Ack! I broke my Cuisinart!

[Atlas]

I was just talking to my partner, explaining the longevity of quality food processors and stand mixers. Those suckers last forever if loved. We have a cheap food processor and I really want a nice Cuisinart. I use it all the time; sauces, faux ricottas, pureed soups, hummus, walnut pate, anything with vital wheat gluten, pesto, the list goes on.

[OakLeaf]

Oh duh. Of course pesto. It only happens once or twice a year when the basil's at its most prolific, so I forgot!

[malkin]

Hey--Oak, what stick blender do you have?

[OakLeaf]

This is the one I have - now discontinued, but they're making similar ones. It gets a lot of use, especially in winter when we make a lot of pureéd squash and bean soups. Everything goes in the dishwasher except the handle with the motor. The chopper attachment is great for garlic, ginger and spices when I'm chopping too much to fit in the mortar and pestle, and nuts when I'm chopping too few for the big blender. I usually prefer to whisk cream and egg whites by hand, but I do them rarely and probably would go electric if I was doing them often.

[Aggie_Ama]

For my 25th birthday my Mom bought me a Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer, DH couldn't understand what the fuss was until he saw how much I love to bake with it. So now he still doesn't get it but he loves my baking. I love that mixer so much, I would probably cry if it broke. No, I don't get attached to machines.

I have a Black and Decker processor but it seems like a tough little machine, at least for my needs. This thread is making me want to figure out more uses for the food processor. I am a kitchen gadget junkie, I have to have things even though I don't know why I want them. Food processor, bread machine, butter warmers, I tried to fix my Nanny and Pawpaw's ice cream maker but it didn't work.