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The two kitchen appliances are similar in use and can even at times serve as a substitute. But there are still limits to consider, such as your needs, kitchen, and what kind of sauces or liquids you usually make. Making smooth salsa for snack time or smoothies post or pre-workout has come in handier with food processors and blenders. So can you use a blender as a food processor? The answer is it depends on the food you are preparing.
Having a blender in your kitchen can help a lot with various food preparation tasks. A few settings can make your life a lot easier. Using a blender can help you reach the desired consistency for various dishes and can combine wet ingredients with ease.
But I bet you’ve been thinking: how can I use a blender for a food processor? To guide you, we’ll discuss how a blender and food processor works as we get into the nitty-gritty of food processing with a blender.
What is a Blender?
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Blenders crush and liquefy ingredients together. They are known to grind, chop, puree, and combine food when making a drink or dish of your own. Each brand and model specializes in its uses.
You can chop vegetables, blend frozen fruits, and even try grating food with high-end blenders. Making different soups or drinks, especially with the variety of options you can pick to blend your ingredients can be a lifesaver.
But blenders can look intimidating to use for first-timers. So before giving it a go, there are 6 basic parts that you should be familiar with:
Blenders crush and liquefy ingredients together. They are known to grind, chop, puree, and combine food when making a drink or dish of your own. Each brand and model specializes in its uses.
You can chop vegetables, blend frozen fruits, and even try grating food with high-end blenders. Making different soups or drinks, especially with the variety of options you can pick to blend your ingredients can be a lifesaver.
But blenders can look intimidating to use for first-timers. So before giving it a go, there are 6 basic parts that you should be familiar with:
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- Blender Jar
The detachable part of the blender is where you’ll pour the ingredients to be mixed.
- Blender blades
A blender uses multiple blades to crush and slice the ingredients into fine and blended pieces.
- Blender Motor
The blender motor is the engine that powers the blades to propel and cut your ingredients.
- Housing
The housing contains the motor. Its top is also where the jar connects with the blades to slice food ingredients.
- Jar Base or Jar nut
The jar base is a separate piece that holds the blade and gasket together, which is screwed to the jar.
- Lid
The lid is a removable cap that covers the jar to prevent the food ingredients from splashing around while being blended.
The job of a blender is to make your milkshake and soup sessions faster and easier. To explain how food is blended with this countertop tool: imagine a vortex. A blender crushes and mashes food with spinning blades at a fast speed setting, and the motor powers it to swirl and pull down the food to be sliced. They chop and blend ingredients for a smooth and consistent texture that is needed for most recipes.
If you have a large family or plan to host parties and get-togethers, then a large blender would be recommendable for large batches. But for smaller batches, you can use smaller types of blenders. Picking the right blender depends on your needs and what kind of drinks or dishes you plan on making.
There are different types of Blenders to consider before making your final pick:
Single-serve blenders
Also known as Bullet blenders, single-serve blenders are smaller and more portable blenders for those on the go. You can pour your ingredients into a bullet-shaped container to quickly make liquid recipes that can hold up to 24 ounces of food ingredients, depending on the brand. It’s a fast way to blend raw food and crush ice into deliciously smooth drinks.
Single-serve blenders can puree on baby food and cut tiny portions of vegetables and vinaigrettes to make different sauces and soups. You can also mix your quick pancake batter with it to have a smooth result.
On the other hand, dripping can be a common issue when you incorrectly and loosely attach the blades to the container.
Immersion blenders
Immersion blenders are lovely for busy homes and quick blending. It’s less likely to make a mess as it has no steam pressure build-up. Though they’re not as efficient as their sister blenders, they can still reduce soft fruits or veggies, protein powder, yogurt, and nut butter. You can pour your ingredients into a large mason jar and open the blender to start mixing!
If you are using food with a thicker consistency, go for a more powerful blender. But some Immersion blenders are strong enough to make quality soup and other hot fluids! The only thing to consider is that it may not create a smooth texture compared to other blenders.
Bottle Blenders
Bottle blenders are handy for athletes and travelers who are out and about. They are portable and can even be chargeable, depending on the brand. You can use them for powder drinks and baby food! The downside is that most bottle blenders can’t handle chunky food as it is a quick mix.
While this is a newer type of blender, leaking issues have been coming up. Make sure to tighten both ends of the blender to lessen any dripping.
Counter blenders
Counter blenders can help you prepare large amounts of juices and other kinds of liquid. It’s perfect for food enthusiasts who want to be creative in the kitchen. You can mix almost any type of food with counter blenders. Countertop models have more options for blending that can crush and combine hard food into a smooth finish.
They are the ideal blender type for crushing and blending ice. Countertops are the go-to choice for making cold drinks like smoothies. Counter blenders are often bulky and can take up your kitchen space. Using it frequently would have no issue with space, but if you rarely blend or process food with your blender, it might take up a lot of idle space.
Heavy Duty Blenders
Heavy-Duty or commercial blenders provide stronger and faster blending than other countertop blenders. Food businesses would need this kind of power to accommodate a larger batch of customers. It can make fast-paced and smooth drinks and soups by chopping and blending larger food ingredients.
On the downside, they are pricier than countertop and portable blenders because of the professional and commercial settings it offers. You’ll also need to consider that it may take longer to clean because of the variety of food ingredients you blend.
Can you process food in a blender?
Yes, you can use a blender to process certain ingredients! But using a blender for food processing depends on the food you’re prepping up. Blenders can do most things food processors do but with a few conditions. Tasks like kneading dough and pastry batter recipes call for a food processor due to its thicker solution than smoothies, sauces, and soups.
Blenders use blades to break down food ingredients into smooth solutions, much like food processors. The difference is that food processors can grate hard food like cheese and chocolate. Food processors have enough power for making pastry dough and mince meat. They work sufficiently with hard and dry food but can’t handle liquids as well as blenders, which can work well with soft foods and wet ingredients.
On the bright side, countertops and heavy-duty blenders now have enough power to chop chunkier food, making it great for food processing! You’ll need to switch a few options to adjust your blender into food processor mode.
How do I use a blender as a food processor?
There are quick steps when adjusting your blender into a food processor. Options vary per model, so it’s best to check the manual before pressing any switches.
Here are the quick steps to processing your food with a blender at home!
- Set the blender speed to low.
- Switch your blender’s settings to “normal”.
- For ingredients like bread crumbs, switch your blender to the “pulse” settings. For blenders without a pulse setting, run your blender speed on high speed for 30 seconds at a time.
- If you’re working with a puree setting, simply press the puree setting and blend the ingredients until it’s smooth.
What food can I process in a food blender?
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Options may change per food! To guide you, here’s a run-through on how to process different foods with a blender!
Baby food
- Pour a quarter cup of freshly cooked veggies into your blender jar.
- Turn the blender settings to puree or high speed and blend until the vegetables are mashed and smooth.
Bread Crumbs
Bread crumbs are one of the most important ingredients for many kinds of course food. You can process up to 1/2 cup of bread crumbs depending on the size of your bread when using a blender!
- Break two to three slices of dried bread into quarters.
- Put the three or four dried bread quarters into the blender jar.
- Use the pulse setting of your blender and watch until the bread is chopped into your preferred size. Do the same with the remaining dried bread quarters.
Tip: If your blender doesn’t have a pulse button, you can run the blender at high speed for 30 seconds.
Pesto
Homemade pesto can be easily made with
- Pour the following ingredients into your blender jar:
- 3/4th cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4th cup of parmesan cheese
- 2 cups of basil leaves
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1/4th cup of pine nut
- Turn the blender on medium speed to process until your pesto sauce is smooth and creamy.
Shredding Cheese
You can make shredded cheese into at least 2-3 inches or smaller with a blender too!
- Place your chosen cheese into the blender.
- Turn the blender to high from 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can keep it on until the cheese is blended into your preferred consistency.
Crushed Ice
Crushing ice is one of the easiest tasks for a blender as you can make all kinds of cold drinks with liquid ingredients. Other blender models have a separate food processor attachment for crushing ice that you can use with the Jar (Blender) base.
Using a blender to process the following food depends on the motor power. Cheaper blenders often won’t be able to chop hard food like hard cheese so if you’re looking for an all-around blender, find a quality countertop blender that can do most of your food needs.
Final Thoughts: Can you use a blender as a food processor?
A full-size blender can make a huge difference. You can make certain foods faster instead of a food processor to save money.
A blender is a handy kitchen appliance that can answer almost all your food processing work. High-end blenders make powerful blenders that can chop food and mince meat with ease. Most blenders have different functions that can let you explore many recipes.
The two appliances are pretty similar in use and blenders have been catching up in performing all sorts of kitchen tasks. The only thing you should always consider is how much you’ll be processing food and what kind of food you’ll be processing before you make your final choice between a blender and a food processor.
References
Bayne, G.K. “How to Use a Blender as a Food Processor.” LEAFtv, 13 Dec. 2021, https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-use-a-blender-as-a-food-processor/.
Brown, Charles. “7 Types of Blenders: Difference & Best Use [UPD. 2021].” HouseAndBeyond.org, 24 June 2022, https://houseandbeyond.org/type-of-blender/.
McCue, Helen. “Can a Blender Be Used as a Food Processor?” TechRadar, TechRadar, 5 Oct. 2021, https://www.techradar.com/news/can-a-blender-be-used-as-a-food-processors.
Sennebogen, Emilie. “How Blenders Work.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 2 Sept. 2003, https://home.howstuffworks.com/blender1.htm.
Wells, Nicole. “5 Different Types of Blenders and Their Uses (with Pictures).” House Grail, 12 Aug. 2022, https://housegrail.com/different-types-of-blenders/.
“8 Types of Blenders: Popular Blenders Types.” Kitchen Infinity, 22 Feb. 2022, https://kitcheninfinity.com/kitchen/tool/appliance/blender/types/.
“What Is a Blender? Get to Know the Blender Better.” Kitchen Infinity, 21 Jan. 2022, https://kitcheninfinity.com/kitchen/tool/appliance/blender/.
I am a physician who cares about healthy living. I strive to be as healthy as I can be so that I can thrive in my own life. By sharing what I know I want to help others to live a healthy life.