Lately, I've been testing out some new recipes, whipping up some original smoothie concoctions and now I have a fun new kitchen appliance to assist me as I prepare them here at casa Davis. Weeks ago CSN Stores offered me the choice of doing another giveaway with them or reviewing a product. Since I always go the giveaway route, I thought I'd do something a little different this time. Since they were giving me $60 to spend, I thought it would be the perfect time to get a large capacity food processor.
Up until now I've had a tiny one which is great for making hummus, dips and very small batches but I wanted something that did more than just puree. I chose carefully and ended up selecting the Hamilton Beach 10 cup Chef Prep food processor. It got great reviews and was the right price and I couldn't be more thrilled with it. I was so excited when it arrived but then got really busy and it sat for a while in my kitchen cabinet. I've been meaning to make my own almond butter and knew it would be a great first test for my new gadget too.
Here she is out of the box, washed and ready to make something yummy:
I started with some raw almonds, I didn't even measure, just dumped some into the container. I didn't want to risk a big batch though in case it didn't turn out. So, I pulsed the nuts for about 3 minutes until they become more buttery, added a pinch of sea salt, 1/2 tsp of olive oil and then I was feeling a little adventurous so I added a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg along with a teaspoon of raw honey too. I pulsed for another minute and it was perfect.
Here is the result-Homemade Almond Butter in less than 5 minutes!
This processor will make my life so much easier, like the picture on the box shows, I've experimented and discovered that yes, you can feed a whole block of cheese into it and it will shred it perfectly in seconds. How handy is that?! No more grating by hand and washing the cheese grater afterwards. It also does really thin discs of veggies which look so pretty in salads. It has a fun crinkle cut feature too which I thought was neat. Remember, I was using a tiny, basic food chopper, so this is a HUGE step up! Before that when I was living in Canada, I chopped everything by hand and used a regular and hand blender when needed to puree what I needed, I wasn't one for collecting small kitchen appliances back then but I will not miss the tears that come from chopping onions.
Not only has it become my new BFF in the kitchen for preparing food but it's also really easy to clean too, which is important to me. In less than 2 minutes it was all thoroughly cleaned, but it is also dishwasher safe on the top rack if I ever want to go that route.
It locks into place easily and like a juicer, it has a food pusher with a measuring cup which makes it easy to pour right into the processor while in the off mode or while in motion, which is what I did with the olive oil. I love the 6 little suction cup feet on the bottom that help keep it stuck to my counter while it's working its magic at high speed. It has 3 main buttons, pulse manually or lyou can eave it on speed 1 or 2 and then just walk away. I did that actually while the almond butter worked it's way from whole nuts to buttery goodness.
Most of all I love how powerful the motor is and how easy it is to use. It doesn't have a million buttons or setting or anything complicated. Upon arrival I just set it up without needing to look at the instructions. I also liked the color-black and chrome which looks good while it's on my counter but the type A in me keeps it tucked away when it's not being used because I value counter space.
All in all, I'm really satisfied with it and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable and high quality food processor. It shipped to me quickly too. Thank You CSN Stores for my favorite new kitchen appliance!! Sorry blender, there's a new kid in town. ;)
If you've never tried almond butter before, store bought or homemade, I highly recommend it. It's much healthier than peanuts and it's a great option for those with peanut allergies. Of course you could make walnut butter, pecan butter, peanut butter or whatever you have on hand-believe me I'll be trying many more! I like to scoop mine up with apple slices-YUM. Sometimes I mix it in with greek yogurt too for a creamier version, here's the recipe for that perfect snack which I posted last year.
Do you own a food processor? What is your favorite use for it? Do you make baby food or sauces, I'd love to know and feel free to share your favorite recipes with me, so I can try them too!
