Food Processor Buying Guide

Food processors not only save time, but take over the labor-intensive tasks of chopping, slicing, and shredding. Even tougher jobs, like kneading dough for breads or pastas, can also be done in a food processor, however they cannot puree soups as well as a blender can.

source: Williams-Sonoma

Before you start shopping for a food processor, consider how and what you are preparing. If you like to bake bread or cook for large groups of folks, consider a larger, more powerful food processor. If you cook regularly, but only for yourself or a couple of friends, consider a smaller more compact unit or even a food chopper.

What's the difference between a food processor and a food chopper? The main difference is power and capacity. Food choppers are smaller, lighter, and less expensive, and are perfect for chopping small batches of vegetables, nuts, and herbs.

A basic food processor consists of a base with the motor, a work bowl with a feed chute, a cover, a food pusher, and chopping blades and slicing disks. Note on the feed-tube size: make sure you have a wide enough opening to feed ingredients without having to cut them into small pieces. For example, consider a feed tub opening wide enough to accommodate whole apples or tomatoes.

Food Processor Capacity

Bowl sizes on most food processors range from 4 to 16 cups and are usually made of plastic or stainless steel. Full size models usually hold at least 9 cups while mid-size models usually hold 6 to 8 cups. Some models come with multiple bowl sizes. The bowl capacity is smaller on food choppers and mini processors - typically they hold only 1 to 3 cups.

Power and Speed

Food processors typically have two settings - on/off and pulse. Food choppers typically have low and high pulse settings. Although some higher end processors have a few extra speeds such as a dough speed, usually the pulse speed is all you need.

Power ranges from 500 to 1200 watts on regular food processors while food choppers are around 200 watts. Usually, the more power, the better the performance but you will also need a good quality motor to handle the power so be sure to read reviews before purchasing.

Attachments

Besides the standard chopping blade, many food processors offer additional attachments such as dough blades, and discs for slicing, shredding, and julienning. Some also offer whisking and juicing attachments.

Caring For Your Food Processor

Food processors have quite a few removable parts and all should be cleaned after each use.

• Before cleaning, unplug your food processor.
• Detach all removable parts from the food processor/chopper and wash in warm water with a small amount of dish soap and be careful when handling the blades. Many parts may be dishwasher safe – refer to your user’s manual.
• Wipe down the base/motor - do not submerge it in water or pour water over it.
• Allow the unit to fully dry before reassembling it.

Food processors usually carry a 1- or 2-year warranty, although some high-end units may carry longer ones.

Popular Food Processor Brands

Cuisinart - www.cuisinart.com
KitchenAid - www.kitchenaid.com
Hamilton Beach - www.hamiltonbeach.com
Robot Coupe - www.robotcoupeusa.com
Oster - www.oster.com
Black & Decker - www.blackanddecker.com
Braun - www.braun.com
DeLonghi - www.delonghiusa.com
GE - www.geappliances.com
Krups - www.krups.com
Proctor-Silex - www.proctorsilex.com
Sunbeam - www.sunbeam.com
Waring - www.waringproducts.com

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