Some kitchen gadgets just take up space on the counter without getting used, but not blenders and food processors. We reach for the blender or food processor almost every day, and both appliances make life much easier for home (and professional!) cooks. While they both serve the purpose of blitzing ingredients, blenders and food processors have slightly different functions. Here, we break down everything you need to know about a blender vs. food processor so that you can come to your own conclusions about whether—or not—you need them both.
How Blenders Work
Blenders are electric devices consisting of a base, a tall jar with a lid on top, and a fixed blade at the bottom of the jar. When the blender is plugged in and turned on, it powers a motor within the appliance, which then causes the sharp blades to rotate. Activating the blades creates a strong vortex that pulls ingredients towards them and breaks everything down.
Blenders require a certain amount of liquid to run smoothly, so they’re best used for recipes like smoothies, soups, and sauces. Plus, you can get a smoother texture with a blender than with a food processor, so if you’re looking to make something with a silky smooth feel, the blender’s your best bet. Blenders can also crush ice, whereas you really shouldn’t put ice in a food processor frequently because it can dull the blades. Lastly, since blender jars are generally made of glass, you can safely blend hot things, like soup, in them, which you wouldn’t want to do in a plastic food processor. The jars are also often tall, and better suited for pouring.
How Food Processors Work
Food processors consist of a sturdy base and a wide bowl with a removable set of sharp blades that can be swapped for discs or other attachments with different functions, like grating, shredding, or kneading. Food processors are best at chopping or pureeing food, and will give you a more even chop than a blender, because of how the blades are arranged. Food processors also have a lid with a feed tube, so you can easily add ingredients as you go. Like blenders, food processors are electric devices that just need to be plugged in and turned on.
Food processors have squat bowls and large blades, which allows them to break down hard ingredients like nuts, Parmesan cheese, or stale bread without the help of liquid. You can use a food processor to blend liquids, too, but they aren’t leakproof and are more prone to overflowing, and the result won’t be as smooth as if you used a blender. Food processors can also be useful when making buttery doughs, like shortcrust pastry or cookies—just be careful not to overprocess the dough.
Can a Blender Be Used As a Food Processor?
No, a blender can’t be used as a food processor because it needs a certain amount of liquid to run. Blenders also don’t slice or shred with different blades, the way a food processor can. The two appliances can sometimes be used interchangeably, like if you’re making certain sauces or dips, but generally not.
Blenders function by forming a vortex that pulls ingredients to the blade at the bottom of the jar. This structure works best for liquids, so if you’re a frequent smoothie-maker, a blender is essential. The glass jar can also handle heat, which is helpful for puréeing hot mixtures like soups. For non-liquid blitzing, a food processor is your best friend, as it’s set up to break down larger, solid ingredients and doesn’t need any liquid to get going.
You can use a food processor to blend liquids, too, but they aren't leakproof and are more prone to overflowing, and the result won't be as smooth as if you used a blender. Food processors can also be useful when making buttery doughs, like shortcrust pastry or cookies—just be careful not to overprocess the dough.
Use a blender if your final product is something you can drink, such as a mocktail or protein shake, drizzle or dip. In addition to pureeing, a food processor can slice, grate, shred, dice and more. As a general rule, use a food processor if the outcome will be eaten with a fork or spoon.
Size: Blenders can take up a lot of counter space and may not be suitable for small kitchens or those who have limited storage space. Cleaning: Some blenders can be difficult to clean, especially if they have multiple parts or crevices that can trap food particles.
Blenders are ideal for creating sauces, dips, and dressings. They can blend ingredients to a smooth consistency and make it easy to mix and emulsify different ingredients. This can help to reduce preparation time and effort, saving time and money for businesses.
The biggest difference between these two appliances is the tasks they are designed to do: Food processors are designed to perform a wide variety of food preparation tasks and blenders are designed to pulverize and combine (in other words, blend) wet and dry ingredients.
You can use a food processor to blend liquids, too, but they aren't leakproof and are more prone to overflowing, and the result won't be as smooth as if you used a blender. Food processors can also be useful when making buttery doughs, like shortcrust pastry or cookies—just be careful not to overprocess the dough.
A food processor can help to reduce the amount of processed food that you buy, which can reduce the amount of packaging you bring into the home. It can also help to reduce your food waste – here are some useful tips and ideas. Stale bread can be turned into breadcrumbs, then stored in the freezer.
“When foods or liquids are hot and then whipped around in a blender, they will create steam that can burn your skin upon lifting the lid. Intense heat can also wear down the blades, which is another reason to cool foods slightly. Always open the lid away from your face after blending hot foods.
Food processors are great for recipes that require chopping, making purees and even a flaky pie dough; they also come with accessories so you can slice and shred and sometimes dice and spiralize. Blenders are good for liquids, like smoothies, frozen drinks and soups.
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A food processor allows you to make many store-bought staples or create new recipes at home using fresh, whole ingredients without additives and preservatives. Foods that are freshly prepared taste better and maintain more of their nutrients.
When compared to eating a salad, blending is more beneficial because your body can absorb more of the nutrients. This occurs because the blender has the power to break up the cell walls of a plant. The result is a release of the antioxidants which also allows for easier digestion.
Blenders are ideal for making icy drinks, whipping up smoothies, and crushing ice. And when it comes to puréeing, blenders are usually better than food processors. The best blenders ace our tests for making icy drinks, crushing ice, and puréeing. For icy drinks, we make nonalcoholic piña coladas.
Can you use a food processor as a blender? Even though blenders and food processors each have their specific functions and aren't interchangeable for all recipes, food processors can be used as blenders for some things.
If you'll mostly be making soups, smoothies or co*cktails, you'll probably fare well with just an immersion blender or juicer. If you're looking for something that offers the ability to achieve precise cuts like slicing and shredding, however, a food processor may be the way to go.
If you don't own a food processor, then don't fret–you can still make excellent salsa by using your blender. Just make sure to pulse your ingredients instead of blending to achieve that yummy salsa texture. You may get a smoother, more liquid salsa with your blender, but still delicious and full of flavor.
You probably never thought of your food processor as a tool to help you make co*cktails, but it's perfect for crushing ice: simply pulse up to 2 cups of ice cubes until finely ground (8 to 10 pulses).
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