When it comes to kitchen appliances everyone has their favorites. Whether it is a coffee maker, a toaster oven, or one of many different kitchen gadgets there is bound to be one that is used more than the others.
Most appliances usually serve only one function, however there are few that are very versatile. The blender and food processor are two of those types of appliances. But which of these is the best for your needs?
Many people don't need both a blender and a food processor, however if you cook a lot you might benefit from having each. You need to take a look at the kinds of things each appliance is used for and then decide if you have a need for both or if you can get by with one or the other.
First of all we will look at what a blender can do. Most people use blenders to liquefy things. In fact, this is the primary purpose of a blender. You can use it to mix blended drinks, smoothies and shakes. It can also liquefy fruits and vegetables and pulverize food into very small particles. It also does a great job of creating a puree. In fact a blender is very helpful if you want to make your own baby food because it will make such a smooth puree. A blender is helpful when making jams as well because it completely crushes the fruit to the perfect consistency for jam.
A food processor is more for chopping and cutting. This appliance is great for making salsas and chopping vegetables for soups and casseroles. Some food processors also will grind grain for healthy flour as well. If you do a lot of cooking or baking, you may find that a food processor is very helpful when it comes to the prep work for a lot of recipes.
Now, many blenders have settings that are made for chopping, dicing, etc. However, many of these settings will cut as precision like as a food processor blade will. If you are not picky about the size and shape of the vegetables this may not be a problem.
Many people get along just fine with either a food processor or a blender. They just don't see a need to have both. However, many gourmet cooks find that having both of these appliances in their kitchen is very helpful and beneficial. If you have the space to store both, then having both types of appliances should not be a problem.