What’s the Difference Between a Cuisinart, KitchenAid, and Robot-Coupe Food Processor?
Just as tissues have become synonymous with Kleenex and bandages with Band-Aid, Cuisinart is the brand that often comes to mind when we think about food processors. But it’s certainly not the only one on the market.
Food processors first made their way to market in Europe in the 1940s. They evolved over time to include the commercially favored Robot-Coupe. Later other European brands eventually crossed the Atlantic and showed up on department store shelves and specialty cooking stores in the U.S. in the early 1970s.
Robot-Coupe Food Processors
If you’ve never seen or heard of a Robot-Coupe food processor, you’re definitely not alone. This food processor (pronounced robo-coup) was first introduced in France in the 1960s and is most often used commercially in the catering industry to save time with prep work.
Today Robot-Coupe processors are primarily and widely used in professional kitchens. While they’re not considerably larger than home food processors, they have the durability and speed to turn out huge quantities of food without overheating or burning out — and have the price price tag that goes with it.
Read More: My Uncool Kitchen Tool: My Very First, Circa Early ’80s Food Processor
Robot-Coupe eventually went on to make food processors for the home cook under the Magimix brand. This is a heavy-duty food processor that comes with a six-, 10-, or 12-cup bowl option, and includes two blades: one for the large and medium bowls, and one smaller one for the smallest bowl. There are also two grating discs, two slicing discs, a dough blade, egg whisk, and spatula.
Cuisinart Food Processors
Cuisinart was the first food processor introduced to the U.S., making its debut in 1973. It was based on the commercial Robot-Coupe and refined to meet the needs of the home cook. Not only has Cuisinart seriously expanded its product line over the past 40 years, but it’s also become a well-known household name synonymous with food processors.
When it comes to size, Cuisinart food processors run the gamut ranging in capacity from a 7-cup to a 20-cup bowl. The bowls also vary in shape, with some models offering straight-sided bowls, while others gradually slope inward towards the bottom of the bowl. Each of these models has a base motor with two power settings, and comes with their standard mixing/chopping blade, a slicing disc, and a shredding disc. Certain models even also come with a dough blade.
These food processors have the capabilities most used by home cooks, like chopping dry ingredients, shredding, slicing, puréeing, kneading dough, and grinding meat.
KitchenAid Food Processor
While home appliance brand KitchenAid has been around since 1919, they didn’t enter the food processor market until much later. These food processors are made for the home cook, and range in capacity from a 7-cup to a 16-cup work bowl. The bowl on all KitchenAid food processors gradually slopes inward towards the bottom of the bowl. Each model has a base motor with three settings, and comes with a slicing disc, a shredding disc, a multipurpose blade, and dough blade. Most models are also built with KitchenAid’s ExactSlice System, in which the user can control the thickness of slicing with an external lever on the processor.
These food processors have the capabilities most used by home cooks, like chopping dry ingredients, shredding, slicing, puréeing, kneading dough, and grinding meat.
Do you a have a food processor? Which model or brand is your go-to?