- For every homeowner or anyone who’s in charge of a family, food processing is always seen as a big deal, and rightly so. Food is one of the most essential things we need to survive as humans. Moreso, food is needed to keep both our body and soul together, leaving us functioning as we should. The importance of both food processors and blenders cannot be overemphasized in the world that we live in today. Thanks to technology, we now have many modern appliances that help us through our domestic lives without having to go through so much stress. People have often wondered if blenders could be used as food processors, wanting to know what’s the difference between a blender and a food processor. To put the question “Can a blender be used as a food processor” to bed, we’ll be looking at the differences between a blender and a food processor, the alternatives for a food processor, and what you can use if you don’t have a food processor.
- Different eras have different advantages, but it’s safe to say we are living in the best time in history, at least for now. Technology has made the world a better place to be, with some exciting inventions coming up in the past few decades. One area that has benefited most from technology is the domestic parts of everyone’s life. We now have appliances we can count on to do different tasks for us, especially the ones that are tagged “smart” because they do more than just their basic obligations. Having these appliances in our lives has obviously helped improve the way we live, and how much time we now have to spend on the other aspects of our lives, leaving the domestic part in good hands. Modern appliances are so important in our daily lives that we can’t do without having some of them in our homes. In this article, we’re also going to be looking at some of the benefits of modern appliances, and why you should consider having some of them in your space.
The kitchen is one of the most important places in every domestic setup, and technology has made it even more adventurous for those who love being in there. Household appliances have never been non-essential in the world, even when the world wasn’t this sophisticated. People’s appreciation for these appliances has grown over the past years, and we can see proof of how popular some of these appliances have become.
As humans, we have obligations to different aspects of our lives; domestic, spiritual, career, and the rest of them. Spreading 24 hours – which is all we have in a day – over these areas may be daunting, and even more so when we don’t have the right things to help us get through it. It is an undeniable fact that this has been made less of an issue than it used to be because we now have functioning household appliances to lift the pressure of our domestic lives off our shoulders.
The relief these appliances have given to us for decades cannot only be traced down to the domestic part of our lives. Technology has touched almost every industry that has ever been created, and even work has been made easier because we have gadgets that help us with our daily tasks. The same thing can’t be said a century ago, and that’s to show how far we’ve come; how far we’ll also go from here.
That’s in all fairness to how things were over a century ago. Things may not have been as sophisticated and easy as they are today, but that’s not to say the machines they had back then didn’t serve their respective purposes; after all, that’s all they had. It’s hard to imagine how those machines could have functioned then because we now have better ones.
The popularity some of these household appliances have gained over the years is somewhat a surprise, at least to some of us. Manufacturers are raking in millions and billions of dollars from their annual revenues, thanks to the sales of some of these appliances. People’s appreciation for these appliances has never been in question, especially in the United States, which is regarded as the biggest appliance market in the world, knocking the likes of South Korea, Germany, and China off the perch.
With a market value of $37.8 billion only in 2018, it is glaringly true that the country is home to one of the biggest markets in the world as far as household appliances are concerned. From refrigerators to vacuum sealers, washing machines to high-end blenders, there’s enough room for different brands from all across the globe to cash in on their ideas. These appliances have grown to be what people don’t see as a way to show off their social statuses; they are now considered necessities, and that’s something that’s strongly backed by Medium’s Heather G. Haight.
We mentioned earlier that the United States happens to be the biggest appliance market on the planet right now, and the chart above proves that to be correct. It was created using the information provided by Statista’s research expert, Arne Holst. The chart shows how the country has evolved over the past decade and some years (2008 to 2020), with the import value in billions of U.S. dollars. The import value recorded for 2008 stands at $19.36 billion. After taking a slight dip in 2009 when only $17.13 billion was recorded, things improved greatly from there, at least up until 2016 when another dip was suffered.
The numbers recorded for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 are $19.85 billion, $20.89 billion, $22.27 billion, $23.4 billion, $25.24 billion, and $27.02 billion, respectively. The bull run halted briefly in 2016 when the figure dropped to $26.89 billion from the $27.02 billion that was recorded the previous year. The most successful year, at least in recent years, would be 2020 when the import value of $33.12 billion was recorded.
Is a food processor the same as a blender? That’s a question people have struggled to find answers to in recent years, but maybe the answers have always been there for us to see. Technically, a food processor and a blender are two different appliances that may have similar functionality but serve different purposes. According to Amara, finding the purpose of each kitchen mixing appliance can be hard, especially on a market that is filled with lots of options.
The truth is that you can use a blender instead of a food processor, but that largely depends on the food you’re trying to process, and how many results you’re looking to get from it. The blender is a great alternative to a food processor, and that’s why it can serve as a substitute for a food processor when you don’t have any. Using a blender as a food processor may be down to different reasons, but the most obvious reason would be the difference in the prices of both food mixing machines.
Benefits of Modern Appliances
Since the start of the modern era, people have benefited greatly from different household appliances like the ones we have in most households today. When you compare the appliances that are in production today to those that existed decades ago, you’ll realize how far technology has brought us and how simpler it has made things. Modern appliances are manufactured to make life easier for us all, and that’s exactly what they’ve done.
Although modern appliances are getting the recognition they deserve from all across the globe, it’s safe to say some people are still not convinced enough to see them as worthy of their investment. If you happen to be one of those people, all you need to know are the benefits you stay to enjoy if you ever invest in them to convince you that they’re worth a shot. Below are some of the benefits of modern appliances;
They Have Modern Designs
Two of the most important factors people put into consideration when purchasing an appliance are style and design. People are already familiar with the functionality of these modern appliances, but can they add visual values to the space as much as they’re functional? The truth is; yes, they can.
Modern appliances do more than their basic obligations. People now invest in modern appliances because they make their different spaces look more modern, and that’s a great thing for homeowners who hope to, someday, sell their homes with a high resale value. The appliances in production now are multi-functional, thanks to the innovative plans of many manufacturers.
They Are Durable
One of the many advantages modern appliances have over their traditional counterparts is durability. At this time in history, nobody likes to purchase an appliance for the short term. The reason people will make the financial sacrifice to purchase some of these modern appliances is that they don’t see themselves making the same financial commitment in at least 3 years.
If you’re purchasing for the long-term and you’re not looking for a quick fix, you should consider spending your money on modern appliances because they are durable. What you should look for when purchasing some of the appliances is the manufacturers’ guarantee on the appliances in the form of a warranty. This way, you will earn their confidence while they’ll also get you to trust that you can count on their products.
They Are Energy Efficient
Another great benefit of modern appliances is that they are energy efficient. Compared to old appliances, modern appliances don’t consume as much energy, and it’s a great thing to know that you won’t be spending a lot of money paying off your electricity bills. Each appliance has its unique energy consumption rate, but what is guaranteed is that a modern appliance in a perfect condition consumes just about the right amount of energy.
The appliances in production today come with extra features that make them consume less energy than traditional appliances. Also, some appliances now come with Energy Star stickers that indicate how much energy each appliance will consume over a given period. This way, you’ll know which appliance to purchase and which one to avoid.
What’s A Food Processor?
A food processor, according to Amara, is a high-end food mixing machine that is adopted for its speedy and precise food processing and preparation. The food mixing machine is ideal for those who love to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food. When using the food processor, it means you don’t have smooth consistency at the end of the day, otherwise, you would have turned to the blender.
The purpose of having a food processor is to help create roughly chopped sauces, and can also be used for kneading dough if you have the right blade, slicing, shredding, and dicing. Ideally, a food processor functions similarly to a blender because it has almost everything a blender has including the blades. However, a food processor is more ideal for heavy-duty mixing tasks that will provide great results, just as you want them.
What’s A Blender?
A blender is sometimes called a mixer, but that has been deemed far-fetched by a lot of people who are familiar with the operation of a blender. The primary functionalities of a blender include mixing, pureeing, and crushing. Most households in the United States own a blender because the mixing appliance is seen as a necessity. Having a blender always leaves you in great hands because you can mix different things, including shakes, fruit juices, and many other recipes, whenever you want.
The blender is also an easy appliance to clean as most models have dishwasher-safe parts that can be thoroughly cleaned in a dishwasher. The invention of the electric blender is credited to a Polish investor, Poplawski Stephen J. Today, the electric blender is one of the most common household appliances, and the good thing is that most of them don’t cost a lot, so you don’t have to break the bank before getting one.
What Is The Difference Between A Food Processor And A Blender?
A food processor and a blender may have similar functionality, but the truth is that both mixing machines serve different purposes. Unlike the blender, the food processor is not regarded as a basic appliance to have in the house except you spend a lot of time in the kitchen getting your food processed. When it comes to functionality, the food processor is regarded as a heavyweight because it comes with different attachments that can be interchanged to match the requirements for each food you’re trying to process. The food processor has the unique ability to process solid foods and ingredients because it comes with different blades and slicing discs.
Blender, on the other hand, is built for mixing ingredients to give that fine texture at the end of every mixing process. What makes a blender different from a food processor is that it is not built for the kind of hard tasks a food processor can carry out conveniently. This is because a blender only features a fixed blade at the base, and also requires some amount of liquid to function properly, which is something a food processor can do without. Unlike the food processor, a blender may not be able to mix solid foods without adding some amount of water to them.
Can A Blender Be Used As A Food Processor?
The fact that a blender and food processor function similarly always makes people think that the blender is a great food processor replacement. Domestically, blenders are preferred to food processors because, unlike blenders that are very easy to use, using food processors requires more technical knowledge due to the number of attachments that come with them. The undeniable truth remains that both appliances are designed for different purposes.
Can you use a blender in place of a food processor? Technically, yes. The blender is a good substitute for a food processor, provided the food you’re trying to process with it will need some amount of liquid in it. While it is possible to use a blender in the place of a food processor, the outcome may be different from your expectation.
A blender is what to use instead of a food processor, and if you’re trying to adopt the method, you might as well give it your best shot. Below are a few pointers on how to successfully use a blender as a food processor.
Load The Blender With The Right Amount of Ingredients
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when using a blender instead of a food processor is to load the blender as if you were using a food processor. However similar both appliances may seem, a blender will never function as effectively as a food processor when it comes to processing solid foods. The best thing to do in this case is to load the blender with smaller batches of the ingredients you’re trying to process to get the best result possible.
Apart from not getting the result you need when you overload the blender, you may also cause the blender some problems, and might have to either fix or replace it as a result. You won’t get the result you desire in the sense that the food at the top of the blender will be totally different from the texture you’ll get at the bottom.
Use Less Liquid
Naturally, a food processor doesn’t need a liquid to function properly, and as much as a blender can’t function properly without some, it needs to be very little to avoid turning your food watery. You can start by adding a little liquid, and as you go deeper into the process, you’ll be adding more along the way as required, depending on the food you’re processing.
Use A Slow Blending Mode
When you compare the different functionalities of both the blender and a food processor, you’ll realize that a blender operates at a higher speed than a food processor. This mode of operation mixes your food to get a very soft texture. To replace a food processor with a blender, you’ll have to take a bit from the functionality of a food processor by letting the blender pulse instead of using it for a longer period.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What can I use if I don’t have a food processor?
The closest machine you can use instead of a food processor is a blender. Blender may not give you the results of a food processor, but it will give you something close to that.
2. Can a blender replace a food processor?
A blender cannot replace a food processor entirely, but it can give you something close to the results a food processor will also give you. Both may have similarities, but they are meant for different purposes. It is safe to also say that a food processor can do the job of a blender conveniently.
3. Can I use a blender instead of a food processor for dough?
No, you can’t. The dough is one of those solid foods that are processed by a food processor, and a blender cannot handle that.
Can A Blender Be Used As A Food Processor?
Over the years, we’ve seen the differences and similarities between a food process and a blender, which has often led to the question – can a blender be used as a food processor. Technically, a blender can double as a food processor, but you shouldn’t expect it to function exactly like the latter. People have sought this knowledge because some can only own one of the two, and the easiest one to have is the blender.
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