Skip to main content
Product Help | KitchenAid

Food Processor Attachment Tips

Preparing your food for the KitchenAid food processor:

Long and small-diameter foods:

To slice or shred fruits or vegetables such as carrots and bananas:

  • Cut food to fit the feed tube vertically and pack the feed tube securely to keep food positioned properly.
  • Process using even pressure with the food pusher. Or use the small feed tube in the two-piece food pusher.
  • Position food vertically in the tube and use the small food pusher to process food.

Slice or shred tall items.jpg


Round foods:

To slice or shred fruits and vegetables such as onions and apples:

  • Peel, core, and remove seeds.
  • Cut in halves or quarters to fit the feed tube.
  • Position in the feed tube. Process using even pressure with the food pusher.

To slice or shred fruits and vegetables that are small:

  • Position food vertically or horizontally in layers within the feed tube. Fill the feed tube to keep the food appropriately positioned.
  • Process using even pressure with the food pusher. Or use the small feed tube in the two-piece food pusher.
  • Position food vertically in the tube and use the small food pusher to process food.

To slice cooked meat or poultry, such as pepperoni:

  • The food should be very cold.
  • Cut in pieces to fit the feed tube.
  • Process food using firm, even pressure with the food pusher.

To shred spinach and other leaves:

  • Stack leaves. Roll up and stand up in the feed tube.
  • Process using even pressure with the food pusher. Food pusher.

Spinach leaves.jpg

Shredding firm or soft cheese:

Shredding disc.jpg

  • Firm cheese should be very cold.
  • For best results, thoroughly freeze soft cheeses like mozzarella before processing.
  • This may take several hours to achieve proper firmness for the best processing.

Additional hints:

  • To avoid damage to the blade or motor, do not process food that is so hard or firmly frozen that it cannot be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
  • If a piece of hard food, such as a carrot, becomes wedged or stuck on the blade, stop the mixer and remove the blade. Gently remove food from the blade.
  • Position slicing discs so the cutting surface is just to the right of the feed tube. This allows the blade to rotate fully before contacting the food.
  • To capitalize on the speed of the processor, drop ingredients to be chopped through the feed tube while the mixer is running.
  • Soft and medium-hard cheese may spread out or roll up on the shredding disc. To avoid this, shred only well-chilled cheese.
  • A few larger pieces of food may remain on top of the disc after slicing or shredding.
    • If desired, cut these by hand and add them to the mixture.
  • Sometimes, slender foods, such as carrots or celery, fall over in the feed tube, resulting in an uneven slice.
  • To minimize this, cut food into several pieces and pack the feed tube with the food.
  • The small feed tube in the 2-piece food pusher will prove especially convenient for processing small or slender items.
  • Cut a small amount off the end to create a flat surface when processing a single carrot or celery stalk for best results.

Carrot.jpeg


•Different foods require varying degrees of pressure and speed for optimal results. In general, use light pressure and low speed for soft, delicate foods (soft fruits and vegetables like kiwi, ripened tomatoes, soft cheeses), and firmer pressure with high speed for harder foods (hard vegetables like potatoes and carrots, hard cheeses and meats like pepperoni).
•After removing the lid, place it upside down on the counter. This will help keep the table clean.

Not suited to:

  • Grind coffee beans, grains, or hard spices
  • Grind bones or other inedible parts of food
  • Liquefy raw fruits or vegetables
  • Slice hard-cooked eggs or unchilled meats

Still need help? Contact us or schedule service.

Please contact us or click below to make an appointment from our preferred list of service providers for service on your appliances.

Interested in purchasing an Extended Service Plan?

Please click below to learn more on how you can save up to 25% on New Appliance Extended Service Plans within 30 days of your appliance purchase.

United States