Review of Hamilton Beach Chef Prep 500 Watt Food Processor (reviews, deal, used)

[reviewer]

Hamilton Beach Chef Prep 500 Watt Food Processor

Rating: 4 out of 5

• Currently 4.0/5.0

The Hamilton Beach Chef Prep 500 Watt Food Processor is a sleek and versatile addition to any kitchen. Even with a large 10-cup capacity and large feed chute, it is compact enough to fit on your kitchen bench between the upper and lower level cabinets and features a convenient cord storage to keep it looking neat when not in use.

When needed, the food processor does have to be pulled forward on the bench in order to remove the lid or food pusher so food can be added. The standard chopping and mixing blade can be used for a multitude of purposes: chopping or puréeing meat or vegetables, grinding nuts, or mixing a perfect, from scratch, all-in-one sponge cake! Alternatively, the reversible slicing/shredding blade can be used for vegetables or cheese. Additional ingredients can be added through the food chute by removing the food pusher.

The Chef Prep 500 Model 7610 has two speeds and a pulse control and this is sufficient for all intended purposes. In order to run the machine, the bowl has to be locked onto the base; this is done by simply turning the bowl clockwise on the base. Similarly, the lid must be locked onto the bowl to operate the processor. The control knob must be switched off in order to remove the lid.

I have owned this model for two years and find it an invaluable kitchen tool for my busy family kitchen. When my babies were young, it was ideal for puréeing leftovers from dinner to use or freeze for baby meals. Now the children are older, I still use the food processor to chop vegetables finely so I can hide them in meat dishes!

Removing the blade can be tricky if the food that was mixed is slimy because there are no grooves on the shaft of the blade. Once the blade is out and the food needs to be removed, the user must be careful not to allow food to drip or slop into the center hole--or the food will be lost. This is a minor drawback that is outweighed by the fact that all the removable parts are dishwasher-safe, so, for the MSRP of $49.99, this food processor is a kitchen must-have.

Review by professional reviewer, Oct. 2, 2010