Things That Last

We're shopping for a new food processor. The old one just quit. It worked and the next time it didn't. He-Who took it apart and it was not fixable, so the motor base went into the garbage and the bowls and cutting parts and tops are still here.

I want a sturdy one with a strong motor so I could knead dough and shred cheese if I took a notion. I haven't made yeast bread in years and years and I usually just grate a few shreds of cheese using a hand grater as I need it.

We've looked at the ridiculous to the sublime. The very cheapest does not have a slicing disc, one of the things I use most. I love uniform carrot slices.

The most expensive I saw has a long-term warranty. I could use it worry free until I was 97. If I don't live that long, somebody would get a real bargain when my family put it in the yard sale after I'm dead. "This old thing? Five dollars," they would say, eager for a quick buck and ignorant of the original price of four  hundred. Guess we won't buy that one.

Maybe I can wear out a less expensive one, slicing, dicing, grating, kneading, chopping shredding. I was reading a review where the user said she'd received her new machine that day and already used it 5 times.

Coming back to reality, we discussed whether a Cuisinart is still THE food processor or whether a Hamilton Beach for a third the price, with high wattage motor might be a better buy.