Test Kitchen: Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor

With our busy jobs and family commitments, there is no doubt that time has become a precious commodity in our hectic lives. We know that cooking fresh homemade food is essential to a healthy lifestyle yet, craving  convenience, we often reach out for takeaway menus or store-bought pre-packed  meals, laden with salt and sugar.

I often hear that preparing vegetarian meals is just too time consuming and this is why the bulk of my recipes are designed to be quick and fuss-free. I am a strong advocate of homemade fresh food and I try to prepare most of our meals from scratch.  Yet, as a busy mum of two, I am also time short and always on the look out for the latest gadgets and products that will simplify my life.

This is why I am so thrilled to announce my collaboration with Panasonic. Over the next 12 months, I will be testing for you some of Panasonic’s latest kitchen appliances. I even get access to the bespoke Panasonic Test Kitchen, which is fully kitted out with all of their latest products. What a treat!

I am really pleased to be involved in the latest Panasonic “Experience Fresh” campaign, developed around a practical range of appliances that not only save time but also help simplify  home cooking.

I will be honest, Panasonic was not the first name to spring to my mind when talking about kitchen appliances. Yet, I am a big fan of the brand having owned an everlasting Panasonic TV, phone and even a vacuum cleaner. I have always been impressed by the quality.

A few weeks ago, I was sent a Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor to try out; a timely arrival as my current Kitchen Aid food processor is starting to show a bit of fatigue and my blender just died.

I was impressed straight away by the smart black & silver design, so easily suited to different kitchen styles.

The Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor  is a multi function kitchen appliance, including an impressive range of 13 accessories:

• Knife Blade
• 1 Litre Blender
• Dry Mill
• 2 Shredding Blades (3 mm / 1 mm)
• 2 Slicing Blades (3 mm / 1 mm)
• Julienne Blade
• Kneading Blade
• Whipping Blade
• Grating Blade
• Citrus Press
• Salad Drainer

The blades and citrus press all fit nicely in the handy storage case unit below and there is even a brush to help with cleaning stubborn bits and pieces.

My kitchen worktop space is very limited and I was glad to find that the Panasonic MK-F800 is a compact kitchen appliance measuring only 263 x 437 x 259 mm. Small yet mighty, it is equipped with a 1,000W motor and boasts an impressive 33 functions. Strong suction pads are there to keep the appliance secured while it is being used.

Instruction book in hand, I first put the Panasonic MK-F800 to the test chopping, grating, mixing, grinding and slicing away for a few days. Because it is so easy to use, I learned my way pretty quickly through the glass touch auto menu with its 5 pre-programmed functions plus manual speed control.

The food processor bowl has a working capacity of 1.5 litres and a maximum capacity of 2.5 litres. The different attachments did a brilliant job slicing, shredding and cutting vegetables, herbs and fruits in no time. I made grated carrot salad, coleslaw, potato gratin, chopped onions and also grated apples for a favourite sweet bread. The Panasonic MK-F800 got the job done in no time with speed and accuracy; quite a time saver compared to chopping everything by hand.

Some of the functions can also be used to mince meat, make dough, crush ice etc.. The kneading blade is perfect to make dough and bread, while cream and eggs can easily be whisked with the whipping blade. The dry mill is very handy to grind nuts, spices and coffee.

With a capacity of one litre, the blender came in very handy to make smoothies, milk shakes, soups as well as rescuing a crepe dough that had turned a bit too lumpy!

While most of the accessories proved fantastic, I do not see much point in the salad drainer. The capacity is tiny so not much use for a family of four. Also the citrus press (which works really well) could use a protective cover when in use, so you can protect your fingers especially with small items, such as lemons.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor  and went ahead to create the following recipes with it.

There is a lot of chopping and slicing involved in this Sweet Potato & Black Beans Mexican Casserole. Doing everything by hand would probably take an extra 20 minutes whereas onions, red peppers and sweet potato were all cut and sliced by the Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor in less than a minute. The slicing blade was essential to get a regular thickness for the sweet potato slices which is the only way the dish can evenly cook through.

The second recipe I created is this Chocolate Cashew Butter. The cardamom seeds were crushed in the dry mill and the nut butter made in the food processor.

I am a bit obsessed with homemade nut butters. I usually make mine in a blender which takes longer than a food processor, plus you need to attend to it throughout. Here, the Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor took only half the time and gave me a proper demonstration of the fascinating process of blending roasted nuts into a smooth and creamy spread.

The Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor  is a very good kitchen appliance that can save you time and help you create some fresh and healthy homemade dishes. It is so versatile that you can probably use it everyday from morning smoothies to evening dinner recipes. It can also be very useful for batch preparation such as chopping onions and herbs that you can keep handy in the freezer.

Designed with practicality in mind, all accessories and bowls can be washed in a dishwasher.

While not as expensive as other brands, the Panasonic MK-F800 Food Processor still retails at around £370. Considering its versatility, this is a worthwhile long term investment which can give your homecooking that extra edge of creativity and save you time.

This is a commissioned post for Panasonic. All views and opinions are my own.