Excellent Little Machine!
Written: Jan 22 '04 (Updated Jan 24 '04)
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Pros: Durable, quiet, efficient, compact
Cons: Unable to shred silly web review comments
The Bottom Line: It's compact, quiet, easy-to-use and effective!
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| leojbramble's Full Review: Cuisinart Little Pro Plus 3 Cups Food Processor |
I don't understand some of the negative comments some people have made about the size of this machine -- why buy a compact machine specifically designed for people with more modest food processing needs, and then complain that the machine isn't designed to handle bigger jobs?!?! Am I missing something? Anyway...
I have nothing but good things to say about this machine: I received mine as a hand-me down from my sister about 13 years ago (as I recall, she originally bought it in '88), and I recently passed it on to my girlfriend, who loves it.
This machine is compact, efficient... and QUIET! (a characteristic not always possible to determine before a purchase, but an important one that seems all too rare among kitchen appliances these days!) It's a bit noisier if you're using the chopping blade on hard, brittle food like nuts -- since they get tossed around the hard plastic workbowl a bit -- but nothing more than you'd reasonably expect. The key thing is that the MOTOR itself is quiet.
Assembly
The unit assembles very, very easily, if not necessarily intuitively – actually a bit simpler and faster than the average blender. You secure the workbowl by placing it on the base with the handle in approximately the '8 o-clock' position, then rotate the workbowl on the base in a counter-clockwise direction until it clicks into position, with the handle ending up in the '6 o-clock' position.
Next, you insert the appropriate cutting mechanism according to the type of job you wish to perform. To chop, mince, blend or puree, use the chopping blade mechanism, which simply drops into place. To slice or grate, you instead use one of the two discs provided for these functions. The appropriate disc is held in place with a simple shaft which extends through the cylindrical opening in the center of the workbowl and attaches securely to the base of the unit.
Finally, the workbowl cover/feed tube is secured by placing it on top of the workbowl with the chute in approximately the '2 o-clock' position, then rotated it in a counter-clockwise direction until it clicks into place, with the chute ending up in the '12 o-clock' position.
This deliberate yet simple assembly process engages a simple mechanical safety feature whereby the motor cannot be activated unless the unit has been properly and securely assembled.
Because I have the 'Little Pro' and not the 'Little Pro Plus', I'm not familiar with the citrus attachment.
Controls/Operation
The controls are simple: a single sturdy, horizontal 3-position lever. The middle position is "off". Press the lever downward for 'pulse' action (meaning that you have to hold down the level to activate the motor, and release the lever to stop). Flip the switch upwards for continuous 'on' action. Flipping the lever upwards requires a small bit of leverage, but this is easily accomplished by placing your hand in a vertical 'grip' position (more or less as if holding a joystick control), resting your thumb on the base of the unit for leverage, and flipping the lever upwards with the side of your curled index finger.
Operation is simple: to chop, mince, blend or puree, put the food into the workbowl, put the lid in place (be sure to put the food pusher into the feed tube to keep food from splattering out!), and turn it on. To slice or grate, once the unit is appropriately assembled (see above) simply feed the food through the feed tube, using the food pusher to keep constant (but gentle) pressure on the food and force it into the blade/shredder. The feed tube opening is about 3 ¼" long and about 1 ½" at its widest point, so food must be cut to the appropriate size. For example, you should be able to fit 3 or 4 whole carrots down the tube at once (vertically of course!). An average-sized potato would probably need to be cut in half or thirds.
Chute Attachment
To increase the amount of food that can be shredded or sliced without continually emptying the workbowl, the unit includes a chute attachment. This attachment, when placed on top of the workbowl in place of the regular cover/feed tube, is used to divert the sliced or grated food into a larger container of the user’s choosing (making a further mystery of the "it’s too small!" comments). Note however, that you cannot use the chute attachment for food that you want to mince or puree, since those functions require that the food be placed and contained within the workbowl, where the chopping blade can wreak its havoc on the food continuously.
Again, only the 'Plus' model has the citrus attachment.
Maintenance
The base, workbowl, cover and discs are easily cleaned with mild soap and water. Dishwasher cleaning is not recommended. The workbowl and cover on our model has smoked brown translucent plastic, so they doesn’t show stains or scratches nearly as readily as clear or lighter-colored models. The opaque white plastic on the shredding and slicing discs can get food stains (e.g., from carrots, beets or other produce with particularly intense coloring), but if that’s a concern I'm sure they can be washed completely clean if soaked in a good cleaner like Oxy-Clean. The base of our machine is beige, so again, stains aren't as much of an issue as they might be with the newer 'bright white' models.
Other/Summary
As far as longevity is concerned, in fairness, I must admit that I didn't use it all that frequently during the 12 years I had it, but my girlfriend's been using it almost daily for the last few weeks, and it's been working like a charm...
Anyway, I love the machine and if it were ever to conk out, I’d be likely buy another, although from what I’ve read about other Cuisinart products recently, I can’t be absolutely sure they use the same care and quality controls that they did way back when mine was purchased.
[update]: I did finally get to check out one of the newer 'Plus' machines in a store last night, and I must say that the quality of materials and construction seems to have declined noticeably since "back in the day". The control knob seems to be attached in a different, less secure way (the one on the floor model was wobbly, though that could be from extreme abuse or dropping), and both the clear plastic used for the workbowl/cover and the opaque molded plastic used for the base/chute attachment seem to be (to my layman's eye and touch) somewhat lower grades of plastics than on the model we have.
But even so, this model may be likely to give you years of solid use -- you can never tell. Even items that seem solid can crap out on you when you least expect it. And I guess every company's trying to save a buck on the manufacturing end, so even if it's not the same workhorse as the previous generation of machines, I don't know that there's much reason to think any other manufacturer will give you any more bang for your buck.
Anyway, should you decide to go with the Little Pro/Plus, even if you ultimately buy it online, first go to a store where you can at least look at and handle it so you can be sure that the workmanship -- and size(!) -- suit your expectations.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 75?
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Epinions.com ID:
leojbramble
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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