What to Consider When Shopping for a Food Processor

For people who love to cook – and some who don’t! -- a food processor is a major asset to any kitchen, saving time and effort on a number of common kitchen tasks as well as enhancing your dietary repertoire. Buying a food processor can be a major household purchasing decision, however, since the cost is not minimal and different brands/models will have different features to choose from. There are a number of things to keep in mind when shopping for a food processor, so that you get the food processor that will best suit your needs for a price that will not break the bank. This will help to ensure satisfaction with your food processor purchase months and years down the line.

The first thing that you should stop to consider is the food processor’s capacity, typically measured by cups. If you need to be able to dice and puree a large amount of food on a regular basis, having a food processor with a small capacity along the line of 4 to 6 cups is simply going to create more work for you. Likewise, having a larger capacity food processor up to 14 to 16 cups is going to take up unneeded space and cost more money than the smaller model. Most food processors come with various bowl and container sizes, but it is important to check the product specifications and not just assume any model has what you need. Think about how you are actually going to be using the appliance and this will help you to choose the capacity of food processor that will best meet your needs.

Next stop to think about the physical size of the food processor that you will want. Consider whether it is going to remain be on the counter or table or whether you plan to store it out of sight when not in use; you are going to need a certain amount of space for it regardless of whether it is stored or kept out in the open. If you have limited counter and storage space then you may want to avoid large model food processors, since it will be much more difficult to use and store (and hence you may not even use it) if you don’t have anywhere convenient to put it. When deciding on a smaller unit, be aware of appliance wattages. Wattage affects the power and performance of your food processor and varies greatly amongst brands and models.

You should also think about the features that the food processor offers. Some models can process whole fruits and vegetables at different speeds, but this may not be important to you if you’re going to be using your food processor largely for mixing or for dicing previously-sliced food materials. Others come with a variety of blades and attachments for things such as kneading bread dough. Additional parts may include discs for slicing, shredding and julienne;
whisking, blending and juicing; and grinding fresh meat. Once you have determined the size and capacity you need, start looking at models that have the specific features you are looking for within that range and create a short list to compare specific features, pricing, and manufacturers’ warranties.

Other considerations that you might want to keep in mind include what the food processor and its parts are made of – for example, stainless steel, bacterial-resistant plastic, or glass. Another consideration is safety features such as locking bowls or lids and automatic shut off. Having a locking bowl will add an extra step to securing and removing the processor compartment but will ensure that it will not come loose while you are using the unit. Food processors come in different colors and you may want to consider whether it will fit in with the rest of your appliances and your overall kitchen decor. While these considerations certainly are not the most important parts of choosing a food processor, they are still important and will help you to choose the food processor unit that best meets your specific expectations.

One last consideration that can be very important is price. Having a number of interesting features that you will not use does not do a processor much good if it is considerably more expensive than a similar unit made by a different manufacturer. Take the time to shop around for different food processor units, finding several that meet your requirements and will fit in to your kitchen in just the way that you want. Once you have compared your options and have chosen the food processors that are most likely to fill your needs, start comparing the prices that you find at different stores in your local area and online. Compare manufacturer or brand reputations by reading online customer and product reviews. This will let you see the full range of prices that various stores and online outlets have for your preferred food processors, giving you a chance to shop around and find the best deal possible on the specific unit that you buy.