Kenwood Killjoy in the Kitchen (Kenwood FP220)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	Kenwood FP220
Date:	19/07/08 (1044 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reasonably simple to operate, most parts dishwasher safe, large capable motor

Disadvantages: Very noisy motor, questionnable parts, some very old tools not worth the money,

Thanks to the joy of moving, and despite my better efforts of packaging for removal, my old faithful Kenwood food processor has been damaged. The damage is so severe that a deep crack has appeared from the controls across the motor spindle rendering this much loved kitchen food prep helper, useless. The choice of making do with my mum's larger older food processor just wouldn't do as she needs it for herself and whilst I'm not an experienced chef, I do like cooking and baking generally. So the time has come to look for a replacement, something just as cheap that does the same if not quieter food preps that my old FP110/101 is used to. I can't afford what I would really like to get; even bids and prices on EBay for used and reconditioned Magimix models are atrocious whilst Braun models are difficult to get on the high street in the UK. This is a long review.

Enter the newest range of food processors from Kenwood. Whilst they are still producing belt drive models which are obvious from the motor on the left hand side and the spindle on the right hand side, the newest FP220 has a direct motor on the bottom and the jug and spindle at the top. For all intents and purposes it seems to look very modern compared to my old unit too even though the same sheen white plastic has been used, Kenwood now mark the jug/blender part much more clearly with gradients of millilitres. Whilst Kenwood may lead you to believe that a direct motor with a jug on top is better for long life I'm still not used to the fact that the machine is taller, putting it under the food cupboards where my old Kenwood used to go is sadly no longer an option. My old Kenwood had a height of around 25cm but this one has a height of 40cm. This is fine if you have an open planned kitchen, but with cupboards in between my work tops like a standard kitchen usually has, the 40cm height just about works even if the tube pusher stands out and the model has to be pulled to the front of the workspace for it to be used. Not only is this a slight downside because of its height but the suction cups which fasten the machine so tightly to the surface will eventually weaken because of all that moving about!


A large control dial functions two speeds including a pulse function, which can be turned the other way (anticlockwise) as opposed to clockwise. Although everything on this model seems to be designed well with clearly marked controls, the dial gives off a thud sound each notch of the speed selection is moved, meaning that the quality of fit and build is rather cheap and in this respect you seem to get what you pay for.

Price in fact was of course one of the more leading decisions at the time. Do I get a completely different manufacturer despite Kenwood machines generally gracing both my parents and my kitchens, or do I plump for a Kenwood machine based on price and hoping it will do a better job than the last? I could have bought the same food processor again however - my model still sells in Argos, Comet, John Lewis - to mention a few high street outlets - but as usual the FP220 looked particularly appealing if not for the fact of its newer design but of its higher powered motor of 750 watts against the smaller motor of my old Kenwood sporting 300 or so watts. Tesco, Comet and online outlets have a leading price of around £50. John Lewis however was the cheapest for me, at £44-95.

However, whilst looking at several alternatives at the time, I reckoned the Kenwood FP220 Compact food processor would do the job. Having a much bigger capacity jug at 2.1 litres means that this little beauty can do more food prep in half the time and I don't have to fish out the maxi-canopy disc on my old model where blending liquids is concerned to double the volume of the jug.

Another reason to why I chose the FP220 over the FP101/110/08 series isn't just because of the price increase;


In use the FP220 takes a shorter time to set up. For a start it has a motor spindle for separate use when using the main bowl/jug. This has to be twisted and locked in before the main jug can be installed; this is great for people like me who like to keep everything clean. Then you simply add the disc of your choice; and in this instance you only have one disc to hand; a stainless steel dishwasher safe disc which features shreds on one side, flip it over and you have a slicer blade. This is so much easier than my old FP101; I found that I no longer had to seek the small red attachment lock for the bottom of the spindle; this is one Kenwood model where literally you drop the main motor spindle in, drop the jug, then attach the stainless steel dishwasher safe disc before adding the lid on, twist and lock and you're ready to go. In this instance when it comes to food prep, you really don't have to spend much time getting the machine ready and everything fits sensibly as easy as A,B and C!


Of the tools you do get, you also get a 1.2 gradient marked liquidiser (and of which I thought for a moment my last Cookworks smoothie maker would look redundant), a citrus press, a whisking attachment, the excellent serrated knife blade and the flip over shredder/slicer disc; all the parts are dishwasher safe including the blender which has a detachable blade and rubber inserts for optimum cleaning. The citrus presser is the same as the old tool for my Kenwood which is a bit of a shame as you have to install the filter and the presser with just the half cup or a lemon or orange half as your only protection between the ripper/presser and your hand! So now I have an extra set as a spare and of course a Kenwood wouldn't be a Kenwood without their famous rubber fined flexible spatula; another one to add to the five I already have!


Whilst the shredder/slicer disc is excellent and generally manages to shred down to the last notch of most food preps, the bigger diameter bowl at the top is wider and that means cheese (which on food processors inevitably never get shredded properly) bits get chucked into the shredded food after use. Sometimes the cheese gets stuck and then melts around the rim of the lid, just like any other food processor I have used. But it's not the problem of the disc that is under scrutiny here or the bigger bowl capacity of which I thought would be great; it's the motor noise.


The motor noise is the worst sound I have ever experienced from a Kenwood and the FP220 whines, screams and eventually becomes too boomy never really presenting me with a temptation to check out all of its fine features.


The whisking disc is also disappointing; it's a tool that was included on my mum's Gourmet food processor way back in the 1980's and has had little improvement; even the perforations are the same and Kenwood may well have gone to the trouble of stylising the top of the tool with a more organic softer look, but the whisk is useless for anything other than milk or egg whites - who makes recipes with egg whites these days??! And this was a tool I fondly remember reading about when it had failed Which? Consumer testing. For general whisking the stainless steel serrated knife blade should really be used, but for a generally new machine from a new range of machines, you'd think Kenwood wouldn't have cut corners here.


The liquidiser isn't any better in the noise department. Oh it gives a fair performance for blending; that I can give it for its use. Suffering from a toothed motor located at the bottom of its attachment foot, it increases the noise as well as the loud 750watt motor though. The capacity of the blender beaker is small too, and I found when preparing smoothies, whilst the delivery was quick, the capacity was only really suitable for small two standard tumblers of content rather than the larger capacities I'm used to on my Cookworks smoothie maker. Washing it out involved taking the lid off, then the base, then the seals, then more parts including the detachable blade. This is another area when Kenwood need to improve their design and cease giving consumer cheap components from another era; hot soup could be blended easily and quickly too, but the plastic jug is not insulated and to unlock it from the base of the motor you need to grab the jug not just the handle to take it off. Further indications of how cheap this "extra," is show that the stainless steel blades can't be used for crushing or making drinks which have a larger quantity of ice then; back to the Cookworks smoothie maker then!


The stainless steel knife blade is a trusted formula that works in all applications, including dough making. I've been trying my hand at making bread a slightly more old fashioned way. According to the paper user manual, the FP220 can handle around 12oz or 340g of dough mix. I added around half the capacity of dough to see just how the FP220 would cope. Whilst the results were excellent, the motor increased and decreased its speed whilst the dough gradually thickened up, but what I wasn't expecting was to question the FP220's stability. The FP220 has a slight tendency to rock a bit when making dough and in this instance you really do have to be on your guard near to the machine when making something like dough. The stability is fine for most jobs, but give it heavy food prep and the motor can give inconsistent stability. If I was at my mum's I would have her Kenwood Chef to hand and be able to do more prep work without worry that the machine is moving violently.

Then another day of baking ensued, with making salads and prep work. It had been a few days since last I used the FP220 and the sun shone brightly in Edinburgh and I felt a glut of salad and soup making coming on. So I got everything prepared, washed and cut and as usual went to install everything in and switched on. The motor started for a bit and then it stopped. I thought that initially the safety lock on the lid and jug had loosened, because the jug and lid in general have to be locked a certain way before the motor can function. Sadly however the FP220 never started again even with a fuse replacement. Needless to say after a three week ownership, the FP220 decided to call it a day.


On my return to John Lewis and after a fair bit of talking to their customer services, John Lewis refunded me money on the FP220. It was a decision not taken lightly from both corners. Whilst I had the option of buying another FP220 under guarantee (1 year from Kenwood, free with an extendable 3 year option) I reckon I was very lucky to be refunded the money and not be pressured into getting another FP220. The noise enough from this very short but well used ownership had sealed the Kenwood's fate. And talk about fate occurring twice! After considering selling what parts I had left of my original food processor and considering EBay for a replacement FP101 or forking out £25 on a new model, Gumtree provided a cheaper solution. An old FP101 in good condition with a recondition motor being sold by a student with very little tools and a jug without its lid; Now at £15 I think I've got the last laugh even though I'm stuck with another Kenwood FP101 for a few more years yet!



Inevitably then although my experience has been tainted by the FP220, I don't particularly feel that the FP220 has enough merit to gain four or even five stars. In lieu of the problem I encountered, Kenwood are as usual supplying new machines with little thought to actual user experience and are kitting this model in particular with cheap tools that don't really give much of a versatile cooking prep experience. Tie it in with an unstable platform, a very tall height and a very noisy motor and I'm left wondering just what will happen for Kenwood's next stage of food processor design because by my thinking, "Compact," does not mean "to cheapen." But then again by the time Kenwood properly insulate all their food processors and kit them with quality and versatile tools that actually work, I may well have moved up into the world of Braun or Magimix. ©Nar2 2008

www.kenwoodworld.com

Summary: Its not worth £50! Save up and buy something quieter.

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