apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor

2007-12-05cuisinart.jpgGearing up or already in the swing of special holiday food making? Kate's had this Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor for a year and loves it: perfect for chopping onions, making fresh salsa and tapenades, and even serving as a spice grinder. The bowl holds up to 21 oz., but it's small enough that Kate keeps it on the back ledge of her stove, poised for action at all times. It's on sale at Kohls.com for $29.49. Maybe it's time to buy yourself a Christmas gift?

It features two speeds, though you have to hold the corresponding button down to power the processor. The blade chops or grinds nuts, cheese, and herbs, for a start, and as we mentioned, even spices in a pinch--have fresh ground pepper without needing a pepper mill if you'd like.

- Image from Kohls.com.

Comments (10)

This is my go-to bridal shower present, particularly when the registries only have things like spatulas and sets of china left. It's the most useful thing I got when I got married, for sure. It does a great job on small batches of sauces, too, as well as onions and chocolate and such.

posted by anadequatenovel on 2007-12-05 14:01:00
view anadequatenovel's profile

Anyone have any experience with using one of these abroad or have a second to read what it says about electrics on the sticker near the power cord? My partner and I are stocking up on kitchen items in the US before my company pays for a move to the UK. Thanks...

posted by rebandvic on 2007-12-05 14:10:09
view rebandvic's profile

how eerie! I just decided today to get this as a christmas gift for my mother-in-law. Does anyone know the difference between this model and the one with a more rounded base?

posted by selena on 2007-12-06 00:01:12
view selena's profile

Be careful grinding spices -- we ground cumin seed and managed to scratch the plastic container pretty well. Still works fine, it's just uglier.

posted by CJL on 2007-12-06 11:35:36
view CJL's profile

I don't think there's much real difference, Selena. I have the one with the rounded base and really like it.

posted by anadequatenovel on 2007-12-06 11:42:57
view anadequatenovel's profile

Ascetics aside, my understanding is that the newer Mini-Prep Plus Processor (DLC-2A) is a significant improvement over the older model. It has a slightly stronger motor 250w (vs 220w). This is an informative review noting other improvements - http://tinyurl.com/28gv3p

posted by southernwayfarer on 2007-12-06 14:06:33
view southernwayfarer's profile

I went over to Cooks Illustrated to do some more research. According to Cooks, the KitchenAid Chef's Chopper Mini Food Processor (KFC3100) is the way to go. It got the best recommendation in a head to head test against 7 other models including both Cuisinarts.

posted by southernwayfarer on 2007-12-06 14:22:50
view southernwayfarer's profile

thanks southernwayfarer... gotta get the best for MIL, ya know...

posted by selena on 2007-12-06 18:35:04
view selena's profile

rebandvic- the tag's been removed on ours, but the base reads "12V 60 Hz 250W." Does that help you at all? How can you tell what will work with a converter over there?

posted by kate on 2007-12-07 09:33:52
view kate's profile

Thanks for checking that Kate. I am not sure what that means for my purposes but I will do some more research.

Usually, if an appliance says something like 100-240 volts or 120-220 it means that you just need an passive adapter to change the physical shape of the plug. Most laptops and digital cameras fall into this category.

Things like hairdryers and toasters get trickier and often require a step down converter which makes sure that the larger amount of power coming out of a European outlet doesn't damage the device. Also step down converters are not such a good solution for the long run as they can cause fires and things...

posted by rebandvic on 2007-12-07 12:47:42
view rebandvic's profile
Buy Text Ads