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Food processors are amazing tools to have in the kitchen. This kitchen appliance is a life-saver when it comes to chopping up fruits and vegetables quickly and easily. However, just like any other piece of machinery, your food processor needs to be properly taken care of and maintained in order to perform at its best. But how to maintain a food processor?
In this blog article, we will discuss 9 tips for maintaining your food processor so that it runs like a charm! So whether you just got a brand new food processor or you’ve had one for years, make sure to read these tips so your appliance lasts as long as possible.
Food Processor: What is it?
A food processor is a kitchen appliance that is used to chop, slice, shred, and puree food. It typically has a lid with a feed tube that you can insert whole fruits and vegetables into.
How Long Can Food Processors Last?
With proper care and maintenance, food processors can last for at least 8-10 years. However, if you do not take care of your appliance, it will not last as long.
For example, if you chop hard substances like raw meat or sticky substances like raisins on a daily basis, the blades will become dull and need to be replaced.
So how can you properly take care of your food processor and make it last as long as possible? Continue reading to learn more.
9 Tips for Maintaining Your Food Processor
Your food processor, like every other appliance, must be properly maintained in order to function its best. The maintenance of these machines may not vary from model to model. Click here to look at some of the finest models of food processors available.
Here are 9 tips we recommend for maintaining your food processor:
1. Use it Correctly
The very first tip to maintaining your food processor is to use it correctly. To prevent the machine from falling or tipping, for example, it should be placed on a sturdy and flat surface.
In addition, you should never put the spatula or any other utensil inside the feed tube while the machine is running as this could result in serious blade damage.
Finally, the right blade should be attached for the right purpose. For example, if you’re shredding cabbage, use the shredding blade. If you’re slicing carrots, use the slicing blade.
Moreover, using the food processor correctly will help to ensure its longevity. Check out our article on using a food processor if you’d like to learn more about it.
2. Maintain its Blades
The blades are the most important part of the food processor as they are responsible for chopping, slicing, and shredding the food.
It is important to keep them sharp so that they can do their job properly. You can sharpen the blades yourself using sandstone or have them sharpened by a professional.
In addition, it’s important to keep the blades clean. If you don’t clean them after each use, food will build up on the blades and make them dull.
3. Clean it Regularly
It is important to clean your food processor after every use. This will prevent food from drying and hardening on different parts of the machine.
To clean the food processor, first, unplug it and then remove all of the detachable parts.
The bowl, lid, and blades can then be washed in soapy water. The base of the food processor can be wiped down with a damp cloth. You can learn more about this in our guide on cleaning a food processor.
4. Cut Food into Small Pieces
It is important to cut food into small pieces so that they can fit easily into the feed tube. If food is not cut into small pieces, it will not be chopped evenly.
Moreover, large pieces of food can damage the blades and prevent them from working properly.
5. Avoid Processing Certain Types of Items
There are some items that should not be processed in a food processor. Some of these items are classified below for your understanding:
- Hot Food: Most of the time your food processor will fail to process hot food so, putting in hot food should be avoided.
- Super Frozen Food: Super frozen food such as hard-frozen peanut butter can damage the machine’s container.
- Sticky Food: Sticky food such as dry fruits can clog up the works and damage the blades.
- Hard Substances: Hard substances such as bones can severely damage the blades.
6. Don’t Use it as a Substitute for Blender
A food processor is not a blender and should not be used as one. A blender works best with liquid while a food processor is designed to chop solid food.
If you try to use your food processor as a blender, you will end up damaging it.
7. Let it Cooldown Between Two Consecutive Tasks
When you use the food processor for a long time, it gets hot. For this reason, if you use your food processor continuously without allowing a 30 mins cool-down time in between, the motor will start to overheat and this will shorten its lifespan.
8. Replace the Blades If Necessary
If the blades are damaged, they need to be replaced as soon as possible. Using damaged blades can damage the food processor.
You can purchase replacement blades from the manufacturer or a local store. Installing them is usually simple and can be done following the instructions in the user manual.
9. Deep Clean the Container to Get Rid of Odors
If your food processor smells, it is important to deep clean it to get rid of the odors. To do this, you will need to disassemble the machine’s container and wash it in a baking soda solution for 15 mins.
Afterward, rinse the container well and dry it before reassembling the food processor.
Conclusion
Maintaining a food processor might be difficult if you don’t know how to do it. However, once you understand it and perform it correctly, it’s all worthwhile.
Now that you know how to maintain your food processor, put the above 9 tips into practice and enjoy years of hassle-free use! Hope you found this article helpful. Thanks for reading!
