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IMMERSION BLENDER VS. FOOD PROCESSOR: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

An immersion blender and a food processor are similar but are not interchangeable.

A food processor features rotating blades or discs that can shred, mix, slice, puree and chop a lot of different ingredients. On the other hand, an immersion blender is usually used to make liquid recipes like soups, purees, and smoothies or to emulsify ingredients to create mayo and aiolis.

The immersion blender and the food processor are both useful and popular kitchen tools, and while they are often compared, each serves a distinct purpose for meal prep and cooking. 

This article will introduce you to the difference between an immersion blender and a food processor to help you understand which countertop appliance is the right choice for what you’re making.

IMMERSION BLENDER VS. FOOD PROCESSOR: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

A woman uses a KitchenAid Immersion Blender to puree ingredients in her kitchen. On the counter are a bowl of mangos, a bowl of salad and a container of milk.  On the above shelf is a potted plant on two stacked books.

An immersion blender is a handheld blender designed with a small spinning blade that is meant to be immersed into ingredients. Using it can help create soup, smoothies and sauces. Then there are food processors with larger, flat blades situated at the bottom of a work bowl or discs at the top that can chop, grind, shred, puree and more.

The work bowl of a food processor is where processed ingredients are collected. On the other hand, a key feature of the immersion blender is that it allows you to blend right in the bowl or pot you’re using. This means that an immersion blender takes up less space than a food processor and uses fewer dishes. 

Depending on the make and model, both immersion blenders (also called hand blenders or stick blenders) and food processors may be compatible with different attachments or accessories, which effectively increases their capabilities. 

KitchenAid® Food Processors, for example, offer versatility and power with accessories like a whisk attachment (available with certain models), or a reversible slicing and shredding disc. KitchenAid® Hand Blenders, though, can enhance your culinary ambitions, allowing you to blend in an assortment of containers and pots. There are also interchangeable blending arm accessories, like a chopper, which can help expand the scope of their versatility. 

You can shop for accessories like the whisk attachment to meet your quick whipping needs.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT IMMERSION BLENDER TYPES AND SIZES?

 A bowl of tortilla chips and guacamole surrounded by a dish cloth, small bowl of salt, three whole avocadoes, three halved avocadoes, three jalapenos, some cherry tomatoes, and a KitchenAid Immersion Blender.

Immersion blenders come in handy when you need to blend as food cooks or while it’s hot.

The size of this appliance makes them easy to handle and a breeze to store. You can even find a variety of attachments for different models of immersion blenders. These allow for a range of capabilities including chopping. KitchenAid offers an extensive collection of hand blenders. Two of the more popular ones are the cordless variable speed hand blender and the commercial® 400 series immersion blender

You are sure to find the right one for your cooking needs.

VARIABLE SPEED CORDED HAND BLENDER

Thanks to their compact design, a variable speed blender can be used for quick blending without the need to set up or clean an additional appliance. 

Their variable speeds let you control the speed and exercise more control over the cooking process and the results. You can enjoy the pureeing power of the KitchenAid® Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender to make recipes like mayo, baby food, soups and even flavourful hummus. The removable blending arm has a 4-point stainless steel blade, allowing you to blend a range of ingredients courtesy of the 3-cup blending jar and lid that’s included. Or you can use the Removable Pan Guard and blend directly in your cookware without any concern about wrecking your pots.

 A KitchenAid Immersion Blender stands on a counter. Next to it is a measuring cup filed with a green puree. In the background are bowls of produce on a counter.
An upright KitchenAid Immersion Blender next to a measuring cup filled with a strawberry puree and two whole strawberries. In the background are two glasses of strawberry smoothies.

MULTI-SPEED HAND BLENDER

Multi-speed hand blenders simplify the process of blending ingredients to make your favourite sauces and dips, and the set speeds deliver consistent results, regardless of the recipe. 

The KitchenAid® 2-Speed Hand Blender comes with a 3-cup blending jar and 8" removable blending arm with a fixed s-blade. You should be able to comfortably blend all sorts of ingredients with its soft-grip handle.

CORDLESS VARIABLE SPEED HAND BLENDER

If you seek even more versatility, cordless hand blenders let you blend virtually anywhere in your kitchen — without being tethered to an outlet. Its lithium-Ion battery can blend up to 25 bowls of soup within a single charge.1

The KitchenAid®Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender has a Speed Trigger Switch that lets you easily switch blender speeds, giving you full control over your recipe.

Based on 12 ounce bowls (354 ml), 7 batches, Tomato Basil Soup.

An upright KitchenAid Immersion Blender on a counter surrounded by a bowl of soup, a cutting board with a paring knife, fresh herbs in a container, a bowl of salt, a bowl with another type of seasoning and a bowl of soup

FOOD PROCESSOR TYPES AND SIZES

 On a counter are a KitchenAid Food Processor, a pizza, salt and pepper shakers, a container of rice, a container of flour, a cookbook and a ceramic container.

Food processors come in sizes that can range from three cups to 16 cups. These amazing kitchen tools make chopping, mixing and pureeing as easy as ever. Models are available with different capabilities, so you’re sure to find a food processor that’s exactly what you need and will help you create whatever it is you want.

3.5 CUP FOOD CHOPPER

This model is ideal for smaller batches of food and simpler tasks like chopping, mixing and pureeing. 

The KitchenAid® 3.5 Cup Food Chopper might be small, but it still has exceptional power. Its compact and lightweight design is great for everyday use and the bowl and blade are dishwasher safe so it’s easy to clean. Using the included Drizzle Basin and its 2-speed and Pulse operations, will help you make sauces and vinaigrettes that are sure to elevate meals.

 A 3.5-cup KitchenAid Food Chopper filled with chick peas and herbs.
A 5-Cup KitchenAid Food Chopper filled with the ingredients for salsa: onions, tomatoes and herbs.

5 CUP FOOD CHOPPER

Whether you need to chop, mix or puree, a roomier chopper lets you get more done at once. The KitchenAid® 5 Cup Food Chopper exerts little effort to perform many tasks. For more versatility, the whisk accessory that comes with this countertop appliance can help you whisk, whip and stir all sorts of ingredients, including cream to make a batch of fresh whipped cream.

7 CUP FOOD PROCESSOR

More capacity means more versatility. 7-cup food processors are typically designed with a feed tube so you can process a greater variety of ingredients with ease and also shred and slice. 

The KitchenAid® 7 Cup Food Processor features a one-click, twist-free bowl assembly and latched lid that’s easy to use, clean and store. The disc accessories that come with this appliance allow for easy storage right inside the work bowl.

A 7-cup KitchenAid Food Processor with the bowl filled with ingredients
A KitchenAid 9-cup Food Processor with the bowl full of a purple ingredient.

9 CUP FOOD PROCESSOR

This food processor is a powerful and versatile tool for any kitchen. Be prepared to shred hard cheese, slice zucchini and puree sweet potatoes with ease and in larger quantities with this nifty appliance. 

The 9 Cup Food Processor from KitchenAid® brand

 has rounded corners and smooth finishes resulting in less food getting stuck in crevices. Cleanup is also effortless as you can wash both the work bowl and blades into the dishwasher.

13 CUP FOOD PROCESSOR

From slicing pepperoni and green pepper for homemade pizza to shredding cabbage for a creamy slaw, you’ll be able to flex your culinary muscle with this versatile, large capacity kitchen appliance. 

Unleash your creativity with the KitchenAid® 13 Cup Food Processor. Its 3-in-1 feed tube can handle ingredients of various shapes and sizes to help reduce your prep time. It also has an all-in-one storage solution. You can fit all of the accessories in the storage caddy and then place them inside the 13-cup bowl. You can also safely store ingredients right in the work bowl with the refrigerator lid for later use.

For even more flexibility, the 13-Cup Food Processor with Dicing Kit comes with accessories to chop, shred, precision slice, dice, knead, mix and puree everything from fresh veggies to cheeses, doughs, sauces, salsa and more.

A KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor with the bowl full of a purple ingredients.

IMMERSION BLENDER VS. FOOD PROCESSOR: WHICH TO USE?

An upright KitchenAid Immersion Blender next to a measuring cup of guacamole. On the counter is a bowl of jalapenos, an avocado cut in half and a bowl of tortilla chips.

You should use an immersion blender to:

  • Puree: An immersion blender can adeptly puree ingredients, especially smaller batches of food. If you are looking to whip up some mashed potatoes for yourself, an immersion blender can make it happen.

  • Blend: Your immersion blender is great for wet recipes like a hearty and tasty Butternut Squash Soup that you can finish right in the pot.

  • Whip: Immersion blenders such as the KitchenAid® Variable Speed Hand Blender with Chopper and Whisk Attachment can whip up super fluffy egg whites or emulsify ingredients to make well-balanced vinaigrettes. 

You should use a food processor to:

  • Puree: A food processor is a great way to puree cooked fruits and vegetables to make nut butters, hummus, dips and more.

  • Slice: Many food processors, including ones by KitchenAid®, have accessories like a slicing disc to slice vegetables at the thickness you want.

  • Chop: This kitchen tool can be used to make pesto or to chop vegetables for soups and stews. 

  • Shred: Shredding discs are included with most food processors, and are excellent at shredding everything from cabbage and cheeses to potatoes and everything in between. 

  • Knead: Certain food processors, like the KitchenAid® 9 Cup Food Processor, have a dough blade to knead dough. A perfect substitute for those that don’t have a mixer handy.

DO I NEED BOTH?

The answer to this is really up to you. Remember, these two countertop appliances share some similarities but, ultimately, serve different functions in the kitchen.

You can use a food processor for several tasks where you don’t have a blender on hand. If you want soups with a velvety-smooth finish, then an immersion blender like these from KitchenAid brand, is more likely to help you get that desired result.

HAND BLENDER VS. FOOD PROCESSOR: WHICH IS BETTER?

These two appliances are useful for whipping up new and unfamiliar dishes or a few of your all-time favourites. 

If you’ll mostly be making soups, smoothies or cocktails for your guests, then an immersion blender or juicer should suffice. If you want something that can help you achieve precise cuts or shredding, a food processor should be able to do the trick. Pick one or the other, or equip your kitchen with both and never worry about having the right tool at your fingertips no matter what you’re making.

RECIPES TO MAKE WITH AN IMMERSION BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR

A KitchenAid Food Processor on a counter next to a container of guacamole, a cutting board with red onion, fresh herbs and other ingredients. Also on the counter is a container with utensils.

An immersion blender lets you make all your favourite soups and sauces (or the ones you’ve always dreamed of making) in addition to milkshakes and refreshing smoothies like the green chia smoothie recipe below.

SMOOTHIES

Green Chia Smoothie

SOUPS 

No Cream Gazpacho

Use your food processor to make recipes like tapenades and hummus or even hearty scones and flaky pie dough. Give these recipes a try as a starting point for your next culinary adventure.

LATKES

Potato Latkes

PIE DOUGH

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie