If you’ve newly purchased a food processor, you may have a few questions. What kind of recipes can it assist you with? What is the mechanism behind it? But, most significantly, how long can a food processor be used? Let’s find out if that’s the answer you’re looking for!
The answer is contingent on several factors. How long a food processor lasts is determined by its size, power, and frequency of use, and it can last 1-3 years under manufacturer guarantee for smaller powered systems. On the other hand, commercial food processors can last anywhere from 4 to 7 years, and they can last longer or shorter depending on the type of food you plan to put in it and how often you use it.
You might want to know what you can do to ensure it lasts that long now that you know how long it can last. Using them is simple, as it is with other appliances. The cleanup that must be done afterward, on the other hand, is typically an afterthought. Continue reading if you want to learn more about caring for a food processor.
5 Mistakes You Have To Avoid For The Long Life Food Processor
1. Not Remembering To Use The Pulse Button
The pulse button serves a purpose. It moves the ingredients around in the food processor and uniformly distributes them before processing for a set length of time. The pulse button causes chopping; if you keep it pressed, whatever you’re processing becomes a purée.
2. Using It As A Substitute For A Blender
Yes, a food processor can perform many functions that a blender can, but it cannot perform all of them. Both can produce nut butter and pesto, but use the blender for activities that require a lot of liquid, such as soups and runny sauces. The food processor bowl has a fill line, and if liquids exceed it, they may spill out the sides or the top. (Believe me, I’ve done it more times than I’d like to admit.)
3. Using Substantial Components
While a food processor is powerful, it does require some help, so cut up that pepper or onion into a few equal-sized pieces before putting it in. When creating breadcrumbs, please do the same thing: tear the bread into small pieces before throwing it in.
4. Excessive Use Of The Machine
Consider taking breaks to let the machine cool down if you’re making a recipe that requires a lot of processing. If the machine’s motor overheats, nut butter and some doughs prepared in the processor will begin to disintegrate.
5. Placing The Parts In The Dishwasher Incorrectly
While the bowl, blade, and lid usually are dishwasher safe (you’ll want to double-check your machine’s user manual to be sure), they should be washed in the top rack. Because a dishwasher’s heat emanates from the bottom, the bottom rack may be too hot for the parts, causing them to wear out.
What Should You Not Put In A Food Processor?
The motor is the primary source of worry with the food processor. As a result, one of the critical issues is hot foods. After all, it requires constant access to electricity, regardless of its size. It can become heated as it continuously processes the food you put in.
Scorching Foods
As a result, it’s best to avoid putting hot food through a food processor. Overheating prevention is available on a few processors, and however, processing hot food will cause your food processor to fail in most cases. Please see our previous post if you’d like to learn more about this topic.
The rest of the items that should not be processed in a food processor are determined by the processor’s power. Smaller food processors, as previously stated, do not have enough power to handle jobs that a larger one can. So, when it comes to compact/mini ones, it’s advisable to avoid:
Ice
In general, if anything appears challenging to break down, use a blender. Otherwise, most items can be processed in a full-size food processor. However, as a precaution, make sure you assist the processor in completing the task. Reduce the size of considerable foods to reduce the effort they have to undertake.
Dried Fruit
Dried Fruit can be a tasty addition to a smoothie or marinade, but because of its leathery skin and sticky interior, it can adhere to the blades and render them worthless, according to Gellman. If you must add dry Fruit to your blender, either mince it by hand or soak it in warm water before blending (and never by itself).
Foods That Are Super-Frozen
“Blending large or tough frozen foods, such as fruit or almond butter, might break the blender container, shards of plastic or glass flying everywhere and food splatters everywhere,” Penner warns. “I’m aware of this because it occurred to me!”
Even if your blender survives, your smoothie will most likely contain random bits rather than adequately mixed. Allow the meals to defrost for 10-15 minutes before blending, and choose items that have been sliced into smaller pieces for the best results.
How Long Can A Food Processor Run?
This condition raises another question: how long can a food processor run? Spreads and nut butter require a continuous 15-minute run in the food processor. Is there a way to do this safely without overheating the motor?
Unfortunately, you would have to use a Vitamix instead, as several users propose. This brings us to the final concern with keeping a food processor in good working order. That is, you must pick and choose your battles. Food processors can perform a wide range of jobs. Having a machine that can do everything well, on the other hand, is a pipe dream.
It would help if you used a blender instead of a mixer for tasks requiring many liquids or hot meals.
In the kitchen, there is a food processor and culinary utensils.
What Should You Do If Your Food Processor Breaks?
If you find yourself with a broken food processor, you may be wondering what to do with it. In the best-case scenario, you’ll be able to fix it yourself. However, doing so necessitates some work, and you’ll have to take it apart to discover what’s wrong.
You’ll need the following materials to figure out what’s wrong:
If you want to replace the pieces that aren’t working, you’ll need more supplies. You will need to measure the dimensions and order a precise fit for this operation. The gears, driving belt, and driveshaft are among these components.
Recycling
You can recycle the appliance if you aren’t interested in repairing it. You can take advantage of recycling programs offered by manufacturers such as Hamilton Beach. When the processor stops working, you can return it to them to be disposed of.
If not, you’ll have to look for recycling companies in your area. Food processors will not wind up in landfills if they are reused in this manner. You can also give the processor if it still works but not as it should, and it may be no longer helpful to you. On the other hand, others would prefer one that is still functional.
What Is The Best Way To Clean A Food Processor?
There is an electric food processor on the kitchen counter, with the kitchen sink in the backdrop. Kitchen appliance concept for easy and quick cooking
One of the delights of cooking is preparing and consuming a dish. The cleanup that follows is not. However, if you learn to clean a processor properly, the work will seem less daunting. You will require the following materials:
The first step is to take apart the components you’ve used. If you don’t want to miss any undesired remnants on the processor, you’ll need to separate them. As a result, keep the bowl, blade, and cover separate from the base.
Blades
Immediately wash the blade. As you may know, Moisture may cause the metal to rust, and it also ensures that nothing dries on it by washing it first. Remove any residue with a pad or sponge and mild dish soap.
Accessories
The dish and the cover must then be washed. Scrub the parts with a block of light dish soap and warm water. When cleaning them, avoid using abrasive materials. In general, these pieces can be washed in the dishwasher. Leave them on the top rack if you wish to skip this step.
Smell
If there’s a residual odor in the bowl, combine baking soda and water in a 1-to-1 ratio. Allow 15 minutes for the mixture to sit in the bowl before rinsing. This procedure should eliminate the odor.
Conclusion
scrub it carefully with a bit of soap and a pad, being careful not to cut yourself. So that no moisture can cause rust, dry the blade with a dry dishtowel. Disinfect the sections that can be removed. The food processor’s replaceable parts can be washed in warm water with mild dish soap.
A pulse is ideal for chopping, but it should be held for as long as possible. According to the BA test kitchen, a one-second pulse is ideal: It’s just long enough to stir the food without causing it to break down and liquify.
