I don’t have a whole lot of fancy appliances in my kitchen, but one I find absolutely essential is a food processor. I use it to help me make everything from hummus to pasta dough. But to really get the most out of the machine, you need to learn how to treat it right.
Here are five things to watch out for food processor
1. Forgetting about the pulse button
The pulse button is there for a reason. It gets the ingredients inside the food processor moving and incorporates everything evenly before processing for a steady amount of time. The pulse button results in chopping; hold it down and whatever you’re processing turns into a purée.
2. Using it instead of a blender
Yes, a food processor can do a lot of things a blender can do, but it can’t do everything. Both can churn out nut butter and make a mean pesto, but leave jobs that involve extra liquid — like soups and runny sauces — to the blender. The bowl of the food processor has a fill line, and if liquids go beyond that, you risk it leaking out the sides or the top. (Trust me, I have done this more times than I really care to admit.)
3. Adding ingredients that are too large
While a food processor is powerful, it does need a little assistance, so cut that pepper or onion up into a few equal-sized pieces before throwing it in. The same thing applies if you’re making breadcrumbs: Tear the bread up into pieces before tossing it in.
4. Running the machine too long
If you’re preparing a recipe that requires quite a bit of processing, factor in break times to allow the machine to cool down. Nut butter and some doughs made in the processor will begin to degrade if the machine’s motor begins to overheat.
5. Putting the parts in the wrong place in your dishwasher
While the bowl, blade, and lid are usually dishwasher-safe (you’ll just want to check your machine’s user manual to make sure), they are meant to be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher. Since the heat of a dishwasher comes from the bottom, the bottom rack can be too hot for the parts, and can potentially wear them down.
6. Processing Hot Food Items
You should not place any hot food item in your food processor. Doing this can degrade the quality of the food processor.
7. Filling the Bowl Before Setting up the Processor
If you situate the bowl of your food processor on the base when it loaded with pine nuts or basil, the blade will not sit flush. You will either end up cutting your hand or you will have to unload the food and start again.
8. Pouring Too Much Liquid in the Bowl
Even if you own the best food processor in India, you cannot fill the bowl with too much liquid. There is a line indicating how much liquid should be filled in the bowl of the food processor. Too much liquid can splash up and out of the food processor bowl.
9. Assuming the Blades will Last Forever
Even if your food processor is counted amongst the top 8 food processors in India, its blades will be going to wear off after constant use. Replace the older blades with new ones to ensure the effective chopping, grinding, slicing, mixing of the food. The food processor price in India is just touching the sky limits. So, you never want a new food processor until and unless your current appliance is functioning properly.
Conclusion
I hope this article will help you in maintaining your food processor. If you have any point to add regarding this please share it in the comment section. And make sure you use the best quality food processor.