Choosing Best food processor

 

Food processor is yet another kitchen appliance which falls under the Mixer grinder family. It does almost many processes which we do manually on vegetables, fruits and other raw foods. They perform cutting, chopping, slicing, shredding, juicing, mixing, dough kneading, grinding, squashing etc.

How good is food processor?

It almost does many functions which we manually do. It replaces the human effort to perform these functions. The efforts could be put in other areas, so that the time is saved.

Are they really necessary?

It depends on your needs. If you really want to save time and effort in cooking food and have enough budget then, the suggestion would be to go for it.

Uses of a food processor.

It can perform the normal functions of a mixer grinder. Apart from that it can also perform additional functions like those stated in the first para.

Advantages.

1)    It saves time in the preparation of food.

2)    It does advanced functions than a normal mixer grinder.

3)    It simplifies the work for office going persons, bachelors, inexperienced cooks etc.

4)    It reduces the need for using various different appliances for cooking.

 Disadvantages.

1)    Since it makes the cooking process mechanical, the skill required for manual processing of food is reduced.

2)    It is a little costly compared to mixer grinder.

The important factors to be considered while buying food processors.

a)    Wattage.

This depends on the functions for which you need it. If you want to use it for mild functions then low wattage is enough. For average use you can go for a 600-800W. For heavy use you can go for 1,000W.

b)   Capacity of the jar.

You must consider the capacity of the jar. It again depends on your requirement. For mild and average usage about 1.4 litres is fine. If you have some excess requirement, go for about 3.5 litres capacity.

c)     Material from which it is made.

This is another important factor. Body may be made of plastic, chrome etc. Though other material jars are also available. You can choose one according to your choice.

d)   Blades.

Check whether it has several blades for different functions. You can see the material from which the blades are made. Stainless steel blades will be good one. Sharpness and type of blades will differ based on the process for which it is made.

e)    Safety.

Modern food processors come with several safety measures. You can check for the safety measures available. Some of the safety measures are locking mechanism (if the machine is not properly locked the machine should not operate), protection from overload of the machine etc.

f)      Number of bowls.

Number of bowls provided with the processor should be seen. There will be a main bowl and other subsidiary bowls which may range up to 3 or more.

g)    Cleaning.

It should be easy to clean after processing.

h)   Speed controls.

Proper speed control function is available or not should be seen.

i)       Warranty and life.

Warranty period should be sufficient considering the life of the processor.