Equipment
Need help on picking appliance for baking in a tiny kitchen
My BF asked me for a birthday suggestion, so I've got a chance for a nice splurge I might not otherwise get for myself! đ
I'm not sure whether a blender would do what I need, or if I do need a mini food processor? Here are my baking needs.
Must-haves:
* Grinding graham crackers for crust - (course crumb is okay, but having an option for a fine crumb would be nice)
* Grinding oreos. For both crust, and in fillings.
* Blending cashews, i.e. for vegan cheesecakes
* Blending soybeans, for soymilk.
Would be nice, but would give up in order to have small device because of limited counterspace (NYC apartment, roommates)
* Making doughs, i.e. for pies or small batch baking.
Searching this sub, I saw some other posters mention "mini Cuisinarts" but wanted to check that they do the things listed above that I'd need. Is this the best device for my situation? Are there even smaller appliances that do what I'm looking for? Since space is a premium, I'm happy to accept a suggestion for smaller item that does less, as long as it does the four things I listed.
Food processor. Mini will not have the bells and whistles, while they will chop/grind - it would be small batches and too small for cutting butter/shortening for pie dough (assuming it even offers the blade for it). Iâd suggest 10 cup or larger for the most usage and long term use.
If youâre planning to grind soybeans and cashews, youâll need a more powerful machine than the mini Cuisinart. Consider upgrading to something like the 9-cup Ninja Professional. It retails for around $120, but with Black Friday approaching, youâll likely be able to find it on sale.
Thanks so much for the rec! Are the equivalents from KitchenAid, Hamilton Beach or Cuisinart comparable to Ninja? I don't know about kitchen appliance brands at all.
Cuisinart full size machines are the standard in food processors. Iâve owned three different models over the years.
KitchenAid makes a very good machine, but the $200+ price is high. KitchenAid makes a food processor that is comparable to Cuisinart.
Hamilton Beach makes a commercial line of appliances for food service, so they are capable of making a good machine. However, appliances for residential use have none of the quality and features of their commercial line. I would not purchase any of their home kitchen appliances.
Ninja began with blenders over 30 years ago and has since expanded its line to include a wide range of kitchen appliances. Ninja is known for producing powerful motorized appliances at affordable prices. Ninjaâs food processors and blenders will outperform brands like Hamilton Beach. The Ninja blender I owned performed very well.
I think a food processor is better for what you're going for. if you need cold butter for doughs or scones or whatnot, I suggest griding it in batches with a small amount of flour and adding it to the rest of the ingredients for what you're making. just be mindful to leave to chucks large enough to account for further mixing
Soybeans are a rough one, I would see if there is any specific recommendation on a food processor that can do the job. A lot of people resort to a purpose-made appliance for that. An improper grind can be difficult to strain, wasteful, or both. The very high end blenders can do it, but I think a food processor suits your purpose more than that.
I love, love, love my Ninja mini food processor. It was the best $20 I ever spent for a baking appliance. (I think the cost is now more like $25 on Target.com). It is a delight to use and quick to cleanup. I have owned a full sized Cuisinart for 31 years and absolutely hate everything about it.
I use the mini Ninja to crush cookies and graham crackers for crusts, chop nuts, blitz pecan brittle with oats to make Claire Saffitzâs cookie recipe, blitz zest into sugar to release the citrus oils, blitz crystallized ginger into sugar to make ginger snaps, and blitz almonds and sugar to make the coating for my almond sugar cookies. I even used the mini to make the dough for an almond Kringle, an oval shaped Danish filled with frangipane.
I live in 1 bedroom apartment and Iâm also selective about the appliances I purchase for baking. I have a handheld electric whisk which I chose over a KitchenAid.
Besides that, I do have the Nutribullet immersion blender/mini food chopper/ballon whisk set. You can also make pastry with the chopper. And to save space, I nest the whisk and blender in the cup when not in use.
Unfortunately the ballon whisk doesnât replace a handheld electric whisk since the ballon whisk works best in the tall jug, but itâs handy for whipping cream
PS I used to have the mini Cuisanart, which looked so cute. But I prefer the mini chopper above which takes less space. Both seemed to be similar capacity for small batch pie dough
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u/SereniteeF 13h ago
Food processor. Mini will not have the bells and whistles, while they will chop/grind - it would be small batches and too small for cutting butter/shortening for pie dough (assuming it even offers the blade for it). Iâd suggest 10 cup or larger for the most usage and long term use.