WD200711ZA-sm.pdf

EDITORS’
PICK
Black & Decker
Textured Series
$60 • blackanddeckerappliances.com
Lightweight and compact, this economical
processor slices and shreds competently. It
disappointed on its puree, however, producing
an unpleasantly chunky asparagus soup.
Construction doesn’t seem sturdy enough for
frequent use, and the small work bowl means
that cooking for a large crowd entails processing
in batches—or putting guests to work.
WIRED Easy to store, even in urban microkitchens.
So cheap you can splurge on some
morels for that mushroom soup.
TIRED Motor is annoyingly poky—and
noisy enough to wake the neighbors.
Household
1 2 2 WIRED TEST
Food
Processors
Like your very own prep cook,
these machines chop, slice, and
mix in seconds flat. —M.W.L.
Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus
$199 • cuisinart.com
Updating a classic risks alienating the fan base—think New Coke—but this
redesign rocks. Practical new features include multiple speeds, a wider
feed tube, and a Dough Control setting that turns out flaky tart shells (we
swear). The smooth touchpad makes cleanup as easy as wiping a sponge;
it took a toothbrush—and occasionally a toothpick—to excavate crumbs
and batter drips from the old push-lever switches.
WIRED Cost isn’t jacked up by unneeded accessories. Comes with the basics;
extras like thin-slicer and julienne discs are available online.
TIRED Lid and feed tube can be stubborn about sliding into place or releasing.
KitchenAid Ultra
Wide Mouth
$270 • kitchenaid.com
Good design makes this the Tiger Woods of
food processors, effortlessly able to slice, grate,
and puree. Lids slide smoothly on and off roomy
work bowls that render filling and pouring a
neat affair. Too bad a safety feature complicates
your workflow: The feed-tube plunger has to
be halfway down for the blade to start, meaning
bulky foods like potatoes must be cut in two.
WIRED Speedy. Includes three different-size
containers and six blades; mini sets excel at
sauces and small jobs like grinding nuts.
TIRED When making dough, flour poofs
messily out of bowl-lid seam.
Viking Professional
Food Processor
$350 • vikingrange.com
This smart-looking appliance handles most
chores with finesse—serving up an ultrasmooth
asparagus soup, for example. But the
shredder blade clogged after a single round
with zucchini, and while the Viking mixed dough
quickly, our tart crust turned out tough. Still,
it’s so cute we might be able to forgive its
flaws—say, if we had the matching red range.
WIRED Quiet. Equipped with handy extras
like julienne and fry blades.
TIRED To fit in narrow feed tube, spuds must
be cut lengthwise, wasting time. Plastic bowls
seem flimsy given price.