Is a food processor and blender the same thing?
Food processor and blender may have the same function of using a blade and a powerful motor to turn food or beverages into a liquid or semi-liquid state. But the two has its own purpose, one is more suited for liquids and the other is for more extensive kitchen tasks like creating the perfect guacamole dip.
Blender
The blender or sometimes called the liquidizer in British English comes in two types, the countertop blenders and immersion blenders.
Countertop blenders are your usual classic blenders that sit on top of a table or counter. Containers are either made of glass, plastic or stainless steel. This is the type of blender that may give its user a 3-16 speed settings and are perfect for smoothies and margaritas.
Immersion blenders, on the other hand, do not have any container. It is also sometimes called a stick blender. This is the type of blender that needs to be immersed in a container and is suited for small tasks such as a quick pesto with basil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Food Processor
Introduced by a company in Germany called Electrostar in 1946, the food processor has come a long way. A company salesman in France, Mr. Pierre Verdun, even invented his own kind food processor by putting a revolving blade in the base of a bowl. This later on became the crank-operated food processor.
Although, some blenders may take a food processor’s role, nothing still beats the original that can handle heavy kitchen tasks.
Unlike blenders, a food processor has interchangeable blades that are sharp and are ready to mince and dice products. It also has a shorter but wider container to cater to a wider and chunkier array of food. This kind of machine won’t have any problems chopping and dicing vegetables, grinding hard objects such as nuts and seeds, and even kneading dough.
Blender x Food Processor
With a brief description of the blender and food processor, you may now have a vague idea how the two differs from each other.
A blender is a machine for simpler and easier tasks such as making soups and purees, smoothies, and dips. This uses its blunt blades and tall container efficiently.
Food processor, with its wider and shorter container, can do the same thing minus the smoothies and thoroughly chop vegetables, shred meat and even cheeses, knead dough and crusts.
What’s the Difference?
The blender has a taller container which is perfect for smoothies and is capable of making soups, purees and dips. It also doesn’t take enough space and is easier to clean, especially with the immersion blenders now available in the market. Its motor is not as big as the food processor.
A food processor (like Robot Coupe) has a wider and shorter container to put chunky and wider food. It has an interchangeable blade to match the task at hand. It has a powerful motor and a little bulky compared to the blender. It also has all the abilities a blender can do and more minus the smoothies. Food processor is one of the favourite commercial kitchen equipment in busy restaurant.
Final Verdict
No, the food processor and the blender is not the same thing. Although the two has an almost similar function, each of them has a specific purpose. The blender is for lighter tasks while the latter is for commercial kitchen duties.
See more preparation equipment: dough mixers, meat slicers.
