an avid baker I'm always trying new stuff, the mixing time was def faster on the machine but, I had to clean the bowl, your sink/soap is a great idea!.
Another thing, I didn't like adding most of the flour at once, that might create a tougher dough, but in this case it didn't happen..hand kneading obviously created more volume, flavor was the same because they both fermented 1.5 hours prior to shaping. As for cinnamon visuals B was def 1" taller, A had about 1/8 C of raw cane sugar on top, that helped deflating a bit.
If you would like, I could post the recipe when I come back from my carpool

if you want to play.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 11/4/2009 8:47:46 AM
Author: HappyAnniversary
Yep, the height is a bit weird for me, too, I will be placing it on my table instead of countertop when using it a lot. I know i am going to like it, it is just that it will be something I am going to have to learn about to get its best use. There are lots of videos online so I''ll have fun learning. Someone asked me if I would really use it. I said absolutely, the first month it''ll be fun, the rest of the time if nothing else, I''ll have to use it out of guilt for spending so much money!!!

And one more time--Camille--I am so impressed with your baking!

isn''t that the truth?! it is an "investment"....and i think part of my hesitation. i''m so glad you''re enjoying it....its motivating me.

mz