What to choose - a blender or a food processor: technical characteristics of devices and comparison of devices

A blender is one of the most commonly found appliances in the kitchen. This popularity is due to the wide functionality of this device. Its main purpose is to grind solids, but with the help of additional attachments it is also capable of mixing liquids, beating eggs and many other operations.

However, the market offers other devices that can handle some tasks better than a blender.

Choosing the right device ultimately depends on your needs.

Why do you need a blender and what is it?

The blender works by rotating sharp steel knives. This design makes it easy to chop fruits and vegetables, meat, and can also be used to crush ice, nuts or crackers.

The ability to grind a particular product is primarily determined by the power of the device . It is worth noting that blenders are hand-held and stationary.

A hand blender consists of a handle with a motor and control buttons, onto which an attachment with metal blades is attached.

During operation, such a blender is lowered into a container . The equipment of different models depends on their cost; more expensive devices may have a whisk attachment for whipping liquid and semi-liquid products, as well as a special bowl for chopping solid ingredients.

A stationary blender is a body with a container in which rotating steel blades are placed . To grind food with such a blender, you need to place the necessary components in the bowl, close it with a lid and turn on the device at a certain power.

Of course, a blender has its pros and cons.

pros

• chopping fruits, vegetables, meat, some solid foods;
• high speed;
• gives a homogeneous consistency at the output;
• functionality increases with the presence of different attachments.

Minuses

• does not grind food into fine pieces, but rather into a puree-like mixture;
• high operating speed causes rapid overheating of the engine, as a result of which it is often necessary to take a break;
• makes a loud noise.

The versatility of a blender can be very conditional, since additional functions (beating or chopping) are not performed as well as when using special separate devices.

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Pros and cons of a blender

There are two types of blenders: stationary and immersion.

Stationary blender

consists of a base and a jug. The motor located inside the base drives the knife, which is located inside the jug. The volume of the jug can be from one to two liters. But you need to take into account the fact that the difference between the total and useful volume will be about 200-300 ml.

Immersion blender

It is an elongated body, the knife of which is located at the bottom of the device. The mixing container can be almost any size.

May have several attachments, depending on the configuration. Whisk, chopper, dough kneading attachment, grinding mill, vacuum pump.

Food processor and its functionality

A food processor, as the name suggests, combines many different functions needed for cooking. It is capable of grinding, cutting, mixing, whipping various products, chopping meat, squeezing juice.

Types of combines depend on their functionality . Relatively speaking, a food processor can combine the following devices: blender + meat grinder, blender + mixer + dough mixer, blender + juicer, etc.

Before choosing a combine, you need to have a good understanding of which functions will really be useful to you and which ones will not. To quickly grind or mix products, you can purchase a compact and relatively inexpensive device.

If you have a large family, for which you need to prepare a wide variety of dishes a lot and often, then a massive food processor with many attachments and functions will be an indispensable option..

pros

• easily copes with all the tasks assigned to him;
• thanks to its versatility, it allows you to save money, since it combines a blender, mixer, meat grinder, and juicer;
• Provides easy and fast processing of large volumes of products.

Minuses

• high price;
• big sizes.

If you compare a food processor with a blender, you need to understand that a blender is designed for chopping and mixing products . Thanks to its attachments, a food processor can perform significantly more tasks.

A blender is usually equipped with one (maximum two) bowls and several attachments. The combine has a huge number of bowls, a variety of knives and graters.

There is also a purely visual difference: a food processor is quite large and requires a lot of space, while a blender can often fit in a small corner or in a drawer (if we talk about a manual model), since it has more compact dimensions.

The cost of the combine is much higher, since it has a complex design and has many additional attachments and accessories that expand the versatility of the device.

A simpler blender is, accordingly, much cheaper.

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Harvester

When performing many tasks in the kitchen, the food processor is a worthy competitor.
This is a complex device that includes components with different attachments and shapes. The capabilities of a food processor are impressive: it chops, grates, mixes, chops into strips and cubes, squeezes juice and kneads dough. In fact, it combines several devices. Harvesters are distinguished according to the following characteristics:

• Bowl size. When choosing a bowl, you should consider the number of servings that need to be prepared at a time.
• Power. Its capabilities directly depend on the power of the device. For example, not all processors are successful at kneading dough.
• Speed. The larger the range of this indicator in the device, the more options of dishes the food processor can prepare.
• Functional. Depending on the availability of additional attachments and components for the combine, its capabilities may expand. These can be graters, a meat grinder, a dough mixer, whisks, a blender and attachments with knives for cutting vegetables.

The benefits of a food processor cannot be overestimated. It is truly versatile and easy to use. And its shortcomings are quite controversial. For example, the large size of the device and many additional parts do not cause inconvenience if you give the food processor a designated place in the kitchen. This will eliminate the need to constantly disassemble and reassemble devices.

Shredder Application

A chopper is a cross between a food processor and a regular manual chopping machine. As a rule, this device consists of a bowl with a handle on top.

Choppers allow you to finely chop both whole foods and large pieces.

Chopped food can be added to salad or processed in some other way. Depending on the chopping method, these devices are divided into choppers and multi-cutters.

The main working element of a chopper is a rotating blade-impeller . Such a device is even capable of whipping some liquid products (sauces, pancake dough, cream). The quality of cutting depends on the operating time of the knives, as well as on their location.

When the blades are positioned low, you will get a puree-like mixture, and when the blades are placed high, you will get a fairly coarse cut. As a rule, the height of the knives can be adjusted.

It is worth noting that the chopper does not give a uniform consistency: the finished mixture will consist of both small and larger particles.

A homogeneous composition can only be achieved by grinding the products to a puree state.

Multi-cutters have rotating disks on which notches of different sizes and shapes are applied..

Such devices can chop and cut food into slices, and the particles will always have the same size.

You will not be able to beat or stir liquid products using multi-cutters. Typically, multi-cutters do not have their own bowl, so they are used in their own container, just like a hand blender.

pros

• excellent crushing of hard products (meat, nuts, ice);
• obtaining uniform, well-cut pieces;
• small dimensions of the device.

Minuses

• little functionality;
• heating during prolonged use.

A chopper is in many ways similar to a blender, both in functionality and appearance. It is worth noting that the bowl for chopping food in a chopper is always located at the bottom, while in a stationary blender it is installed at the top .

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Processor and blender for the kitchen - what's the difference?

The first type includes a huge number of different accessories, for example:

• knives – chopping;
• attachments – cutting into cubes and more;
• bowls - for dough, liquids;
• graters and other cooking tools.

A combine harvester (for example, Sencor STM3771GR) can easily handle processing of solid products (carrots, beets, etc.). The second version of the kitchen assistant - it crushes softer raw materials with a bang, perfectly mixes liquids and purees (for example, Gorenje BSM600PR).

An article for vegetarians and more: 5 delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love!

How else is a food processor fundamentally different from its more compact brother, the blender:

In terms of complexity, both devices are approximately at the same level. Each of them is controlled by pressing 1-2 buttons; details about the purpose and installation of individual cooking tools can be found in the instructions.

Interesting to know: What is the difference between a food processor and a food machine: the differences between the 2 appliances.

Using a juicer in the kitchen

Juicers are a completely separate class of devices that differ widely in functionality and purpose. However, in any case, they all serve to perform one task - squeezing juice.

Types of juicers:

• For citrus fruits . Allows you to obtain juice only from citrus fruits, has low power and compact dimensions.
• Auger . This device works on the principle of a press - the product is placed under a screw, which moves and forcefully squeezes the juice out of the product. This type has the highest productivity, as it can squeeze maximum juice out of the pulp.
• Grid or centrifugal . The most common type, the working element of which is rotating knives placed in a container with mesh walls. During operation, the product is crushed and rubbed through a mesh, due to which the juice is released, and the unnecessary pulp is automatically removed into a special container. The performance of such a juicer depends on its power; the most powerful devices can process hard fruits and vegetables.

The advantages and disadvantages of juicers depend on their type and power. It’s worth taking a closer look at the differences between a juicer and a blender:

pros

• A juicer produces pure, pulp-free juice, while a blender produces mixed juice that is more like a liquid puree.
• The juicer removes the used pulp into a separate container, while the blender leaves it along with the juice.
• The operating time of juicers ranges from 5 to 15 minutes. Expensive blenders are able to work until the desired consistency of the product is achieved.
• The juicer can even handle hard vegetables and fruits. A blender will simply chop them up, or, in extreme cases, turn them into mush.
• A juicer is used only for making juice, while a blender is suitable for making purees or a variety of fruit smoothies.

Minuses

• no significant deficiencies were identified.

In general, the choice again depends on the needs that arise in the kitchen . A blender allows you to carry out a variety of operations, but you cannot get juice with it. If you need freshly squeezed juice, then you cannot do without a high-quality juicer.

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Purpose and functionality of a food processor

A food processor (also called a food processor) is a versatile device with a large bowl and many attachments.

The following types of kitchen processor are distinguished:

• Chopper. It can be electric or manual. A manual shredder is cheaper. The kit usually includes graters, knives, and a whisk. There is usually a locking system for safe use;
• With a juicer. These combines have a separate press for citrus fruits and a juicer for other vegetables and fruits. Juice production capacity is usually at least 1 liter per minute;
• With cutting discs. With these discs you can quickly cook French fries, cut cabbage and other vegetables for salad, cut food into cubes or strips, make purees, grate cheese or chocolate;
• With a meat grinder. Such a processor will help you make high-quality minced meat even from meat with cartilage. An attachment with a meat grinder is expensive, so sometimes the buyer is offered to include a juicer attachment instead;
• No blender. In this case, the products are placed in a special neck without removing the lid. This type of harvester weighs little and takes up little space. With its help, you can chop various products, cut them into cubes or strips, grind coffee, whip cream, chop ice.

Attention! There should be no bones in the meat being ground - the device may break.

Thus, in terms of functionality, the most advanced types of food processors can replace it, a meat grinder, a grater and a juicer. Particularly convenient are models that additionally have built-in scales. It’s good when there is a short-term switching mode (pulse mode), which is good for chopping nuts or ice.

Comparison of blender, food processor, juicer and chopper

This table shows the various operations that can (or cannot) be performed by the devices discussed in this article.

It is worth noting that the comparison took into account the possibility of expanding the functionality of the device through additional attachments . For example, a blender can beat eggs if it has a whisk attachment, and a juicer can theoretically be used to chop fruit, although this is not its purpose.

If you are faced with the question of what to choose, a blender, or some other device, you need to clearly understand the purpose of the various devices . The blender is good at chopping and mixing products, in addition, its functionality can be slightly expanded due to attachments.

You can't get juice with a blender; a juicer will do the job perfectly. If you only need grinding, then you should choose a special grinder. A food processor, in turn, will cope perfectly with all of the above tasks .

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Blender Features

The compact device will become an indispensable assistant for families with small children. He is able to quickly prepare baby puree and pureed soups. You can also use it to chop ice.

There are several types of blenders:

1. Submersible. The simplest and most inexpensive option. The device is lightweight and compact. You can use it to whip and make purees. The blender is easy to use and allows you to adjust the thickness of the prepared dish. But it is not suitable for crushing ice and kneading thick dough.

2. Stationary. They are a container placed on the housing with the engine. With the help of such blenders it is convenient to prepare cocktails, smoothies, ice cream, purees, chop nuts, knead batter and much more. The product is easy to use - you just need to load the necessary products and press the button on the body.

3. Combined. Combines the capabilities of submersible and stationary. It is capable of performing a large number of tasks: whipping, chopping, crushing ice, kneading dough, etc. Usually it comes with a whisk and a vacuum pump. Combination blenders cost more than other options.

The advantages of blenders are:

• low cost compared to a food processor;
• the device takes up little space;
• the ability to chop and mix products in the shortest possible time;
• quick preparation of delicate baby puree.

Disadvantages include:

• low functionality;
• possibility of overheating during prolonged operation;
• Only a small amount of food can be processed.

Reference! When buying a blender, you should pay attention to the material it is made of. A metal case with a glass bowl would be optimal. A plastic bowl can absorb food odors, which negatively affects the taste of the prepared dish.