Cuisinart Expert Prep Pro | 2 Bowl Food Processor With 3L Capacity | Stainless Steel | FP1300SU Silver

Product Information

The included booklet will have you prepping like a pro in no time. The bowls, blades and discs are simple to fit, and with just four buttons on the control pad – high, low, pulse and off – it couldn’t be easier to use. Multi-function processors are bulky, some with many attachments. Perhaps a compact style will suit you better. Key specs – Size: 42(H) x 25(W) x 34(D); Bowl size: 1.5 litre; Power: 600w; Attachments: 1 grating/slicing disc, blender disc and stainless-steel chopping blade; Additional notable features: 1.4-litre blender Pulse: A pulse function is great for controlling your chopping and avoiding any accidental puréeing, which can happen at full-speed. All the models featured above have this function.

We’ve broken down the features worth considering when you’re shopping around for one of these multi-tasking machines. There’s very little need to consult the instruction manual when assembling and we were able to start using the food processor not long after removing it from the box. First up we sliced cucumber, which was effortless, a whole cucumber fits easily into the feed chute and the slices were even in size with no waste. This good-looking, solid machine comes in five colours and with not one but three bowls, which nest neatly one inside the other. The large blades and discs are interchangeable with the main (three-litres), medium (2.6-litres) and mini (1.2-litres) bowls. The three sizes of bowl give greater flexibility in quantities, from chopping herbs through to large batches of pastry and even 1kg bread without strain. The spiralizing kit which comes as standard with the UK model offers both a spaghetti and ribbon cut disc, but the storage solution for this kit isn’t quite so neat and you’ll have to store most of these extra parts individually rather than in a case. If you buy this optional extra kit in the US, it comes with a third Angel hair disc.Shredding was a different story, we had mixed results. Cheese shredded well with even medium size shreds, there was a small piece - about 12 percent of the total – that got trapped on top of the disc and not shredded, but overall it was a success. Shredded carrot was fairly even but we did notice some much finer shreds amongst the medium size pieces. Two chunks of carrot were left on top of the disc at the end. Do not, however, dismiss this food processor, it has its place, and for someone who will only expect it to perform light duties and doesn’t want to over-challenge it with large quantities, the Tower delivers good results, even if it does take a little longer than others. There are just three operating push buttons on the base, with a pulse, stop and auto button, where usually there would be at least two speeds. Pushing auto, the processor runs in a continuous mode, which gave better and more even results and created the best pastry of all the processors tested. The 950w motor was supremely efficient and made light work of producing even slices and grating with no wastage. It is currently not possible to deliver to Europe. We hope to reinstate this service as soon as possible.

Buy a processor that’s too small and it will be frustrating, too big and you will not get the best out of it. Do you need all those attachments? The controls are straightforward with the dial having two speed settings, pulse and off. Equally the set-up instructions were easy to follow and the machine was up and running in about 10 minutes – most of that time was spent sifting through all the attachments to sort out what was what.

Best mid-range processors

Whatever you need the Expert Prep Pro to do, the two BPA-free bowls ensure you have the right size tool for the task. If you need to prep really big quantities of food, you can use the 3 litre bowl with the large blade or discs, or for small amounts, use the 950ml bowl. The small bowl nests inside the large one and is fully sealed, so nothing will leak when you’re making small amounts of your favourite dips and dressings. Key specs – Size: 17 x 21 x 43.5 cm; Bowl size: 1.1 litres; Power: 1100w; Attachments: 1 reversible slicing and grating disc, double dough blade, stainless steel 4 blade knife, 2-part pusher,large feeder tube; Additional notable features: 3 speeds, touch pad control panel, 2.1-litre vacuum blending pitcher, 2.1-litre vacuum blending pitcher lid and valve, FreshVac technology vacuum blending pump, 2 x 600ml lidded drinking cups When mixing up cake batter to make a dozen small cupcakes it moved across the counter despite being on the low-speed setting, so it’s best to keep a hand on the lid to hold it in place. We also had to stop it and scrape down the sides twice to ensure all the ingredients were fully incorporated, but it did the job. Chopping onion was easy in the large bowl, resulting in fine, evenly chopped pieces. It also created even breadcrumbs, after we added four slices of bread cut in quarters into the bowl. It took 20 presses of the pulse button until we were happy with the result. Key specs – Size: 42(H) x 20(W) x 28 (D) cm; Bowl size: 3 litres; Power: 550w; Attachments: 2 slicing and grating discs, mini bowl and blade, dough blade, stainless steel blade, 3-part pusher, large feeder tube, egg whisk, blending tool and spatula; Additional notable features: Touchpad control panel, dicing and spiraliser kits

There are many parts to the Cuisinart Prep Pro and thankfully storage has been well thought through, with separate boxes for discs and blades. The dicer and spiraliser will need extra room in the cupboard but are worth it. Silicone feet stop the processor from moving around the worktop, even when mixing heavier ingredients like dough We whip cream and blend homemade mayonnaise and, finally, we mix pastry dough and cake batter to see how well the processor kneads and mixes, before baking both to analyse the texture of the finished product. Are you a busy cook making family meals, baking, bread making and entertaining, or, do you merely want to speed up preparing ingredients? Your choice will help determine what functions are essential to you. How much space do you have?

Mainland UK

It’s not the cheapest processor but far from the most expensive, making this a great-value, super-efficient and good-looking machine. litre bowl for mixing and blending bigger batches, and for slicing, grating, dicing and spiralising There is a recipe chip included in the price, which gives easy access to tried-and-tested, basic recipes displayed on the touchscreen. There’s also a subscription-based service called Cookidoo that provides access to thousands of recipes online. Chopping, mixing, grating, slicing, dicing – and more besides – if you’re looking for a food processor that will take big kitchen prep tasks in its stride, you can finish your search right here. Ideal for busy cooks, the Cuisinart Expert Prep Pro food processor will be your best friend in the kitchen, saving you loads of time and effort when you’re batch baking or cooking for a crowd. The discs and blades store inside the bowl, which can be a faff as they need to be removed every time, but cleverly inserted so sharp edges are facing down to prevent slicing fingers when removing them. The cable is stored in the base too, all of which makes the KitchenAid neat and tidy on the worktop.