If you’re in the market for a kitchen appliance, you’ll likely be faced with the decision between a food processor and hand mixer. It’s hard to know what to choose!
Well, we’ve put together this post to help. We cover all the pros and cons of food processors and hand mixers, different models for both appliances, how much time each takes per recipe, plus all sorts of other information. We hope it helps!
We’ve also included some tasty recipes that illustrate how great food processors are for cooking (vs just mixing).
Food Processor
What is a food processor? Well, it’s an electronic kitchen appliance made for food preparation. You feed it chunks of fruits, vegetables and meats and it slices, dices and grinds depending on the attachment. It makes chopping, slicing and dicing much quicker!
The original food processor from Kuhn Rikon cost $1,000 when it was released in 1970. It weighed nearly 14 pounds, took up a lot of space and only allowed for one bowl! In contrast with today’s models which can be as small as 100 square centimeters (20 inches tall with a 6 cup capacity). There are now two basic types: the bowl-lift food processor and the countertop version.
The bowl-lift version can be used horizontally or vertically on the counter. It has two bowls, one underneath and one at the top. It’s perfect for making delicious soups or sauces, chopping nuts, making sauces and emulsions.
The countertop version can be purchased pre-assembled, or you arm yourself with a toolbox and assemble it yourself. You’ll need a Phillips screwdriver or other similar tool to do so. The bowl on top allows you to put in your ingredients while the bowl underneath is where they go into the blade/plunger mechanism; this allows for quicker processes. It also allows for more spatulas as well as different attachments (such as dough hooks for making bread and other items).
Food Processor vs Hand Mixer
So what’s the difference between a food processor and a hand mixer? Well, the biggest difference is in the size and power. Food processors are much bigger and more powerful than hand mixers. They can also do things that hand mixers can’t, like chopping ingredients into fine pieces. They’re better for preparing large amounts of food quickly, which is ideal for large families or for those hosting parties. Since food processors are so powerful, you should always be careful when using them because they have the ability to cause harm if mishandled (your fingers shouldn’t be near moving blades!).
Can you blend food with a hand mixer?
Yes, you can blend food with a hand mixer. Just be careful when switching attachments between food processing and hand mixing, since it gives the impression that the hand mixer is much more powerful than it actually is. Some hand mixers are more powerful than others and can handle extended use without burning out. Hand mixers may be too weak to chop and grate hard ingredients like carrots or apples. Chopping nuts (or even chocolate) could also get messy if they’re too small.
Food processors are generally a better purchase (from a quality standpoint) than hand mixers because they’re made to do the job much better. But if you only occasionally need to make mashed potatoes, for example, then a hand mixer is probably just fine.
Can I use KitchenAid mixer as food processor?
There are two KitchenAid mixers specifically designed to do food preparation and food processing. They’re called the Artisan mixer (for example, the KSM150) and the 5-quart stand mixer (the KSM150PS5). Both can be used as food processors by using different attachments and they both cost around $300. But they’re much weaker than a food processor; they don’t have much power at all.
KitchenAid mixers are really good for blending ingredients because of their powerful motor. They’ll blend fruits better than a hand mixer, perhaps a little bit better than a traditional food processor, but that’s about it.
Can you mix cake batter in a food processor?
I wouldn’t recommend it. You could probably do it if you were making a big batch of cake batter, but it’s not necessary as a good hand mixer should be able to handle the task.
Hand Mixer
What is a hand mixer? A hand mixer is an electronic kitchen appliance that helps mix, blend and whisk food ingredients. It’s generally used when you don’t need to blend food down into something smooth or when you’re combining ingredients that don’t require the intense power of a food processor or stand mixer (such as making cake batter). Hand mixers are also great for blending smaller amounts of things that are better blended manually (like blending spices before adding them to soup).
What does the KitchenAid food processor do?
KitchenAid stand mixers are great for food prep, but they’re not the best choice for food processing. The KitchenAid KSM150 processor is a powerful model with 8 speeds, 3-cup bowl capacity, a stiff metal paddle and a 5-quart bowl. It also includes several food preparation attachments such as a shredder/slicer and dough hook, so it has nearly all the features of a typical food processor. And at $300+, it’s a lot cheaper than larger processors or hand mixers.
The only real downside to this KitchenAid mixer is that it doesn’t have much power; you can’t really do many tasks with it (like chopping and dicing) without burning out the motor.
Can you bake with a food processor?
Yes, you can bake with a food processor. If you’re making a large quantity of cookies or bread, then it’s easier to use a larger capacity food processor than your hand mixer. You’ll also be able to save time by using the pulse function and quickly mix down ingredients before using the dough hook. I also like using my food processor to make quick work of things like chopping onions for salsa since it requires minimal clean-up (you don’t have to wash out the food processor bowl if you have a large batch of ingredients that require chopping).
If you’re just making cookies or other small batches of food, then I’d recommend either a hand mixer or the mixer that comes with your stand mixer.
Final Thoughts:
Thank you again for reading this post!
I hope it was able to help you to choose the best mixer for your kitchen and that you learned a few things about making different things in your kitchen.
The next step is to go out there, find a mixer that suits your needs and go above and beyond with your cooking!
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