A food processor’s main work is to shred, chop, slice, grate or mix either the soft or harder foods. The food processors entered the kitchens around 1970’s. Since then it has been popular with homemakers as they do efficiently perform tasks which would have took a longer time if done by hands manually. Many of the models have discs and blades which are interchangeable. All can be used to slicing, shredding, grating or kneading the dough, although the S-shaped blade meant for chopping is mostly used to do the trick. This appliance is excellent in pureeing the vegetables and fruits, grating the cheese, cutting the butter into crusts of pastries, grinding the stale bread into small crumbs, or kneading for bread dough. Some non-electric food processors are also available in the market.

The questions that you should be asking yourself before buying a food processor are:

Do you need to do a lot of mincing, chopping, slicing and shredding?

Would you be using the food processor once in a month at least?

Are you into making homemade dips, salsas?

Is there enough storage space in your kitchen? You’ll need about 1 to 1 ½ cubic feet of your kitchen space.

Are you handy with a dish washer? It is because the Food processors need a lot of cleaning. It is safe o clean the blades using a dishwasher rather than by hand. Also all food processors are safe with dishwasher cleaning.

If you answer positive to the majority of these questions, you probably do need a food processor at your home.

Since all of the food processors basically perform the same tasks, you will probably wish to find a powerful one that is able to process your food quickly also being consistent. Keep in mind that if you are working with liquid food, the effective capacity of the bowl is just around halved. A capacity of at least 9cups would be wonderful. A powerful chassis will make the food processor from “walking” while performing heavy processing tasks. A wide dimensioned feed tube is a must. Wider tube lets you process larger pieces.

In regards to the safety features you would want to make sure the bowl locking onto the base and also that the top part locks safely and firmly onto the bowl. Also make sure that the processor won’t start unless all the units are locked securely together. Many models do offer a wide range of speeds, however as the processing is very quick, the only controls you will need are the on, off, and he pulse setting.

Most food processors also come with the extra attachments like the stainless steel S-shaped chopping or mincing or pureeing blade along with a plastic blade to dough and the slicer or grater discs. Other attachments may be welcome but they are not really essential.

Also available are mini chopping accessories. Some models have come up with a smaller 2-4 cup mini bowl/blade, which is perfect for processing smaller amounts of food, examples being the herbs which you need for garnishing. Touch pad controls are available with some models. These have buttons behind a plastic sheet. It is good for keeping food out of the cracks. It is a feature which makes the food processor a lot easier to get cleaned. Continuous feed shredder and slicer is an extra attachment which allows one to slice or shred as much amount of vegetables or cheese as you wish without you having to stop midway to empty the bowl. There is a chute that directs the processed amount into a different bowl instead of heaping it into the work bowl.

Try to look for brands that are more consistent and popular. A good name doesn’t just come all by itself.