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- Owner's manual - (English, French)
- Parts
- PROCESSOR GUIDELINES
- TROUBLESHOOTING YEAST DOUGH
- PREPARING FOOD FOR SLICING AND SHREDDING
- SLICING AND SHREDDING WITH THE SLICING AND SHREDDING DISCS
- REMOVING SLICED OR SHREDDED FOOD
- SLICING AND SHREDDING TECHNIQUES
- SLICING MEAT AND POULTRY
- SLICING AND SHREDDING CHEESE
- IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM
- CLEANING, STORING AND MAINTENANCE
Table of contents
Owner Manual Food Processor
Parts
Your Cuisinart ® Pro Custom 11 ™ Food Processor is a compact and versatile appliance that chops, minces, shreds, grates, slices, blends, purées, emulsifies, mixes and kneads – all with great efficiency and speed. The large feed tube allows you to slice large fruits and vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes and apples.
The machine includes:
- Motor base with a vertically projecting shaft and two large control levers
- Work bowl
- Cover with a large feed tube
- Pusher assembly that slides over the feed tube
- Compact cover with cap for chopping ingredients for baking
- Sharp metal chopping blade
- Two serrated slicing discs: 1 medium and 1 thin
- Shredding disc
- Detachable stem that fits all discs
- Plastic spatula
- BPA free (not shown).
All materials that come in contact with food or liquid are BPA free
PROCESSOR GUIDELINES
The metal blade chops raw and cooked fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese to the exact consistency you want – from coarse to fine, even to a purée. You control the texture. It chops nuts, makes nut butters, mayonnaise and sauces, and mixes tender, flaky pastry. The metal blade also mixes cakes, frosting, cookies, quick breads, muffins and biscuits, and kneads yeast dough.
The standard slicing disc makes beautiful whole slices. It slices whole fruits and vegetables, cooked meat, semi-frozen raw meat and thin loaves of bread.
The thin slicing disc is perfect for slicing cabbage, onions, radishes, mushrooms, celery, potatoes and cucumbers.
The medium shredding disc processes most firm and hard cheese into long, attractive shreds. It also shreds vegetables like potatoes, carrots and zucchini, and processes nuts and chocolate to a grated texture.
The detachable stem fits all discs, making storage easy in limited space.
The pusher assembly has 3 parts.
- The small removable white pusher fits into the small feed tube. This tube is for narrow food like carrots, for adding liquid, and for continuous feeding of small, hard food like garlic.
- The large pusher is permanently attached to the sleeve, but moves freely within it – except when the slide lock on the sleeve is locked in place over the large feed tube.
- The bottom sleeve has two descending tabs.
One locks the sleeve to the work bowl (white lock); the other pushes down an activating rod at the back of the bowl, permitting the motor to start.
Try chopping some practice foods before you process food to eat. A zucchini or carrot is a good choice. First cut into 1-inch pieces.
Insert the metal blade and put the pieces in the work bowl. Put on the cover; press the pusher assembly down to lock it into place. Press and release the OFF/PULSE lever two or three times and see what happens. Each time the blade stops, let the pieces drop to the bottom of the bowl before you pulse again. That puts them in the path of the blade each time the motor starts.
Using the pulse/chopping technique, you can get an even chop without danger of over-processing. Check the texture frequently by looking through the cover of the work bowl. If you want a finer chop, press and release the OFF/PULSE lever until you achieve the desired texture. Onions and other food with a high water content will quickly end up as a purée unless examined through the work bowl after each pulse to make sure they are not over-processed.
Try chopping other food, like meat for hamburger or sausage. Then make mayonnaise, pastry or bread, as described in the recipes in this book. To obtain consistent results:
- Be sure all the pieces you add to the bowl are about the same size.
- Be sure the amount you process is no larger than recommended. (See page 18.)
Before you do anything, wait for the blade to stop spinning.
Once it does, remove the cover first. You can remove the cover and pusher assembly in one operation. Hold the pusher assembly with your fingers away from the descending tabs and turn it clockwise. Lift it off, and the cover will come with it.
Never try to remove the cover and the work bowl together; this may damage the work bowl.
Always remove the bowl from the base of the machine before removing the blade, as the blade creates a seal to prevent food from leaking. Turn the bowl clockwise to unlock it from the base, and lift it straight up to remove.
To prevent the blade from falling out of the work bowl onto your hand, use one of the three methods described. Be sure your hands are dry. (1) Remove the metal blade before tilting the bowl, using a spatula to scrape off any food. Or (2) insert your finger through the hole in the bottom of the work bowl, gripping the blade from the bottom, and grip the outside of the work bowl with your thumb. Or (3) hold the blade in place with your finger or a spatula while pouring out processed food.
To chop raw fruits and vegetables:
Cut the food into 1-inch pieces. You get a more even chop when all pieces are about the same size. Put no more than the recommended amount of food into the work bowl. (See page 18.) Lock the cover in place. Press the OFF/PULSE lever at the rate of 1 second on, 1 second off until the food is coarsely chopped. Then hold down the OFF/PULSE lever, letting the machine run continuously until the food is chopped. Check frequently to avoid over-processing. Use the spatula to scrape down any pieces that stick to the sides.
To purée fruit and cooked vegetables:
Cut the food into 1-inch pieces. You get a smoother purée faster when all pieces are about equal in size. Put no more than the recommended amount of food in the work bowl. (See page 18.) Lock the cover in place. Pulse to chop coarsely, then press the ON lever and process continuously until the food is puréed. (NOTE: Cooked potatoes are an exception to this procedure. They develop a gluey texture when processed with the metal blade. See the recipe for mashed potatoes at the end of this book.)
- When making soup, you will want to purée vegetables that have cooked in liquid. Don’t add the liquid to the work bowl – just the cooked vegetables; remove them from soup with a slotted spoon. They will purée faster and smoother without liquid. Then add just enough liquid to make the purée pourable, return it to the soup liquid and stir to combine.
- Occasionally, a piece of food may become wedged between the blade and the work bowl. If this happens, remove the cover, lift the blade out carefully and remove the wedged piece. Empty the bowl, reinsert the blade and lock the cover into place, first removing the small pusher. Press the ON lever and drop the food pieces through the small feed tube while the machine is running.
After adding a cupful this way, add the remaining food to the bowl and process in the usual way.
To chop hard food like garlic, hard cheese: Small foods like garlic can be dropped in whole. Larger foods, like hard cheese, should be cut into 1-inch pieces. Remove the small pusher, press the ON lever and drop the food through the small feed tube while the machine is running.
This method of processing minces garlic, shallots and onions. Hard cheese and coconut will have the same texture as if they had been hand grated.
IMPORTANT: Never try to process cheese that is too hard to cut with a knife. You may damage the blade or the machine.
To chop parsley and other fresh herbs:
The herbs, the work bowl and the metal blade must all be thoroughly clean and dry. Remove stems from herbs. Add leaves to bowl and process until they are chopped as fine as you want. The more herbs you chop at a time, the finer chop you can obtain. If completely dry when chopped, parsley and other herbs will keep for at least 10 days, stored in an airtight bag in the refrigerator. They may be frozen for months, stored in an airtight container or bag.
To chop meat, poultry, fish and seafood:
The food should be very cold, but not frozen. Cut it into 1-inch pieces to ensure an even chop. Process no more than the recommended amount at a time. (See page 18.) Press the OFF/PULSE lever 3 or 4 times at a rate of 1 second on, 1 second off. If the food is not chopped fine enough, let the processor run continuously for a few seconds. Check the texture often to avoid over-processing. Use a spatula to scrape food from the sides of the bowl as necessary.
To purée meat, poultry, fish and seafood:
See other models: CTK-STRMR FP-11SV DCC-1200BKS DCC-1150BK CTK-EOS15R
Prepare the food as described above. Pulse until it is evenly chopped, then process continuously to the desired texture. Scrape the bowl with a spatula as needed.
Leave the purée in the work bowl and add eggs, cream and seasonings as called for by the recipe. Process to combine thoroughly.
Remember, you control the texture by the length of time you process.
To chop nuts:
Chop no more than the recommended amount at one time. (See page 18.) Press and release the OFF/PULSE lever and check frequently to avoid letting powdered nuts clump together in a nut butter.
When a recipe calls for flour or sugar, add some to the nuts before you chop them — about ½ cup for each cup of nuts. This allows you to chop the nuts as fine as you want without turning them into a nut butter.
You can also chop nuts with a shredding disc. The optional Fine Shredding Disc is particularly good for this task.
To make peanut butter and other nut butters: Process up to the recommended amount of nuts. (See page 18.) Let the machine run continuously. After 2 or 3 minutes, the ground nuts will form a ball that will gradually smooth out. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue processing until drops of oil are visible. Taste for consistency. The longer you process, the softer the butter will be. For chunk style, add a handful of nuts just after the ball of nut butter begins to smooth out. To make cashew butter, add a little bland vegetable oil. Processor nut butters contain no preservatives. Store in the refrigerator to keep them from separating.
To make flavored butter, spreads and dips:
All ingredients should be at room temperature and cut into 1-inch cubes, or added by tablespoonfuls. Cut room-temperature butter into tablespoon-size pieces and reserve. Process flavoring ingredients first—anchovies, cheese, herbs, etc.—chopping them fine. Be sure the work bowl is clean and dry. Then add small, hard ingredients like garlic and hard cheese through the feed tube while the machine is running. Next, add the butter pieces and process until smooth. Add any liquid ingredients last, while the processor is running, and process just long enough to blend. Process ingredients for spreads and dips in the same way.
To chop peel from citrus fruit (zest) or to chop sticky fruit like dates or raisins:
For citrus, remove only the peel (zest) with a vegetable peeler. Do not use the white pith, which is bitter tasting. Cut the peel into lengths of 2 inches or less and process with ½ cup of granulated sugar from the recipe until finely chopped. This may take 2 minutes or longer.
For sticky fruit like dates, raisins, prunes and candied fruit, first freeze the fruit for about 10 minutes. Add to it some of the flour called for in the recipe. Use no more than ½ cup of flour for each cup of fruit.
COMPACT COVER
Use the Compact Cover for added convenience when your recipe calls for chopping, mixing, puréeing or kneading. It is particularly useful when you are preparing baked goods such as cakes, cookies, pies and breads.
To assemble the Compact Cover:
Begin with the work bowl and the metal blade in place. Place the Compact Cover on the work bowl so that the Cuisinart logo written on the cover is face up and readable. Then turn cover
COUNTERCLOCKWISE to lock into place.
Make sure the small cap is in place before using.
To disassemble the Compact Cover:
Place one hand near the Cuisinart logo and one hand on opposite end of cover; turn cover CLOCKWISE. Lift cover up and off work bowl. Do not use the Compact Cover with any of the slicing or shredding discs. Use only with the metal blade.
TECHNIQUES FOR CHOPPING AND PURÉEING WITH THE METAL BLADE
To make mayonnaise:
You can make foolproof homemade mayonnaise with your Pro Custom 11™ . The work bowl and metal blade must be clean and dry.
Foods prepared with raw eggs may contain salmonella or other potentially harmful bacteria. Because egg yolks are a fine growth medium for bacteria, we recommend that you cook them for use in mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauce, Caesar salad dressing, chilled soufflés, chilled chiffons, mousses and other recipes calling for raw egg yolks. For mayonnaise, we recommend using either the “cooked egg” mayonnaise recipe on page 26, or using the following method with pasteurized liquid eggs.
For a “one egg” batch of basic mayonnaise made with pasteurized liquid eggs, place ¼ cup pasteurized liquid eggs, 2 tablespoons wine vinegar or lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of ground white pepper in the work bowl. With the machine running, add ½ cup of vegetable oil to the small pusher and allow to slowly drip into the mixture while processing. After all the oil has dripped through, add another ½ cup of vegetable oil to the small pusher and allow to drip through. The mixture will form a thick emulsion. For variation, you may experiment with using flavored vinegars, adding chopped, fresh herbs, dry herbs, or roasted garlic to taste. To make your mayonnaise a little lighter, add some well-drained plain, fat-free yogurt to taste.
To beat egg whites:
The work bowl and metal blade must be absolutely clean.
Add 3 or more egg whites and press the ON lever. Add about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar for every egg white. Vinegar makes stiffer whites; its flavor is hardly detectable in cakes or soufflés. Continue processing until the egg whites hold their shape – about 1½ to 2½ minutes.
Egg whites may be folded into batters and baked. We do not recommend serving uncooked egg whites.
To whip cream:
Processor whipped cream holds its shape very well. It is good for decoration or as a topping for gingerbread, berries and other desserts.
Chill the cream well before starting. Using the metal blade, process continuously until it begins to thicken; add sugar as desired and continue processing. Watch carefully until the cream reaches the desired consistency.
Processor whipped cream does not whip to the light, fluffy consistency obtained by methods that beat in more air. Use the optional Whisk Attachment for the fluffiest whipped cream.
To make bread, cracker and cookie crumbs and crumb crusts:
Cut or break bread, crackers or cookies into 1-inch pieces and put them in the work bowl. Process continuously until they reach the desired texture. For seasoned crumbs, chop parsley or other fresh herbs with the crumbs. For buttered crumbs, process until the dry crumbs are of the desired texture, then dribble melted butter through the small feed tube while the machine is running.
For crumb crusts, process crackers or cookies as described above. Add sugar, spices and butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, as specified by your recipe. Process until well combined.
To make pastry:
This describes the general procedure. A recipe giving exact proportions is on page 27. Combine unbleached, all-purpose flour, salt and 1-inch pieces of very cold butter in the work bowl. Process to the consistency of cornmeal. While pulsing, pour ice water through the feed tube. Stop pulsing as soon as the dough begins to form a ball, to ensure tender, flaky pastry. Use the dough immediately or form it into a round disc about 1-inch thick. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for later use.
To make quick breads, and cakes that use baking powder and/or baking soda:
The most important rule for success is not to over-mix after the flour is added.
If the recipe calls for chopped ingredients like lemon peel or nuts, chop them first while the work bowl is clean and dry. Then set them aside until needed. (Always use sugar when chopping lemon peel; see page 8.)
Put dry ingredients like flour, salt and leavening in the work bowl and process with the metal blade for 5 seconds to mix them. Remove and reserve the dry ingredients.
Add the eggs and sugar to the work bowl and process to mix, letting the machine run about 1 minute. Next, add 1-inch pieces of butter, at room temperature. Let the machine run continuously for a minute, until the butter is thoroughly mixed with the sugar and eggs. Then add flavoring and liquid – vanilla, spices, cocoa, etc. Process until mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the work bowl. Process by pulsing, inspecting after each pulse. Stop pulsing as soon as the dry ingredients have almost disappeared into the batter. Over-processing will cause quick breads and cakes to be tough. (If your recipe calls for ingredients that are to be coarsely chopped – like raisins or nuts – add them last with the mixed dry ingredients.)
To make cake mix:
Your food processor work bowl is large enough for the preparation of an 18.5-ounce packaged cake mix.
Insert the metal blade and add the cake mix to the work bowl. While the machine is running, add the eggs and liquid through the small feed tube and process for 5 seconds. Scrape down the side of the work bowl and process again for 1 minute for maximum volume. Remove the work bowl from the base, but do not remove the metal blade. Insert your finger into the underside of the blade from the bottom of the work bowl to hold the blade in place while emptying the batter.
Tip: After emptying cake batter or puréed soup from the work bowl, replace the bowl on the motor base. Insert the metal blade and pulse once. Centrifugal force will spin the batter off the blade onto the side of the work bowl. Remove the blade, and use the spatula to scrape any remaining batter from the bowl.
TECHNIQUES FOR KNEADING YEAST DOUGH
The Pro Custom 11 ™ Food Processor can mix and knead dough in a fraction of the time it takes to do it by hand. You will get perfect results every time if you follow these directions. NEVER TRY TO PROCESS DOUGH THAT IS TOO STIFF TO KNEAD COMFORTABLY BY HAND.
There are two general types of yeast dough.
- Typical bread dough is made with a flour mix that contains at least 50% white flour. It is uniformly soft, pliable and slightly sticky when properly kneaded. It always cleans the inside of the work bowl completely when properly kneaded.
- Typical sweet dough contains a higher proportion of sugar, butter and/or eggs than typical bread dough. It is rich and sticky, and it may not clean the inside of the work bowl. It requires less kneading after the ingredients are mixed. Although 30 seconds is usually sufficient, 45 seconds gives better results if the machine does not slow down. Except for kneading, described below, the processing procedures are the same for both types of dough.
Machine capacity
Typical bread dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups whole-grain flour
Typical sweet dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
If a bread dough recipe calls for more than the recommended amount of flour, mix and knead it in equal batches.
Always push the blade down as far as it will go on the motor shaft.
Measuring the flour
It’s best to weigh it. If you do not have a scale, or the recipe does not specify weight, measure by the “stir, scoop and sweep” method. Use a standard, graduated dry measure, not a cup for liquid ingredients. With a spoon or fork, stir the flour in its container. With the dry measure, scoop the flour so it overflows. With a spatula, knife or chopstick— being careful not to press down — sweep excess flour back into the container so the top of the measure is level.
Proofing the yeast
The expiration date is marked on the packages. To be sure your yeast is active, dissolve it in a small amount of warm liquid (about 1⁄3 cup for one package of dry yeast). The temperature of liquids used to dissolve and activate yeast must be between 105°F and 110°F. Yeast cells are not activated at temperatures lower than this, and they die when exposed to temperatures higher than 130°F. If the recipe includes a sweetener like sugar or honey, add a small amount with the yeast. If no sweetener is called for, add a pinch. The yeast proofs better with it. Allow the mixture to stand until it foams — up to 10 minutes.
Processing dry ingredients
Put the flour and other dry ingredients in the work bowl. If the recipe calls for herbs, oil or solid fats like butter, add them with the flour. Turn the machine on, and allow to run for about 20 seconds.
Adding liquids
All liquid should be added through the feed tube while the machine is running. Add liquid in a slow, steady stream, only as fast as dry ingredients absorb it. If liquid sloshes or splatters, stop adding it, but do not turn off machine. Wait until ingredients in bowl have mixed, then add remaining liquid slowly. Pour liquid onto dough as it passes under feed tube opening. Do not pour liquid directly onto bottom of work bowl.
Follow the recipe carefully. It is important to add enough liquid to make the dough soft enough to knead. Kneading dough that is too stiff can strain the machine. All liquid except that used to activate yeast should be cold, to minimize the possibility of overheating the dough. You must never knead a yeast dough to a temperature higher than 100°F. Doing so will slow or even prevent the action of the yeast.
Kneading bread dough
Do not try to use the machine to knead dough that is too stiff to knead comfortably by hand. Doing so can strain the machine.
Kneading typical bread dough
After the dough starts to clean the inside of the work bowl completely and forms a ball, process it for 60 seconds to knead it. Stop the machine and test the dough to be sure it’s properly kneaded. Typical bread dough should have a soft, pliable texture and it should feel slightly sticky. Stretch the dough with your hands to test it. If it feels hard, lumpy or uneven, continue processing until it feels uniformly soft and pliable. Make sure that the blade is firmly pressed back into place after removing the dough to test it.
Kneading typical sweet dough
Process dough for at least 30 seconds after all the ingredients are incorporated. It will not clean the inside of the work bowl. If necessary, scrape the bowl and process for 5 more seconds.
Adding other ingredients
Cheese, nuts and raisins may be added with the dry ingredients or during the final kneading. To leave them almost whole, add them through the feed tube 5 seconds before you stop kneading. For a finer texture, add them with the dry ingredients.
Rising
Put the dough in a large, lightly floured plastic food storage bag. Squeeze out all the air and close the bag, allowing space for the dough to rise. Or put the ball of dough in a large bowl coated with soft butter or vegetable oil. Roll the dough around to coat its entire surface. Cover it with a damp towel or a piece of oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place — about 80°F. The rising time is usually about 1½ hours, but will vary from 45 minutes to several hours, depending on the type of flour and the humidity of the air. To test if the dough has risen sufficiently, press your finger in it. An indentation should remain. If it doesn’t, let the dough rise more and test again. When it has risen enough, punch the dough down. It is now ready to shape.
Shaping, finishing and baking
If you shape the dough in loaf pans, coat them with vegetable oil cooking spray and fill them only half full. Allow to rise until dough is just slightly above the top of the pan. If shaping free-form loaves, let them rise on an oiled baking sheet until at least doubled in bulk.
Making consecutive batches
You can make several batches of bread dough in a row. The motor in the Pro Custom 11 ™ Food Processor is extremely efficient. Follow the recipe for White Bread, page 29.
TROUBLESHOOTING YEAST DOUGH
Blade doesn’t incorporate ingredients
Always start processor before adding liquid. Add liquid in a slow, steady stream, only as fast as dry ingredients absorb it. If you hear liquid sloshing, stop adding it, but do not turn off machine. Instead, wait until ingredients in work bowl have mixed, then add remaining liquid slowly. Pour liquid onto dough as it passes under feed tube; do not pour liquid directly onto bottom of work bowl.
Butter or margarine, if not melted, must be cut into tablespoon-size pieces before being added to work bowl.
Blade rises in work bowl
Blade may not have been pushed down as far as it will go before processing started. Machine may be overloaded. Stop it, carefully remove half the dough and process in 2 batches. Excessively sticky dough can cause blade to rise even though it cleans inside of work bowl. If dough feels very sticky, reinsert blade and immediately add 2 tablespoons flour through feed tube while machine is running.
Dough doesn’t clean inside of work bowl
- Amount of dough may exceed maximum capacity of your food processor. Remove half and process in 2 batches. See page 18 for machine capacity.
- Dough may be too dry. If it feels crumbly, add water – 1 tablespoon at a time – while machine is running, until dough becomes moist and cleans inside of work bowl. Wait 10 seconds between additions of water.
- Dough may be too wet. While machine is running, add 1 tablespoon of flour. If necessary, add more – 1 tablespoon at a time – until dough cleans inside of work bowl and forms a ball.
Nub of dough forms on top of blade and does not become uniformly kneaded
Stop machine, carefully remove dough, divide it into 3 pieces and redistribute them evenly in work bowl. Make sure that blade is firmly pressed back into place after removing the dough. Continue processing until dough is uniformly soft and pliable.
Dough feels tough after kneading
Divide dough into 2 or 3 pieces and redistribute evenly in bowl. Process 10 seconds or until uniformly soft and pliable.
Soft dough or liquid leaks onto base of food processor
Always start processor before adding liquid and add liquid only as fast as dry ingredients absorb it.
Motor stops
- If using large feed tube cover, the pusher assembly may have come unlocked. Push down pusher sleeve to lock it into place and continue processing.
- Cover may have come unlocked. Lock cover and continue processing.
- Power cord may be unplugged.
- Excessive strain may have caused motor to overheat and stop. Wait for the motor to cool, 5–10 minutes. A safety protector in the motor protects it against excessive overheating. If the motor stops, turn the machine off. After 5–10 minutes, divide dough into 2 batches and complete processing. Pinch dough to make sure it is not too stiff to knead comfortably by hand. If it is, add liquid – 1 tablespoon at a time – until dough is sufficiently moist to clean bowl.
Dough doesn’t rise
We recommend that you always test activity of yeast before using it. See instructions for proofing yeast on page 10. Do not use dry yeast after expiration date on package.
Avoid killing yeast cells by dissolving yeast in water that is too warm. Dissolve yeast in about 1⁄3 cup of warm liquid at 105°F–110°F. All other liquids should be cold.
Don’t knead so long that dough becomes overheated. The ideal temperature for kneaded dough is 80°F; it should never exceed 100°F.
Let dough rise in draft-free environment of about 80°.
Dough containing whole-grain flour will take longer to rise than dough made of white flour only.
Baked bread is too heavy
Next time, feel dough to be sure it is uniformly soft, pliable and slightly sticky before setting it aside to rise. Let dough fully double in bulk in bowl or bag, punch it down, then let it double again after it is shaped.
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS WITH TYPICAL SWEET DOUGHS
Motor slows down
- Amount of dough may exceed maximum capacity of your food processor. Remove half and process in 2 batches.
- Don’t process too long after all the ingredients have been incorporated. These rich doughs will give you good results after only 30 seconds of kneading.
PREPARING FOOD FOR SLICING AND SHREDDING
Round fruits and vegetables
Before processing onions, apples and other large, round fruits and vegetables, trim them with a knife. Cut the bottom ends flat, to make the food lie stable on the disc.
Place the food in the feed tube, flat side down. Position it as far left as possible, to prevent it from tilting when being processed.
Choose fruits that are firm and not too ripe. Always remove large, hard pits and seeds from fruits before processing. Seeds from citrus fruits need not be removed. You may remove the rind before slicing or shredding, or leave the rind on.
Whole peppers are an exception
Remove the stem and cut the stem end flat. Remove the core and scoop out the seeds. Leave the end opposite the stem whole, to keep the structure stiff. This ensures round, even slices.
Large fruits like pineapple and cantaloupe
Cut them in half and remove the seeds or core. If necessary, cut the halves into smaller pieces to fit the feed tube. Remember to cut the ends flat.
Cabbage and iceberg lettuce
Turn the head on its side and slice off the top and bottom, leaving a center section about 3 inches deep. Remove the core and cut the center section into wedges to fit the feed tube. Remove the core from the bottom piece and cut it and the top piece into wedges to fit the feed tube. The 2mm Slicing Disc or the optional 1mm Slicing Disc are excellent for slicing cabbage for coleslaw.
If the fruit or vegetable doesn’t fit
Try inserting it from the bottom of the feed tube. The opening there is slightly larger. Do not force any food into the feed tube.
Pack the feed tube for desired results
For long slices or shreds, cut the food into feed tube widths and pack the pieces horizontally.
For small, round slices or short shreds from carrots, zucchini and other long vegetables, cut them into feed tube heights and pack them tightly upright.
Food should fit snugly, but not so tight that it prevents the pusher from moving.
When slicing or shredding food, always use the pusher. Never put your fingers or a spatula into the feed tube.
Never push down hard on the pusher. Use light pressure for soft fruits and vegetables like bananas, mushrooms, strawberries and tomatoes, and for all cheeses. Use medium pressure for most food – apples, celery, citrus fruit, potatoes and zucchini. Use firm pressure for really hard vegetables like carrots and yams.
SLICING AND SHREDDING WITH THE SLICING AND SHREDDING DISCS
- Insert a slicing or shredding disc, put the cover with large feed tube on the work bowl and insert the prepared food in the feed tube.
- Prepare the pusher assembly. Lock the small pusher in place and unlock the slide lock on the sleeve, so the pusher can move up and down freely.
- Slide the pusher assembly over the feed tube and push the sleeve down to lock it into place. Apply pressure to the pusher while pressing down the OFF/PULSE lever. Release the lever as soon as the food is sliced or shredded.
- You can load the feed tube repeatedly without removing the work bowl cover. Simply grasp the pusher assembly with your fingers on the wide locking tab at the back of the sleeve. Press firmly on the tab and lift up. The pusher assembly will come off easily, leaving the cover and feed tube in place. Your other hand is free to reload the feed tube.
REMOVING SLICED OR SHREDDED FOOD
Before you do anything, wait for the disc to stop spinning.
When it does, remove the cover first. Hold the pusher assembly with your fingers away from the locking tabs on back and turn it clockwise. Lift, and the pusher assembly and cover will come off together.
Remove the slicing or shredding disc before removing the work bowl. Place two fingers under each side of the disc and lift it straight up. Then turn the bowl clockwise to unlock it from the base, and lift it straight up to remove it.
You can place the disc on top of the inverted work bowl cover, to minimize drips and spills.
SLICING AND SHREDDING TECHNIQUES
Small, round fruits and vegetables
For large berries, radishes and mushrooms, trim the ends flat with a knife. Insert the food through the feed tube, standing each piece on a flat end. You can fill the tube to about 1 inch from the top. The bottom layer gives you perfect slices for garnish. If you want all the slices to be perfect, it’s best to process one layer at a time.
Long fruits and vegetables
Trim foods like bananas, celery and zucchini by cutting them into pieces a little shorter than the feed tube. Cut both ends flat. (Use a ruler as a guide, or the pusher assembly with the pusher pulled out as far as it will go.)
Fill the feed tube with the pieces, standing them vertically and adding enough pieces so they are solidly packed and cannot tilt sideways as they are sliced or shredded.
Small amounts of food
Use the small feed tube and the small pusher. Remove the small pusher from the pusher assembly. Slide the pusher assembly over the feed tube and press the sleeve down to lock it into place. Be sure the slide lock on the sleeve is locked. Cut the food into lengths a little shorter than the feed tube. If you are slicing one or two long, thin vegetables like zucchini, push them against the right. If you are slicing a few vegetables that are wide at one end and narrow at the other—carrots, celery or scallions—cut them in half and pack in pairs, one wide end up, one narrow end up.
French-cut green beans
Trim fresh green beans to feed-tube widths. Blanch them for 60 seconds in boiling, salted water. Plunge them immediately into cold water to stop the cooking. When they are cold to the touch, drain and dry them. Stack them in the feed tube horizontally to about 1 inch from the top. Use the standard 4mm Slicing Disc.
Be sure the small pusher is locked and the slide lock in the sleeve is unlocked. Apply light pressure to the pusher and press the lever down to PULSE until beans are sliced. To make long, horizontal slices or shreds of raw zucchini or carrots, use the same procedure.
Matchsticks or julienne strips
Process the food twice to “double-slice” it. Insert any large fruit or vegetable — potatoes, turnips, zucchini, apples — in the feed tube horizontally. Apply pressure to the pusher while pressing the lever down to PULSE until the food is sliced. You will get long slices. Remove the slices from the work bowl and reassemble them as described. Reinsert them in the feed tube, wedging them in tightly. Slice them again. You will obtain long julienne strips. With the optional Square Julienne Disc, you can make square julienne strips in one operation.
SLICING MEAT AND POULTRY
Cooked meat and poultry
The food must be very cold. If possible, use a chunk of food just large enough to fit the feed tube. To make julienne strips of ham, bologna or luncheon meat, stack slices of them. Then roll or fold them double and stand them upright in the feed tube, wedging in as many rolls as possible. This technique works better with square or rectangular pieces than with round ones.
Uncooked meat and poultry
Cut the food into pieces to fit the feed tube. Boned, skinned chicken breasts will usually fit when cut in half crosswise. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. They are ready to slice when they pass this “knife test.” They are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife although semi-frozen and hard to the touch. Stand them in the feed tube, cut side down, and slice them against the grain, using firm pressure on the pusher. Or lay them flat in the feed tube, as many as will fit, and slice with the grain, using firm pressure.
Frankfurters, salami and other sausages
If the sausage is soft, freeze it until it is hard to the touch, but easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Hard sausages need not be frozen. If the sausage is thin enough to fit in the small feed tube, use that tube. Otherwise, cut the sausage into pieces to completely fit the large feed tube. Stand the pieces vertically, packing them in tightly so they cannot tilt sideways.
SLICING AND SHREDDING CHEESE
Firm cheeses like Swiss and Cheddar
Cut the cheese into pieces to fit the feed tube. Be sure that cheese is very well chilled – placing it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes helps. Stand the pieces in the feed tube and apply light pressure to the pusher.
IMPORTANT: Never try to slice soft cheese like mozzarella or hard cheese like Parmesan. You may damage the slicing disc or the food processor itself. You can successfully shred most cheeses except for the softer ones. The exception is mozzarella, which shreds well if thoroughly chilled. Hard cheeses like Parmesan shred well only at room temperature.
Therefore, attempt to shred mozzarella or Parmesan only when at the appropriate temperature; otherwise the cheeses will not shred well or damage to the machine could occur.
IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM
Most problems with the food processor are easily solved. Provided are some possible problems and their solutions.
Food is unevenly chopped
Do not process too much food at one time. Food should be in uniform pieces. Pulse several times and then run continuously.
Liquid leaks from bottom of bowl onto motor base
Remove bowl from base as soon as you finish processing. Do not remove metal blade first. When bowl and blade are removed together, blade drops down and forms an almost perfect seal against the bowl.
Liquid leaks out between bowl and cover when machine is running
You added too much liquid. Never use more than 23 ⁄4 cups thin or 5 cups thick liquid. The thicker the liquid, the more you can use. Examples of thick liquids include pancake or cake batter.
Slices are uneven or slanted
Pack feed tube more carefully, as described on pages 12 through 14. Maintain even pressure on pusher.
Carrots, or similar food, fall over in feed tube
Cut food into enough short pieces of equal height to fill feed tube. To slice one or two pieces, use small feed tube. Cut carrots in half and insert one piece point down and the other stem down.
Sliced or shredded food piles up on one side of work bowl
This is normal. Remove disc occasionally and even out food. When food gets close to bottom of disc, empty work bowl.
A few pieces of food remain on top of slicing or shredding disc
This is normal. In most cases, you can shred more of the food by moving the large pusher up and down, allowing the piece to be shredded, or by repositioning the piece in the feed tube and reshredding it.
Soft cheese like mozzarella spreads out and collects on top of shredding disc
The cheese was not cold enough, or the pressure on the pusher was too hard. To shred soft cheese, do not push – rather let the cheese go through by itself. Tap on the pusher to guide cheese through.
CLEANING, STORING AND MAINTENANCE
Keep your food processor ready to use on the kitchen counter. When not in use, leave unplugged. Don’t leave the pusher assembly in locked position; this could damage the on-off mechanism.
Store the blade and discs as you would sharp knives — out of the reach of children. The Disc and Blade Holders (optional accessories) offer safe and convenient storage.
All parts except the motor base are dishwasher safe, and we recommend washing them in the dishwasher on the top rack. Due to intense water heat, washing the work bowl and work bowl cover on the bottom rack may cause damage over time. Insert the work bowl upside down. Remember where you place the sharp blade and discs, and be certain to unload the dishwasher carefully.
To simplify cleaning, rinse the work bowl, cover, pusher assembly and blade or disc immediately after use. Openings at the bottom of the large pusher provide drainage and make cleaning easy. If food lodges in the pusher, remove it by running water through pusher or using a bottle brush.
If you wash the blade and discs by hand, do it carefully. Avoid leaving them in soapy water where they may disappear from sight. To clean the metal blade, fill the work bowl with soapy water, hold the blade by its plastic center and move rapidly up and down on the center shaft of the bowl. Use of a spray hose is also effective. If necessary, use a brush.
The work bowl is made of a plastic that is shatter resistant and heat resistant. It should not be placed in a microwave oven, as the tube at the back of the bowl houses the metal rod that activates the motor.
MAINTENANCE
Any other servicing should be performed by an authorized service representative.
Chopping certain foods may scratch or cloud the work bowl. Among them are ice, whole spices and oils, like wintergreen. If you like to prepare your own spice blends, you may want to keep a second bowl just for that purpose.
The base housing is made of a durable, high-impact-resistant plastic. Its smooth surface will look new for years. Keep a sponge handy as you work to wipe spills from the base.
Four rubber feet under the base help keep it stable on most work surfaces even when processing heavy loads. If the feet leave spots on the counter, spray them with a spot remover and wipe with a damp sponge. If any trace of the spot remains, repeat the procedure and wipe the area with a damp sponge and nonabrasive cleaning powder. To clean the inside of the detachable stem, slide the stem release button up as far as it will go and hold as you run water through the stem.
IMPORTANT: Never store the blade or discs on the motor shaft. The blade or disc should not be placed on the shaft except when the processor is about to be used.
