CUISINART® MINI-MATE PLUS® CHOPPER/GRINDER
LIMITED TWO-YEAR WARRANTY
This warranty is available to consumers only. You are a consumer if you are the
owner of a Cuisinart® Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder that was purchased for house-
hold use. Except as otherwise required under applicable state laws, this
warranty is not available to retailers or to other commercial purchasers or owners.
We warrant that your Cuisinart® Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder will be free of
defects in material and workmanship under normal home use for two years from the
date of original purchase. We suggest that you complete and return the enclosed war-
ranty registration card promptly to facilitate verification of the date of original purchase.
However, return of the warranty registration card is not a condition of this warranty
and does not eliminate the need for the consumer to maintain the original proof of
purchase. In the event that you do not have proof of purchase date, the purchase
date for purposes of this warranty will be the date of manufacture.
INSTRUCTION/RECIPE BOOKLET
If your Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder should prove to be defective within the war-
ranty period, we will repair it (or, if we think necessary, replace it) without charge to
you. To obtain warranty service, please call our Consumer Service Center toll-free at
800-726-0190 or write to Consumer Service at:
Cuisinart, 150 Milford Road, East Windsor, NJ 08520.
To facilitate the speed and accuracy of your return, please also enclose $5.00 for
shipping and handling of the product. Under California law, only proof of purchase is
required. Please also be sure to include a return address, description of the product
problem, product serial number, and any other information pertinent to the product’s
return. Please pay by check or money order.
Your Cuisinart® Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder has been manufactured to the
strictest specifications and has been designed for use with Cuisinart authorized
accessories and replacement parts. This warranty expressly excludes any defects
or damages caused by accessories, replacement parts or repair service other than
those that have been authorized by Cuisinart.
Any attempt to tamper with or alter the Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder’s design or
to interfere with the operation of its safety devices voids this warranty. If a Mini-Mate
Plus® Chopper/Grinder that has been so tampered with, altered or interfered with, is
received by us for repair, we reserve the right to restore the Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/
Grinder to its original condition and to charge for such repair.
This warranty excludes damage caused by accident, misuse or abuse, shipment or
other than ordinary household use. It does not apply to scratches, stains, discoloration
or other damage to external or internal surfaces which do not impair the functional
utility of the appliance.
This warranty also excludes all incidental or consequential damages. Some states do
not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the
foregoing limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which
vary from state to state.
Copyright ©2003
Cuisinart® is a registered trademark of Cuisinart
®
MINI-MATE PLUS CHOPPER/GRINDER
MM-2M
Printed in China
IB-4529
15
INTRODUCTION
The Cuisinart® Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder chops, grinds
and grates small amounts of food. Because it has two blade
positions and two operating speeds, it is equipped to do a wide
variety of tasks, from grinding coffee beans to chopping onions.
To use the Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder most effectively,
be sure to select the blade position and speed that are
A
recommended for the food you are processing. This booklet
gives you suggestions for a wide variety of specific ingredients.
Like all other fine Cuisinart products, the Mini-Mate Plus®
Chopper/Grinder is built with our commitment to making your
time in the kitchen a pleasure.
B
THE PARTS
C
A. Easy-to-grip motor housing with two control buttons on back,
one to select high speed (HI-I) and one to select low speed
(LO-II).
B. Stainless steel motor shaft
C. Blade/shaft assembly, with reversible blade. Blade hub slides
to white end of shaft for sharp edge. Blade hub slides to gray
end of shaft for blunt edge. Use sharp edge for chopping
most soft foods that can be easily pierced with a knife:
onions, garlic, shallots, fresh herbs, butter and roots like
ginger and horseradish. Use blunt edge for grinding,
grating and puréeing: coffee, spices, hard cheeses,
chocolate, nuts and baby food.
D
D. Work bowl with:
• post for blade/shaft assembly
E
• three rubber feet that help keep base from moving
on counter (not shown)
E. Post for blade/shaft assembly
F. Spatula
F
3
4
USING THE MINI-MATE PLUS® CHOPPER/GRINDER
7. Insert stainless steel motor shaft into center opening of
blade/shaft assembly. Place motor housing directly over
work bowl and fit it into work bowl.
1. Place work bowl on kitchen counter or other flat, firm surface.
8. Insert plug from motor housing into household
electrical outlet.
2. Slide hub of blade along blade shaft to select sharp or blunt
blade position. Blade should be at white end of shaft for sharp
edge, at gray end of shaft for blunt edge. Handle carefully.
Never touch blades; always move blade by its shaft.
9. Grip work bowl firmly in one hand. With other hand, press
down firmly on motor housing and press one control button -
either HI/I for high speed or LO/II for low speed.
Select sharp edge for chopping most soft foods. Select blunt
edge for:
10. To turn motor off, release control button.
• grinding coffee beans, nuts and seeds
• grating chocolate
As motor comes to a stop, you may hear a few clicks from
the blade/shaft assembly. This is normal.
11. Lift motor housing straight up from work bowl after motor
has stopped.
• puréeing cooked vegetables and ripe fruit.
3. Hold blade/shaft assembly, with blade end down, directly over
post in work bowl.
12. Carefully remove blade from bowl. First, release it from post
by twisting hub gently clockwise while exerting slight upward
pressure. Then pull straight up on blade shaft, moving blade
away from you. With spatula, scrape food off blade into
work bowl.
4. Push blade/shaft assembly down gently over post, twisting
hub slightly clockwise. Assembly will drop into position with
lower blade at bottom of bowl. Assembly must be upright.
It must not tilt.
13. Remove food from work bowl with spatula.
5. Put food in work bowl.
• Hold thumb or index finger over top of blade shaft to prevent
small pieces of food from entering it.
USES
Chop, grate and grind small amounts of food. For your conven-
ience, we have listed a number of ingredients alphabetically.
• Do not overload work bowl. The Mini-Mate Plus®
Chopper/Grinder is designed for chopping and grinding small
amounts of food. If you want to chop or grind more than 1 or
2 tablespoons, do it in batches.
• Cut large pieces of food into small pieces no bigger than
1/2 inch (12mm) before chopping or grinding.
6. Grip motor housing and place it over work bowl. The power
cord, as well as the control buttons, should be at the rear.
5
6
Ingredient Blade Position/Speed
Comments
USEFUL OPERATING TECHNIQUES
Sharp/
Low
Blunt/
High
Size
Always cut large pieces of food into even pieces of about 1/2
inch (12mm) in size. If you do not put in small, even-size pieces,
you will not get an even chop.
anchovies
bacon
X
X
X
must be cooked crisp
must be very soft, of
spreading consistency
butter
Timing
celery
cheese
X
grate no more than 2 ounces
(55g); start with 1/2 ounce
(15g), chop additional cheese
1/2 ounce at a time
must be chilled
must be chilled
The blade action is lightning fast, even faster than a food
processor. You will be astonished at how quickly it does its job.
To use the Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder effectively, try to
think about time in a new way: everything happens in seconds
or even fractions of seconds.
hard
semi-hard
X
X
Sharp/
High
semi-soft
soft
chocolate
High must be chilled
must be at room temperature
grate no more than 1 ounce
(28g) at a time
must be refrigerated
must be frozen
Pulsing Action
X
When using the sharp edge of the blade for chopping, operate
the unit for only a fraction of a second. Use pulse action by
pressing and releasing the control button until the food is
chopped. One to three pulses are enough to chop most food.
If you operate the motor longer, you will get a watery paste
instead of a fine, dry chop.
bittersweet
milk
cinnamon sticks
coffee beans
X
X
X
X
grind no more than 1/2 cup
(35g) at a time
fruit chips
garlic
X
Continuous Action
X
X
X
X
X
X
When using the blunt edge of the blade for grinding, you may
have to operate the unit for several seconds - as long as 20 sec-
onds for some lightweight seeds or 30 seconds for coffee beans.
When operating for more than 10 seconds, use pulse action
every 10 seconds to allow food to drop to the bottom of the work
bowl and get in the path of the blades. This produces a more
uniform grind.
ginger root
herbs, fresh
horseradish
leeks
macaroons
must be brittle, like Italian
amaretti
mushrooms
nutmeg
X
X
X
place in plastic bag and smash
with cleaver before grinding
must be chilled
nuts
olives
X
X
X
onions
peel, citrus
peppercorns
peppers, dried
peppers, fresh
scallions
seeds
X
X
X
X
X
like coriander, cumin, dill,
poppy, etc.
shallots
X
8
7
SAFETY REMINDERS
Chopped food is watery:
• Never operate the Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder motor
when work bowl is empty. Doing so may damage the
mechanism.
• Never operate the Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder more than
30 seconds at a time, more than 1 minute out of 5 minutes, or
more than 3 minutes an hour.
• The blades are very sharp. Never touch them when changing
blade position or removing blade from work bowl. Always
handle by blade shaft or blade hub. Always move blade away
from you when removing it from work bowl.
• You are processing too long. Use quick pulses.
Hub of blade rises on shaft during operation:
• Unplug unit from outlet. Remove motor housing and
blade/shaft assembly from work bowl. Remove food from
work bowl and blade. Try to lock hub of blade to blade shaft
by twisting hub counterclockwise about 1/4 inch. If it won’t
twist and lock, food may be caught inside blade. Remove
blade/shaft assembly and clean inside of it carefully.
Reinsert blade/shaft assembly in bowl, add food and
replace motor housing.
• Always unplug when not in use, or before taking off or putting
on parts, before cleaning or removing food from work bowl, etc.
Food collects on underside of motor housing:
• Scrape into work bowl with spatula.
Food collects in activator switch:
• Remove with tip of spatula.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Motor doesn’t start or blade doesn’t rotate:
• Check that plug is securely inserted in outlet.
• Check that blade is all the way down on post.
• Be sure to press down on motor housing while pressing and
releasing control button.
• Be sure to press only one control button at a time.
Motor continues to run after motor housing is removed from
work bowl:
Food hangs up on blade:
• You may be trying to process too much food.
• Carefully remove blade, remove pieces of food, and start
over again.
Liquid overflows:
• You may be trying to process too much food.
Work bowl becomes cloudy:
• Immediately unplug motor housing. The activator switch on
the motor housing (under the switch cover, just beneath the
power cord) may have become clogged with food. Unplug the
motor housing and clean around the activator switch with the
tip of the spatula to remove any food. Use the spatula to push
the switch up and down a few times to make sure it moves
freely. Plug in and check for proper operation. If motor
continues to run when motor housing is removed, do not
use unit. Call Cuisinart Customer Service at number given
in Warranty Section.
• Bowl material becomes clouded when hard foods like coffee
beans and spices are ground in it.
CLEANING AND STORAGE
Keep your Mini-Mate Plus® Chopper/Grinder ready for use on a
kitchen counter. When it’s not being used, leave it unplugged.
Store blade in work bowl and store Mini-Mate Plus®
Chopper/Grinder as you would sharp knives - out of the reach
of children.
Food is unevenly chopped:
• Either you are trying to chop too much food, or food was not
cut into small enough pieces before chopping.
To simplify cleaning, rinse work bowl and blade immediately after
use so food won’t dry on them. Wash blade/shaft assembly and
work bowl in warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry. Wash blade
carefully. Avoid leaving it in soapy water where it may disappear
from sight.
Food is chopped too fine:
• You are processing too long. Use quick pulses.
10
9
If you have a dishwasher, you can wash all parts except the
motor housing on the top rack. Insert work bowl upside down.
Put blade and spatula in cutlery basket. Unload dishwasher care-
fully to avoid contact with sharp blades.
Insert blade SHARP edge down. Mince garlic and pepper with 2
or 3 pulses on LO speed. Scrape work bowl, add salt and blend
on LO speed until thoroughly mixed. Scrape work bowl, add oil
and blend on LO speed until you have a smooth paste.
Wipe off bottom of motor housing with damp sponge or paper
towel after each use. Wipe away from stainless steel motor shaft.
If food lodges under shaft, remove it with spatula.
Makes about 1 generous tablespoon.
TAPENADE
Grinding hard food like coffee and spices will cloud the work
bowl. This is normal.
The motor housing is also made of a tough plastic with high
impact resistance. Its smooth surface will wipe clean easily and
look new for years.
Much favored in the South of France, this paste can be spread
on toasted French bread rounds. Or mix it with some mayon-
naise and use it as a dip for raw vegetables.
1/2 cup pitted black olives, preferably a Mediterranean
variety (about 24 olives, 11/2 ounces, 42g)
1
4
tablespoon capers, drained
flat anchovy filets, drained (about 1 ounce, 28g)
RECIPES
Baby Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 11
Chile Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 11
Tapenade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 12
Classic Vinaigrette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 12
Tartar Sauce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 13
Savory Pilaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 13
Stuffed Tomatoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 14
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2
tablespoons olive oil
Insert blade SHARP edge down. Chop olives with 2 or 3 pulses
on LO speed. Add capers and chop with 2 or 3 pulses on LO
speed. Scrape work bowl and add remaining ingredients.
Process on LO speed until puréed. Add more olive oil if you want
a smoother paste.
BABY FOOD
2
ounces (55g) of vegetables - steamed or boiled until very
soft, OR fruit, ripe and raw, or cooked until soft, or canned,
OR meat, poultry or fish well cooked
Makes about 3 ounces (85g).
CLASSIC VINAIGRETTE
Insert blade, BLUNT side down, and add food. Process on HI
speed until puréed. To achieve a smooth purée of meat, poultry
or fish, you may need to add a little liquid.
You can vary this by using different vinegars or oils, or by adding
1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh herbs.
1
3
tablespoon wine vinegar or lemon juice
tablespoons olive oil or good vegetable oil
CHILE PASTE
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
Use wherever chile paste is called for. If you like your food really
hot, double the amount of peppers.
1
large garlic clove (about 1/2 ounce, 15g)
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper, OR
1 1/2-inch (4cm) whole dried chile pepper
Insert blade BLUNT edge down. Add all ingredients and blend on
HI speed until mixed.
1
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Makes about 1/4 cup.
11
12
TARTAR SAUCE
Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice is coated with butter, about
30 seconds. Add stock and salt, if desired, and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer until rice is tender and has absorbed all liquid,
about 15 minutes.
Stir in parsley, pine nuts and pepper and fluff with fork. Season
to taste.
For fried fish or shellfish
4-5 sprigs parsley, stems removed
1
4
1
1
gherkin pickle
green olives, pitted
tablespoon capers
cup good mayonnaise
Makes 4 servings.
Insert blade SHARP edge down. Mince parsley with 2 or 3 puls-
es at LO speed. Scrape work bowl and add remaining ingredi-
ents. Chop with 2 or 3 pulses on LO speed. Add to mayonnaise
and stir to blend.
STUFFED TOMATOES
A fine and easy accompaniment to roasts, steaks and fish, these
can be prepared ahead and cooked just before serving.
Makes about 1 cup (240ml).
4
ripe, medium tomatoes (about 20 ounces total, 565g)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
SAVORY PILAF
3-4 sprigs parsley, stems removed
1
1
1
2
small garlic clove
small shallot
piece firm white bread, broken into pieces
tablespoons olive oil
This dish is good with any simple grilled or roasted meat.
1/3 cup pine nuts (about 2 ounces, 55g)
3
1
tablespoons parsley leaves
large celery rib (about 3 ounces, 85g), cut into
1/3-inch (12mm) pieces
Wash tomatoes, remove stems and cut in half crosswise. Gently
squeeze out seeds and sprinkle inside with salt and pepper.
4
large scallions (about 3 ounces total, 85g),
trimmed and cut into 1/3-inch (12mm) pieces
Insert blade, SHARP side down. Mince parsley with 2 or 3 pulses
at LO speed. Scrape work bowl and add garlic and shallot.
Mince with 3 or 4 pulses at LO speed. Scrape work bowl. Add
bread and break into crumbs on LO speed. Blend on LO speed
until thoroughly mixed with herbs and aromatics. Scrape work
bowl, add oil and blend on LO speed until mixed.
1-1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1
cup uncooked long-grain white rice
(about 7 ounces, 200g)
2
cups chicken stock (480ml), preferably homemade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Stuff each tomato with spoonful of mixture, and sprinkle each
with a few drops of oil. Place on lightly oiled baking pan and
bake in preheated 400°F. (205°C.) oven until tomatoes are warm
and filling is lightly browned.
Preheat oven to 350°F. (175°C.). Spread pine nuts in single layer
on baking sheet and toast them in center of oven until light
brown and fragrant, about 6 minutes; reserve.
Insert blade, SHARP side down. Mince parsley with 2 or 3 pulses
on LO speed. Remove and reserve.
Makes 4 servings.
Mince celery with 2 or 3 pulses on LO speed. Remove and
reserve. Mince scallions with 2 or 3 pulses on LO speed.
Remove and reserve. Sauté celery and scallions in butter in
large saucepan over moderate heat until just tender -
about 2 minutes.
13
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