I am writing to ask for your personal advice and review of food processors and blenders. Cooking has become my almost full-time hobby this summer when I’m not working. I am truly inspired by your blog and have liked everything I’ve made so far from your recipes. However, I find that a lot of my cooking goals from your recipe index, along with every other blog that I follow, call for a food processor or blender, and mine just won’t suffice (I tried making hummus and ended up with many large chunks). Do you use a Magic Bullet? How does it work for you? Do you think it’s worth investing in a Nutribullet, Vitamix, or something else very fancy? I am a college student, and certain expenses just aren’t practical for me. I also don’t want to make an investment and have it go wrong. What would you recommend for brands or appliances? Maybe I should just get a mini food processor for now? Thanks so much for your consideration! I’m learning a lot from you! Your email totally made me smile!

I’m so glad you are having fun in the kitchen and that my site has been inspiring. Nothing makes me happier. Well, nothing except my kids eating what I cook for dinner without complaining. I would love to give you my thoughts on blenders and food processors. I consider myself cheap and low tech in this area so keep that in mind as you read my thoughts. I know lots of people who swear by their Vitamix but I just can’t see spending that much money on a blender. I get it, it’s powerful, but there are tricks you can use to make super smooth smoothies and soups in something as inexpensive as a Magic Bullet. I’m basically the opposite of a kitchen snob because I want to make cooking at home more accessible, not less. And telling people they NEED a $600-plus piece of equipment to make a recipe just bugs me. Now that I got that out of my system, I will step off my soapbox and answer your questions.How does it work for you? I do and I worked it to DEATH. Click here and you can see all the recipes I used it with and those are just the ones I shared!

The great thing about the Bullet is that it’s upside down and uses a small motor. This allows you to pick up the unit preventing that dreaded spinning of blades when you don’t have enough liquid. If you don’t know what I’m talking about click here to see how I make soft serve in it with frozen bananas. It may be an “off label” use of the appliance but it works for me. I also use it to make green smoothies. The trick is to blend any greens with your liquid first and then add the remaining ingredients and ice cubes. That way you don’t get spinach or kale chunks in your smoothies. Overall, the Bullet works great for everyday, small jobs. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and lets you get away with a lot even without liquid. Hey, I even used it to make no-bake cookies last year! Do you think it’s worth investing in a Nutribullet, Vitamix, or something else very fancy? I guess I kind of already answered this. I really don’t think you NEED a VitaMix. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it rocks, but I’d rather make do with $60 bullet and use the money I saved on a mini-vacation or something.

That’s just how I’m wired. That being said I did receive this Ninja system as a gift and I do like it. It came with single-serve cups and the large blender has 2 blades stacked on top of each other making it really good for large batches of soups and such. It also came with another attachment that I honestly never used and probably never will. ninja ultima blender walmart canadaLike I said, I’m kind of low tech in this sense. magic bullet blender danmarkIf a recipe requires a lot of processing and gadgets I generally stay away.kitchenaid 475w mixer As for your mini food processor question, I had one when I first started cooking but didn’t use it much. vitamix costco roadshow 2014 canada

It’s not powerful enough to liquify stuff and if I wanted chunks or just a chop, I’d end up just using a knife. Kind of like I did for my recent noodle recipe. Sure, I COULD have used a processor but why dirty another appliance? My knife and cutting board worked just great. If you could only buy one thing, I’d probably go with the Magic Bullet. lowest price vitamix 6300It’s fairly inexpensive and can be used for lots of different jobs.avent steamer blender or beaba babycook Anyone else is welcome to chime in in the comments. vitamix the quiet one craigslistI’m sure many will disagree with me. Any Vitamix fans out there? Would love your thoughts. I never owned one so I’m only speaking from the price perspective.

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