Food Processor – Cooking Made Easy

Food processor is one of the significant home appliances which aids in cooking and makes cooking a fun activity. Food processor facilitates the prevention of repetitive and grueling tasks during the process of cooking. A juicer, mixer, grinder and blender may also be known as food processors although there is a fine line which demarcates them.

Food processor is synonymous to an electric -motor-driven appliance but manual devices are also there. A food processor works in a similar pattern to that of a blender but have the extra advantage of interchangeable blades and disks instead of a fixed blade.

The bowls in a food processor are wider, shorter and more appropriately shaped for solid and semi solid foods. In blender you may have to use liquid but in a food processor there is no need to use any liquid.

The main functions of the food processor consists of

• Slicing and chopping
• Grinding items like nuts, meat, seeds and dried fruit
• Shredding or grating cheese and vegetables
• Kneading dough
• Pureeing

The inception of food processor:
The custom of using a food processor began when a French catering company salesman Pierre Verdan realized that a lot of time could be saved by devising a bowl with a revolving blade in the base. This idea evolved into ‘Robot Coupe' a company established to manufacture the first food processor for the catering industry.

Along with this technology came newer products like juicer, grinder and mixer to speed up the cutting, chopping and grinding process. Ever since, there have been newer models of blenders, mixers and grinders each with specific functionalities.

The design and operation:
The principle behind the function of a blender, juicer and grinder are almost the same. The motor is present in the base of the unit and it turns the vertical shaft. There is a bowl usually made of transparent plastic which fits around the shaft. Depending on your preference shredding and cutting disks can be attached. These spin at the top of the bowl and a lid with space to feed the ingredients that need to be ground may later be fit onto the bowl. This prevents the food from getting thrown outside when the motor works in full momentum.

The types of food processor:
A blender is also known as a liquidizer and is defined as a stationary, upright device which is used to blend the ingredients. They may also be used in a laboratory. Most modern blenders offer options to adjust speeds to enable course to fine blending, depending on the recipe.

Juicer on the other hand is based on the principle of extraction. The juice from the fruit pulp is extracted. A juicer is often referred to as an extractor. They may be of three main types:

• Masticating Juicer: Chew the fruit to a pulp before extracting the juice
• Centrifugal juicers: Sieve-action to separate juice from pulp
• Triturating juicers: Equipped with twin gears to crush the fruit and then press it.

A mixer and grinder help mix and grind substance into a thin paste. They also work on the principle of a mortar attached at the base which turns the blade. The edges of the blade are specifically designed to perfectly mix all the food matter that is put into the mixer jar. The advanced versions have suitable specifications which make the grinding, mixing and blending, a hassle free task. They also come with different jars to suit a wide range of food.

Food processor is indeed a boon of technology which is here to stay and make the whole process of cooking easier; while saving time and energy. Make your life in the kitchen a pleasant one by choosing the appropriate food processor.