How to buy Food Processor?

Overview

Do you love cooking and sometimes you wish you had some assistance in the kitchen to do all the little and boring job like mashing the potatoes or chopping the veggies. If you think so, then a food processor is all you need.

Firstly, what is food processor? The name suggests it all, it is a device which processes food i.e. mixing, grinding, juicing, beating and everything else. It is designed to make your life easy when you have so much to make and so little time to spend in kitchen. Plus, it is also safe to use instead of playing with sharp knives and peelers.

It does sound really helpful and indulging in one is irresistible, ain’t it. You should know that there are many brands in the markets offering multiple sizes and capacities which you can choose depending on your usage and capacity. There are other things as well that you should know before you set a foot in a store to buy one, so keep on reading.

Food Processor Features

1. Functions – The Food processor has interchangeable blades and discs, and they usually require little or no water during operations. Grinding, chopping, and slicing are the common functions performed by all food processors. Some food processors also offer functions like coconut scrapper and also act as atta (flour) kneader.
2. Disks and Blades – This is an important function in all food processors. There are two types, viz; one is fixed disks i.e. for every function, separate disks are available and in the other type, there is only one disk available and you have to change blades for each function. The fixed disks are instant to fix but they require more space. In only one disk, you are required to change blades for each function making it time-consuming but they occupy less space.
3. Speed – This feature indicates that the food processor can operate at more than just one speed. Multiple speed levels give you the versatility to use different operations and function speeds in your machine.
4. Switches – There are two types of switches that come with food processors – rotary and piano. The piano-type switches are like push-button style speed selectors that are easy to use. Rotary switches are the dial types, the ones that we have on our mixers.
5. Juicers – Food processors come with two types of juicers such as Centrifugal and Citrus. Citrus juicers enable you to take juice out of only citrus fruits like oranges, sweet lime, etc. Whereas if you require taking juice from hard fruits like watermelons or even vegetables, a Centrifugal juicer is the right option.
6. Accessories and Attachments – One consideration that separates a good food processor from the rest of the bunch is the offered accessories. An ideal unit should consist of cutting disks, blades, and whisks. The cutting tools should be well-constructed so that they fit properly in the machine. A wider feeding tube with a plunging device is the most recommended feature required. Small feeding tubes make you spend significant time cutting food down to size before processing. Food processors come with a fixed number of attachments as well as extra disks and blades that you can buy along with it. Most processors have sufficient functions without the necessity to buy the extras and nowadays, food processors come with a coconut scraper attachment. This is most useful for households where coconut is a primary ingredient for most delicacies. A scraper makes the arduous task of coconut scraping much easier.
7. Incher or Pulse facility – The incher or pulse mode is suitable for chopping delicate and soft food such as hard-boiled eggs, parsley, or onions, it chops them rather than mashing them. The pulse is also used to carefully knead flour into batter, helps in maintaining the creaminess and it can be used to add cream or whipped eggs in solid food.
8. Locking System – The machine does not start till the jar is correctly locked on the basic grinder unit and the top lid on the jar making it safe for functioning. It is an utmost important feature if you have kids at home.
9. Power – Another important consideration when buying a food processor is power consumption. Larger units require much power to bread hard vegetables or knead flour. Look for at least 400 watts of power for an average food processor, but professional units may ask for 750 watts or more, which is more than enough for any food processor to function.
10. Over Load Protection – Quite a number of times we tend to put more stuff in the jar than recommended. This can result in burnout–out and motor overload. This is why the processor comes with a circuit breaker, which works like a common fuse in the house. It is a necessary safety feature both for the shelf life of your processor and your home.

These are the pointers you need to remember and consider before purchasing a food processor for your cooking assistance. It is a kitchen aid that will go a long way with you and your cooking, so invest wisely.

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