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Food Processor and Zucchini

I’m sure that there are readers who think I spend way too much money. Please don’t tell me if that’s what you’re thinking. Also, remember that we don’t go out to eat, we drive old cars, I don’t buy clothes. I don’t get my nails done or my hair colored. I don’t like shopping (except cross stitching charts online!). OK. Have I convinced anyone that I should spend more? Probably not!

I’ve talked about this on here before. My Cuisinart is about 45 years old. I use it often and would use it more except it weighs a ton and parts just don’t work like they used to work. Vince almost always has to help me with something to get it going. Today he had to help get the lid closed. It has to push some kind of safety thing down before it will run and that thing wouldn’t budge. Vince spent about 20 minutes messing with it. He said “Why don’t you buy a new one?” Well . . we’ve talked about this before . . the one I want is rather expensive.” He said “Get it . . it can be your Christmas present!” That’s romantic and exciting! 🙂

The debate I have with myself is that it is probably way more expensive than I need considering that there are others that will do just a few things less for a whole lot less money but I think if I don’t get the dicing feature, I’m going to always wish I had. The one I want supposedly peels potatoes. I peel a lot of potatoes.

Today I had 7 bags of cranberries to chop. I would never do that by hand. Any old food processor would do that. Even the old one I have did a great job once I got it going. I have 50 pounds of potatoes coming Monday from Azure. I would love to be able to peel those with a food processor. The dicing is probably smaller than I would do with the food processor. I need them to be a bit bigger so they don’t turn to mush with the canning process. The dicing is great for stews, breakfast potatoes, soups, potato salad, etc.

Carolyn at Homesteading Family uses it and loves it but she has 11 children. You can see it in action in this video at about the 2 minute mark.

I don’t know if I’ll order it or not. Vince keeps saying “Did you order it?” Nope . . not yet. I called Chad and asked if he would take it and use it when I’m gone and not sell it at a garage sale for $10 and he said yes, he would take it and use it – like I would know or care what happens to it after I’m gone. 🙂

On one hand, I’m thinking . . if I’m having this much trouble deciding, that probably means I shouldn’t do it. On the other hand, I’m thinking . . if I get a different one and keep wishing I had bought the one I want, that wouldn’t be good.

OK . . it’s up to you . . buy the more expensive one that does more or buy the less expensive one that does at least as much as the old one does.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Buy the more expensive one that has all the features you want. If you buy something else you will always be saying, “I should have bought the other one”. After 45 years you deserve the newest and best one!

    • Thank you! I agree but I just keep thinking . . do I REALLY need all those extras? I’m going to decide before I go to bed.

  2. Buy the expensive one with all the features you want… life is short… and getting shorter every day… less time spent peeling potatoes… more time for stitching.

    No one on their death bed said “I wish I had spent more time at the office” or “I wish I had spent more time peeling potatoes”…
    Also I’ve found several times that when I settled for the less expensive option later I would end up purchasing the expensive one anyway… but that’s me.

    • Good point, Carol. Can you give me the reference where you found that no one ever said “I wish I had spent more time peeling potatoes?” 🙂 That’s funny. After reading your comment, I’ll probably be on my death bed giggling about that food processor.

  3. I agree that you should buy the one you really want and not have to worry about not having something you want or need to do another job. You will always regret it if you don’t do it. Also, like Vince said, you can afford it and why not get the one you will use? You are not going to break the bank by buying it. You are always saving on everything and you deserve to have what you need to get the jobs done. There, you have my approval! LOL

    • Thank you, Nelle. I appreciate your input. It is weird for me to be struggling with this. I considered buying this same processor in October, 2022, probably when I was again chopping massive amounts of cranberries.

  4. I say buy the one you want. You may find even more uses. A little hint to help get the top on. Dab a little vegetable oil around the rim.

    • It’s not the rim sticking, there’s a “stick” with a spring on the bottom and it’s in an enclosed area. The edge of the lid is slanted at the back and the slanted edge rolls over that stick, pushes it down and that tells the machine the lid is securely attached. That little stick wouldn’t go down, even though the spring was working.

      By the way, I do use the oil trick on the canner lid.

  6. This sounds like something you will use a lot, get the one you want and I bet you will find you use the “extras” more than you think right now. Life definitely is too short so enjoy what you like to do while you have the time!

  7. Buy it! We’re too old to worry about something like this…your arthritic hands will thank you! I also wonder if there would be a Black Friday deal of any kind on it…if you send me the name, I’ll search like crazy for it? Lots of pressure to make a decision before you go to bed though!

  9. I live alone so it would not be practical. You should get it. You are always cooking and deserve the best. Listen to Vince and go for it.

    • Yes, it is. That makes a nice difference in what it was when I wanted it last year.

  11. If you can afford it, and you know you’d use it…go for it! I would if I had the money and could afford it. 🙂

  12. Buy the machine that you want – you do a lot of food prep and most of it seems to be intensive in terms of quantity such as the 50 pounds of potatoes at one time to peel and chop.

    As we age, the joints start hurting more – the hips, knees, and feet from standing, the hands from peeling and cutting. Remember that you risk repetitive motion injury if you are peeling all those potatoes!

    Go for it!

  13. I’m in the buy the one you want camp! I’m a frugal person but have learned from my husband to spend more at times. It’s hard to do but I’ve learned to do it. Anyway, it’s better to have more features and not use them rather than wishing you had a feature you did without to save money.

  14. I have the Breville food processor. It’s worth the money and works well. With that said, it is heavy. With the attachments, it takes up a lot of space on a counter or cabinet. Keep mine on its own rolling cart. Cart has a wood top with 2 shelves underneath for storing accessories. From the Container Store. Just roll it o wherever you want to use it. No lifting.

    • Thanks for that info. I do have a spot on the counter but I may end up needed to put it on a car and store it in the breakfast room when not in use. I have room in a cabinet that has a roll out shelf and I was planning on keeping the attachments in that drawer. We’ll see.

  15. I vote for you to get the one you would like the most. With all the food prep you do, you deserve to get the one you will get the most use from. Enjoy it!!

  16. Definitely buy the more expensive one – otherwise, you’d be always wondering why you didn’t buy the one with more options. I think that sometimes we talk ourselves out of what we want thinking it’s too much, do we really need it, etc. when all is said and done, you know you’ll definitely use it and wish you hadn’t waited so long to get it.

  17. The expensive one is going to last you a lot longer also so you should get the best one if you can afford it. You spend so much time on food prep it will be a good investment – and then more time for stitching!

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