A food processor vs stand mixer is two very different kitchen appliances. Both of these devices have their pros and cons but the one that will best fit your needs depends on what you want to make in your kitchen.
Now it’s important to know about food processor vs stand mixer and which of these two appliances will be most beneficial for your kitchen needs.
Here's the Stand Mixer vs Food Processor Comparison Chart
01) Mixing and Whisking Ability
Food Processor
The machine is primarily designed for mixing and whisking ingredients together. A food processor is great for mixing together doughs and batters, making pie crusts, pâtés, and chopping vegetables.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers can be used for mixing, whisking, kneading bread dough, making pizza doughs, cakes, cookies, and more. But it cannot mash potatoes as a blender does.
02) Stirring and Cutting Ability
Food Processor
Food processors can stir and chop, but not as well as stand mixers. Food processors are not able to cut through thick doughs and batters, which makes it difficult for them to mix things properly.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers can stir and cut ingredients, but not as well as a blender does. Standing mixers are not able to make some things like sauces, dips, and purees.
03) Spouts and Shearing Ability
Food Processor
This appliance has spouts that you can use to pour ingredients onto the spinning blade. These spouts make it easy to pour ingredients without making a mess or getting them all over your hands.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers do not have spouts like processors do which makes it difficult when trying to add ingredients while mixing. This means you will probably need to stop the machine, remove the cover and add the ingredient while your mixer is off.
04) Grinding and Smoothies Ability
Food Processor
Food processing can grind and make smoothies. Using the grating or slicing blades, you can make things like nut butter, bread crumbs, and even grind meat.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers cannot grind or make smoothies. If you want to make something that needs grinding and mixing together, then your electric device will be perfect for that task.
05) Attachments
Food Processor
Its attachments come with multiple attachments like mincing/grating discs, slicing disks, and more.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers typically come with a wire whisk, dough hook, paddle, and a pouring shield attachment.
06) Convenience and Ease of Use
Food Processor
The device is small and can fit in most kitchens with ease. They are also very easy to use, all you have to do is put the ingredients inside and turn it on.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers are large devices that take up a good amount of space in your cookhouse. You can't just place them on your countertop, they will need their own storage area.
These machines take more time to use and you will need to stop the machine and add ingredients between mixing.
07) Durability
Food Processor
The machine can be made from plastic, stainless steel, or aluminum. This means the device may not last as long as a mixing device.
The blades inside may wear out quickly depending on how often you use them and which ingredients you use them on.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers are usually made with stainless steel or aluminum. These products can last for many years if they are taken care of properly.
The average cost of this item is more expensive than that of a machine, so this should be taken into consideration before purchasing one.
08: Power Usage
Food Processor
The processor can use up to 700 watts of power during operation.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers usually have 250-500 watts or more of power available to them.
Additional Properties
01. Pasta and Dough
Food Processor
In general, cooking processors are mainly used for making pasta and dough because it's easy and convenient.
Stand Mixer
A standing mixing bowl is mainly used to make dough and batter because it's easy and convenient.
All you have to do is put the ingredients in and turn it on. It can't create sauces or anything like that, but it does make great pasta and dough.
02. Vegetarian Meats & Proteins
Food Processor
This device is not able to create vegetarian meats and proteins.
The blades just aren't meant for cutting through things that are that tough.
Stand Mixer
You can use this component with the dough hook to make everything from seitan to meatless meatballs, which makes it a very useful machine for vegetarians.
03. Cleaning and Care Instructions
Food Processor
Food processors are usually made of plastic. Plastic is easy to clean and you can even put parts of it in your dishwasher.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers are made with metal and glass, which makes them harder to care for and must be cleaned by hand.
You can't put any of the parts in your dishwasher either. Although this does make them last longer since they aren't constantly exposed to water like a blender is.
04. Storage
Food Processor
Food processors are made to be easily stored away in a cupboard or cabinet, making them great for small kitchens with limited space.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers are usually bigger than kitchen processors, so they take up more room on your countertop.
05. Temperature Control
Food Processor
Food processors cannot maintain a constant temperature. They only have the ability to heat up as you bring the ingredients inside together. Once they heat up, they can't cool down until you are done with your recipe.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers are able to maintain a constant temperature. You can select the temperature for stirring or kneading your flour before you start it.
06. Reliability and Warranty
Food Processor
Food processors are reliable machines with a long warranty period, which means they will stay in good shape for years to come.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers are more expensive than appliances such as processors, so you can expect them to be very durable and high-quality products.
The average cost of an electric machine is somewhere between $250-500 dollars whereas a food processor is only around $50-150.
07. Health and Safety
Food Processor
Food processors can cause some serious damage to your kitchen if they overheat, which is why you need to be very careful when using them.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers have a regulated speed that will stop the motor from overheating, so there is less of a chance for it to cause any damage.
The blades inside the grinder are usually very sharp, so be careful when your hand slips down into the machine while you are working.
Types of Food Processors and Stand Mixers
Food Processor
Food processors come in many different types, shapes, and sizes.
The 2 most common kinds of food processors are full-size processors and mini food grinders.
The main difference between these two is that the smaller one can only hold up to three cups while the full-size one can hold more than 12 cups at a time.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixers come in even more different types, shapes, and sizes than food processors do.
The most common type is the classic one with a bowl on top that you attach to the base unit by locking it into place.
Other popular types of mixers are planetary mixers which spin around like planets orbiting the sun while some models have a smaller bowl on top that can be used while the larger one is still attached.
The Uses of a Food Processor and Mixer
Food Processor
Food processors usually come with multiple blades and discs to help you get the job done.
You can use them for chopping, mixing, pureeing, grating, whisking, and even kneading flour. You can also cut vegetables and fruits into smaller pieces before adding them into the blender with a slicing disc.
Stand Mixer
Electric mixers are very helpful when it comes to baking.
You can use them for whipping up flour, whipping cream and egg whites into meringue, kneading bread, pasta, and pizza doughs, creaming together your favorite cakes or cookies recipes, making ice cream or frozen yogurt dishes like homemade sorbet or gelato, and much more.
Features of Food Processors and Stand Mixers
Food Processor
Food processors usually don't have a lot of special features.
The only feature you might find is a pulse button which makes it easy to chop ingredients in short bursts instead of continuously chopping them like you would with many different speeds.
Stand Mixer
Electric mixers usually have at least 2 different speeds and a pulse button.
Plus they usually come with some kind of special feature that makes it easier to use, like an auto shut-off switch or a retractable cord that stores back into the unit itself for easy storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
01. Is It Possible To Use a Food Processor as a Mixer?
It is not possible to use a food chopper as a mix. These processors have blades that chop, mix or puree food. They are not designed to knead flour, beat eggs, or whip cream.
02. Which Food Processors Have a Mixing Attachment?
Some machines come with a bowl and a mixing blade sold as a combination unit. This is the only type of device that can be used as a mixer.
03. Do Kitchen Aid Mixers Replace Food Processors?
The answer to this question is no. The mixer may be able to perform some functions that a blender can, but the capability of an appliance is much greater.
For example, you cannot use a kitchen aid or any other type of mixer to make sauces as efficiently as a blender. In addition, you cannot use a mixing machine for kneading dough as well as you can with this appliance.
There are many functions that food processors do not have the capability of performing. For these reasons, there is no reason to replace your mix machine food processor.
04. Can a Stand Mixer Attach to a Grinder?
A mixing machine can be used with a grinder but not on its own like a blender. The grinder is placed into the opening on the top of the mixer and turned by hand, which attaches it to the base unit.
05. Do You Need Both a Mixer and a Food Processor?
Though there are many food processing tasks that cannot be done by an electric mix machine, they can still be used together. A combination of the two appliances will help make your kitchen work more efficient and decrease your time spent on cooking.
For example, you can use the mixer to combine dry ingredients for baking, but then switch over to an electric mixer for making cake batters.
06. Which is the Cheapest Kitchen Appliance?
Neither a processor nor an electric mixer is the cheapest kitchen appliance. However, if you are on a tight budget and can buy only one of these two appliances, you should choose the food blender.
A mixer is an investment that will last for many years to come. A blender is more of a short-term investment as its life span is only about six years.
Conclusion
The food processor and the stand mixer are two different kitchen appliances that do not serve the same purpose. Which one should you use to make your favorite dish?
When deciding which appliance is best for a particular task, it's important to consider how much time you have, what tasks you want to accomplish with each appliance, and whether or not storage space in your kitchen matters.
At this point, we hope we've given you enough information about both of these tools so that you can decide if a food processor or stand mixer is right for your needs.
