Modern kitchens are so different from the old ones. Right? Today, if you visit my kitchen, it will look more like a tech shop than a kitchen. And, here I will explain how to choose the best machines for your kitchen.
A food processor that includes the functions of several appliances is undoubtedly a complex device. CHIP will help you understand the intricacies of technology and will present ten popular models. See, I always prefer top brands like Tops Bob while recommending others.
New technologies have not bypassed the principles of cooking. First of all, this applies to the so-called. kitchen assistants in the matter of rolling meat for minced meat, chopping vegetables or nuts, kneading dough, squeezing juice. The number of units grew, while the kitchen space remained the same. And the total price of all these devices is an impressive amount.
Therefore, engineers began work on combining the properties of all these devices at the beginning of the last century. The first optimal solution was the Assistent food processor, released in 1940, which turned out to be not only heavy and large, but also unimaginably noisy. Modern units essentially perform the same functions, but much faster and more functional, better quality, more economical, and most importantly, they are much quieter and more compact. It is this kitchen machine that is included in the ranking of the best.
A modern food processor is a versatile assistant for those who love to cook and prefer to eat well at home, rather than in a cafe or restaurant. It replaces all food pretreatment devices. With its help, you can coarsely or finely chop any vegetables, beat egg whites or cream, scroll meat, squeeze juice, thinly cut cheese or sausage, knead dough, mix a cocktail, grind cereals or nuts, make delicious homemade sauce.
You just need to change attachments and bowls, saving both time and money. The materials used in the manufacture of combines are environmentally friendly and do not react chemically with food. So how do you choose the best food processor for your kitchen? Below we will tell you
Selection Tips
When choosing a food processor, be guided by its size, performance and the number of functional attachments. This will help you understand how to choose a kitchen machine.
Compact models (or kitchen grinders) have a power of 200-700 W, 1-2 speeds, 1 working bowl with a volume of 1.5-2.5 liters, 2-3 main attachments. They are cheaper, but they also have fewer opportunities. They cost about 15 thousand rubles and are well suited for a family of 2-3 people with a mode of use 2-3 times a week.
Multifunctional food processors are far superior to compact ones. The power is 1.2-2.2 kW, the number of speeds reaches 15, 10 or more knives and attachments, the volume of bowls (2-3 in a set) reaches 10 liters. Some models have variable speed adjustment depending on the hardness of the products, are equipped with a blender, juicers, auger meat grinder and a lot of useful additions. Such a car is worth buying for a large family for everyday use. Their cost varies from 15 to 60 thousand rubles.
The power of the food processor affects its performance. In principle, the “the more the better” dependence also works here. But, according to experts, the capacity should correspond to the volume of the working bowl and the amount of products processed per cycle. The ratio is approximately as follows: power 300 W – bowl capacity 1.5 liters, 400-450 W – 2-2.2 liters, 700 W – 3-3.1 liters, 1000 W – 4.5 liters and more.
The speed range of the electric motor is 15 to 20,000 rpm. Low speed is for mixing and kneading dough, high speed for chopping. An indicator of 7800-10000 rpm is enough to perform almost all work.
The bowl of the food processor must be hygienic, resistant to acids and other food components, strong, withstand heating up to 80 ° C and storage of food down to minus 5 ° C. They are made of plastic, metal or glass. The most common ones are plastic. They are lightweight, cheap, but not strong enough.
Glass bowls are heavier and more expensive, but they can be used in the microwave, in the freezer, and in the dishwasher. The best option is a bowl or blender body made of impact-resistant heat-resistant glass.
The stainless-steel bowls are the most expensive. But they are also the most durable, lighter than glass ones and more hygienic than plastic ones, they can withstand any heating or freezing temperatures. Metal bowls are preferred for processing meat products. It is worth noting that all types of bowls are on sale and it is better to have a set of 3-5 bowls of different properties and volumes. Then the cooking process will become much easier and faster.
The total and usable volume of the working bowl are different. A 1.5 L bowl of liquid holds 2 kg of chopped vegetables, 2.5 kg of cereals, or about 3 kg of sugar or salt. Special divisions on the bowl will help in determining the usable volume when cooking. A very useful addition will be the lids that protect you from splashes, and the food in the bowl from foreign particles and moisture loss during storage.
It is better to choose electronic control of the combine. This option is more expensive, but the processor itself can weigh the products, determine their density, recognize the type of nozzle, select the best mode, temperature and speed, controlling them during processing. And LED indicators will help you control the operating modes.
Pulse mode. It allows using a special button to instantly bring the combine to maximum power. While holding your finger – it works, removed – turned off. But it cannot be used for a long time, otherwise the motor may overheat and fail. And yet, which kitchen machine is better?
Nozzles: the more the better
In compact models there are usually 2-3 basic ones, in multifunctional ones the number of attachments can reach 30. When buying, you need to clearly define for yourself what exactly you want to do in the combine. After all, each additional attachment increases the cost of the device. In the future, as your skill grows, you can buy other attachments.
A good solution may be a special compartment for storing them in the case of the combine, but if there are many of them, then usually there is a special container in the kit, sometimes even wall-mounted.
Kitchen robots
Engineers pay attention not only to the functionality of combines, adding additional modes to each new model and increasing the number of attachments. Electronic control is being improved, smooth (variable) speed switching is used depending on the type of products, microprocessor technologies are used. And premium kitchen machines can deal not only with the preparation of products, but also with the programming of up to two dozen recipes.