Blenders Vs Food Processors: What's The Difference?

Blenders and food processors are popular kitchen staples, but knowing the key differences could save you some money, countertop space, or even ruined recipes. Chopping, blending, pureeing, and generally getting the consistency right on your signature smoothie or frozen drink are some of the reasons people opt for either a food processor or a blender. The first thing to know is that while these tools are regularly used interchangeably, they can offer you slightly different benefits.

The way blenders and food processors are designed plays a big part in this. Food processors tend to have multiple blades or discs, while blenders come with fixed blades. This means that the variety of discs and blades allows for different functions like chopping or mincing, whisking, or sometimes making dough. Your blender's angular blade will do a great job of keeping things smooth and as lump-free as you desire. It's also worth noting the different shapes of food processors and blenders. The jug from the blender is perfect for pouring while the food processor does a messier job of this. Food processors come with a wide bowl for chucking in and breaking down wider ingredients without hassle.

The confusion around choosing when to go for a food processor or blender really comes down to what you plan to make. Blenders are for getting your ingredients in the purest form of liquid goodness in no time, but food processors aren't cut out for that type of speediness. The beauty of a food processor is its ability to go slow, leaving you with uniformly chopped food. Lovers of hearty soups and meat loaves might get more use out of a food processor since it is designed to help out with chopping and finely mincing.

If you've got some chunkier bits to cut down, a food processor would be more precise than a blender. Recipes that call for chopped tougher vegetables and foods do better in a food processor. Homemade granola using nuts and seeds are also prepared with ease for a food processor. While a food processor may actually leak when too much liquid is included, blenders are designed to handle high amounts of liquids for liquid recipes, smoothies, and even blending tofu into your protein-rich drink. Some dishes that both tools can prepare well are hummus, condiments, dips, nut butters, and yogurts. The tool you choose will depend on how much texture and crunch you want verses something smoother — the choice is yours.