What Is a Food Processor and How Can It Help You?
Kitchen appliances can make cooking easier, but they also take up space. If you want your kitchen to be more than just a parking lot for a blender, grinder, whisk, juicer and other bulky dust collectors, get one appliance that replaces them all—a food processor.
Food Processor vs. Stand Mixer—What's the Difference?
Many manufacturers use the name universal food processor rather than stand mixer or produce mixers combined with a blender or grinder. A classic stand mixer is primarily a baking aid, whereas a food processor has multiple uses. What accessories can it have and what can it do?
- A kneading hook for kneading dough.
- Whisking and mixing attachments whip egg whites and help you make custard.
- A mixer makes purees and smoothies while a juicer produces fresh fruit juice.
- A crusher gives you crushed ice and dried fruits.
- A citrus press squeezes out fresh juice.
- Slicing discs and grating discs help you slice, make noodles and chips, or grate ingredients both finely and coarsely.
- A chopper shreds cabbage and a mini chopper processes herbs or cheese.
- A grinder processes nuts, whole spices and possibly coffee and a meat mincer gives you minced meat for making burgers and lasagna.
- A finger guard keeps your fingers out of harm's way.
Food processor
Traditional stand mixer
How to Choose the Right Food Processor for Your Home?
Do you know which food processor to choose? Focus on these basic parameters.
Food Processors by Material
Food processors are most often made of plastic. The more expensive ones are made of aluminium or stainless steel, which lasts longer, looks better and is easier to maintain. Also, pay attention to the material of the attachments. Stainless steel attachments are more durable and reliable while glass containers are best for crushing ice.
For each product, check whether you can clean the accessories in the dishwasher—it will save you a lot of time and hassle.
Food Processors by Weight and Size
A large and heavy food processor will be more robust and stable. But expect it to be a lot harder to carry.
Food Processor Bowl or Container Volume
Container volume is closely related to the food processor's size and weight. If you are cooking just for yourself, one to two litres will be enough. If you have a large family or cooking is your hobby, get something a bit bigger.
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Some food processors have a lid lock to prevent the lid from accidentally opening during operation.
Food Processor Power Input
Wattage gives you an idea about what sort of food a device can process. Food processors with a higher wattage have a more powerful motor and are better able to handle heavy dough, ice and other hard ingredients.
The PULSE (Turbo) button starts intermittent blending, allowing you to control the final coarseness of your food. It also helps with chopping ice.
Food Processor and Number of Speeds
If you want to whip egg whites finely while also being able to grind hard nuts, you will need a food processor with several speeds. Most often there are only two. More speeds are better, of course, but at the top of the class sits food processors featuring infinite variable speed control that lets you adjust power with the greatest sensitivity.
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Some food processors have a function that automatically detects the attachment and optimally adjusts speed for the best results.
