Food Processor vs Blender: What’s the Difference?

With all the kitchen appliances on the market, it can be hard to understand the purpose of them all. Whether you already own a kitchen mixing appliance, or are looking for a new one, but are confused by the various options available, our food processor and blender guide will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.

Food Processor

Ideal for precise and speedy food preparation, food processors can be used for slicing, dicing, chopping, shredding and even kneading dough (with the correct blade). The food processor is a useful addition to any kitchen - especially those who spend a lot of time preparing food and creating roughly chopped sauces, like houmous or salsa.

Mini Food Processor

Designed for preparing small amounts of food, for example, chopping onions and garlic, or grinding nuts. The mini food processor is a small, compact option, ideal for people who do not need a heavy-duty food processor and just use it for everyday minimal chopping tasks.

Countertop Blender

Ideal for liquefying ingredients, the countertop blender purees contents into a smooth liquid, quickly and efficiently. Its slim container narrows at the base and blends contents in a circular current motion. Perfect for smoothie drinkers, the countertop blender is able to whip up concoctions with precision, speed and without too much supervision.

Immersion blender

The immersion blender is handheld and is brilliant for mixing homemade soup in the pan, or blending small batches of ingredients. Its smaller, portable design means it doesn’t take up as much space in the kitchen and is ideal for those who don’t tend to make large amounts of food at a time.

The blender is built for blitzing ingredients very finely and requires an amount of liquid to fully function. It is powered by a fixed blade at the base and does not have the ability to solely mix solids. The food processor has various interchangeable attachments such as slicing discs and blades, which all have the ability to chop solid ingredients, as well as grate and make breadcrumbs.

Both appliances are designed for completely different purposes, so the short answer is no. However, due to the number of attachments on a food processor, many people refrain from using them and prefer to use a blender.

As long as there is liquid in the ingredients, there are certain instances where a blender can be used instead of a food processor, for example, if you do not need to chop large quantities of food, but simply want to blitz purees, soups and sauces. If you are going to be preparing considerable amounts of food, a food processor is the best option, although it cannot be used for smoothie making.

Key:

Best appliance ◇

Can be done with the correct attachment •

They are the same thing. Sometimes a blender is referred to as a liquidizer in the UK, but they have the exact same function.

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