Put a Countertop Gift Under Christmas Tree

Special gifts for special people require special thinking. If that special someone has never owned a food processor or would like to replace an old machine, what could be more appropriate than the latest appliance available? Aside from having a gift-giving idea, you may want to reward yourself with a useful tool for all your holiday entertaining chores.

Although they are not newcomers to this category, the two machines we have here have been greatly improved based on consumer evaluations. One is the Braun Multipractic Food Processor and the other is Sunbeam Oskar Plus.

Made in Germany, the Braun food processor has been around for a number of years. Thinking that this new version was the same machine with the same features, I was almost tempted not to test it. However, I’m glad I did as I found it really efficient. Onions, celery and parsley come out finely minced, not mushed. (These ingredients are always good for testing blade efficiency.)

Bulkier looking than most machines with its wider base, the Braun food processor seems cumbersome to use. The revised unit is actually lightweight and has been improved to aid storage; it features a reduced number of discs for processing unlimited types of food. Simple to use, the bowl fits easily in place, and the separate switch control (instead of bowl rotation to engage power) is quite functional.

A Wide Feed Tube

The new Braun UK 40 Multipractic Deluxe Variable Speed Control Food Processor--even the product name is long--($140) has a unique, wide feed tube in addition to the smaller conventional feed tube. The larger tube swings out to load whole fruits or large cuts of vegetables such as eggplant and squash. This feature makes sense because it eliminates pre-slicing. I also found that pre-slicing into smaller uniform pieces was unnecessary even when using the regular feed tube.

Another innovation in this model is the adjustable disc system. Now you can have one disc with five cutting inserts to perform the same cutting functions of up to 32 separate discs, including slicing, shredding, grating and julienning French fries. A little dial at the bottom of the disc can be adjusted to change the width of each insert so you can have various size French fries without changing disc and disc inserts.

Bread lovers will like the attachment for heavy dough kneading. This allows kneading of up to two loaves of bread, and the kneading action is such that whole fruits or nuts can be added without crushing them. The UK 40 is also equipped with a whisk attachment, a bowl insert with cover, a universal chopping blade and a full-color recipe and instruction book.

In 1985, the Sunbeam Appliance Co. did something unique and important to the design of the ordinary food processor. It made it smaller but still capable of performing a big job because of its powerful motor and extraordinarily fast and sharp cutting blade. Setting a trend, this smaller processor, called Oskar, was besieged with a number of me-toos and competition among compact food processors became hot.

The new Oskar Plus ($76.95) is more than just a compact processor. The same motor base can accommodate a blender, which is a convenient and useful tool for those icy holiday drinks. Featuring good dimensions with a wider mouth, the 34-ounce drink mixer container jar is made of dishwasher-safe and durable smoked acrylic. The blender jar is designed with a pouring spout and a small hole in its indented lid for adding ingredients.

Low Profile

Another change in shape and styling with the Oskar Plus is its lower profile and greater depth; however, the whole unit remains lightweight. The same twisting-the-lid operation is used to trigger the automatic switch. The only drawback with Sunbeam’s design is that the bowl does not have a handle, and removing the bowl from its locked position can be awkward at times.

One practical offering that the company initiated is the continuous feed feature for shredding and slicing unlimited quantities of food (great for tostada salads and coleslaw). The attachment set consists of a discharge chute, a feed tube and reversible stainless steel slicer/shredder disc. The Oskar Plus has five-year limited warranty on its motor.

The Braun UK 40 Multipractic Food Processor is available at Bullock’s, Buffums and Robinson’s.

The Sunbeam Oskar Plus is available at Best Products and Service Merchandise.