If you’ve decided to buy a food processor to make your life in the kitchen easier, then before equipping yourself, you will find yourself faced with a very legitimate question: how to choose a food processor?
And above all, how do you know how to choose a good food processor?
To better guide you, we present 10 points that you should keep in mind in order to make the best choice, the one that suits your needs.
1. Security
It is a determining criterion.
Indeed, a food processor includes blades that can cause serious injury.
Most products sold in Canada adhere to strict safety standards to protect the user.
However beware, some cheap models, sold by unscrupulous sellers, may be less reliable in terms of the security offered.
To avoid this, make sure you get your food processor from a trusted dealer.
In terms of materials, it is recommended to choose a robot designed with BPA-free plastic
BPA is not recommended for food preparations and can have harmful consequences on infants.
Choose a BPA-free food processor.
2. The engine of the food processor
Did you know? Not all food processors are equal in terms of motorization. Indeed, some of them are equipped with an asynchronous motor.
This allows the motor’s energy to be transmitted better, regardless of the density of the food items – in fact, the stronger the preparation, the more effort the motor must provide.
Besides that, a good criterion to consider is the power of the engine.
For the tasks that most people envision with a food processor, such as blending vegetables for example, a power of 250 to 500W is sufficient.
However, for other more demanding tasks, such as the preparation of large quantities or the mixing of nuts, particularly, a greater power will be necessary.
Indeed, a less powerful engine will tend to slow down during the process and will struggle to accomplish the most difficult tasks.
Some models can thus reach a power of 1200 W, or even more.
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3. Accessories
With a simple robot motor… we don’t get very far! Fortunately, food processors usually come with plenty of accessories.
The accessories are the stars of the package, since they are the ones that offer a range of features and therefore will make the device a real multifunction kitchen robot.
Most food processors come with an S-blade to place at the base of the container. This is very useful for chopping.
But your device can be much more than a mincer thanks to the various additional accessories provided, and in particular the discs to be placed on the top of the container.
These are equipped with different openings that will allow you, among other things, to grate or slice your food in different shapes.
Another addition that can be found is the presence of bowls of several sizes, depending on the quantities you want to make.
A smaller bowl will be more practical to wash while a larger bowl will be necessary for preparations in larger quantities.
Similarly, while many models only come with one feed chute, some provide more than one, depending on the foods you want to incorporate.
Thus, a narrower chute can be useful to avoid unnecessary splashing and better hold the product for better processing.
And among the “pluses” that you can find in the box of your robot, let’s not forget that some devices come with a recipe book.
This little addition is very practical to help you understand in a few words how this household appliance can help you save time on your favorite preparations!
4. How much space a food processor takes on the counter?
You should know that a food processor is a household appliance that takes up a certain amount of space.
Certainly, there are small robots, with generally limited functions.
But if you are looking for a truly multifunctional device or a device with a large bowl capacity, then you must take into account that your robot will occupy a certain area.
Not to mention the accessories will also need some space.
You also need to plan where to place your food processor: many people like to leave it on the counter, but if you don’t have a lot of space in your kitchen and you plan to use this appliance only once in a while, so plan a place to store it, whether on a shelf or in a cupboard, for example.
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5. The brand
Among the most well-known brands in the field of household robots, let us mention in particular Kitchenaid, Cuisinart, Ninja food processor, Redmond, Hamilton or even Black and Decker.
Of course, there are many other brands.
And besides, an unknown brand can quite offer a very satisfactory model.
It happens indeed that a product of an unknown or little known brand is found among the best models of its kind.
This is quite acceptable because what matters above all are the characteristics of the robot.
That being said, choosing a brand offers several advantages.
Thus, choosing a product from a renowned brand can be the assurance of excellent customer service in the event of a problem.
In addition, if necessary, you will find spare parts for the major brands much more easily.
6. For which preparations you are buying the food processor
This is arguably the most important point.
Having a good idea of how you will use it will determine the choice of the right food processor, but depending on your needs, you may prefer to choose another type of household appliance.
Indeed, the family of robots is vast, and some offer similar but different functionalities.
Thus, in addition to classic food processors, there are pastry robots and mixers.
The food processor will be primarily intended to process solid foods, from nuts to raw vegetables, including fruits and meats, to prepare them in different forms.
The container is generally made of transparent plastic in order to better monitor the progress of the preparation.
This container is fitted with a lid to prevent any splashing.
Mixers are close to food processors in that they consist of a container placed on a motor block, also provided with a lid.
On the other hand, the container is much higher and equipped with a spout, and the blade is specifically dedicated to mixing.
These machines are well suited for obtaining liquid preparations such as smoothies, soups, or fruit juices.
The pastry robot, when to him, exists in several forms, but generally, it will be provided with mixing elements intended to stir the preparation from the top, and at a speed much lower than what is found with a mixer or a robot culinary.
Moreover, several models have a transparent lid, which makes it possible to keep an eye on the preparation, the container often being made of stainless steel rather than plastic.
The food processor also has a kneading function and usually has a dough hook for this.
It is therefore the right choice for preparing bread dough, shortcrust pastry, or any other pastry preparation.
Finally, note that there is another type of robot that is quite similar: cooking robots. Very efficient, these push the concept of multifunction to another level since they allow, in particular, heating the preparations. Their price is commensurate with their performance and their possibilities, and they are particularly expensive household appliances.
7. Ease of use
A food processor is supposed to make your life easier, not harder!
What can be grouped under the term ease of use actually brings together several points which, put together, condition your experience with your new device.
Several points should be taken into account with this in mind when choosing a robot:
– Does the desired function launch easily?
When it comes to turning on the robot, it is usually enough to press a button; it is by changing the elements (blades or discs in particular) that we change the final result of the preparation.
However, more advanced robots give more choices regarding for example the rotation speed of the blades: this can lead to an extra step.
Finding a good balance between ease of use and a variety of functions is a real challenge for manufacturers!
– Are the washable items easily removable? Are they dishwasher safe?
This is a point not to be overlooked.
Depending on the models, some elements are sometimes more difficult to access or require some effort to be removed for cleaning.
To find out if you will have this problem with the model you are considering, consult the opinions of other users.
– Is the power cable long enough?
In order to offer a compact product, several manufacturers opt for a rather short power cord.
However, you might as well avoid having to use an extension cord, especially if your nearest socket is not right next to the counter!
Another point to consider: the ease of storage of the cord
Several models offer an integrated winder; if no storage is provided for the cable, it is not very practical…
– If there is only one feed chute, is it wide enough to fit the feed you want?
Basically, the insertion chutes on the top of the device, for the models that are equipped with them, are quite narrow for safety reasons, so as not to risk that the hands find themselves in contact with the blades.
But the consequence is that, on some models, the chute is rather narrow to insert certain foods.
You will then need to cut them into smaller pieces.
Note that some models are supplied with several chutes to remedy this.
– Do the safety functions not interfere too much with the use of the robot?
This is a problem found in some models: the security measures are so strict that they make the device less easy to use!
A case that is often found: the robot refuses to start until the locking of the bowl and the lid is not perfect.
The key is to find a model that offers a good balance between safety and ease of use.
This list is not exhaustive.
Remember to look at the points that seem most important to you, because otherwise, you will not enjoy your food processor the best!
8. Durability
This is a major criterion if you don’t want to have to change your food processor too frequently!
In general, the blades and some other components are made of stainless steel (also called stainless steel), which will ensure that they never rust.
On the other hand, the main component of a food processor is generally plastic and depending on its quality, it can split more or less easily.
However, a split plastic may no longer be properly airtight!
Durability is also affected by cleaning.
Indeed, if several models indicate that their removable elements can go in the dishwasher, this treatment can damage them prematurely, in the long run.
Similarly, some robots have nooks and crannies that are difficult to clean where dirt can accumulate, which can harm the longevity of the device… and incidentally your health!
The best in these cases is to watch the testimonials of other people to see how the device behaves over time.
Also, keep in mind that durability is directly impacted by how often you use your device.
9. Design
The food processor being an object that takes up space, you are entitled to want one that offers a pleasant design!
Basically, this is not really the case because it is above all a utilitarian object.
However, having a large plastic object in your interior is not really an asset in your decor!
If the design is a priority for you, good news: manufacturers are making more and more efforts, whether in terms of curves or colors, so that this object naturally finds its place in the kitchen.
10. The quality/price ratio
Finding a quality product is good, finding a robot with the best value for money is better!
Is it worth investing in the high end?
The price can be justified by all the aspects we have previously discussed.
Each model is a combination of all these factors: it’s all about finding the combination that suits you.
Take the example of sustainability.
Of course, ideally, everyone is looking for a durable product that will never need to be changed.
But do you really need the “most” durable robot?
Many of the more expensive models are rock solid, but that’s because they’re meant for everyday use in tough conditions.
If you only plan to use your food processor occasionally, you will not be putting your food processor to such trials, and therefore in this case buying a super resistant one is not necessarily justified.
You will then simply need “correct” durability…which will save you money! So now you know how to choose a good food processor!
Conclusion – how to choose a food processor
After going through these criteria you will easily be able to differentiate between a good food processor and a not-so-good one. If you have any suggestions or want any point to add to our list of how to choose a food processor – please let us know in the comment section.
