If you take the time to cook, you probably already have a food processor in your kitchen. It’s one of the first appliances that people buy once they start cooking at home.
While it may be used often, you may not be aware of all that a food processor can do for you. If you are interested in finding out more about how this machine is helpful, read on to find some benefits of a food processor that helps the average cook.
What is a Food Processor?
Food processors are single-purpose kitchen appliances that chop, slice, shred, puree and liquefy your food to produce consistent portions.
They make prep work easy so you can get back to doing what matters: family, friends, that TV show you were watching or whatever else needs attention.
The bowl and blade mechanism can be contained within the machine’s housing or removable for cleaning and processing larger amounts of food.
Food processors are often used in the preparation of salads and other foods requiring extensive cutting or chopping such as onions, garlic and carrots.
They are also used to chop vegetables and other food products quickly and efficiently in small batches.
What makes a good food processor?
Choosing a food processor isn’t simple, as there are so many different models and brands to choose from. But what makes a good food processor?
There’s no right or wrong answer here because every person has their own preferences. You’ll want to think about how often you plan to use your food processor and how much room you have on your countertop or in your cabinets before deciding what kind of food processor is best for you.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
1. Bowl Size matters
The size of the bowl affects how much you can process at one time. If you’re only planning on using it for small jobs, then you won’t need much space.
But if you plan on using it for larger jobs, then you’ll want to make sure that the bowl is large enough in order to accommodate all of your needs. You can’t compromise on the bowl size as it will hamper the overall benefits of having a food processor.
2. Power
Food processors come in different power ratings, and these ratings will allow one to process more effectively than others.
For instance, if you want to be able to slice foods thinly, then you might want a higher-powered processor.
On the other hand, if you only want to chop food into smaller pieces but not slice them, then getting a lower-powered processor will be sufficient enough for your needs.
3. Functions
Some processors have more functions than others. For example, some processors come with dough hooks or yeast dispensers built-in for those who like to bake for their families or friends.
Others even include attachments that allow you to grate cheese or cut vegetables into slices instead of chopping.
What is a food processor good for?
From chopping vegetables to mixing dough, a food processor is an important kitchen appliance that saves time and energy. Read on to learn about the advantages of a food processor.
The food processor is a popular device because it saves time by adding less mess and less need to cut things into small pieces.
You can slice, chop, grate, purée, mix, knead and grind with the help of a food processor. Let’s have a look at some of the key applications of food processors.
1. Food processors are great for quickly slicing vegetables & fruits
Food processors are great for quickly slicing vegetables, making pesto and hummus, mixing dough and pureeing soups.
The basic models have a motor with a blade that slices, chops or grinds – a disc with blades around the edge, typically an inch or two in diameter.
They’re easy to use: You load the ingredients into the bowl or on top of the disc, then turn it on.
Slicing vegetables: If you’re looking for thin slices of carrots or thick rounds of cabbage, slicing them by hand can be time-consuming. A food processor will do the job quickly so your veggies are ready to cook in minutes.
Grating cheese: A box grater is another kitchen tool that makes quick work of shredding cheese, but again – it takes some elbow grease with this task. A food processor saves time and energy when you’re shredding for macaroni and cheese or pizza toppings.
Mixing dough: This proves how useful a food processor can be. Mixing cookie dough can be difficult if you don’t have the right tools. A food processor chops up nuts and chocolate chips quickly and thoroughly so the dough comes together without fuss.
2. A food processor is perfect for mixing small amounts of batter
A food processor is perfect for mixing small amounts of batter & kneading pizza dough. It has a bowl made of stainless steel with four parts that you can remove and clean individually. The processor comes with a dough blade for mixing pizza dough.
You can use it as stand mixers to make quick bread or cake batters. Most food processors have attachments that allow them to grate cheese or slice vegetables. A few models can even be used to grind meat.
3. Food processors can whip up creamy, dreamy desserts
What are the benefits of food processors? Most of the time, when you need to whip something up, you reach for your trusty stand mixer or handheld electric beater.
However, sometimes you just don’t have the extra counter space. When this happens, a food processor is often the best tool for the job.
Even if you have a stand mixer, it can be convenient to have a small food processor on hand for smaller jobs.
They’re more portable than full-sized mixers and easy to store out of sight in a cupboard. Here’s how to whip cream with a food processor in 5 steps:
- Measure out the cream into a bowl. You can measure it by volume (1/2 cup) or weight (8 fluid ounces). In either case, make sure that you measure it carefully and get an accurate measurement.
- Chill in a bowl and whisk attachments in the freezer before whipping your cream. This will help prevent them from getting too warm and melting your cream before it’s whipped into shape.
- Add sugar or flavour to your cream before putting it in a blender or food processor bowl, if desired.
- Put the bowl and whisk attachment in your food processor and turn on low speed until frothy. If you want to add any additional ingredients at this point (such as chocolate chips), do so now.
- Put in the egg whites and vanilla, then whip on a medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
It’s all about what a food processor does for you.
Disadvantages of Food Processors
There are so many advantages of having a food processor, but there are also a few disadvantages that you should know about.
1. Cost: This type of product can be expensive, and it requires plenty of space in your kitchen cupboard. This is why it only makes sense to buy one if you are planning on using it regularly.
2. Usability: It is not possible to use the food processor for small batches of recipes. It has been designed for larger quantities, and this is not always convenient. You will find that the bowl has a minimum amount of liquid that it can process, and this means that you might have to add extra liquid to your recipe if you do not have enough ingredients.
3. Not fit for warm foods: You cannot use a processor when making soups, stews and other warm dishes. It simply cannot handle hot foods, and this is why you need to make sure that you allow the food to cool down before processing it.
4. Bulky: Food processors are heavy in weight as compared to other kitchen appliances such as blender and mixer grinder because it consists of motors and blades used for cutting and chopping vegetables, meat etc. It is difficult to carry the food processor from one place to another due to its heavyweight which makes it inconvenient for the customers to use this product especially while travelling.
5. Versatility: A food processor is limited in functionality compared to other kitchen appliances, such as blenders and mixers. Although they slice and dice, they only do one task at a time. Other appliances such as blenders offer more versatility when preparing foods by allowing users to blend many ingredients together at once.
Do you really need a food processor?
Food processors are a great way to make cooking more fun and take some of the drudgeries out of preparing food.
Is a food processor necessary for you? The truth is that food processors do save time and make cooking easier. But there are some things you can do without a food processor, like beating eggs or chopping up herbs.
So if you’re not sure whether a food processor will make your life easier, here’s your guide:
Do you need to chop up vegetables as a part of your routine?
If so, then you could definitely benefit from buying a food processor. You can chop up onions, garlic, carrots or other vegetables in a jiffy and get back to what you were doing much faster.
Is making bread or cookies part of your meal preparation?
It’s even better if you regularly bake bread or cookies because the dough that comes out of a food processor is much fluffier than what you might get with just a knife and cutting board. Food processors also make quick work of slicing tomatoes for sandwiches or salads.
At the end of the day, time & efforts both are invaluable & a food processor definitely helps you save both.
Conclusion | Benefits of a Food Processor
A food processor is a kitchen appliance that allows you to chop and slice food more efficiently. If you’re someone who has more than one job, this can help speed up the cooking process (and therefore save you time and money).
It is one of the most important tools in your kitchen. It will save you time, energy and headaches! Plus, it can be used for other things beyond the obvious.
Whether you’re preparing dinner on a weeknight or whipping up dessert, this handy appliance can help you get dinner on the table in no time. In short, there are countless benefits of owning a food processor.