Maxam Vegetable Chopper, Dynamic Food Processor with Stainless-Steel Shredders With 5 Quart Mixing Bowl

I echo everyone else who has purchased this in saying I wish I had purchased it sooner. Expensive, yes, but it is first class quality and will last for generations. The main unit is heavy, the cones are thick, everything is metal. The only plastic on the entire unit is the safety piece that folds over to protect your fingers when the food gets close to the cone. The top part of the unit comes off the base and the two pieces can be stored in a cupboard. It isn't that big when assembled, so I leave mine on the counter. It's a gleaming piece of equipment that anyone coming into your kitchen will admire! (and I guarantee, want to try!)As stated by many people, the booklet that comes with this is severely lacking in detail. So the fun of discovery begins! I received 5 cones and only 2 of them had a number on the bottom. From the pictures in the booklet I was able to figure out which cone was #1 etc. so I got out my labeler and put numbers on them myself. There were no pictures or even descriptions of what the cones did beyond saying "shredder" and "waffler" etc. Saying that "this cone makes great shredded cabbage" is not enough information for me. So I spent the better part of a morning doing my own research.I took potatoes, carrots, celery, and cabbage and tested each of them with every cone. All I can say is WOW!!! This machine does so much it is no wonder they didn't go into detail. They would have a book if they did. A video would have been great though! There are some videos on the web, but there is no substitute for testing everything yourself. You will be amazed, trust me!The reason this is so easy to turn is that the blades are extremely sharp. After you stop turning the handle you can reach inside the cone and scoop out any remaining food into your bowl. The blades are not on the inside of the cone. If after rinsing, some pieces of food are stuck in the little blades, you can use a soft kitchen brush to gently whisk them out. Dry the cones and you're done. I always hear that the biggest irritation with food processors is that food gets stuck between the blade and the unit and that they are a pain to take apart clean. NOT THIS! The cones hook onto the unit by holding the edge of the cone and gently turning clockwise to lock onto the post. A simple twist counter clockwise and the cone comes off.If you want to return to the "good old days" when things were "no-tech" simple to use, easy to clean and maintain, and very good quality, do not hesitate to get this. There is nothing to break, no motors to go out, and according to the people I talked to at this company, the blades never need sharpening. If for some reason they get dull many years from now, you can purchase another one on the Saladmaster website. They fit this machine. Slice, shred, waffle, french fry, get creative! You will really have fun with this!

My wife purchased this for my birthday and I actually love it. After our Black and Decker food processor of early 90's vintage died, we bought another B&D food processor. That was junk and the blade for it broke. I had to resort to grating blocks of cheese the old fashioned way, on a grater. That is tiresome and if you aren't careful, you'll be missing a few layers of skin off your knuckles.So upon opening the box, I was confronted with 5 stainless cutting cones and a nicely chromed, simple frame and crank. Not fancy to look at, but sometimes simple is better, waaay better. The cones have a number stamped in the end to correspond with their cutting specialty. They don't jump right out at you, you have to look closely, so if you are in a hurry it's kind of a pain. The cones are attached to the crank with a small twist onto "teeth". It is easy to put on and take off.This little baby makes short work of grating/shredding hard cheese like cheddar. It also really was fantastic at slicing through a stack of onions when we were making French Onion Soup. I barely had time to cry! (OK so I'm joking about that, but it was much faster than using a mandolin slicer. It made short work of shredding cabbage for cole slaw. The only item I've had trouble with is grinding fresh ginger since it is so fibrous. I imagine coconut would be the same, but I haven't tested that theory yet. The plastic pusher/holder at the top makes sure you keep your knuckles from getting scraped up. The feet have suction cups so that when you really get "cranking" it stays put. The suctions seems to work even on slightly textured Formica.I hand wash my cutting cones using a wash cloth, as it seems to have a lot more friction to remove food particles. Don't put them in the dishwasher, the detergent will dull the cutting blades.There aren't alot of parts that can break, like on an electric food processor. If you don't mind expending a little elbow grease, this item really blows any other processor away with the bonus of less parts to break, little noise and it takes up a small footprint in your cabinet when it's broken down.My only disappointment was that this little gem is made in China. I try to buy Made in USA when I can, but really I can't find a weak point in this item yet, it seems to be well made. No chintzy parts, but as it gets used more and more, perhaps I will find a weak point and I will update if and when that happens.