Manual Food Processor or Blender ?

[Skippa]

I don't mind chopping or shredding veggies by hand, but now and then I would like to blend or puree something into a paste or emulsion -- for example, pesto, or nuts chopped so finely that they become a grainy paste.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a manual food processor or blender that would do this? I don't want a 12v appliance, though a battery-operated one would be acceptable. Purely manual would be ideal. I have seen several spinner-type food processors online but don't know if they can be gotten "up to speed" enough by hand to blend or puree in the fashion I wish.

[Alecadi]

A good chef knife and a wooden plank.... That's all you need... and guide the knife with your knuckles.

[Cyndimarcus]

Ninja Master Prep Blender

I loved this so much I left it on the boat, and will buy another for here on land!

[Skippa]

Originally Posted by Cyndimarcus

Ninja Master Prep Blender

I loved this so much I left it on the boat, and will buy another for here on land!

Thanks! -- but the one I saw online says it has a 400 watt motor! Is it electric?

And, @ Alecadi: perhaps your fingers fly fast enough with a good knife and wooden board to make a puree, but mine don't, for sure!

[Cyndimarcus]

Yes it is electric, but we have a small, inexpensive inverter that we use for recharging batteries. If you think about it, blending/chopping is so quick, the inverter is only on for a VERY short time.

[Jim Cate]

If you were cruising on a race boat you could use the coffee grinders when the deck apes were not looking...

Jim

[Alecadi]

Originally Posted by Skippa

Thanks! -- but the one I saw online says it has a 400 watt motor! Is it electric?

And, @ Alecadi: perhaps your fingers fly fast enough with a good knife and wooden board to make a puree, but mine don't, for sure!

I thought you were talking about chopping.. for puree use a device (don't know the name) that is a handle with a round pierced iron circle at one hand and you mashed what you want to puree
Very easy to use.
I'll try to get you a picture.

[cabo_sailor]

Actually, I use an immersion blender. Yes, it's 110 v but even a small inverter will handle it and since it's only going to be used for a minute or two, there is no serious battery drain,

Rich

[Alecadi]

Originally Posted by Alecadi

I thought you were talking about chopping.. for puree use a device (don't know the name) that is a handle with a round pierced iron circle at one hand and you mashed what you want to puree
Very easy to use.
I'll try to get you a picture.

They call it a 'masher" here some pictures cost between 3 to 20$ depending on sofitication and brand...

[sarafina]

I can pretty much do by hand what the food processor does... slower of course, but Daiquiris NEED a blender, and so do a number of other things, so we have a battery operated blender and have been very happy with it.

[sarafina]

ALecadi I think you mean a chinois;

[tararenee]

I have a blender, immersion blender, and hand crank food processor. I use the immersion blender regularly as the large blender is stuck in the nether region of a storage area and is a pain to clean. Yes, the immersion blender is 110v but seems to make a negligible impact on batteries. I've seen battery powered immersion blenders on amazon, though haven't used one.

I am surprised how much I use the hand crank processor. It chops nuts fine, makes salsa, pesto, hummus, etc. It doesn't do everything a big electric one could do but between the two I think most bases are covered.

I don't think you could crank fast enough to make an emulsion or nut butter with the manual processor. The immersion blender makes great mayo though. I'm not sure how hearty the immersion blender is for making nut butters and the like. With some experimenting you can probably get very close to what you're after.

[Skippa]

I have been using a mortar and pestle to grind up nuts (among other things). Maybe in combination with the battery-powered blender or immersion mixer to add liquids ... it might work.

And I've seen videos of the hand-crank processors on YouTube ... slices, dices, makes julienne fries! Nothing I couldn't do by hand, but oh, so much faster! A small one would fit aboard.

Thanks for the ideas!

[mbianka]

I do a lot of cooking on board. Most of my food prep is manual but, I would not give up my Bruan hand held mixer. Use it for breakfast liquaidas, mixing pancake batter and has a handy chopper container and blade that will mince almost anything chop garlic, grind coffee beans etc... Use it almost everyday for something.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by Skippa

I don't mind chopping or shredding veggies by hand, but now and then I would like to blend or puree something into a paste or emulsion -- for example, pesto, or nuts chopped so finely that they become a grainy paste.

A mortar and pestle should accomplish what you want quite nicely. This was the traditional method before food processors came into vogue.

I should think it would befit a Bristol Channel Cutter very well.