<p>So my lovely D has decided that her new apartment is so wonderful, she is going to cook nutritious, delicious meals every night! Well, we’ll see about that… But anyway, her birthday is coming up and she has asked for a food processor and a blender. I saw a combination product on several websites and they look great, very practical for a small kitchen, but they all get wide ranging reviews. Seems people really love them or hate them. I happen to have both a Cuisinart for food processing (which frankly I don’t get out very often now that the kids have flown the coop) and a blender, but she has a tiny, tiny kitchen with about two square feet of counter space, so in theory, anyway, the combo product seems great. </p>
<p>It really depends what she is planning to do with them. Is she planning to make bread? In that case, one of the most powerful Cuisinarts would be needed. Is she planning to do prep for Asian food; i.e., chopping garlic, shallots, and ginger? In that case a smaller Cuisinart or one of the mini varieties would do. Is she planning to make smoothies and homemade mayonnaise and puree soups? A stick blender would be great for all of those. Is she planning to make margaritas or other frozen drinks involving ice? in that case a drinks blender would probably be best. (I’ve tried making both with my Cuisinart and stick blender, and while it can be done it is far from ideal.) If space is at a major premium and she is not planning to start baking her own bread, I would recommend a Cuisinart stick blender and a small, prep-sized Cuisinart. (I tried buying a cheap off-brand miniprep processor and it was a huge mistake.) The only thing that combo wouldn’t do is slice. But unless one is making potato dishes to serve 8, it’s usually not worth dirtying the machine to slice. Get her a decent chef’s knife. :)</p>
<p>I’ve had my Cuisinart since 1983! Seen plenty of hard use. I have replaced everything but the base/motor at least once, and in some cases twice.</p>
<p>Got myself a chopping block, a chopping knife, and a wife. The wife is the expensive part, no warrantly but it is the most all round food processor. </p>
<p>(caution on the label on tail: Do not remove under penalty of law. Original equipment only. Make no bad comments when the combo or when wife is w or w/o knife)</p>
<p>LongPrime, I’ve the model “DH” food processor. My husband is the cook here! </p>
<p>BTW, kschmidt, we have a cuisinart blender/fp combo and we use the blender far more than the fp. Since your D has limited counter space, I would opt for the combo.</p>
<p>I just bought a Ninja for my daughter. It has a blender container and a chopper container and the motor sits on top of either one. It is GREAT for chopping ice and making smoothies. The chopper container is small (two or three cups), but it is great for onions or peppers, and is works really fast, so if a lot of chopping is needed, it can be emptied out. I bought it at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $33 with a coupon.</p>
My husband is the cook here! </p>