Having one of the best food processors on your kitchen counter can make everything from chopping vegetables to mixing cake batter so much easier. But while these gadgets can handle so many basics well, these 13 things most people don't know their food processor can do will bring your home cooking game to the next level.
Most modern food processors come with attachments for kneading dough and even whisking egg whites alongside their classic food processing blades, but even if you don't have the fanciest food processor on the market, there are plenty of things you can do with it so long as it has the power and capacity.
I also spoke to Stephen Catherall, sales manager at Magimix, for more advice on how to get the most out of your food processor. Here's what I learned.
Things you didn't know you could do with a food processor
1. Seed butters
"We all know how good food processors are for making homemade nut butters, but what about seeds? Create the smoothest tahini, using toasted sesame seeds," says Catherall.
By blitzing your seeds at high speed, it will release their natural oils and turn them into a creamy sauce that can be used in everything from salad dressing to cake.
2. Crushing ice
Crushed ice is the base of so many delicious cocktails and is also great for those who don't have access to a refrigerator with a crushed ice dispenser. However, if you don't want to smash your ice up with a rolling pin, you'll need to use an electrical device.
"You’ll need yourself a high-powered model for this one, but food processors are brilliant at crushing ice—perfect for frozen desserts, granita and cocktails," says Catherall.
3. Slicing meat
"Serve up beautifully presented charcuterie boards with perfectly sliced cured meat, straight from your food processor," says Catherall. "Simply cut the meat into feed tube sized pieces, freeze for around 4-5 hours (it should be firm but not completely frozen) and then slice using your finest slicing disc."
4. Butter
"So simple but so satisfying—homemade butter couldn’t be easier than in the food processor and avoids a whole host of nasties often found in store-bought," explains Catherall.
By working at fast speeds to separate the fats from heavy cream, leaving behind butter and buttermilk, your food processor will do all the churning for you.
5. Vegetable stock
Your food processor is great for making homemade broth out of vegetable scraps. "Chop leftover veggies, fry for 20 minutes in oil with salt before adding back into the food processor and blending until smooth," says Catherall.
6. Emulsified sauces
You can use your food processor to emulsify sauces such as béarnaise, hollandaise, and even mayonnaise. The trick is to slowly drizzle your oil into the pitcher while pulsing to allow your oil to fully incorporate.
Catherall pointed out that by making sauces such as mayonnaise from scratch, you'll have complete control over your ingredients and what goes into your finished dip. If you have an immersion blender, these are also great for making homemade sauce.
7. All-in-one cakes
I've been making one-bowl cakes for years, and food processors are especially good at combining your ingredients in seconds. Adding flour, butter, sugar and eggs to your bowl and blitzing to combine is a mess-free way of evenly mixing your ingredients. From there, you just need to pour into a tin and bake!
8. Dough
"You don’t need a stand mixer to create the perfect dough," says Catherall. "A food processor will make light work of it." He also pointed out that the Magimix comes with a special attachment thtat's designed to assist in the development of gluten. I've used this to make bread dough before, but you could also use it to combine pasta ingredients for homemade lasagne sheets or tagliatelle.
9. Healthy alternatives
Catherall told me he likes to use his food processor to blitz or grate cauliflower, creating 'cauliflower rice'. When steamed or fried, this creates a tasty low-cal alternative to rice, and can be achieved in minutes.
Another suggestion Catherall made was to slice vegetables such as squash or sweet potato and use them as alternatives to lasagne sheets. This is another easy carb swap that can add some extra flavor to your meal.
