Food processor vs blender: What's the difference? Tom's Guide Skip to main content Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Food processor vs blender Which should you buy By Katie Mortram published 22 April 2022 Here's the difference between a food processor vs. blender (Image credit: Shutterstock) Food processor vs. blender is a question all novice chefs will have googled at some point. There are a lot of similarities between these two appliances, both of which have fast-spinning blades at their core designed to chop up food into tiny pieces. However, they are ultimately designed for different purposes. Here, we will break down the differences between food processors and blenders, and help you come to a decision on which to buy. Once you know which appliance you want, be sure to check out the best food processors and best blenders, so you can get a top performer. Food processor vs blender The fundamentals  First of all, you need to understand the function of each appliance. A food processor chops, slices and dices solid ingredients to a precise degree. They're often used to prepare vegetables to save hours of chopping by hand. Prices can range anywhere from $40 to $250. Blenders on the other hand will liquify your ingredients into a fluid state. They're popular for making morning smoothies as well as sauces and dips. Prices for a full-size blender start from about $35 and go as high as $550. How a food processor works Food processors are designed to save you the time of chopping ingredients by hand and providing a more consistent result in a matter of seconds. While they're mostly known for their vegetable chopping abilities, they're actually quite versatile appliances. Food processors come with multiple blades and discs which allow them to grate, shred, slice and dice. They can even be used for lesser known food-prep tasks, such as kneading dough or grinding meat. While they handle solid foods, food processors can also be used to puree and create dips and dressings, so there is some crossover with blenders to an extent. (Image credit: Shutterstock) These kitchen countertop appliances vary in size, but they take up a similar amount of space compared to a full-size blender. They come with a base, which often offers a couple of speed settings to give better control of the processing. A removable plastic bowl sits on top with a built-in feed tube. Depending on which attachment you use, your method of processing will vary. The blade(s) sits at the base of the bowl and can slice and chop ingredients directly. Whereas the discs for grating and slicing are held in a higher position in the bowl, and you 'feed' ingredients through it as it rotates via the feeding tube. Because they come with so many attachments, food processors can be more difficult to store compared to blenders. However, some come with storage cases to keep everything together and to prevent accidents.Today's best Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor dealsReduced Price (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$249.95 (opens in new tab)$199.99 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$229.99 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$329.99 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab)Show More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices How a blender works Blenders are the more popular choice of these two appliances, and most of us have a better idea of what a blender looks like. Typically, it features a large, tall jug with a small, often fixed, blade at the bottom, which sits on top of a base. These come with more speed settings compared to food processors, and some even feature dedicated programs, such as for smoothies or frozen drinks. While this would be a typical example of a full-size jug blender, there are smaller options available known as personal blenders. These are essentially used to explicitly make smoothies and the container doubles-up as a cup for on-the-go. Handheld blenders also exist, called immersion blenders. These look completely different to the other types of blender and have their own distinct function. They're best used for smaller portions of sauces and dips and can provide a more concentrated blend. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Full-size blenders are mostly used to create liquid-based recipes, such as smoothies, soups, sauces and dips. But they can crush ice too, so they're often used to blend frozen cocktails from scratch, such as mojitos. When blending liquids, this appliance should provide fine and consistent results, with no chunks in sight. It should also be able to puree thicker recipes, such as hummus, in a matter of minutes. Some blenders can also create so much friction as it blends that it heats the ingredients within, essentially producing hot, fresh soup at the touch of a button. Although not all blenders can reach such speeds for a prolonged time. Once blended, you simply pour the ingredients out of the jug via the spout and you're ready to serve. Cleaning a blender also couldn't be easier. You simply add soap and water to the jug, run it on full blend for 10-20 seconds and watch it clean itself. Today's best Breville The Super Q deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$399.95 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$499.95 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$499.99 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab)Show More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Food processor vs blender Which do you need   The answer to this question largely depends on what you want to make. Solid food-prep chores require a food processor, while liquid-based recipes, such as soups and drinks call for a blender. It might well be the case that you need both and that's not unusual to say the least. Some designs even exist that function as both blenders and food processors. These will save you some storage space, however, in my experience these don't function as well as the independent models. (Image credit: Shutterstock) My final piece of advice is to only buy what you need. These appliances can be expensive depending on the brand you opt for, and some will end up gathering dust on the kitchen countertop. Make sure you're going to get some use out of these appliances. For more kitchen advice, tips, and tricks, check out our guide on how to use an air fryer, how to clean a cast iron skillet, how to clean cast iron stove grates, and 13 things you should never put in your dishwasher.Today's best Breville The Super Q and Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor deals (opens in new tab)Sage Super Q (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$499.95 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab)See all prices (opens in new tab)Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$329.99 (opens in new tab)View Deal (opens in new tab)See all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Be In the Know Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Katie MortramHomes EditorKatie looks after everything homes-related, from kitchen appliances to gardening tools. She also covers smart home products too, so is the best point of contact for any household advice! She has tested and reviewed kitchen appliances for over 6 years, so she knows what to look for when finding the best. Her favorite thing to test has to be stand mixers as she loves to bake in her spare time. See all comments (0) No comments yet Comment from the forums MOST READMOST SHARED1Amazon Prime Early Access Sale - best deals right now2Daily Quordle #258 - answers and hints for Sunday, October 93The best luxury mattress in 20224Rick and Morty season 6 episode 6 release date and time - How to watch online tonight, channel and more5House of the Dragon episode 8 release date and time - how to watch online tonight1Amazon Prime Early Access Sale - best deals right now2Daily Quordle #258 - answers and hints for Sunday, October 93The best luxury mattress in 20224Rick and Morty season 6 episode 6 release date and time - How to watch online tonight, channel and more5House of the Dragon episode 8 release date and time - how to watch online tonight