Back in 2017 I was getting serious about getting off the grid, as we were planning our leap from town living to rural life. And kitchen appliances were a big area.
I had had a food processor for over a decade when it died. I finally burnt it out, one too many times of running rock hard dates through it, and the lid’s seal had gone years before (nothing like having to shut it, and hold it down…all while running it on high).
So as I was replacing items that were worn out or had died, every single one was replaced with a non electricity version. Off the grid if you will. Use your muscles to operate it.
The one I bought was off of Amazon, a Momugs 8 cup food processor.
It wasn’t fancy. And I wondered if it was going to last at all. But shockingly, it has lasted. And more, it changed how I canned tomatoes and berries, especially making salsa and jams.
I often would skip using my food processor because it was so huge, heavy and would over process food if you looked away for a second. It wasn’t delicate. The manual chopper, it is far more delicate. I can add in quartered tomatoes and it finely dices them up. This means I can process a batch of tomatoes for salsa or pasta sauce quickly (no hand chopping!) and it still has texture. It isn’t a foamy pink soup. (Side note: On tomatoes…I quit removing peels years ago, and I don’t seed. I use the whole tomato now and just finely dice it up. I prefer this way, though it can be a looser sauce than the long method gives).
It’s lightweight, easy to wash and doesn’t take up a lot of storage space (I use it so often I leave it on my counter, on top of my salad spinner). Just rinse in a warm, but not hot, soapy water and rinse. Air dry and pack away.
It handles onions, peppers, tomatoes. We use it to process strawberries for jam, it gives an even dice quickly, better than a potato masher.
So if you are considering a replacement, give a thought to going off the grid. You will spend a lot less, and your arms will get a workout.
~Sarah