Some of the essential kitchen appliances you require are a blender and a food processor. They are similar in many ways since their work is to mix ingredients. Due to their similarity, some people think that they don’t require having both. Read below to understand when to use a blender vs. a food processor. You will also know the differences. Let’s start with the basics.
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What is a Blender?
Some people call it a liquidizer. Its work is to emulsify or mix food and other ingredients. The container of the blender has a metal blade that rotates when mixing substances. At the base, it has an electric motor that powers it. If you have a new immersion blender, you will notice that its motor is at the top. A shaft connects the motor and the metal blade.
What’s a Food Processor?
It’s an electric-motor driven appliance that helps you when preparing food. It is similar to the blender thou it requires no or little liquid when slicing /blending the food. It’s able to slice solid substances thanks to its ridged and razor-sharp blades. It has a shredder blade that helps in chopping and shredding.
When Should You Yse a Blender?
If you want to blend liquid ingredients, you need to use a blender. It’s designed in such a way that, its blade is at the bottom and is not sharp. When you pour your ingredients on it, its shape directs all your content to the blades. Its powerful motor helps to mix things up.
That makes it suitable for mixing liquid and delicious sauces. Its ability to spin the blade very fast allows it to blend your substances, giving you the finest possible content. You can blend fruits and veggie puree and hollandaise. You can also use it in making a cake and pastry batters. If you have a small baby, don’t hesitate to use it to make baby food. However, you should never blend cauliflower rice using a blender.
When To Use a Food Processor
You already know that the food processor is suitable for solid substances. It’s a great option if you are making a pie and biscuit dough thanks to its sharp blades. It’s helpful when making pasta dough as well as a textured dip and spread. Other substances you can mix using a food processor include breadcrumbs, chopped veggies not to mention chopped nuts. You should never try to use a food processor to puree soup.
Food Processor vs. Blender; What’s their difference?
So, what’s the main difference between the two?
Shape A blender has a jug with a cone-shaped base. When you pour the content, it falls in the middle, thanks to the shape. That makes it easy for the rotating blades to work on the content.
The food processor is a large flat bowl. It has two blades in different heights. The top blade chops while the bottom one scrapes.
- PurposeA blender works well when dealing with liquid content while the processor is suitable with solid content.
- AttachmentsWhen buying a blender, you will only get a jug and one set of blades. With the food processor, you will get a variety of attachments; such includes grates, slicers and even dough blades among others.
- SizeThe jug of your blender has a fixed size which is smaller compared to the food processor. The food processor has a large maximum capacity bowl making your work easier.
FAQ:
1) Can you substitute a Food Processor with a blender?
Luckily yes. The blender is capable of handling food processors’ work. The only limitation is that you can’t use a blender to make pastry dough or even knead the dough. It might also take you more time when using a blender since you will require blending smaller batches. Of course, using a blender will take less time compared to using your hands. If you intend to buy a blender, buy a modern one that contains the food processor accessory attachment. All you require is to purchase it separately. Whenever you want to use the food processor accessories, all you require is the blender base.
2) Which Do You Need?
Unless you buy a modern blender with food processing accessories, you require both. Remember, even if the blender can do the work of a food processor, it has limitations. Also, you may not achieve the desired results. For instance, you can’t use it either to make pastry dough or even when kneading dough.
Again, the blender will make your final product to be much smoother than what you intend. You can’t also use a blender to grate or slice food. With a food processor, you can’t use it to spree soup or even make a fine liquid drink. If you only have one choice to make, consider buying depending on what you intend to do most. For instance, if you blend liquid substances a lot, a blender would do.
3) Can you substitute a blender with a Food Processor?
Assuming you only have a food processor in the house, is it possible to blend things? Yes, it is. You will not achieve the texture that you want, and blending may also take longer. You need to use the highest speed. Also, pause occasionally and stir the content using a spoon. Unlike the blender which is designed to do that work, the food processor is not. So, don’t overfilling your processor to avoid spillage.
Conclusion
Are you considering whether to purchase either a blender or a food processor? You need to know what each is designed to do. Their work is similar only that a blender works well on liquid ingredients while a food processor is good with solid content. If you use one to do the work of the other, you will not achieve your desired results. Though they are similar, the manufacturers designed them to do different tasks. Their shape, size, purpose and even attachments are different.