Blenders today are commonplace in every household. It is the ultimate assistant in preparing loads of dishes, party drinks and even baby food. With a blender, you can grind up spices, mash vegetables, crush ice and fruits and turn them into natural shakes, or even a milkshake, be whatever you fancy. Even those who are switching to a healthier lifestyle find blenders a great help.
Another helpful tool in the kitchen is the food processors. It has just as much to offer in the kitchen. A blender and food processor, for those who aren’t so keen in the kitchen, are often confused with one other. Surprisingly so, there are only few who truly understand how one differs from another.
So let’s get started and find out what differentiates the two from each other.
What is a Blender?
Ironically, some people think that a food processor is just a smaller version of a blender. While, they have some similar functions, there is more to a blender than meets the eye.
Blenders are considered as one of the most dynamic kitchen devices ever created. They work very well at turning solid food into liquid, thus is sometimes referred to as a liquidizer. Its blade spin with an average speed of about 18,000 rotations per minute or even up to 25,000 in high performance blenders. It can imitate the function of both a food processor and a juicer, albeit with a few restrictions.
For bakers, immersion blenders are perfect. These handheld devices help mix flour and egg together, among many other uses. General purpose blenders, the usual one, can be used to create purees for babies. Likewise they also puree veggies and fruits to make juice. Blenders break down the fiber and alter the cell structure of ingredients thus helping give the body the energy and vitality it needs.
For parties and events, you can use it to crush ice that you can mix in with your drinks or shakes. However, not all blenders are powerful enough to do such a task, so just use smaller chunks if you aren’t sure of how powerful your blender is.
What is a Food Processor?
Food processors are quite similar to a blender except that they work in smaller batches and usually help in chopping and dicing ingredients rather than liquidating them. So, solid ingredients are simply chopped finer. This device is more often used for cooking than for blending drinks. For chefs a food processor reduces the total time required for preparations.
A food processor can slice up carrots, mash potatoes, grind spices, chop and even shred other vegetables. All it takes is the simple press of a button. It operates using discs and large blades arranged in patterns to slice and dice with a particular consistency and shape.
For bakers, food processors help in kneading the dough and even grinding stale bread to prepare bread crumbs. There are types that even come with a strainer allowing you to separate solid from the liquid. It all depends on how you use a food processor.
What sets it aside from the blender is that most units run on a specific speed setting that is not adjustable. With the blender you can switch from slow to fast, but with a processor, one speed is usually what you get and if you are lucky then two!
Great Blenders:
Choosing What Device You Need
Making a decision on whether to purchase a blender or a food processor will depend on how you plan to use it. Think about your daily activities in the kitchen. Choose based on your needs whether it is more for cooking or for making drinks.
Blenders are better at
- Creating purees
- Crushing ice
- Making smoothies and shakes
- Making salad dressings
Food Processors are better at
- Making dough
- Chopping ingredients
- Grating cheese
