Inspiration for a Dilettante Bachelor...

This review is for the Cuisinart DLC-2A Mini Prep Plus (Food) Processor.


I admit, I'm NOT an expert!

I'm a bachelor who has been, for much of my adult life, eating in great restaurants throughout the world. That should not be considered too unusual as I traveled to varied locales as a fashion photographer. (The attending editors always sought the best/most interesting restaurants.)

And when I returned to the states, I would eat out just about every night inviting all who were present to be my guests.

But, I can't cook my way out of the proverbial paper bag!

Well, of course, typical of a male, I suppose, I can do an outstanding filet mignon or strip steak.

I can bake a potato, make an excellent salad and a fine demitasse of espresso. (I also do great popcorn.)

But, I don't call that really cooking.

Recently, I decided to trade in some 5000 of my credit card's reward points for a Cusinart Mini-Prep Plus Processor. (Frankly, I decided on the Mini-Prep over other food processors after reading the reviews here on Epinions.)

The machine is small: its foot print is nominally 4x6.5 inches and it stands about 8.5 inches high (it looks bigger than it sounds).

The machine is also quite simple consisting of a base housing the motor, a 3-cup work bowl, a cover and the power blade mounted on a plastic stem.

The bowl locks onto the base with a simple counterclockwise twist, the blade stem then drops over a center tube in the bowl and the cover completes the assembly and requires a twist similar to that of the bowl in order to release the interlock for the two power actuation buttons, chop and grind to operate.

The chop button is used for virtually all foods that are not exceptionally hard such as seeds and coffee beans. The grind button would be used for the latter. Pushing one button or the other instantly reverses the direction of the blade and presents either a finely honed edge (grind) or a blunt edge (chop).

The method of operation is generally to pulse food items, which have been cut down to half-inch cubes, for two or three seconds, over again until the desired consistency is achieved. When grinding harder items, it is appropriate to run the machine for ten seconds at a time. The machine operates quietly.

Two small (really small) holes in the lid allow one to add liquid through one hole while air escapes through the other.

My earliest attempts with the Cusinart resulted in my over processing the food to a too fine consistency. Some of that may have resulted from my alternatingly pushing first the chop button and then the grind button. I just over did it.

I have since developed a feeling for getting the consistency that I prefer. My basic first attempts with the Mini-Prep were to make a chopped salad base for a shrimp cocktail. Then I moved along to chicken salad. I've since added varied salsas and a nice gazpacho to my menu.

A small spatula is included with the machine and used to scrape the processed food from the bowl. As pitiful as the spatula looks it is perfect for the job.

The machine is simple to clean. I clean it immediately after removing the food from the bowl; I'd say it takes no longer than thirty seconds. (They say the blade is very sharp; I believe them!)

Perfect, for a bachelor!

Now, this little Cusinart Mini-Prep has done one more thing. It has piqued my interest in cooking; not, necessarily, learning to cook but experimenting with ingredients. Oh, sure, I may look at a recipe now and then to have an idea of how to start to prepare something. But, from that point forward, it may be let's try this or we have none of that so we'll use this instead!

A small machine like that has engendered, in me, a desire to learn to be creative in the kitchen.

I'm planning on using the Mini-Prep to crush some ice to a snow-like consistency. Now, that may not seem like a big deal but put that ice into a lovely crystal bowl and float a tin of osetra* caviar on the ice... the blini... the creme fraiche... candles... Champagne for her, vodka for me.

Without the machine there would be no finely-crushed ice. The evening would be just a bit different. If you believe in the importance of presentation, then you also may readily admit that God is in the details!

And the Cuisinart Mini-Prep suits the bachelor in me.


* Though beluga caviar is available in Florida and New Jersey it is illegal to ship it commercially across state lines.