They're the ultimate credit crunch kitchen accessory. Now that we're all eating in rather than dining out, and going back to homemade food instead of ready meals, it's time to buy a food processor.Scratch cooking - meaning preparing meals from scratch, with no ready-made ingredients - is the new buzz phrase in culinary circles. According to latest figures, the number of us cooking at home has doubled recently, while less than 10 per cent of us use a microwave to cook our evening meal.And to make a meal from scratch quickly and easily, there's no doubt a food processor can be invaluable. Blending with confidence: Ann Shooter tests out a range of food processorsI have to admit, I've not always been a fan. When I was 13, I had a most unpleasant accident while washing up a blade after helping my mum make coleslaw with her then pride and joy - her new Magimix.I can still remember watching the washing up liquid bubbles turn pink and shrieking in horror as I realised I had cut something.

(It was my thumb - and luckily my performance was far more dramatic than the injury.)I still find those sharp edges utterly terrifying, and I have never liked the idea of having a vast array of little sharp blades anywhere near my inquisitive young daughters.Anyway, I've always wondered what the point of a food processor is. They're so big and bulky and surely a combination of a knife, grater and hand-held blender can do everything just as well. Plus, they make for such a lot of cleaning up.But it seems that in the last 25 years food processors have come a long way. Now, not only do they grate, slice and mix, they can whip, beat, knead dough, liquidise, juice - and the brilliant new Krups model can even weigh ingredients as you add them! You can use them to make pastry, cakes, mashed potatoes, meringues, minced meat, chips, mayonnaise, pesto - in fact, pretty much anything.Everything looks thoroughly professional because it is cut or blended so evenly, and you can mix at different speeds to really froth up your egg whites but not overdo your pastry.

Most of the parts can be cleaned in a dishwasher these days, so no more sliced fingers whilst doing the washing up.And the blades generally come in neat little boxes so they are safely away from children's exploring paws, and you don't have to grope around in drawers trying to find the right one without cutting yourself.daftar harga blender national omegaThe main thing, however, is to think carefully about your needs before you buy one.cuisinart blender blade cutting assembly spb 456 2bAre you actually going to make your own chips, for instance, or do you simply not eat them? cuisinart smartpower premier 600-watt blender manual

Do you really need an extra sharp blade to blend ice or are your days of homemade frozen daiquiris long gone?Would you ever make your own pastry, or will you always just go for the shop-bought version? hamilton beach wave maker 50163And how many are you cooking for? oster blender parts bvcb07 zThere is no point in having an all-singing, all-dancing giant machine if you're really only going to use it to grate a bit of cheese and make the occasional bowl of mushroom soup for yourself and your partner.breville bsb400xl immersion blenderBut if you're serious about cooking and entertaining, and want to use it on a daily basis to make smoothies for breakfast, gazpacho for lunch and fish cakes with salsa verde for dinner, then there are some incredible machines out there that can virtually do everything for you.cuisinart smartpower duet costco

Be aware that the price differentials are amazing. A machine can cost from under £30 to more than ten times that amount.So, are the cheap machines rubbish? Are the expensive ones any better? And which are really the best on the market? When I tried out the latest models, I made some great discoveries... KENWOOD COMPACT FOOD PROCESSOR FP116, £21.27Stockists: Good department stores Small and light, yet solid, this little machine has suckers to anchor it to the work surface. It is great quality and very easy to use, with a speed dial or a pulse option.Perfect if you want to make small quantities of baby food and great generally for a couple or small family. I really like this little machine. It's very classy, with a black and chrome lid you push down on to make it work. It doesn't pretend to do lots of things  -  it just chops and blends, really well.Perfect for anything you want to make in small quantities such as chopping herbs or blending baby food. RACHEL ALLEN FOOD PROCESSOR, £59.99Stockists: www.argos.co.ukYou certainly get a lot for your money here, with 25 variable speeds, ten attachments with everything from whipping to chipping, and a blender.

But it was rather disappointing, particularly considering that it's part of the new range from well-respected Irish chef Rachel Allen. It looked and felt 'plasticky', almost like a toy. On the face of it this looks very well priced, rather clever and particularly appropriate for less experienced cooks. It is a blender, juicer and food processor in one, with settings for everything from batter to smoothies, with a good little recipe book included.But it definitely felt insubstantial when I tried it, like it might break if I pushed anything too hard, and I didn't like the blade-changing system one bit. Stockists: John Lewis, www. This is extremely solid and very good quality, like a professional piece of equipment  -  yet it couldn't be simpler to use. It looks great too, with retro styling. Comes with three differentsized bowls and the large 2.8l work bowl which is great for salads. It has an extra wide feeding tube so you don't need to cut large vegetables like potatoes before slicing them.

Wide range of attachments includes citrus press, slicing discs and a dough blade, all of which pack away neatly into case. MAGIMIX 4200 FOOD PROCESSOR, £154.99Stockists: www.amazon.co.uk or department stores This is a smart, substantial machine with a wide range of uses. It has blades for everything: from making julienne vegetables, to an extra-fine grater for parmesan, all of which work really well. Has a clever, straightforward system to lock the bowl in place, and three bowls of differing sizes. It is big and comes with a large box of accessories so needs plenty of storage space. This might be the most expensive, but it's fantastic! As well as all the blades and extras you would expect, it also has built in scales so you can actually weigh ingredients as you add them. When all the ingredients are in, just blend, then pour into a cake tin. Not just gimmicky, is really wellmade too, is incredibly quiet and will last for years. An excellent addition to your kitchen. Stockists: call Philips on 0845 601 0354 Easy to use and solid, with a large, convenient handle on the side of the bowl and a wide feeding tube which can take in whole fruits and vegetables.