Which is Best: Blender or Processor?

In their search for the best blender, many people often stumble upon the versatile food processor. Both these appliances have their positive and negative aspects, but because of the wide range of functions it can perform, a food processor is definitely the more versatile of the two.

Functions

A blender purees food particles into a smooth consistency. You can also use the appliance to grind powders, puree and crush ice. A stationary blender, which is more powerful, sits on a counter-top. It typically consists of a jar, blade, gasket and the motor assembly. Once the food achieves the desired consistency, it is transferred to another container.

A handheld blender is a smaller device that consists of a blade assembly at the tip, and is immersed into the food container, where it blends the food. When used to make smoothies, most blenders require some water to facilitate movement of the food particles.

A food processor is an appliance that consists of different blades, disks, a bowl, and a chute through which you put the food to be processed. You can use a food processor for several chores, such as chopping, grating, kneading, and grinding. You can replace your chopping board, knives, and utensils for this handy appliance that will do all the work with no fuss.

Key Advantages of Food Processors

• You can drastically reduce cooking time by using a food processor to do all the repetitive chopping and grating tasks. These appliances also do a great job of making the end product look very good.
• You can use a food processor to knead dough. This is not possible with a regular blender. You can knead the dough for bread, pizza, etc by selecting the appropriate option for mixing and kneading. Instead of spending long minutes tiring yourself, the food processor will have the perfect dough ready in a shorter time.
• Using a food processor makes it so easy to have delicious home-cooked meals, that the urge to eat out at a restaurant or a fast food joint is greatly reduced. This is beneficial to your health, and also the budget.
• Food processors have several standard safety features such as a locking mechanism that only lets the processor start functioning when it is securely closed. These features are lacking in most blenders. If you do not close the jar securely, you will most probably end up with a spray of food particles all around.
• You can mince meat in a food processor, a function that is not possible with a blender. You can easily make a great meatloaf with the proper settings.
• Depending on the thickness and shape of the blades and attachments, you can make juice, cut thick or thin slices of produce, shred or mix vegetables.
• The visual appeal of food is greatly enhanced because a food processor cuts perfectly even, equally sized pieces of food.
• You can use leftovers such as old bread to make bread crumbs. You can also modify leftovers to create different dishes, and thereby reduce wastage of food.