18
Always use a dry bowl for chopping. Process small, hard ingre-
dients like garlic and ginger root first. Then proceed to the larg-
er solid ingredients like onion or peppers. Always add the hard-
est solid ingredient first and go on to the softer ones.
Generally, you should do the slicing and shredding after the
chopping, since a clean bowl may not be necessary for
sliced and shredded ingredients that are being added to the
same dish as the chopped ones.
To avoid spattering liquids, add them through the small feed
tube while the machine is running. When you are puréeing
ingredients for a soup or sauce, strain out the solid ingredients
and reserve the liquid. Purée the solid ingredients alone. Add
1/2 cup (120 ml) of the liquid and purée another 30 seconds.
Then return the purée to the reserved liquid.
When making quick breads, cakes and cookies, add the dry
ingredients last. Mix them into the other ingredients by
pulsing just until they disappear. If the recipe calls for nuts or
raisins, add them with the dry ingredients to avoid
overchopping.
You can easily adapt your favorite recipes from standard cook-
books for faster preparation in the food processor. Follow the
guidelines outlined above. If there is a similar recipe in the
recipe section at the end of this book, review the order in
which ingredients are processed and proceed accordingly
with your own recipe.
CLEANING AND STORING
Keep your food processor ready for use on a kitchen counter.
When it’s not being used, leave it unplugged. Don’t leave it
with the pusher assembly in the locked position; this could
damage the on/off mechanism.
Store the blades and discs in a safe, convenient place, as you
would sharp knives – out of reach of children. The DLC-077
Disc Holder, an optional accessory, offers safe and convenient
storage for seven discs.
All parts except the motor base are dishwasher safe, and we
recommend washing them in the dishwasher. Insert the work
bowl upside down. Remember where you place sharp blades
and discs, and unload the dishwasher carefully.
To simplify cleaning, rinse the work bowl, cover, pusher
assembly and blade or disc immediately after use so food
won’t dry on them. Openings at the bottom of the large pusher
provide drainage and make cleaning easy. If food lodges in the
pusher, remove it by running water through pusher or by using
a bottle brush.
If you wash blades and discs by hand, do it carefully. Avoid
leaving them in soapy water, where they may disappear from
sight. To clean the metal blade, fill the work bowl with soapy
water, hold the blade by its plastic center and move it rapidly
up and down on the center shaft of the bowl. Use of a spray
attachment is also effective. If necessary, use a brush.
The work bowl is made of Lexan
®
polycarbonate plastic, which
is shatter resistant and heat resistant. The tube at the back
houses the rod that activates the motor.
Chopping certain foods may scratch or cloud the work bowl.
Among them are ice, whole spices and essential oils like
wintergreen. If you like to prepare your own spice blends,
you may want to keep a second bowl just for that purpose.
The base housing is also made of polycarbonate, a tough
plastic with high impact resistance. Its smooth surface will
look new for years. Keep a sponge handy as you work, and
wipe spills from the base.
Four rubber feet on the underside keep the base from moving
on most work spaces when the machine is processing heavy
loads. If the feet leave spots on the counter, spray them with
a spot remover like Fantastik
®
and wipe with a damp sponge.
If any trace of the spot remains, repeat the procedure and
wipe the area with a damp sponge and nonabrasive cleaning
powder.
Use the plastic tool to clean the underside of the metal blade
and the dough blade, and to clean around the top of the small
feed tube. A narrow bottle brush is also useful.