Whereas all of the meals processors I examined can principally get the job achieved with regards to chopping, pureeing, shredding and slicing, they arrive in varied sizes and bowl volumes with a spread of further options and value factors. If measurement or value are limiting components for you, the choice goes to grow to be very simple as you’ll rapidly slender the sector to smaller and cheaper fashions. If value does not matter a lot, and you’ve got limitless cupboard area for storage, a great place to start is perhaps by contemplating what kind of use you think about you will have for a meals processor regularly.
KitchenAid’s 8-cup meals chopper is an ideal meals processor for these with restricted counter and space for storing.
Meals processor measurement and weight
There aren’t any commonplace sizes for meals processors, however they’re sometimes categorized primarily based on their bowl volumes: small fashions within the 3- to 6-cup vary, medium within the 7- to 10-cup vary, and enormous within the 10- to 13-cup vary. Light-weight fashions weigh between 5 and 10 kilos, whereas heavier-duty fashions might be 15 kilos and above. The lighter fashions are likely to have suction ft on the bottom, to stop motion whereas the meals processor is working.
The Hamilton Seashore 7073 might be had for $40 and is our decide for one of the best funds meals processor.
Meals processor features
Meals processors are primarily used to cut or cube and puree, with an S-shaped, rotating blade doing the work. Shredding and slicing are different typical makes use of, however completely different meals processors might embrace two-sided discs for these features, or separate discs for every, and will embrace a separate anchor pin that holds these discs in place, the place the principle S-blade is eliminated. Quick doughs akin to pie crusts might be made in a meals processor, however kneaded doughs are additionally attainable, with a number of of the fashions right here providing separate, plastic S-blades for this goal.
Speeds
Most recipes involving meals processors specify mixing or chopping at both a excessive or low pace and for that motive, you may need a processor with at the least two speeds and a strong motor. The most typical configuration is a low, excessive and pulse possibility. There are some meals processors with only one pace, however that is extraordinarily limiting, so search for a meals processor with at the least some vary of speeds.
Attachments
Whereas your meals processor is primarily two spinning blades, loads of different attachments can broaden your processor’s capabilities. Some include a number of attachments like discs for grating, shredding and slicing, dough blades for kneading bread dough, and attachments for whipping cream, chopping nuts, juicing fruits or dicing greens. If you realize what duties you may do most frequently, make sure to examine that your processor consists of the blades and attachments you may want, akin to the precise mixing blade, chopping blade, slicing blade or citrus juicer. Some meals processor fashions, just like the Magimix, include quite a lot of these attachments, whereas for others they should be bought individually. Relying in your meals processing wants, this can be one thing to contemplate. Bear in mind, attachments should not be tough to scrub, and you need to positively examine whether or not they can go within the dishwasher.