Select a Food Processor
If you're in the market for a food processor, there are some basic things to look for to ensure that you make a good purchase that will endure and make using it easier for you.
Steps
- Look for the safety lock. Play with it in the store to see if it is easy to use. Do the pieces of it appear and feel solid, or do they look as if they might break from difficulty of moving or poor quality? The safety lock feature is complicated and expensive to fix if it breaks.
- Check the storage features. It is really useful to have a storage space for the cord and to have "on-board" storage for any attachments, so that they are not lost or damaged during storage.
- Make sure that the processor has the blades that you will use most frequently for your style of cooking. Ask the assistant for advice if you are not sure which ones come with the food processor that interests you but generally processor blades include:
- Sabatier blade - the standard "S" shaped blade
- Shredding disc - shreds vegetables and fruits
- Slicing disc - slices fruits and vegetables
- Julienne disc - creates long thin vegetable and fruit cuts
- Dough blade - the paddles are less curved than the sabatier blade
- French fry disc - creates chips for frying
- Purifier or juicer blades - these vary in type and purpose
- Decide what additional accessories you will use. If your food processor already comes with the lot, you don't need to worry about "added extras" but if you're in the budget end of the market, your basic model might only come with basic blades and you will need to purchase additional more fancy versions. Ask yourself how likely you are to use additional blades before purchasing them, as they can end up being an expensive waste of money.
- Prefer a more expensive model if you use a food processor frequently. For your extra money, you will get a stronger and more durable motor and gears, the processor will be quieter and more stable and it will be less likely to conk out on you with frequent heavy usage. This is especially important for catering work, as well as heavy home usage. Otherwise, if you are an infrequent user of a food processor, the lower end of the range will serve you well.
Tips
- Food processors can take up a lot of storage space. Consider this before bringing one into a small kitchen or apartment. You can purchase mini versions; ask your sales assistant for advice.
- Compare food processors online before you go to the store to check them out.
- Some people prefer blenders only - although these cannot chop food into the amazing variety of shapes, they still purify and if this is your main need, it can be better and more space conscious to have a blender only plus a good set of knives.
Things You'll Need
- Food processor sales outlet
- Prior online comparison research
- Print this article and take it with you to the store if you want to run through the checks
Related Articles
- Select a Basic Set of Kitchen Equipment
- Make a Pie Crust in a Food Processor
- Clean a Blender
