Cuisinart Elemental ECH-4 Series - 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder Manual

Also See for Elemental ECH-4 Series:

Instruction/recipe booklet (12 pages)

Manual (131 pages)

Instruction/recipe booklet (25 pages)

Table of Contents

Contents

1 IMPORTANT UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS
2 IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS
3 INTRODUCTION
4 ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
5 PREPARING THE FOOD
6 PROCESSING FOOD
7 CLEANING, STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE
8 TROUBLESHOOTING
9 OPERATING TECHNIQUES CHART
10 Documents / Resources
- 10.1 References
- 10.2 Download manual

Cuisinart Elemental ECH-4 Series - 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder Manual

IMPORTANT UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS

This package contains a Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder and the standard parts for it: SmartPower metal chopping/grinding blade with BladeLock System, spatula, and instruction/recipe booklet.

THE CUTTING BLADE HAS VERY SHARP EDGES.

To avoid injury when unpacking, please follow these instructions:

Place the box on a table or kitchen counter. Be sure the box is right side up.
Lift and remove the cardboard lid from the work bowl cover.
Grasping the work bowl handle, lift the unit up and out of the box and place on the tabletop.
Turn the work bowl clockwise to unlock it from the unit base. Lift up and remove.
CAREFULLY REMOVE THE METAL BLADE BY GRASPING THE CENTER WHITE HUB AND LIFTING IT STRAIGHT UP. NEVER TOUCH THE BLADE, AS IT IS RAZOR SHARP.
Read the instructions thoroughly before using the machine.

NOTE: We recommend that you visit our website, www.cuisinart.com for a fast, efficient way to complete your product registration.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

When using an electrical appliance, basic safety precautions should always be adhered to, including the following:

Read all instructions.
To protect against risk of electric shock, do not put motor base in water or other liquids.
Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near children or individuals with certain disabilities.
Always unplug unit from outlet when not in use, before putting on or taking off parts, before cleaning, and before removing food from bowl. To unplug, grasp plug and pull from electrical outlet. Never pull cord.
Avoid contact with moving parts.
Do not operate any appliance with a damaged cord or plug or after the appliance malfunctions, or if appliance has been dropped or damaged in any manner, or dropped into water. Return the appliance to the nearest authorized Consumer Service Center (see Warranty for details) for examination, repair, and electrical or mechanical adjustment.
The use of attachments not recommended or sold by Cuisinart may cause fire, electric shock or injury.
Do not let cord hang over edge of table or counter, or touch hot surfaces, including the stove.
Do not use outdoors.
Keep hands and utensils away from moving blade while processing to prevent the risk of severe injury to persons or damage to the chopper/grinder. A scraper may be used, but must only be used when the chopper/grinder is not running.
Blade is extremely sharp. Handle carefully when removing, inserting or cleaning. Always allow blade to stop moving before removing cover.
To reduce the risk of injury, never place cutting blade on base without first putting work bowl properly in place.
Be certain cover is securely locked in place before operating appliance. Do not attempt to remove cover until blade has stopped rotating.
Do not attempt to defeat the cover interlock mechanism, as serious injury may result.
Before using, check work bowl for presence of foreign objects.
Do not operate your appliance in an appliance garage or under a wall cabinet. When storing in an appliance garage, always unplug the unit from the electrical outlet. Not doing so could create a risk of fire, especially if the appliance touches the walls of the garage or the door touches the unit as it closes.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

FOR HOUSEHOLD USE ONLY

NOTICE
This appliance has a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other). As a safety feature, this plug will fit only one way in a polarized outlet. If the plug does not fit fully in the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician. Do not attempt to defeat this safety feature.

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your new Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder! It handles a variety of food preparation tasks, such as chopping, grinding, puréeing, emulsifying, and blending. The patented SmartPower auto-reversing blade features an incredibly sharp edge for delicate chopping and puréeing soft foods. The reverse edge is blunt, to grind through spices and harder foods. And the exclusive BladeLock System enables the blade to lock into the bowl, so you can now pour ingredients out of the bowl without first having to remove the blade.

The powerful, high-speed motor works hard and fast to accomplish small jobs with ease. Chop herbs, onions, garlic; grind spices, hard cheese; purée baby foods; blend homemade mayo and flavored butter – all in this one, compact machine. You have virtually unlimited options with the Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/ Grinder. Enjoy!

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Parts

With the base unit on the tabletop, place the work bowl firmly on the motor base. Back of bowl must face column at back of chopper/grinder.
Turn the work bowl counterclockwise to lock onto base.
CAREFULLY pick up the blade by its hub and place on the center stem until it drops to the bottom of the stem. Firmly push to ensure that the blade is locked into position.

HANDLE WITH CARE – The blade is razor sharp.
Add food ingredients.
Place the cover on the work bowl with the small tab to the left of the work bowl handle.
Turn cover counterclockwise (toward handle) to securely lock.
Plug unit into wall socket.
You are ready to Chop/Grind.

PREPARING THE FOOD

Size

Always cut large pieces of food into smaller pieces of even size – about ½ to ¾ inch (12mm) or as specified in the Operating Techniques Chart on pages 6 and 7. If you don't start with pieces that are small and uniform, you will not get an even chop.

Quantity

Do not overload the work bowl. Overloading causes inconsistent results and it strains the motor. As a rule of thumb, remember most foods should not reach more than ²⁄3 of the way up the work bowl. Use the quantities given in the chart and recipe section as a guide.

NOTE: Due to the powerful motor provided with this unit, it is recommended to use one hand to support the Cuisinart^® Elemental^™ Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder during operation.

Selecting the Right Operating Control

Use the Chop function for chopping, puréeing and mixing. It is the right choice, for example, for chopping soft, delicate foods such as herbs, celery, onions, garlic and most cheeses. It is also the right choice for puréeing cooked vegetables, making mayonnaise, and mixing salad dressing.

Pulse action is best when you are using the Chop function. Two or three pulses are often enough. Be sure to check the food frequently to prevent overprocessing. If you overprocess, you are likely to get a watery paste instead of a fine chop.

Use the Grind function for grinding spices, and for chopping hard foods such as peppercorns, seeds, chocolate and nuts.

Continuous-hold action is best when you are using the Grind function. You may have to operate the Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder for several seconds with some foods to achieve the desired results – or as long as 20 seconds for some seeds.

When you operate the unit for more than 10 seconds, use a pulse action every 10 seconds or so to allow food to drop to the bottom of the work bowl. This provides more consistent results.

Never operate the Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder continuously for longer than 1 minute at a time.

NOTE: The work bowl and cover may become scratched when you use them for grinding grains and spices. This does not affect the performance of the Cuisinart^® Elemental^™ Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder. However, you may want to reserve the original bowl for grinding, and purchase an additional bowl and cover set for other uses. These are available from the Cuisinart Consumer Service Department, which you can reach by dialing our toll-free number: 800-726-0190.

Adding Liquid

You can add liquids such as water, oil or flavoring while the machine is running. For example, you might want to add oil when making mayonnaise or salad dressing. Pour the liquid through openings in the cover.

Add liquid through only one opening at a time. The other opening must be left free to allow air to escape. If both openings are blocked, liquid cannot flow smoothly into the bowl.

Removing Food from the Sides of the Bowl

Occasionally, food will stick to the sides of the bowl as you process. Stop the machine to clear food away.
AFTER THE BLADE HAS STOPPED MOVING, remove the cover, and use the spatula to scrape the food from the sides of the bowl back into the center. Do not put hands into bowl unless unit is unplugged.

NOTE: HANDLE WITH CARE – the blade is razor sharp.

PROCESSING FOOD

Place the work bowl firmly on the motor base. Opening at back of bowl must face column at back of the Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/ Grinder. Turn bowl counterclockwise to lock in place.
Insert the SmartPower Blade. Carefully pick up the blade by its hub and place on the center stem until it drops to the bottom of the stem. Firmly push to lock the blade into position. NEVER TOUCH THE BLADE ITSELF AND NOTE THE BLADE IS RAZOR SHARP.
Place food in the assembled work bowl. Be sure the food is cut into even, small pieces, and the bowl is not overloaded.
Lock the cover into position.
Press the appropriate Chop or Grind control, depending on the food you are processing.
When you have finished processing the food, stop the machine by releasing the control button.
WHEN THE BLADE STOPS MOVING, unplug the unit.
Remove cover and work bowl.
1. Turn work bowl cover clockwise to remove.
2. Turn work bowl clockwise to unlock it and lift it off base.
To remove liquids and sauces from bowl:
Simply pour ingredients out of work bowl. Our convenient BladeLock System keeps blade safely in place.
To remove thicker ingredients from bowl:
Carefully remove the SmartPower^® Blade by holding the stem on the top and gently pulling up to disengage blade lock. Remove food with spatula. You can also remove ingredients while the bowl is still on the base.
NOTE: HANDLE WITH CARE – THE BLADE IS RAZOR SHARP.

Tips: Always process foods in order, from dry to wet, to avoid having to clean bowl and blade between each task.

Never operate the Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder without ingredients in the work bowl.

CLEANING, STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE

To simplify cleaning, rinse the work bowl, cover, and blade immediately after each use, so that food won't dry on them. Wash blade, work bowl, cover, and spatula in warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry. Wash the blade carefully.

Avoid leaving blade in soapy water where it may disappear from sight. The work bowl and cover can be washed on the top rack of a dishwasher. Insert the work bowl upside down and the cover right side up. Put the blade and spatula in the cutlery basket. Unload the dishwasher carefully to avoid contact with the sharp blade. Wipe the motor base clean with a damp sponge or cloth. Dry it immediately. Never submerge the motor base or the plug in water or other liquids.

The Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/ Grinder stores neatly on the countertop. When it is not in use, be sure to leave it unplugged. The hidden cord storage underneath the motor base will help to keep excess cord off the countertop. Store the unit assembled to prevent loss of parts. Store the blade as you would sharp knives – out of the reach of children.

The Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/ Grinder is intended for HOUSEHOLD USE ONLY.

Maintenance: Any service other than cleaning and normal user maintenance should be performed by an authorized Cuisinart Service Representative.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Motor doesn't start or blade doesn't rotate

Check that plug is securely inserted into outlet.
Check that work bowl and cover are securely locked into place.
Be sure to press only one operation control button at a time.
This appliance comes with a resettable protection device to prevent damage to the motor in the case of extreme overload. Should unit shut off unexpectedly, unplug it and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before continuing.

Food is unevenly chopped

Try cutting food into smaller, even-sized pieces.
Try processing smaller amounts of food per batch.

Food is chopped too fine or is watery

The food has been overprocessed. Use brief pulses, or process for a shorter time. Let blade stop completely between pulses.

Food collects on work bowl cover or sides of prep bowl

This is normal; turn machine off. When blade stops rotating, remove cover and clean bowl and cover with spatula.

Food catches on blade

You may be processing too much food. Carefully remove blade. Remove food from blade with spatula and start over again.

OPERATING TECHNIQUES CHART

With the Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder you can chop, grind or purée a variety of foods. As a rule of thumb, most foods should not reach more than 2⁄3 of the way up the work bowl.

Food	Operation/Technique	Comments/Notes
Anchovies	Chop. Pulse to desired consistency.	Drain first. Cut in half.
Bread for crumbs	Chop. Pulse to break up, then process continuously until desired crumb size is reached.	Use day-old, hard bread for dry crumbs; fresh bread for moist crumbs. Cut or break into pieces no larger than 1 inch. For buttered crumbs, add 1 teaspoon of melted butter per slice after crumbs have started to form, and process to combine and coat.
Butter	Alternate pulsing between Chop and Grind and then run continuously on Chop.	Cut into ½-inch pieces. Best at room temperature. Process up to ¾ cup at a time. Add freshly chopped citrus zest, garlic, herbs or shallots to create compound butters.
Celery	Chop. Pulse to desired size.	Cut into ½-inch-long pieces.
Cheese – hard (Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, etc.)	Chop. Pulse 10 times, then process continuously until desired consistency.	Remove and discard rind or reserve for another use. Cut into ½-inch pieces. If possible, remove from refrigerator 20–30 minutes before processing. Process up to 4 ounces at a time.
Cheese – soft (cream cheese, etc.)	Chop. Pulse to break up, then process continuously to "cream."	Best at room temperature. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Process up to 12 ounces at a time.
Chocolate	Chop. Pulse to break up, then process continuously until desired chop size is achieved.	Process no more than 1½ ounces at a time. For best results, chill chocolate for 3–5 minutes in freezer before chopping. Cut baking chocolate squares into ½-inch pieces to chop.
Cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, other hard spices	Grind. Pulse to break up, about 5 times, then process continuously until finely chopped.	Break up to 2 cinnamon sticks into 1-inch pieces. Up to ¼ cup of all other spices can be processed. Hard spices may cause scratches on the work bowl and cover.*
Citrus zest	Chop. Pulse to break up, then process continuously until finely chopped.	Use vegetable peeler to remove zest (color only) from citrus; scrape off any white with sharp knife. Cut strips in half. Adding a small amount of sugar or salt will help achieve a finer texture.
Cookies, graham crackers for crumbs, hard Amaretti or macaroons	Chop. Pulse 5 times to break up, then process continuously until finely chopped.	Hard cookies only. Break up into 1-inch or smaller pieces. For buttered crumbs, add 1 teaspoon of melted butter per graham cracker sheet or for every 3 cookies.
Fruits, cooked; fresh or frozen (thawed) berries	Chop. Pulse to break up, then process continuously until desired consistency.	Cooked fruits may be processed to make baby foods or purées; liquid may be added for consistency. To process fresh or frozen (thawed) berries for sauce, pulse to chop, then process until puréed (sugar may be added to taste). Fill work bowl up to 2∕3 of the way full.
Garlic	Chop. Pulse to chop roughly, then process continuously for fine chop.	Peel garlic cloves first. Scrape work bowl sides and bottom as needed.
Ginger root, fresh	Chop. Pulse to break up, then process continuously to reach desired consistency.	Peel first; cut into ½-inch pieces or slices. Scrape work bowl sides and bottom as needed. Process up to 4 ounces at a time.
Green onions, scallions	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency.	Trim and cut into ¾-inch pieces.
Herbs, fresh	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency.	Rinse and dry completely. Remove leaves from stems to chop.
Horseradish	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency.	Peel first. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Process up to 4 ounces at a time.
Leeks	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency.	Trim off root end and tough outer skin. Wash thoroughly to remove sand and grit; dry completely. Cut into ½-inch pieces.
Meats	Chop. Pulse to chop, or process continuously to desired consistency (add liquid as needed to process to puréed consistency).	Uncooked meats should be cold, but not frozen; cut up to 8 ounces into ½-inch pieces, trimmed of gristle and soft fat; some hard fat may remain. Cooked meats can be cold or warm; cut up to 8 ounces into ½-inch pieces. Add liquid (water, broth or from cooking) as needed to process to puréed consistency.
Mushrooms	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency.	Choose firm, fresh mushrooms. Cut into quarters or even-size pieces, no larger than ¾ inch.
Nuts	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency. Or Grind. Pulse first then process continuously until desired consistency.	Toast nuts first for maximum flavor. Allow to cool completely before chopping. Process up to 1 cup at a time.
Olives	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency.	Use only pitted olives. Drain well for best results.
Onions	Chop. Pulse 5–10 times to chop to desired size.	Peel; cut into ¾-inch or smaller pieces of similar size.
Peppercorns	Grind. Pulse first, then process continuously until desired consistency.	Combine peppercorns with dried herbs or spices or coarse salt to create rubs and seasonings. Hard peppercorns may scratch work bowl and cover.*
Peppers, fresh	Chop. Pulse to chop to desired consistency.	Core, seed and cut into ½-inch pieces. Do not overprocess.
Seeds, dried berries	Grind. Pulse to break up, then process continuously to desired consistency.	Coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, sesame, poppy, and juniper berries.
Shallots	Chop. Pulse 5–10 times to chop to desired consistency.	Peel first; cut into quarters, or pieces no larger than ¾ inch.
Vegetables, cooked	Chop. Pulse 5–10 times to chop, then process continuously until desired consistency is reached.	Cook vegetables until tender. Process to a smooth purée for baby food or sauces; may need to add liquid for consistency. Fill work bowl up to 2∕3 of the way full.

*Surface scratches that may occur will not impair the function of the Cuisinart Elemental Series 4-Cup Chopper/Grinder. You may want to consider purchasing a second work bowl specifically for these tasks.