| This little 250-watt workhorse comes in handy when a full-size food processor is unnecessary. The 3-cup work bowl is just right for making pesto or a salad dressing, and two receptacles in the lid have pinholes for one or two oils to stream into the bowl while the processor is blending a perfect emulsion. It's also ideal for chopping and grinding. Pressing the "chop" button deploys the sharp edge of Cuisinart's patented reversible blade to chop onions, herbs, or bread crumbs. Pressing the "grind" button whirls the blade in the other direction so its blunt side can grind nuts, coffee beans, or cheese. Compact at just 9 inches high and lightweight (it has a plastic body), the Mini Prep Plus can be tucked away in a cabinet, and the little spatula accompanying it goes into a drawer. It carries an 18-month warranty against defects. The plastic work bowl and lid are dishwasher-safe, but the stainless-steel blade should be hand washed to protect its edges. --Fred Brack |
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 so... you want a food processor? |
| Review Date: July 15, 2002 |
| Reviewer: S. Rasco, Austin, TX |
| I have the Mini-Prep and I have the big guy version, but I use the MP 10x as much. It does everything! Want chopped garlic? peel a couple heads, add 2-3T of olive oil and about a 1/4-1/2tsp. of salt. It keeps in a jar in the fridge and tastes a heck of a lot better than the store kind! Fresh herbs, nuts, peppers without burning hands...it's great! When I'm done, I just rinse it out. This is my favorite appliance after my blender, and if this made smoothies and margaritas, it would be my favorite! |
New and Improved Mini-Prep
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| Review Date: April 25, 2001 |
| Reviewer: Michela, Seattle, WA, USA |
| As I have a full-size Cuisinart, I debated about buying a Cuisinart Mini-Prep Food Processor. However, I soon discovered that the Mini-Prep was ideal for chopping onions (without tears), making paté, chopped liver, and chutney. Soon I purchased a second plastic work bowl, so that when making paté I could use one for chopping lightly braised chicken livers, and the other for chopping onions and hard-cooked eggs. I do not recommend the Mini-Prep for grinding hard cheeses; I would use the plastic Zyliss rotary cheese grater instead. Also, I do not use the Mini-Prep for chopping or mincing herbs because it is too easy to bruise them; I use either a chef's knife or a rolling mincer, like the Pedrini Acciaio. The Mini-Prep is very easy to use, and it has a strong pulsing action. You use it the same way that you would use the larger Cuisinart. After a brief pulsing, you use a small plastic spatula to scrape down the sides of the container and pulse again. The ingredients are always chopped uniformly. If you want something minced or puréed, you just pulse it a bit longer. With this new and improved Mini-Prep, you can reverse the blade without taking it out of the container. There are now two pulsing bars: 'chop' and 'grind.' The booklet that comes with the Mini-Prep is very informative about which side of the blade works best with different items. Also, you can now pour oil into the container through two small holes in the top, which is perfect when making mayonnaise, aioli, or pesto. One caution: one side of the Mini-Prep's blade is very sharp! I cut myself the first time I used it. So now I handle it with care. I wash the blade by hand, but I put the containers in the top rack of the dishwasher. |
Wow! I love this little machine!
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| Review Date: January 25, 2002 |
| Reviewer: Robyn Woods, Gurnee, IL United States |
| I would recommend this food processor for several reasons: 1.) It is small and I love my counter space. I leave it on the counter all the time because I use it everyday. (My Black & Decker Power Pro is too big to leave on the counter.) So far, it has not been in the way and it's actually kind of cute just sitting there. 2.) I needed something to grind seeds and grains for my baby food. AND GRIND IT DOES! (It grinds better than my Black & Decker!) 3.) I wanted something easy to clean. After I use it, I put a dab of dish soap in the bowl and run the processor...so easy and fast. 4.) It's great for small portions. I use chopped onions in alot of my cooking and hate cutting them. Instead of getting out my huge B & D Power Pro, I just toss the onion (in a few pieces) in the Cuisinart Mini Prep and it's done! Some of the other reviews mentioned the noise. My other processor was loud, too, and I had to run it longer. This Cuisinart Mini Prep does its job so fast that the noise is not a factor for me. |
If you buy one appliance, buy this
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| Review Date: March 4, 2005 |
| Reviewer: amazonshopper, |
| I read the reviews from others before buying the product--disregard the bad reviews about things turning to mush. The only way things turn to mush is if you hold the chop button down. If you do quick pulses, you get exactly what you want. This is the essential appliance because it helps to do exactly what the name says--prep. Often after coming home late I want to make a meal, but the thought of chopping onions, garlic or veggies seems daunting. Not with the mini-prep. It saves so much time. Plus I use fresh ingredients more often. I am completely happy with this product. |
The Best Little Chopper Ever
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| Review Date: May 22, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
| This is about the fifth (or more) mini processor I've ever had, and it's the greatest! After I got this baby and tried it out, I took my old big Cuisinart (circa late '70's) off the counter and moved it to the back of a cabinet. Prior to this one I had been using the Cuisinart Mini Prep for about the last eight years and it was adequate. But when I tested the new Mini Prep Plus on fresh parsley, it chopped it as fine as the big one did. The same for onions which came out finely minced instead of pureed. The difference, I realized, is the chopping blade -- it's almost the same one as on the big models. It's no noisier than any other appliance and cleaning it is a snap. |
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