The food processor: a kitchen necessity or an unnecessary luxury?

Do I really need a food processor? This is probably the most frequently asked question when someone is considering buying their first food processor. Many home cooks who already own a stand mixer, blender, and mandolin wonder if they’ll really find use for a food processor on a regular basis. Then there are the purists who think they’d be ditching their finely honed knife skills by turning to a kitchen appliance for help.

No one really NEEDS a specific kitchen appliance, but anyone who is a serious cook or wants to become a serious cook can greatly benefit from using a food processor. Each of the kitchen tools listed above has its own benefits and belongs in a well-stocked kitchen. A food processor also deserves a place in such a kitchen.

There are tasks that a food processor is well suited for that no other appliance can perform as well. These include chopping, crushing, and emulsifying. A blender is great for blending soups, but may have problems with partially pureed items, such as sauce. A mandoline can slice through zucchini with ease, but it can’t shred several pounds of cheddar cheese in less than a minute. A stand mixer is the right tool for mixing cookie dough, but it can be fiddly and ineffective for emulsifying mayonnaise.

Many cooks are more willing to embrace new recipes when they have a little help. That French onion soup you’ve been thinking about isn’t so daunting when you don’t have to chop ten pounds of onion by hand. Apple pie from scratch is so much easier to achieve when you have the right tool to cut the butter into flour for a perfect crust. Fresh salsa takes time when you slice all the vegetables by hand, but only a few minutes in a food processor. You’ll never have to settle for processed, pasteurized, packaged salsa again! Making fresh butter from cream seems crazy at first, since you can buy it at the store. Once you realize that all you have to do is pour the cream into your work bowl and let it whip, it’s not so ridiculous. And anyone who’s tried freshly made butter is unlikely to go back to the store-bought version.

I think every kitchen should have a food processor. The right one can cut prep time considerably and anyone who cooks regularly should seriously consider purchasing one. Even those who only cook on special occasions can appreciate the usefulness of a food processor. Homemade pie crusts are a breeze, and fresh breadcrumbs come together in seconds. Preparing a holiday dinner can take half the time, making it well worth the cost, even if it’s only used a few times a year.