If you want to make your meals faster, you need to change your typical way of cooking. If you want to experiment and experience new cooking strategies that are quick and easy then a food processor is the first thing that you need to bring instantly.
What if we tell you that all the cutting, chopping, dicing, slicing, mincing, grating, kneading, and blending can be done using just a single food processor?
A versatile kitchen appliance that can handle most of your basic cooking tasks alone is none other than a food processor.
Picking up a food processor from a market loaded with tons of varieties can be a tough call without proper homework. And one must know how to choose a food processor before spending hard-earned money.
Therefore, we have dropped down some of the fundamental dynamics that you should seek in a food processor while making a decision for yourself.
Buying Guide on How to Choose a food processor?
If you have already decided on making your life fast, efficient, and easy then we are here to give you a bounce in the right direction.
Making a decision about one right food processor is a must because it can cost you big bucks. We have made five crisp points to ponder before buying an efficient food processor that will work in the long run for you.
1. Capacity
Food processors come in different capacities. Now it depends on you what specific size you prefer. And this can be easily determined by assessing the number of ingredients you regularly use in your recipes.
On average, a food processor that can easily take 11 to 14 cups of ingredients is considered a good fit for regular use in a domestic kitchen.
One other expert resource suggests machines in the market generally have a minimum of 0.7 liters to a maximum of 3 liters of food processor bowl capacity for bigger recipe preps.
A regular kitchen meal prep can be easily managed with a food processor of 2.5 liters as that’s certainly an ample size for an average meal proportion prepared each day.
In case you make meals with ingredients in large quantities, then a size anywhere over 2.5 liters will be good for you.
Some food processors have two differently sized bowls for processing food simultaneously without washing a single bowl again and again.
2. Versatility
The second essential to keenly look for is the versatility of the food processor. For some manufacturers, versatility in a food processor is its portability.
Portability adds to the convenience a lot. If you want to take your food processor along some long trip or picnic then a cordless food processor can be a good option.
Such cordless food processors work effectively for over 30 minutes when charged for a short period of 10 to 20 minutes only. A cordless food processor can help you chop, dice, or grind all your essential required ingredients on your picnic.
3. Functionality
The most important aspect to check before buying any food processor is its functionality.
A food purpose is said to be multi-purpose and versatile depending on its functionalities. The bigger the food processor, the better and more excessive the functionalities.
A food processor can chop your vegetables, dice your onions, puree baby food, and mix dry ingredients for a cake batter or even shred chicken too.
Moreover, a bigger machine can ultimately whip your cream, whisk your coffee to make it completely frothy and creamy, and even stir and churn ingredients.
Functionality increases with increasing capacity in many machines by renowned brands just as KitchenAid and Cuisinart food processors.
Food processors come with several attachments including a grating disc, chopping blade, slicing disc, and a standard dough blade. These are standard attachments that are ample enough for regular use.
Moreover, there are additional accessories that come with the bigger food processors like a grating disc with two sizes, alternative slicing discs, spiralizer discs for noodle-shaped salads, dicing blades, and even baton attachments for chips.
Besides all this, speed is also an important function to be considered. We recommend food processors with 2-speed options and a pulse option.
The lower speed option is ideal for dough and boiled things while the maximum speed option is suitable for solid items like vegetables and nuts.
The pulse option is the stronger out of the three options that can turn any solid or delicate ingredient into a pulse. It controls the extremely sharp blades from mashing the ingredients completely instead it perfectly gives you fine-chopped prepared ingredients.
Lastly, look for some non-slip feet or suction cups too. These are must-haves because they stabilize the machine on the countertop. And with such features, you can easily process heavier foods in the machine too.
4. Cleaning Up the Food Processor
Cleaning a food processor can be tricky at times but now many manufacturers consider this aspect while designing the machines and their attachments.
All the parts and attachments are designed in such a way that a scrub can easily have access to each edge and even if there are some slots left uncleaned then a brush can certainly reach and exclude those tiny pinches of leftovers.
Many renowned food processor manufacturing brands design the appliance in such designs that each part and attachment can easily settle in the dishwasher.
Always look for appliances that are easy to wash or are water-tight and dishwasher-friendly food processors. If you prefer washing by hand or cleaning by hand then make sure that each corner of the appliance can be accessed by hand, scrub, or brush to make cleaning easier.
5. Color
Last but not least dynamic in our buying guide is the color of the food processor. In a world full of colors, pick ones that match your kitchen aesthetics.
The color of the kitchen appliances adds more value to the style of your kitchen. Look for the ones that suit your workspace.
Cost On A Food Processor?
Deciding on the exact money that you want to spend on a purchase before making it is also a crucial point of a wise investment.
The market has pretty decent options available within the range starting from under $50 to above $300.
You can fix your budget in-between, considering the range given, and pick one after deeply analyzing its pros and cons.
It’s good to fix a price range for yourself in which you want your purchase to lie in. This helps you stick to your fixed budget.
A Quick Wrap-Up!
It’s not always true that an expensive and hefty kitchen appliance will do the job perfectly. You can fix a budget, and find a processor that has all the functions and attachments that you need in your regular kitchen life. Then do the analysis of whether it’s worth your bucks or not. Look for the power, speed, capacity, pulse option, and suction cups or non-slip feet too.
And if you find all of it and think of it as worth buying then certainly that’s the one you need for yourself and for your kitchen. Go for it!