Mixing, Blending or Chopping? You Need a Blender or Stand Mixer!Comments Off
Appliances are a common fixutre of any kitchen these days. Having functions that are overlapping, they are sure to create confusion and possibly frustration for the customer. To be specific, we are talking about food processors, blenders, stick blenders and mixers. We know that, loosely speaking, they combine and prepare ingredients, but what is the real deal with them? What would be best for you and your kitchen? Let us take a quick survey of these appliances and see if we can clearly demarcate where the appliances duties begin and end.
Do not limit your use of a blender to just those smoothies and cocktails, because they are a great deal more versatile than that. Certain soups can be smoothed in the blender and it is a big help when making homemade dressings and sauces. Heavy duty blenders, like those offered by Vita-blend are extraordinarily versatile and even have solid blade containers that can be used for jobs normally associated with the food processor.
A person living alone and who is often blending and preparing single servings would get lots of of use out of a stick blender. Having said that, a very busy cook might need one as an auxiliary piece of equipment if there are often two dishes going that require blending (i.e., the stick blender can be hauled out if the blender is full). They are also great to have on hand if you want to mix gravies or soups on the stovetop.
Food processors are renowned for their versatility. First introduced in the early 1960s, the food processor has long been a must of restaurants, cafes and home kitchens alike. While food processors may initially seem very similar to blenders, they work with blades that can be removed and changed for specific tasks. Such blades include chopping, grating and cutting discs. Food processors differentiate from blenders because they do not require liquids to mix or chop food. This makes them ideal for chopping and slicing vegetables and other solids.
The essential functions of today’s home food processor include chopping fruit and vegetables, grinding nuts and seeds, kneading tortilla and bread dough, shredding salad, mixing soup and grating cheese.
KitchenAid, Cuisinart and French-made Magimix are traditionally the largest and most renowned manufacturers of food processors. Recently, Morphy Richards have launched a line of food processors to challenge these traditional giants of the appliance market.











