Kenwood FP 110

KENWOOD FP110 FOOD PROCESSOR
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This is the first Food Processor that I've owned or used and my experiences so far beg the question - 'why did I leave it so long to get one ?'

I would recommend this appliance to anyone who is looking for value for money. More expensive devices may have more capacity and more features, but for basic food processing the FP110 is more than adequate.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
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Why did I choose this Manufacturer and Model ?

Well, Kenwood has a good name for kitchen appliances and in my home we have owned a number of their named appliances in the past - always with satisfactory performance and longevity.

The particular model appealed to me for two prime reasons:

1. It came with quite a few attachments, many of which looked like they may be useful.

2. The price was extremely competitive compared to similar appliances by other manufacturers (excluding 'home' brands).

Once purchased and in my kitchen, it was time to open the box to get at the goodies.

As is usual, there was quite a lot of packaging material which had to be disposed of - is it really necessary to use this much ? Some of the material was easily recyclable, but inevitably there were polythene bags and some polystyrene.

The appliance looks pretty good with it's metallic finish and simple control; it is also relatively compact and goes easily back into it's box with all of it's attachments after use.

INSTRUCTIONS
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The manual (instruction sheet) is in the form of a single twice-folded sheet which is about the equivalent of 3 double sided A5 sheets of paper. If you have poor vision then a magnifying glass is essential, as the print is tiny.

The instructions were adequate to allow the purchaser to get to grips with the Processor relatively easily, and the illustrations were accurate (if a little small).

It's interesting to note that Kenwood decided to utilise one of the 6 sides of the instruction sheet for recipes - I am sure that a better use would have been to either provide a greater amount of detail regarding use of the appliance, or to expand the size of the print (preferable).

FEATURES
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Capacity - dependant on what is being processed, but the manual states that the bowl capacity is 1.4litres

Operation - continuous or pulsed (press the on button each time you want to pulse).

Knife Blade
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My favourite and most used attachment for chopping up just about anything and for use in blending in conjunction with the 'Maxi blend canopy'.

The knife is very efficient and quick at chopping up ingredients, it's important to check at regular intervals to avoid turning your ingredients into mush (unless you are blending of course).

Shredding plate
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Used in conjunction with the plate carrier to shred vegetables and cheese.

Very efficient and quick, although there will always be a few millimetres of your ingredient that do not get processed as they sit above the shredding plate (I guess this is one of the safety features of the device).

Slicing plate
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The same can be said of this attachment as has been stated about the shredding plate. Do bear in mind though that the slices are pretty thin, so try a test piece first.

If you make your own crisps, then this works a treat - I've tried it myself with good results.

Whisk
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The manual states that this should only be used for egg whites and cream - well that's all I've used it for and it works very well and very quickly.

Maxi blend canopy
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Used in conjunction with the knife blade. Apparently this attachment increases the efficiency of the blending operation - I haven't checked this claim out as I've used it with the knife blade from the start, but I have noticed that it does tend to keep the blended ingredients nearer to the blade rather than stuck to the sides of the bowl - so I guess it works.

Citrus Press
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Works in conjunction with the strainer. It's quick and it works - and it's not too messy.

EXPERIENCES USING THE FOOD PROCESSOR
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For individual attachments - see the FEATURES descriptions above.

Although it is quite noisy when switched on, this is rarely for more than 2 minutes at a time (blending tomatoes) and is therefore bearable.

I have used the processor predominantly for blending ingredients for use in curries. The time that it has saved me in this usually slow process has been tremendous and it has resulted in a far better blend with less 'lumpy' bits.

Chopping and grating cheese is a breeze, no more grazing fingers on the grater ! It takes only a few seconds to process enough cheese for your pasta dish. The same can be said for various vegetables including potatoes, carrots and onions.

The plastic spatula included with the kit is a superb tool for getting those last few processed ingredients out of the bowl including those around the central tube (through which the rotating shaft passes). This has become a much used kitchen utensil.

The processor is very stable, as it fixes to the work surface via 4 small plastic suction cups on it's base - vibration is therefore reduced to a minimum.

The device feels safe in use, there is no chance that you could touch a moving part inside the bowl unless you somehow fiddled the safety cut-out mechanism. The mains cable is of adequate gauge although it's not fitted with the usual moulded plug, this may be for convenience as the item will be sold throughout Europe where various connectors are encountered.

CLEANING
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The appliance breaks down sufficiently to allow easy cleaning with no hard to reach areas or little nooks and crannies to hide food. A quick soak in a bowl of hot soapy water, followed by a wipe over all exposed surface is all that is required - and it's effective.

Cleaning the main body of the machine just requires a wipe over with a damp cloth.

SUMMARY
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•The device provides good value for money, compared to similar level brands and models.

•It looks good and includes lots of useful attachments.

•Using the appliance is easy, efficient and safe.

•The manual (instruction sheet) is adequate, but with print that's too small.

•Cleaning is simple.