Kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens, blenders and food processors have revolutionized our style of cooking over the years. Although technology has put an end to our food preparation woes, the availability of a wide range of appliances in the market today has put many across the world in a fix when it comes to choosing the most efficient equipment. Two such appliances which have been leaving consumers in a fix are blenders and food processors. Many even fail to see any difference between blenders and food processors, while the dissimilarities begin with their physical appearance. Since both of them consist of jars with blades, which help in the grinding process, it is rather difficult to make a choice as to which one is more efficient and worth the money. It is a known fact that blenders are used for making smoothies, but should it be the only factor that determines why one needs to opt for either a blender or food processor? This is an attempt to give a deep insight of both blenders and food processors, which should help you in arriving at a decision as to which one would suit your routine kitchen needs better. Here are few facts about these world renowned kitchen appliances.
1. Similarities and Differences
Although they might have similar functionalities, there are many differences between a blender and a food processor which often puts consumers in a fix. Their physical appearance is the very first factor that distinguishes these two appliances from each other. While a Blender can be identified by the virtue of its long, cylindrical jars, the jars of a food processor are much smaller. Blenders offer just a single blade, whereas a food processor offers multiple blades, which help in chopping foods. It has been observed that Blenders have been commonly used in many households and consumers seldom switch to a food processor since it is looked as an unnecessary investment. If a research is anything to go by, consumers across the globe have been buying blenders for extracting liquid and grating vegetables, without realizing the benefits of a food processor. Many of them feel there’s practically no difference between these two appliances.
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2. Making Smoothies
Blenders are best suited for preparing liquids such as purees, fruit juices, smoothies and milk shakes. The large jars of the appliance also accommodate a bigger quantity of liquid as compared to food processors. Since food processor containers are smaller in size, they are not preferred in making such exotic beverages. Their blades can easily cut through fruits such as berries as well as bananas and adding a liquid such as milk would act as a catalyst which helps in making the grinding process much smoother. Many of the blenders can have a maximum speed of 6 which helps in rotating the blades faster, as compared to a food processor and achieve better grinding. Imagine how difficult our world would have been without blenders, extracting the goodness of fruits would have been quite a Herculean task.
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3. Food Processor For Shredding
As compared to a blender, the blades of a food processor are customized for actions such as chopping, grinding and shredding of vegetables such as carrots and even leaves. Instead of chopping the veggies on a cutting board, using a food processor can not only save time but also chop your vegetables efficiently. However, if the quantity is just too much, it is better to resort to a blender to get the grinding done.
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4. Size and Capacity
The volumes of the jars accompanying food processors are not suited for preparing milk juices and liquid extracts of fruits. There is a great probability that on making beverages, the liquid leaks out of the containers of food processors. As mentioned earlier, food processors cannot achieve grating of vegetables in bulk amounts in a single iteration. Thus if volume is concern, a blender should help in taking care of your juice as well as shredding concerns. It would also avoid the time consuming task of multiple iterations to complete the grinding process.
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