A food processor is about the most versatile kitchen appliance. Many homemakers and professional chefs swear by this time and energy saving device. Maybe you got one as a gift and are wondering what the best uses for food processors really are ; let’s help you out.
There’s so much you can do with this machine and it would motivate you to cook more often than you do. This can also lead to a healthier eating habit as you can now try out all those recipes that you shied away from.
Table of Contents
Best Uses For Food Processors– The Basics
Before we go on to describe best uses for food processor, let’s give you the basics.
There are different types of food processors and what may be the best uses for one may not be for the other.
Food processors are differentiated by size, motor power and capacity and attachments included with purchase.
If you are just contemplating buying a food processor, then take out time to read these buying guides. Click here and here.
It is good to know what tasks the food processor is best suited for and the capacity of the food processor.
There are some food processors that can power through food prep tasks for a long time at a stretch. Others can only operate for short periods per time or else the motor would burn.
Some designs have high capacity and are ideal for people who cook often and for many people. If you cook for one, or don’t cook too often, you don’t need such food processors. You can consider a mini food processor or one that has maybe a 5-cup capacity.
As we describe the best uses for food processors, we would also give you an example of a brand that performs that task best. We would also do a brief review of the food processor.
Best Uses For Food Processors – Description of Tasks
Think of any food prep task and there’s a food processor that’s equal to the task. From chopping to slicing, shredding to pureeing and kneading dough. A food processor has got you covered! We’ll describe some of these tasks in this segment:-
Chopping
The S blade is used to coarsely chop a wide variety of ingredients. Items such as onions, peppers, celery, nuts, meat. You can also make knead dough or make bread crumbs. The S blade is one of the two most common attachments that come with a food processor.
One brand of food processor that gives you perfect results with chopping up your ingredients is the Hamilton Beach Stack and Snap Food Processor.
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Product Name – Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, Black (70725A)
Our Rating – 4 Star
Features
(i) Powerful 450 watt motor with two speed options and a pulse button. These give you control on how you want your ingredients processed.
(ii) Design for ease of assembly and use – just place the bowl on the base of the motor and snap on. No need to twist and lock into place.
(iii) Easy to understand and use control button.
(iv) Large Feed Tube enables you to feed whole fruits and veggies into the work bowl (e.g. peppers, cucumber, potatoes).
(v) Sealed bowl cover prevents spills and leakage when the machine is in operation.
The Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor comes loaded with features that aid fast and efficient food prep. Its 12-cup capacity is adequate for an average size family food prep needs.
You get the S blade and reversible disc for all your chopping, slicing, shredding, mixing, pureeing and other food prep needs. It also comes with a user guide that illustrates which blade to use for each task and also the control button.
So go ahead and get chopping with this amazing yet highly affordable food processor
Grinding
There are some recipes that come with a lot of grinding. And sometimes people just decide to forego them or buy from stores. One of the best uses of food processor is grinding up ingredients in seconds.
Looking to make your hamburger from scratch or some other recipes that requires ground meat of any kind? Then reach for your food processor. But if you don’t have one, let’s recommend the one below.
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Bear in mind that it’s not only meat that grinds well in a food processor. You can grind nuts and other ingredients to whatever consistency you desire.
Product Name – Cuisinart DLC-8SY Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor
Our Rating – 4.3
Features
(i) Comes with three shredding/slicing discs, chopping blade and spatula – these are great for all your food prep tasks including grinding.
(ii) 625 watt motor is powerful enough to grind your meat and other ingredients without overheating.
(iii) Five years full warranty on the motor and 3 years limited warranty on the entire system.
(iv) Extra-large feed chute precludes the need for precutting of whole fruits and veggies.
(v) All the blades are made with rust proof stainless steel while all the plastic parts are made with BPA free materials.
The Cuisinart DLC-8SY Pro Custom 11-Cup Food Processor is a veritable workhorse in the kitchen. Simply designed with off and on paddles and a pulse function, it provides ease of use.
In addition to all the features mentioned, it also has a compact cover that is easy to clean. The design also lends itself to perfect bottom-of-the-bowl food prep tasks.
If you do a lot of grinding in your food prep or you love making nut butters or such like recipes, then this is the food processor for you.
Slicing
Every food processor comes with a reversible blade that slices your ingredients. Some come with more than one which helps you to get different sizes of slicing. For others there are extra blades that can further enhance your slicing experience.
One food processor that works best for slicing is the KitchenAid ExactSlice System
Product Name – KitchenAid KFP1333OB 13-Cup Food Processor with ExactSlice System
Our Rating – 4.2
Features
(i) Comes with the first ever slicing disc that can be adjusted externally.
(ii) UltraTight Seal with locking system and leak proof ring that frees you to fill the work bowl without spillage.
(iii) Two work bowls of different sizes for different tasks – a 13-cup and a 4-cup work bowl.
(iv) Extra-large feed chute enables you to process whole fruits and veggies without precutting.
(v) Two speed options with a pulse button gives you control over the outcome of your ingredients.
KitchenAid KFP1333OB 13-Cup Food Processor with ExactSlice System is the first model to have a slicing disc that can be adjusted externally. This precisely what makes slicing one of the best uses of this food processor.
While you might not get great results with other food prep tasks, you’ll get exact slices of all your ingredients.
In addition to the features mentioned, this machine comes with dough blade(S blade) a multi- purpose blade (one large and one small), reversible shredding disc, a spatula and a storage case for the accessories.
So if slicing is the best uses for food processor for you, don’t hesitate to check out this food processor.
Kneading Dough
Most times you may get a hankering for some homemade biscuits, pizza or patsries. But due to the time and effort that would go into preparing the dough, you suppress your appetite and settle for store bought.
Well that doesn’t have to be the case anymore! One of the best uses of food processor is kneading dough. So whether it’s a light dough for some pie crust or something heavier, there is a food processor for you.
Note however that a food processor that would knead dough has to have some punch to it. This means that the motor should be strong; a minimum of 500 watt (the higher the better). Click here to find out more about best food processors for dough.
Here’s one of our top picks for food processors that knead dough without any issues:-
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Product Name – Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor
Our Rating – 4.6 Star
Features
(i) 3 feed chute options for various sizes of fruits and veggies. The sizes are 5 inches, 2 ¾ inches and 1 ½ inches
(ii) 1000 Watt induction motor that can knead any kind of dough and also adjust to other less strenuous prep tasks. It also has overload protection.
(iii) Extra-large 5 inch feed chute that allows user to process whole veggies and fruits without precutting them.
(iv) Safety Braking System that prevents the motor from operating unless all the parts are properly assembled.
(v) High quality accessories and attachments that deliver speed and efficiency.
The Breville BFP660SIL Sous Chef 12 Cup Food Processor’s heavy duty induction motor makes it a real workhorse. The 12-cup BPA free work bowl has enough capacity for many household food prep tasks. Its features provide the user many options to work with and the compact size makes for ease of storage.
This Breville food processor though compactly built packs enough power for the toughest of food prep tasks. It can do what many bigger food processors can do without taking up all the space on your countertop.
Pureeing
If you have a baby or growing kids, you’ll be very familiar with pureeing. This is because most of the baby food are purees. One of the best uses of food processors is making puree.
There are food processors that are dedicated solely to making baby foods. They steam the fruit or veggies and then puree(blend) to whatever consistency you like. Check out this review to find out more about them.
However, if you already have a food processor, you can as well use them to puree all kinds of ingredients. If you don’t, let’s recommend the following; we are giving you two options for this category. One on the budget and for a small family (or one person) and another for an average family.
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Product Name – Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop (NJ110GR)`
Our Rating – 4.6 Star
Features
(i) Comes with a 200 watt power pod that powers through food prep tasks such as pureeing, mincing, grinding and chopping.
(ii) 4 blade set with the Patented Ninja Blade Technology.
(iii) Ergonomically designed for ease of handling.
(iv) 2- Cup capacity adequate for single servings and putting finishing touches to some ingredients.
(v) Large chrome pulse button delivers the control required for specific tasks and consistent results.
The Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop (NJ110GR) is the smallest of this design of food choppers from the Ninja brand. It comes loaded with many features that provide so much convenience and efficiency.
In addition to the features mentioned above, the slip resistant base keeps the appliance firmly on the work surface when in use. Similarly, the splashguard on the bowl of the chopper prevents spills and leakage when in use. And finally, the storage lid keeps processed food fresh.
This food chopper design from the Ninja brand has about three more sizes; you can check them out here
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Product Name – Cuisinart FP-12DCN Elite Collection 2.0 12-Cup Food Processor
Our Rating – 4.2 Star
Features
(i) 1000 watt motor that power through all your food prep needs with consistent efficiency.
(ii) Comes with one 12-cup work bowl and one 4-cup bowl both with pour spouts and measurement markings.
(iii) The electronic touchpad controls comes with blue LED lights and are easy to wipe clean.
(iv) Attachments include adjustable shredding disk, small and large chopping and mixing blade, adjustable slicing disk and a dough blade.
(v) 3 years limited warranty on the entire unit and 10 years on the motor.
This Cuisinart FP-12N Elite Collection Food Processor is a great asset for any kitchen. It comes with many more features than the ones highlighted above.
You can get maximum use from the work bowls all thanks to the SealTight Advantage System. This prevents your ingredients from spillage while being processed and also locks the blade in place. With this system, you are assured of maximum safety and are also able to pour out your ingredients without having to remove the blade.
This food processor is also easy to clean as all the removable parts are dishwasher free.
So in addition to pureeing these features afford you a private sous chef that removes the hassle from your food prep.
Making Soups, Sauces and Salads
One of the best uses of food processor is whipping up great soups, sauces and salads in matter of minutes. You can prepare all the ingredients needed in mere seconds.
So you no longer have to shy away from recipes that call for a lot of cubed, diced or sliced veggies or fruits.
There’s one great machine that would help you get that all done. Introducing the Breville BFP820BAL1BUS1 Sous Chef 16 Peel & Dice Countertop Food Processor!
Product Name – Breville BFP820BAL1BUS1 Sous Chef 16 Peel & Dice Countertop Food Processor
Our Rating – 4.4
Features
(i) Comes with a peeler that can peel up to 7 potatoes at once.
(ii) Three feed chutes provides options for different shapes and sizes of ingredients.
(iii) 360º Dicing Grid allows you to dice continuously for up to 10 cups of ingredients.
(iv) 1200 watt heavy duty induction motor provides high torque to handle even the toughest of food prep task.
(v) 16-cup capacity work bowl is adequate for preparing meals for a large number of people.
The Breville BFP820BAL1BUS1 Sous Chef 16 Peel & Dice Countertop Food Processor is a great asset if you love soups, sauces and salads. The many attachments gives you a wide variety of slices and shapes to choose per time.
With this food processor, your meals would not only be nutritious but aesthetically appealing.
Check out this video for a recipe that you can try out with the Breville BFP820BAL1BUS1 Sous Chef 16 Peel & Dice Countertop Food Processor.
Mixing
A food processor is also useful for mixing all kinds of ingredients. If you are one who loves to bake though not too often, then a food processor would work well for you.
Note however, that a food processor is not the best appliance for a regular baker (especially cakes and related confections). Its best you get a mixer (whether stand or hand).
That said, a food processor is useful for mixing. So if you haven’t bought a food processor and you like to bake the occasional cakes, cookies , bread or such, let’s recommend this Braun Food Processor.
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Product Name – Braun FP3020 12 Cup Food Processor
Our Rating – 4.5 Star
Features
(i) 600 watt motor with variable speeds and a pulse function.
(ii) Comes with 7 blades for multiple food prep tasks and a juicer attachment.
(iii) Easy to assemble and use
(iv) Ultra quiet motor with low power consumption.
(v) One year manufacturer’s warranty
This Braun FP3020 12 Cup Food Processor is a German machine that’s crafted for strength and optimum performance. With this powerful yet ultra quiet motor, you can power through kneading dough, mixing batters and other ingredients and every other food prep need that you have.
The speed can be pre-set to whatever function you want and you use the pulse function for maximum control. More so, this machine is compactly designed so that it doesn’t take up all the space on your countertop and what’s more, it is easy to store.
Finally, every part of this machine except the base that houses the motor is dishwasher safe.
Best Uses For Food Processors – Tips and Tricks
Better Under-process Than Over- process
The best way to work with a food processor is to start out cautiously. It is better to have an under processed ingredient than one that’s over-process. For example; imagine that you just want to coarsely chop your tomatoes and you end up with a puree.
To avoid that, what you do is start out any grinding, mincing and chopping task with the pulse function. Short pulses would allow you to control the consistency and evenness of your ingredients. This is because the ingredient gets redistributed with each pulse just as if you are stirring the ingredients.
Get the Best From The Slicing Disk
To get the best result from the slicing disk of a food processor, ensure that the ingredient is firm. This is because the result you get is determined by how you feed the ingredients into the processor. If you want to slice vegetables that on its own are not firm, try to roll them together to form a firm pack (bundle).
The type of slices you’ll get is determined by the positioning of the ingredient in the feed chute. Whether it is straight or slanted to the right or left. Do a little experiment and find out the difference for yourself.
Many machines come with adjustable slicing blades that would give you different thickness as desired. You also have the option of buying different sizes of slicing disks.
Ensure That You Are Using The Right Feed Chute
Majority of food processors have multiple options of feed chute; most common is 3 sizes or at least 2.
The way to be sure that you have the right size of feed chute is if the ingredient is packed tightly. This means no room for the ingredient to wiggle or wobble around. That way, you’ll get cleaner and more even results.
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Using The Feed Chute
When you are pushing ingredients down the feed chute, you need to keep a firm and steady pressure on it. Most feed chute would show you the maximum line where the ingredient should get to. You might need to trim your ingredient if it exceeds that maximum. Similarly, you’ll notice if the ingredient is too big for the feed chute. Trim it till you get a nice tight fit and no more.
On those occasions when you would end up combining all the ingredients, you can always place them all in the feed chute at once (that’s if they fit). This would ultimately save you more time.
Making The Shredding Disk Easy To Clean
One trick that would help make cleaning your shredding disk easier is to spray all the parts lightly with cooking spray. These are the work bowl, feed chute and shredding disk. Note that the spray should be lightly applied.
This is just to keep the processed ingredient from sticking to the shredding disk and other parts of the food processor. That would in turn make the food processor easier to clean.
Best Uses For Food Processors – Conclusion
There are many best uses for food processors and haven’t explored them all here. But we know that once you start using your food processor, you’ll discover a lot more best uses for food processors.
Consider the food prep task that you do more often than others and choose a food processor whose best use is that function.
Finally, before you go shopping, ensure that you have taken out time to read our buying guides on all the reviews we referred you to.
We leave you this brief video that shares great recipes that you can make with a food processor. It showcases four best uses of food processors.