Quick Answer
Yes, you can use a food processor as a blender in many cases, but there are some limitations. Food processors and blenders have some overlapping abilities for chopping, grinding, and blending, but they are designed differently and excel at different tasks. Blenders are optimized for quickly blending liquids, while food processors have more power and features for chopping, grinding, kneading, and mixing thicker ingredients.
Comparing Food Processors and Blenders
Food processors and blenders share some common functions and abilities:
– Both can chop, grind, puree, and mix ingredients to varying textures.
– They operate using fast spinning blades at the bottom of a container.
– Both have models ranging from basic to high-powered options.
However, there are several key differences:
Container Design
– Blender containers are normally tall and narrow to create a vortex for efficient blending. Food processor bowls are wider and shorter since blending liquids is not their primary function.
– Blender containers have tapered bottoms that allow ingredients to circulate into the blades. Food processor bowls have flat bottoms.
Blades
– Blenders use loose blades that are optimized for liquid blending. Food processors use thicker fixed blades that can handle tougher chopping and mixing tasks.
– Some food processors come with multiple blades for slicing, shredding, kneading, and more.
Controls
– Blenders typically have speed and pulse controls. Food processors offer more advanced controls like adjustable speed settings, on/off toggling, and specialized functions.
– Food processors tend to have a wider RPM range to handle different tasks. Many blenders max out at around 15,000-20,000 RPMs while food processors can reach over 1,000 RPM.
Motor Power
– Powerful blenders have motors ranging from 2-3 horsepower. Food processors typically have motors in the range of 500 watts to 1.4 horsepower.
– Stronger motors are needed in blenders to heat up and blend thick mixtures quickly. Food processors do not require as much sustained power.
Benefits of Using a Food Processor as a Blender
While food processors are not optimized for liquid blending like blenders are, you can still use a food processor to blend thinner mixtures in a pinch:
– **Chopping and pureeing soft foods** – Food processors excel at chopping and finely pureeing softer fruits, cooked vegetables, boneless meats, breadcrumbs, and more.
– **Mixing and emulsifying dressings/dips** – A food processor can blend and emulsify wet ingredients like mayonnaise, salad dressings, salsas, hummus, and other dips, especially in smaller batches.
– **Making juices and smoothies** – With the right technique, a food processor can pulverize ingredients into smooth juices and smoothies. You may need to strain out fiber and sediment.
– **Making nut butters and spreads** – Food processors are ideal for making nut butters, pestos, tapenades, and other spreads from dry ingredients. Slowly adding liquids helps form emulsions.
– **Making sauces and purees** – Food processors can blend and puree cooked vegetables, fruits, and meats into sauces as long as there is sufficient liquid.
– **Whipping cream and eggs** – The chopping action can whip air into cream, eggs, and batter. A blender vortex is more efficient but a food processor works.
– **Making breadcrumbs and powdered sugar** – Dry ingredients can be finely ground into breadcrumbs, powdered sugar, and more.
Limitations of Using a Food Processor as a Blender
While suitable in some situations, food processors have some drawbacks compared to dedicated blenders:
– **Less efficient at blending liquids** – Blender containers and blades are engineered to create a strong vortex for smooth blending. Food processors were not designed for this.
– **Does not heat ingredients well** – Blenders can generate heat through friction to cook soups or make hot drinks. Food processors lack this ability.
– **More likely to get chunky results** – A food processor’s flat bottom and thicker blades make it harder to break down and circulate chunky mixtures. Fibrous materials like fruit can get caught under the blades instead of circulating.
– **Smaller batches** – Blenders accommodate larger volumes. Food processor containers are typically smaller in capacity.
– **Can overload quickly** – Thick mixtures can quickly overwhelm a food processor and burn out motors not designed for high loads over time.
– **More likely to leak** – Food processor lids and bowls lock together but hot thin liquid may leak from the bottom as blades spin. Blender containers are normally sealed.
– **Not ideal for crushing ice** – Food processors can chop soft ice but may strain when crushing harder ice cubes. Blenders are made to pulverize ice.
– **Requires more scraping** – Blenders are self-cleaning but food processors often require scraping down sides as ingredients get stuck.
Tips for Using a Food Processor as a Blender
If you need to use a food processor to blend wet ingredients, here are some tips:
– Go for smoother recipes over chunky ones. Opt for juices, thinner smoothies, dressings, and pureed soups.
– Don’t fill processor bowl past halfway. Leave room for ingredients to move and blend.
– Add liquid gradually after adding drier ingredients first. This prevents flooding the bowl.
– Pulse in short intervals so machine does not get overloaded. 10-15 seconds at a time is a good start.
– Use the metal chopping blade instead of slicing/shredding disks. The chopping blade works better with wet recipes.
– Be prepared to scrape down sides as needed to redistribute ingredients.
– Strain blended mixtures if needed to remove remaining bits of fiber or pulp.
– Be careful with hot liquids as pressure can force leaks if lid isn’t secure. Allow liquids to cool first.
– Expect a longer processing time compared to regular blenders when blending thicker mixtures.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, food processors and blenders have significant design differences that make each excel in their intended uses. While a blender is specially engineered to blend liquids quickly and efficiently, a food processor has more versatility and power for chopping, grinding, mixing and pureeing thicker ingredients. In many cases a food processor can do in a pinch for basic blending tasks, but for the best results it is better to use a true blender for liquifying ingredients. If you only want to occasionally make juices, smoothies, sauces or other thin mixtures, a powerful food processor may suffice. But for daily smoothies and frequent blending needs, it is worth investing in a high speed blender optimized for these kinds of recipes.
| Blender | Food Processor |
|---|---|
| Designed for efficient liquid blending | Designed for chopping, grinding, mixing |
| Tall, narrow containers | Wide, short bowls |
| Loose blades create vortex | Fixed blades for solid ingredients |
| Typically 2-3 horsepower motors | 500W to 1.4 HP motors |
| Speed/pulse controls | Variable speeds plus specialty functions |
| Can heat ingredients through friction | Does not heat well |
| Larger capacity | Typically smaller bowls |
| Self cleaning | Often requires scraping down |
| Sealed container | Can potentially leak thin liquid |
