Food Processor

Food processors are kitchen appliances that perform repetitive tasks to aid the food preparation process. The first food processor was invented by Carl Sontheimer in 1973. Once the importance of this food processor is understood by the people, it became a grand success in the industry.

The preparation of food first involves cutting, shredding, dicing, pureeing and so on. These processes consume more effort and time for the cook. If this has to be done for a large number of people in hotels, people have to be employed for these steps. With a food processor, single one time investment alone is needed. The food processor can do any or all of these jobs within minutes and the ingredients of the recipe will be ready to cook instantly.

Knowing the need for food processor, everybody started buying one for their home. Nowadays, any electrical equipment that assists the cook and simplifies the manual work is termed as a food processor. The basic food processor is the blender that needs some water to be added to the ingredient and when you switch on the power, the blended ingredient will be ready in just 2 minutes.

The first food processor consisted of a bowl with revolving blades attached to the base. Once the blades start revolving, the ingredient which may be vegetable or cheese or meat or whatever is cut into pieces instantly. This greatly reduced the time involved in getting the ingredients ready before cooking.

Modern food processors include a motor that turns the vertical shaft. The bowl fits around the shaft and it is made of plastic. The cutting blades are attached to the motor shaft. When the motor starts, the cutting blades revolve and cut the ingredients in the bowl. The bowl will be covered with a lid to prevent the ingredients from flowing outside. The lid will have a feed tube through which the ingredients are added.

The bowls or the jars in the food processor come in three sizes – mini, medium and large. The motor is the heaviest part of the device. Arrangements are made in the shaft such that the bowl correctly fits and gets locked into the shaft for maximum grinding. There will be a switch that will be available with the food processor to control the speed of the motor. When the motor spins fast, finer grinding is achieved. Today, the blades are detachable from the device. Different blades are supplied with the device for dry grinding, blending, kneading and so on. The food processor is mainly used to save the time you spend in the kitchen. Before buying a food processor you must concentrate on the quality.

You have to buy a food processor that has all the attachments that you need. You must ensure that the blades are removable. Various blades for mixing, pureeing, chopping, grating, blending and slicing are available. The bowl or jar of the food processor must be made of quality plastic that does not break or shatter. With the advancements in this field, bowls with different colors are available. Grind and store containers are also available so that you can refrigerate the grinded ingredient for future use. Ensure that your food processor works in the 750 watt power range. This power is ideal for home usage.

Food processors that extract juice from the fruits are also available separately in the market. These food processors have different attachments for extracting juice from citrus fruits and pulpy fruits.

You have to take care of your food processor properly to ensure durability. Wash the blades and jars immediately after use to remove the residual particles. As the food processor is an electrical appliance keep it away from water. After washing the jars, wipe them with a clean cloth so that the motor does not get affected with the moisture. Food processors are essential equipments in the kitchen and in this decade you will not find a single kitchen without food processor. If you don’t own one yet, don’t waste your time and start shopping for your food processor.