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i dislike food processor or other types of cutting gizmos because they are pita to wash and clutters up your kitchen. A very well sharpen knife can do just fine.
I worked many years in restaurants and noticed the chefs rarely used food processors for chopping. It was endless knife-chopping, even for those huge amounts.
I only used my food processor a couple times; just end up using knives. Rarely use the garlic press.
Probably the only appliance I use is the jar blender for bread crumbs or soup, and the stick blender for dressings. Or hand mixer for cakes. (but that's not chopping)
Otherwise, it's chopping knives. Or hand grater.
for me it depends: I do both. I use blenders, choppers, processors when doing a lot of chopping like when we can or when I do a lot of garlic and freeze it. But for day to day cooking I use a nice sharp knife. I am not about to dirty some big appliance just to chop an onion or two or pepper, whatever.
We have a classic Henckles knife set (27 years old) that’s always put to good use.
My dad, who was an awesome cook used nothing but his Henckle knives. We never even owned a vegetable peeler when I was a kid. Eventually he did get a food processor but I am not sure he even used it.
My only gadget is a food processor used mainly for grating. I'm fairly clumsy and hand graters are not my friend!
I also have a tiny mandolin that is great for making paper thin slices of radishes, I think it's the only thing I use that for, lol.
I'm surprised how many people are in the same camp I am: chop with knives. I have a blender for when something needs to be pureed, but I gave away the food processor. I'm a real minimalist when it comes to kitchen gadgets.
Mostly, I chop with knives, but I use the grater on the food processor and I have a mandolin cutter for making ginger radish pickles.
Also I have a french fry cutter that I use when I make french fries out of fresh potatoes.
Oh yes, now that you mention it, the restaurant I worked at, DID use a French fry cutter since they made steak fries. That makes more sense since symmetry is important for even frying.
I forgot we have a wonderful expensive mandolin that we use twice a year for sauerkraut, but that's it.
Glad to see we are not the exception in eschewing many gadgets. But whoever went without a veg peeler, that's really roughing it! (and wasteful, I would think)
I agree knife chopping is therapeutic! Especially with music!
When I was little, I bought my mom a Kitchen Magician (as seen on TV!) It sliced, it grated, it had interchangeable metal cutting disks and otherwise was not dishwasher safe, and I'm sure it was more of a pain to clean and store than it was helpful.
But she loved me anyhow, and she kept it down in the "we never look here" cabinet probably for the rest of her life.
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