Last Updated on July 4, 2021 by Naomi Nimu
While blenders and food processors have a lot in common, these home kitchen tools serve distinct functions.
A blender is generally better for liquids such as smoothies, protein shakes and milkshakes while a food processor is used for more labor-intensive tasks that include kneading dough and chopping vegetables.
Some blenders are so powerful that they can perform tasks of a food processor (and vice versa). Nevertheless; let’s first look at the differences between a blender and a food processor.
1. Shape
Blendersare indispensable kitchen appliances with a pitcher and a rotating blade at the bottom.
The bottom and blade arrangement enables the dropping of the contents into the center of the vessel for easier blending (provided there is enough fluid).
Food processorshave large, flat bowls with two blades of different heights and are operated differently. The lower one cuts the bottom and the upper cuts food from above. They are intended for cutting solid foods into smaller portions.
Additionally, the bowl of a food processor is flat and therefore perfect for drier ingredients and dough. By processing food, it makes much of the manual preparation unnecessary. It can shred cheese, slice onions, knead pizza dough and make pesto.
2. Accessories
Mostblenderscome with only one set of blades and a jug. At times you can get extra pitchers for dry foods (the bottom has a different shape for dry things), but most of the time there is only one set.
However,food processorsare often supplied with an assortment of accessories for example; slicers, graters, dough blades, etc. This increases the user-friendliness of the appliance and allows fast and easy processing of large quantities of food.
3. Price
In any brand, a food processor costs more than a blender. Blender prices range from $20-$600 whereas food processors range from $40-$800.
When to use a Food processor
Food processors perform numerous tasks because they have sharp blade-edges or discs that cut, slice, grate and pulverize. Other types of food processors come with a blunt blade for kneading dough or one that gives julienne vegetables.
In ourfood processor trials, we used a lot of vegetables. We cut almonds and onions, chop celery, mushrooms, carrots and cheese, purée carrots and peas and also shred cheese.
When to use a Blender
When making frozen drinks, smoothies and juices, blenders are perfect. They are also used to crush ice. Blenders are generally better than food processors in these tasks.
What you need to know about food processors
A food processor has a large bowl with a feed tube attached to an S-shaped cutting blade.
Most are supplied with additional blade options for slicing and cutting. It comes with two settings: on / off and impulse to run the processor in short spurts for more accurate mechanism.
A food processor’s weight is 5-22 pounds. There are over 20 models of food processors.
• Capacity: 3 to 16 cups
What you need to know about blenders
Blenders have an elevated jug that narrows towards the base with a tight lid and a blade.
Most have a speed of one to 17, but usually, three-speed choices are sufficient.
More than a dozen speeds choices are challenging to differentiate one from the other.
The height of a blender ranges from 8-22 inches according to the present rankings. Follow this specification if the blender is to fit in your cupboards. Blenders weigh only 4 pounds; the heaviest weighs 19 pounds.
Differences in their Functions
Function of a Food Processor
One of the most important machines in my kitchen is, without a doubt, my food processor. In fact, I don’t think I could live without this little appliance.
Food processors are very versatile home kitchen tools which are generally used for chopping, mixing and blending. If you are looking to buy a food processor then before you go and buy one, it is important that you know the functions of a food processor.
A food processor makes a chef’s kitchen more efficient. It does majority of the work needed to make great fine cuisine. Chefs can even go further in fine-tuning their cooking skills because the food processor allows for hands-free processing of ingredients.
Chopping
The process of manually chopping can be very tiresome and may make your fingers a little sore afterwards. With the development in technology, many people are now opting for electric food processor over manual chopping, because it can chop faster and more efficient than us humans can do.
Shredding
Shredding is one of the most laborious ways to prepare food for cooking. Sometimes we only shred ingredients for a specific purpose. The food processor is the best tool to do this job as it saves you from too much hard shredding work. A food processor shreds your favorite ingredients in a matter of seconds by creating tiny pieces.
Shredding food with a food processor is one way to cut down on prep time in the kitchen. Whether it’s carrots, cabbage, or cheese, food processors have the ability to give you long, spaghetti-like strands of produce that can be easily scooped up by forks or shoveled up by tortillas.
Slicing
The slicing blade of a food processor slices foods as you drop them into the food processor. Some processors come with blades that slice foods to a few different thicknesses. Slice carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant and other vegetables in the food processor. Use the food processor to slice apples when making apple pie or other desserts.
Grinding
Food processors are a great tool for grinding up herbs and veggies finely, and they save so much time. They can also grind meat very well without burning out the motor.
Have you ever ground red peppers with a food processor? I have and it’s the fastest, easiest, and best way to make fresh red pepper paste using a food processor. This is especially true if you are head over heels for hot sauce like my family.
Kneading Dough
Use a food processor to knead dough rather than your hands. The texture is far lighter and delicate than when kneading by hand, which makes it the ideal, simple alternative.
It’s easy to use, and eliminates the risk of hand or finger injuries.
Function of a Blender
A blender is one of the most useful appliances in any kitchen. While we all know that it can be used to blend fruits into smoothies, there are plenty of other uses for blenders, too. Here are a few unique things you can do with your blender that might come in handy.
Making your favorite smoothie, milkshakes and Protein shakes
Smoothies are one of the simple and yummy ways to ensure that you get the nutrients you need. You can use fresh fruit or blend some ice and yogurt. There is a big range of blenders in the market that you can use to make your favorite milk shakes, smoothies, and protein shakes.
Frequently asked questions about Blender vs Food Processor
Which is better, a blender or food processor?
A blender is generally better for making liquids food such as smoothies, juices, milkshakes and protein shakes while a food processor is best suited for tasks such as mixing dough or cutting vegetables.
However, some blenders are more powerful and can handle the tasks of a food processor.
Do blenders work as well as food processors?
In many circumstances, a blender can do most of the tasks a food processor can do, except kneading dough.
What is the difference between a food processor and a blender?
A food processor is perfect for slicing, chopping, grating, shredding, and also making dough, but cannot make smoothies, drinks, or shakes like a blender.
