Food Processor Substitute: 9 Effective Alternatives To Food Processor
How To Puree Food Without A Food Processor?
Unfortunately for you, you have a food processor; it just developed a fault, or you got its motor fried!
To make matters worse, you have this pile of foodstuff to process; it’s the weekend, and to get the damn thing to the expert for repairs would take a while.
So, what is the way out? That’s the one-million-dollar question begging for an answer. Or if, in your case, you don’t have a food processor, but the necessity of processing food came, what will you do?
You have two choices – one, skip the recipe for that day and avoid using the processor. Well, that’s the easy way out!
Two, you could follow our advice here and proceed with your recipe.
After reading this article, you will never again have to skip recipes even if you do not possess a food processor. Different kitchen utensils are substitutes to food processors that can help get the job done.
Some of these kitchen tools you have neglected while others you don’t pay much attention to. If you like to find out how common kitchen tools can substitute the food processor, read on.
What to do if you don’t have a food processor???
No Food Processor? No Problem! Here’re 9 Effective Alternatives To Food Processor
In the absence of a food processor, here are simple ways you can process food without tears and still go ahead with your delicious recipe:
Use A Food Mill To Process Soft Food – Food Processor Substitute
Food mill? Yes, you have one in your kitchen. If the need to process foodstuff into flour or rice form, use the food mill (alternatively called the grinder – manual or electric). The food mill will get the job done quickly but with a bit of effort from you if it is manual.
However, if it’s electric, the little effort from you will be to put it on, of course, and watch it devour your food before your eyes.
Here are examples of food items you can process with this method:
- Cooked Potatoes – Cooked potatoes can easily be crushed into a creamy mash with the food mill.
- Cauliflower – You can grind your Cauliflower into rice-like consistency with your food mill. For those who do not know, Cauliflower is a low-carb alternative to regular rice.
Best Choice: Oxo Good Grips Food Mill – Food Processor Substitute
Use A Chef’s Knife – Food Processor Substitute
The good old chopping method never dies, and you don’t have to be a Kung Fu master to use this method. All that is required is to be a trained chef, housewife, or foodie.
Food recipes often require food to be chopped, diced, or minced finely, hence the need for a food processor. However, in the absence of one, your kitchen knife becomes the savior.
With a sharp kitchen or chef knife, chop, dice, or mince your food item into any texture required. It might take a little while but do it anyway. Besides a knife, you need a chopping board.
Place the food on the board and cut it into the desired pieces (be careful when you do this – most kitchen accidents are associated with chopping with the knife).
To effectively get your food cut properly, follow this method:
- Cut the onion or garlic into a larger piece first.
- After, proceed to the next texture and the next till you get to the desired texture.
- Do not try to chop the onion finely at the first cut – start with a large piece.
One way to avoid knife accidents is to hold the knife tightly with your dominant hand while the other hand holds the food being cut in a curl/bear claw form. In this state, the knife will not cut you by accident. However, if it does slip, it will only brush against your knuckle.
Best Choice: Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef’s Knife:
Try A Coffee Grinder To Chop Nuts and Spices – Food Processor Substitute
You love homemade coffee, right? Then it means you have a coffee grinder. Or you are not a coffee person, but you have a coffee grinder that you have abandoned.
Well, we have good news for you – you can use the grinder to chop nuts and spices! Surprised? Do not be; nuts and spices are seeds, just like coffee beans, so the grinder fits the bill.
Take out nuts or spices you need to grind and turned them into the grinder. Pulse the grinder and watch the ingredients get broken down. Some of the food items you can use the coffee grinder to chop include:
- Nuts and seed – your coffee maker can pulverize seeds and nuts for your delicious desserts or main course dishes.
- Cardamom seeds and allspice are examples of spices which aroma is required to make your meals tasty. To get the best with this method, clean the coffee grinder properly before getting rid of the coffee remnants. This ensures coffee will not mix with your spice to give your desserts coffee’s taste.
Furthermore, after using the grinder, be sure to clean it to ensure that it would not taste like spices when next you brew coffee.
Best Choice: Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder
Use A Rolling Pin:
Rolling pins are great for doughs when you are making pancakes, pies, and others. In this case, if you have some ingredients apart from dough that you needed to break down quickly, employ the service of your rolling pin.
To effectively use the pin, get a plastic bag (preferably a resealable one). You also need your chopping board for this process.
Stuff your ingredients into the bag, then place it on the board. Now start the continuous process of rolling the pin over the bag in a back-and-forth motion to crush the food.
Continue the motion until the food is completely crushed. If some of the ingredients are tough, you can use the flat side of the pin to hit the seeds to disintegrate them.
Examples of food for this method include:
- Chickpeas, for instance, can be crushed using the pin when you are making hummus.
- Chips and Cookies are hard, and with the pin, you can grind them to tiny bits when you are making crunchy toppings for casseroles and desserts.
See Also: Hamilton Beach 10 Cup Food Processor Reviews
Best Choice: Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin 100
Mix Liquids And Solids In A Mixer
When the recipe requires mixing solid and liquid food, your good old mixer will do the magic. In this case, any mixer will do, be it a hand-held one, stand mixer, or immersion blender.
The only requirement is a large but durable bowl. Place the food in the bowl and lower the mixer and flip the switch to the on position.
The above-mentioned kitchen appliances can help with different food substances. Here are examples of foodstuff you can use the above method to process.
- Meringues, Mayo, and Whipped Cream – the mixer can help whip any of these items. And when mixing liquid with dry food, especially when baking, the mixer performs perfectly.
- Mayo or Pesto – when the task is to mix mayo or Pesto, then the hand immersion mixer is your best bet. A critical advantage of a hand mixer to the food processor is that it comes in handy when you have a small kitchen.
- Dough – when mixing dough for cookies, pies, or bread, then a stand mixer is ideal, especially with a hook attachment.
Best Choice: Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer
Knead Dough By Hand:
Remember the time when people knead the dough with their hands? Well, go back to those times and drop the idea of the food processor. Knead your dough with your bare hands. Add the dough to a floured or oiled surface, then use your hands.
Knead the mixture together until they are mixed. Note that not all dough requires your hands. For instance, wet dough (i.e., cookie batter) requires mixing with a wooden spoon rather than hands.
Boil The Raw Food And Mash When Soft
To solve the food processing issues, boiling the raw food then mashing it is a good idea. Most food items are hard when raw but become soft after cooking.
Boil or simmer the food ingredients you want to process until it gets soft and soggy. The next step requires you to place them in a bowl and mashing with a fork, back of the spoon, or potato masher.
Repeat the process until the food becomes evenly smooth. Furthermore, to get a better or finer texture off the food, you can sieve the paste.
With your spoon, push it through the sieve because the food has become sticky and thick. Examples of such food processed in this category include:
- Potato
- Fruit toppings – you can pass your fruits through this process when making toppings for ice cream.
- Tomato sauce – Homemade tomato sauce can also be made through this process.
Use A Blender For Your Mincing And Processing Needs:
The blender happens to be a perfect kitchen tool for mincing, chopping, and other processing needs. The blender can do more than just making smoothies.
Hence, if you must mince or chop food ingredients, pour them into the blender and put the blender on. Allow the blender to run a few times till you reach the desired texture.
But if you need to puree the food, then allow the blender to run for longer and examples include:
- Carrots, Garlic, and herbs – pour any or all of these into the blender and pulse it for a while to chop them.
- Vegetables – vegetables for soup, sauce, or stews can be pureed in the blender.
- Nuts or fibrous food like celery – can be blended in the dry cup of the blender. Some blenders come with a cup for hard and dry food like nuts. It’s a good idea to use the blender to process them.
See Also:
- Food Processor vs Blender: What Is the Difference?
- Vitamix 780 Review [Vs. 750, 7500, A3500, E320] What Works?
A Grater Can Shred Hard Vegetables
Hard vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and the like can be torn into shreds with the good old grater. If you own a box grater or micro-planer, run your carrot or potato across it to shred them.
Apply a little pressure on the vegetable as you slide it across the grater. Slide it back and forth over the holes of the grater to get fine shreds of the carrot or potato.
Please be careful; grater scrapes, and it can be pretty painful. For the micro-planer crew, please use the handle of the planer to prevent cutting yourself accidentally.
Here are some delicious recipes that can be made with graters:
- Slaw, salad, and hash – can be made easily using the grater
- Ginger – if need be, for ginger to be grated for sauce, stir-fry, or drink, the grater can be useful.
Best Choice: Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester Grater
Faqs About Food Processor Alternatives:
Food Processor Substitute: What Can I Use Instead Of A Food Processor?
You can use different kitchen tools instead of a food processor, including a mixer, blender, chef knife, food mill, coffee grinder, rolling pin, and grater.
Can You Use A Mixer Instead Of A Food Processor?
Yes, you can use a mixer instead of a food processor. But be it known that a mixer might not be able to do some things that the processor does, e.g., kneading dough.
Can I Use A Blender In Place Of A Food Processor for Dough?
Absolutely not! A blender can take on different tasks a food processor can, provided you are ready to work with small batches and spend extra time.
However, the blender is not a suitable appliance for kneading dough. Its blades are made for chopping, mincing, and cutting; it does not include dough kneading.
They are primarily designed to blend liquids or semi-solid or dry ingredients. However, if you must know, the best dough mixer available rather than a food processor is the electric rotating platform mixer.
Can You Use A Blender Instead Of A Food Processor For Pesto?
Of course, you can. The blender can help in making presto where the food processor is absent. To use the blender for presto, you must be ready to go the extra mile for it.
For instance, while the food processor sprays a good portion of the ingredients against the side of the bowl, the blender draws the ingredients into the blade. Hence, be ready to stop the blender at first or intermittently to scrape the content for better distribution.
Can You Use A Blender As A Food Processor For Pie Crust?
No, you cannot use a blender as a food processor for pie crust. It would overwork your dough because the blender moves too quickly.
If you do not have a food processor, another alternative open to you is the stand mixer. Attach the paddle attachment to your stand mixer and mix your pie crust dough.
Can A Blender Be Used Instead Of A Food Processor For Macarons?
Yes, you can use a blender instead of a food processor for macarons. However, the result might not be very good.
For you to get a better result, you should tweak the blender a little bit so that it does not overmix. But if you are not accustomed to blender setting, then use a stand mixer.
Can I Use My Hands Instead Of A Food Processor?
Yes, you can use your hands instead of a food processor. When you are kneading, for example, you can use your hand to knead the dough.
How Do I Grind Nuts Without A Food Processor?
Grinding nuts without a food processor can be done using the following kitchen tools:
- Coffee Grinder
- Nut Grinder of Blenders
- Rolling Pin
Does A Blender Work Like A Food Processor?
No. A blender and a food processor, though look alike yet are different. While the blender requires some water/liquid to work properly, the food processor needs little or no water/liquid to work.
A blender comes with one blade that performs different functions at different speeds. A food processor is more versatile; it comes with sets of blades for different functions.
While a blender works best when the food will end up typically liquid, the food processor works best when the final result of the food will end up mostly solid. The food processor takes a large chunk of food at once, whereas a blender can take a little at a time.
The motor of the blender is more powerful than that of the food processor. Also, while the food processor blades are super sharp and ridged, the blender’s blade is not.
Conclusion – Food Processor Substitute
Food processors take up varieties of functions that various kitchen tools can do. With this eye-opening post, we believe that you never again will have to worry about not having a food processor.
Instead of investing your extra cash into buying an expensive food processor, save it and make do with what you have. Now that you know, you can bring out all the kitchen utensils you have abandoned and put them to good use.
Never again shall you skip recipes due to lack of processor, go wild and experiment with different recipes. Impress your guests and household now with this new skill of making different meals with less expensive alternatives. Take your kitchen experience to another level! Cheers!!
See Also:
-
- How To Make Almond Butter Without A Food Processor?
- How To Make Cauliflower Rice Without Food Processor?
- Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor
- Cuisinart 9 Cup Food Processor
- Blender Food Processor
- Food Processor with Kugel Blade
- KitchenAid 12 Cup Food Processor
- Small Food Processor
- Mini Food Processor
- Cuisinart 12 Cup Food Processor
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