This is one of the tough decisions you get to make when you are cooking. Do I need a food processor, a blender or a mixer? What is the difference between them? And what would I use one for?
That’s why we’ve put together this post so that you can learn all about these three kitchen appliances.
You will find out which one is better in certain situations and even how to save money on your purchase! So please read on and enjoy.
At a Glance, the Differences are:
Food Processor: It chops, dices, mixes and purees. A food processor uses sharp blades to chop various ingredients together. This machine is often used in cooking to prepare sauces, chopping herbs and other ingredients that need to be finely chopped. Another function of the food processor is to knead dough and mix batter. It works very well on large quantities of food because there’s a good sized bowl that can hold enough food while it processes it all quickly into a smooth paste. Some of them come with several attachments such as S-shaped blades for shredding and slicing or julienne blade for making long thin slices (julienned).
Blender: The blender functions similarly to a food processor in chopping and mixing. However, it does not chop. It uses blades that rotate rapidly during the blending process to crush ingredients together into a smooth consistency. Blenders have tough and powerful motors that spin at high speeds to deal with tough vegetables or fruits that would go through a food processor or a juicer quickly and make soup thicker at the same time. There are stainless steel parts as well as plastic along with ones made of glass which can hold up to high temperatures so they can be used with ice cubes or frozen fruit as well as blending hot soups into smoothies easily.
Mixer: It has a few functions that the other two appliances do not have. It can be used to mix ingredients such as eggs, egg whites, and flour. Furthermore, it can also be used to knead dough and whip cream in it and some even have attachments for making fruit smoothies (sometimes called a hand blender). However it does not work as well for chopping food. Most of the cost of a mixer is made up of its strong motor rather than the blades which are generally not very sharp and are more for mixing ingredients into perfect consistencies.
So which one is better for what? We’ve got a list of use cases for each appliance. Let’s start with:
Food Processor
The food processor is used for making soups or purees and mix different ingredients together. You can make dough recipes faster with it, and you can also blend ice in a smoothie without it freezing up. The large bowl is ideal to make sauces and mixes that require large amounts of food such as cookies or brownies; the chute can be reversed (when not in use) into an upside down position to keep the bowl level so you can create perfect vertical layers when you are using it to make bread or cakes.
The downside of using a food processor is that you will use a lot of electricity over time because it operates for a long time to chop, chop and chop.
Blender
The blender functions the same as a food processor but has the blades that are not so sharp. Instead, these blades rotate quickly in order to blend ingredients into a smooth consistency. It makes good smoothies and shakes. You can make sauces smoother with it and push through celery in juicing, etc. The high speed setting allows you to blend ingredients very quickly without having them become hot like some juicers or blenders do when they run too long.
The biggest downside of using a blender is that it will take more time to blend food because the blades rotate slowly. But if you need the consistency smoothness, you will be happy with this appliance.
Mixer
The mixer gives you a tough one to go through. You can use it to mix eggs and other ingredients together, knead dough, whip cream and even make fruit smoothies with it. It works very well in mixing batters together as well as mixing dry ingredients into liquid such as flour into water or milk. It’s also good for blending anything in liquid (like the banana) or whipping up things that are suspended in liquid (like the egg whites).
The biggest downside of using a mixer is that your motor has to go through a lot of power in order to make all these things happen. It’s also quite noisy if you are not careful of the attachments and you might end up with a bubbly mess.
Now we can move on to the question at hand. What would be the best appliance for what? Well, that depends on what you need!
Food Processor -vs- Blender
As mentioned earlier, the food processor is used for making sauces and mixes and is great for chopping foods very quickly though it takes a lot of electricity to do so. The blender can be used for making smoothies, but it takes a lot of power to get them smooth and they are not as thick. The food processor has attachments that make things like breads and cakes as well as making soups, shakes and more.
Mixer vs. Blender
The mixer is also used for whipping up things such as eggs and whipping cream but has a unique attachment in the form of the whisk that forces air through an egg whites so it becomes much thicker than just using an egg beater. It can also be used to knead dough together but does not have the mixing function like the blender does (which is nice). It’s easy to use and generally has attachments that do things for you. The blender is tough because it can also be used to make fruit smoothies and mix dry and liquid ingredients so it does not have many attachments as the mixer does.
So if you have the luxury of picking from these three appliances, what would be the best appliance for what? Well, that’s really up to you. They are all great in their own way, but some appliances might not be available at your local store or a certain brand might cost more than others. So it’s really up to you and your preferences. Pick the one that is best for you and don’t let yourself be bogged down by others. Do what’s best for your kitchen.
Can you use a hand mixer instead of a food processor?
That’s a pretty good question. And to tell you the truth, yes, you can but it is not as easy as using a food processor. But if you are in a pinch and need to chop fruits and veggies then go ahead and use that hand mixer. Normally it’s not used for this kind of thing but if you don’t have a food processor around, then go ahead and use that hand mixer. It will work fine until you get your own food processor anyways!
Can I make mashed potatoes with my blender?
Yes, you can definitely make mashed potatoes with your blender! Just put in some potatoes and add some water to them. Usually you may have to add more water than you would normal but with a blender you can easily just add more than usual. Use the same procedure that you would normally use to make mashed potatoes in a pot.
Can I grind beef in my food processor?
If you are using an old food processor sometimes the blades may not be sharp enough for grinding beef, but if it is new and very sharp then go ahead and give it a shot! You should have no problems but just be careful if the blades are not sharp enough, they will not cut through the meat fast enough to make the process easy.
Can you blend food with a hand mixer?
Yes, you can certainly blend food with a hand mixer by using the dough attachment. But it is not as strong as a food processor so you have to be careful not to over blend or your mixture will end up with a lumpy consistency instead of smooth.
Can I make bread with my blender?
If you are making bread, then by all means get yourself a food processor! You will find that the mix can be made much quicker than it could be in a blender or with a hand mixer. And the finished product will definitely be evenly blended.
Can I use a food processor to make my dough?
Yes, you can use a food processor or hand mixer to make your dough if you don’t have one. Just put in your flour, fat and liquids in and have it run through. The consistency of the dough will be much finer than it would be by hand since it is more easily handled and controlled with a little more power built into it. But keep in mind that it is harder to handle than just blending with a hand mixer or blender so don’t expect that these appliances on top of most countertops are super strong.
Can you mix cake mix in a food processor?
Yes, but the texture of your cake will not be as good because it will not blend it in much, but a food processor is definitely good for making pancakes and even pie crusts. But when you are making a mix for something like cake, you will have to add more liquid to make it work out.
Do food processors need new blades?
This depends on how much use you put your appliance through. If you use it regularly then yes, you might need new blades and if they are old then they might become dull after awhile. But you can check this by simply running the machine with nothing in it and see if there is any resistance or if the power goes out.
CONCLUSION:
The best appliance for you depends on what you like and what you are using it for. The processor is great for making sauces, dips, purees and more. The blender is great for making smoothies and milkshakes since they run through the blades slowly so it creates a thicker consistency. The mixer is great for making bread, cakes and most anything liquidy. If you are trying to decide which to get, it all depends on what you need!
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