Anyone who considers a food processor to be an absolute overkill and a whim of housewives has never tried to prepare a full three-course meal for a family of four or five. What can we say about the preparation of the festive menu. That is why our article today is about how to choose a food processor for your home. Today's home appliance stores offer such an abundance of options that making decisions can be difficult. Which food processor is better and what do you need to pay attention to? Let's figure it out.
What to look for when choosing
Needless to say, a food processor chosen incorrectly will not only not become your assistant, but it will also annoy you by taking up extra space. Therefore, you need to prepare for a trip to the store.
First of all, you need to decide what exactly you need such a device for. If you are just too lazy to use a knife and a cutting board every day, it will be enough to purchase an electrical appliance with a minimum set of functions. And as long as you can cook well and have fun doing it, you need a “full-blown” model that does any job well.
Now you should carefully examine the kitchen for existing devices. If you already have a free-standing mixer, a blender, a juicer, a coffee grinder, an electric meat grinder, a bread machine and other kitchen “bells and whistles”, then it is quite likely that choosing an expensive multifunction device does not make sense.
When choosing a food processor, it is worth focusing not so much on cost as on functionality. There is no need to pay extra money for the attachments that you most likely won't use. For example, if you are a vegetarian, then a combine with a functional attachment for making home-made sausages is definitely useless for you.
If you have a small kitchen, then you should also pay attention to the size of the future electric assistant. A simple rule works here: the more versatile the device is, the more space it takes up.
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Functionality or what the harvester can do
Since a food processor is a multifunctional appliance, let's take a closer look at what exactly this machine can do. A high-quality combine can replace such units:
- electric meat grinder;
- blender
- shaker;
- mixer;
- juicer;
- coffee grinder;
- freezer;
- others.
But there is one caveat.Of course, it is very tempting to have just one kitchen unit that can replace any other. However, if the food processor burns out the engine, you will lose all your helpers at once.
See also - Top 7 best blenders of the year
Types of food processor attachments
- circular knives with special slots - will help you cut vegetables and fruits into cubes;
- shredder - will quickly cut cabbage, carrots and other vegetables into thin strips;
- press for soft fruits and berries - quickly make mashed potatoes of any density;
- impeller knife - instantly grind meat or fish, prepare pate;
- whisk (one or two) - help to whip cream, prepare sauces;
- hook attachment (one or two) - quickly replace the dough of any consistency;
- mill - will prepare powdered sugar, ground coffee, pepper, flour from various cereals;
- shaker - ideally and quickly break ice, whip cocktails;
- juicer - handles any hard vegetables or fruits;
- citrus press - will "extract" juice from oranges or grapefruits;
- slicer - will cut any food into beautiful even slices;
- blender - will grind almost any food to a puree state;
- circular grater knife - quickly and effortlessly grate cheese or vegetables;
- electric meat grinder;
- others.
Some manufacturers give housewives a free choice. You can purchase a "starter" model with a minimum set of functions, and then buy additional attachments as needed. True, individual attachments are not cheap, but you can only get what you really need.
See also - 5 best food processor with grinder according to customer reviews
Choosing power and speed
Power
When purchasing a good food processor, be sure to pay attention to this parameter. The more functions your electric assistant can perform, the more powerful it should be.
Most often, conventional household combines have a power of 250 to 650 watts. Such a unit is perfect for a small family, provided that you do not use it too often.
If you cook often and in large quantities, you should pay attention to models with a capacity of at least one kilowatt. Professional harvesters can have a power of up to 2 kW, but at home this is still unnecessary. You will hardly be able to "load" it in full, but the overpayment will be significant.
Turnovers
The next thing to look for when choosing a food processor is the number of revolutions. Cheap models usually have 2-3 rotation speeds. But the most "sophisticated" can boast of twenty modes.
It is best if your food processor has a rotational speed of 9-10 thousand rpm. Experts believe that this speed is suitable for grinding even the toughest products. In any case, you should not buy a combine that "produces" less than 5-6 thousand revolutions, there will be little sense from such a device.
Bowl material
For the manufacture of food processors, three types of materials are most often used, as well as their combinations:
- plastic;
- metal;
- glass.
The most expensive models often have a completely metal case, while the cheapest ones have a plastic one. Combines of the middle price category delight the eye with a compromise solution: the body is plastic, all moving and loaded parts are metal. Most of all, in the device of a food processor, the material from which one of the most important elements is made - the bowl is interesting.
Plastic
The cheapest and not particularly high quality material. Plastic bowls do not handle both low and high temperatures very well. Over time, such bowls begin to darken and become more fragile. The plastic container can be very deformed, or even crack. It is not always possible to replace this accessory with a new one. This is especially difficult to do in the case when the model was released several years ago and discontinued.
Glass
This bowl option is much preferable, although somewhat more expensive. Since glass is chemically neutral, it does not react with food at all. For food processors, special bowls are made of very durable tempered glass. It’s not easy to break one, even if you drop it to the floor. In addition, they can be safely placed in the microwave or freezer. And for washing, use products containing abrasive additives; this will not damage glass bowls at all.
Metal
These food processor containers are particularly expensive. The fact is that the metal bowl is practically eternal. It is almost impossible to break it, it does not crack. However, it has one significant drawback: it cannot be put into the microwave. And cleaning such a bowl using abrasives is also not worth it.
Dimensions
Of course, the dimensions of each model are completely individual. The principle here is this: the more attachments the combine has and the more processes it can perform, the heavier it weighs and takes up more space. Some models have special compartments for storing attachments and knives. Others will have to be posted on their own.
Of course, it is best to keep the food processor in constant visibility, on the surface of the worktable. Otherwise, over time, you will become too lazy to take it out of the box every time and then put it back. Unfortunately, not all kitchens have enough space for this. So if you plan on stowing your combine on the shelf every time, make sure it doesn't weigh too much.
Review of popular models from the best manufacturers
Kenwood
Since you now know a lot more about how to choose the right food processor, let's talk a little about the specific brands and models on the market.
It is the harvesters of this brand that are considered the most reliable, functional and durable. Almost all models from this manufacturer are completely made of stainless steel. By the way, Kenwood AT444 is practically the only food processor that can peel potatoes. Many parts of the models of this brand are interchangeable, and the missing attachments can be purchased separately.
The best option for a combine with a meat grinder is the Kenwood KVC5030T model. This unit has 6 operating speeds and a power of 1.1 kW. The set includes five attachments and a meat grinder.
Pros:
- compact size;
- sufficient functionality;
- metal bowl;
- Ease of controls;
- durable and reliable metal case;
- low noise work.
The disadvantages include only a rather high cost and rather big weight, about 9 kg. Although the latter only adds stability to the combine.
See also - 8 best Kenwood food processors
Bosch MUM 56S40
If you want to purchase a unit with the maximum number of functions, we recommend that you pay attention to the equipment from Bosch. For example, if you want to use the function of kneading different types of dough, we recommend purchasing the Bosch MUM 56S40. The advantage of this model is the three additional attachments that allow you to quickly knead different types of dough. There is also a meat grinder and citrus press. Bosch MUM 56S40 can be used as a conventional blender or juicer. With a power of 900 W, the combine has 7 working speeds.
The only disadvantages are the presence of a large number of plastic parts, which somewhat reduces the reliability of the unit.
See also - Top 5 Bosch food processors of the year
Braun FX 3030
If you are looking for an inexpensive option with maximum functionality, Braun technology is for you. For example, the FX 3030 model, among others, also has a juicer function. Such a harvester works very quietly, and it is not too expensive. Moreover, it has sufficient power and is equipped with a spacious bowl.
Of course, on the shelves of household appliances stores, you can find many more units, completely different in both price and quality. There are dozens of brands to choose from.But since you now know a lot more about how to choose a food processor for your home, it won't be so difficult to decide. The main thing is to clearly define exactly what tasks you would like to solve with the help of a kitchen unit and how much money you are willing to allocate for this. Make the right choice and prepare delicious and varied dishes will be for you a simple and exciting experience!
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