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Which is the best food processor for me?

Which is the best food processor for me? 

Are you looking for a food processor but aren’t sure which one is right for you? This article looks at the key points to consider to help you find the best food processor to suit your needs. 

If you love cooking and creating delicious dishes but find the job of preparing your vegetables, fruit and nuts a nightmare, then a food processor is a great investment. They take away the hard work so you can enjoy the fun side of cooking. However, it's worth taking a bit of time so you end up with a food processor that works for you.

Consider what preparation tasks you undertake in the kitchen. This is important because different food processors come with a variety of attachments. If you do a wide range of tasks, such as mincing, pureeing, blending, liquidising, beating, whipping, homogenising, creaming, aerating or foaming, then it's worth looking out for a food processor that has numerous attachments. However, if you only chop or slice then a wide range of attachments will be redundant. 

Here, we talk you through some of the different types of food processors, and hopefully, you'll be more informed to make a better decision by the end of it. 

Should I buy a food processor or hand blender?

So you want to buy a food processor…but do you need one? Food processors are great for making light work of all the preparation tasks in the kitchen. Having said that, that can be expensive, bulky and, if truth be told, unnecessary. Sometimes all you need is a good quality hand or stick blender. 

So let’s first look at the advantages and disadvantages of food processors and hand blenders.

Advantages and disadvantages of food processors

Food processors can do pretty much every preparation job under the sun including slicing, grating, chopping, whisking, whipping, kneading and mixing, and if you’re after an all singing, all dancing piece of kitchen tech, then this is the one for you. On the other hand, they can be more expensive than hand or stick blenders.

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Advantages and disadvantages of hand blenders

Hand blenders are perfect if you only prepare small batches of food, i.e. mixed herbs, chopped nuts etc. They are smaller, cheaper and easier to use and clean compared to their larger cousins. If space in your kitchen is at a premium, then hand blenders are ideal. Normally, though, versatility is poor and you’re often restricted to just chopping and pureeing. Juicers.ie have introduced the Bamix range of hand blenders which are 100% Swiss engineered, they give you the added functionality of a different attachments and are also affordable with the entry level models coming in at under €150.

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How much do food processors cost?

The cost of food processors and hand blenders vary wildly. Simple entry-level hand blenders can cost as little as €20. Conversely, commercial grade food processors can fetch over €1,000. How much you spend, depends on how advanced you want your food processor to be and what your budget consists of. But don't be fooled by the price tag, there are some great food processors out there for €200 or less and sometimes you just have to use your judgement. We are Juices.ie recommend the Magimix Le Mini for an entry level high quality food processor.

But with so much choice and a wildly varied price range, it can be daunting picking the best food processor. Before you start, you have to know exactly what you need.

What accessories do I need for my food processor?

There are some accessories which are essential and others which are less so. A jug blender attachment is important for making smoothies, soups and for general blending. If you like making creams, then a creaming blade attachment is something you should consider and likewise, if you love baking, a kneading blade is a must. But if you just want to process food then look for a basic model with minimum accessories.  

What size food processor do I need? 

Again, this depends on your requirements. If you often make large quantities of food, then you might need a larger food processor. There is one important thing to consider, though, and that is kitchen size and storage space. If your kitchen is a conservative size or you have minimal cupboard space, then a large food processor might not be practical. 

This is also true for bowl size. It's clear that larger bowls or jugs contain more ingredients that you can blend, but again, if you don't often blend large quantities or you don't have space, is it realistic to buy the largest model? Maybe not.

If you have space, though, larger bowls are brilliant because you can just add all of your ingredients into the bowl without needing to prepare or chop them up first so that they fit. 

Are feeding tubes important?

Yes and no. Feeding tubes make it so much easier to add ingredients while your blender is running. This saves you time and effort. The larger the feeding tube, the larger the ingredients you can add. Sometimes feeding tubes are large enough to add whole potatoes or apples, ideal if you're into your juicing.

Remember, though, if you don't ever juice or are not planning to in the future, then don't get drawn into buying a food processor with a large feeding tube. It's probably not necessary and could save you money. 

I need lots of accessories, but I don’t have the storage space

Of course, not everything is black and white. You might love cooking and want lots of food processor accessories but lack the space to store them all. Don’t worry. Many food processors come complete with a storage box, which can be a lifesaver when space is at a premium. Some are cleverly designed so that they fit inside one anther, further reducing the amount of space it takes up. 

Final though

So, now that you’ve considered all the key points when buying a food processor or hand blender we hope that you’re much more informed and feel confident in making the right decision. However, if you’re still not sure why not get in touch, we’d be happy to give you some more advice so that you can find your perfect blender.