Food Processors

A food processor is a kitchen appliance which aids the process of food preparation. A food processor can rapidly and easily chop, slice, shred, grind, mix and puree almost any kind of ingredient which is used in the preparation of food. Some sophisticated models of food processors are also capable of functioning like blenders and can make fruit and vegetable juices. Yet others can be used for whipping egg whites, cake batter and kneading dough for bread as well. Food processors differ from blenders, liquidizers and mixes in the sense that they use swappable blades and attachments rather than a single fixed blade.

The origin of the food processor can be traced back to a French catering company salesman Pierre Verdan who observed that his clients spent extraordinary long periods of time getting various ingredients ready for the preparation of a meal. He then went on to invent the first food processor in 1960 which consisted of a bowl with a revolving blade. This was adapted by the French catering industry as Robot Coupe. Adaptations of the industrial Robot Coupe were introduced in the UK and the US in the 1970's. Carl Sontheimer created the first food processor for the US market in 1973 and revolutionized the process of food preparation forever.

Food processors come in three essential sizes and depending on your individual needs you might want to buy a full, compact or mini one. All three different sizes have the same basic components a motor, a bowl with a lid, a feed tube and a set of various attachments for various different functions.

These attachments attach to the base which contains the motor by fitting over a shaft inside the bowl. The most important component of a food processor is the sabatier blade which is used for the shredding and slicing of ingredients. This sabatier blade which attaches at the bottom of the bowl is usually made of metal but sometimes it can be made of hard plastic as well, though metal blades are more durable as they retain their sharpness longer. In addition to this blade there are several shredding and slicing disks which are made of metal and which fit over the shaft to help you slice your vegetables according to the varying degrees of thickness that you require. In addition to the slicing and shredding discs which may or may not come with your food processor you can also purchase other attachments like a dough blade, an egg whip, a julienne disc, a French fry disc all of which have to be compatible with your base unit.

Companies like Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid, and Braun are known the world over for the excellent food processors that they produce.