Food processor
Electric kitchen appliance for chopping, slicing, and blending food.
A food processor is a kitchen appliance used to facilitate repetitive tasks in the preparation of food. Today, the term almost always refers to an electric-motor-driven appliance, although there are some manual devices also referred to as 'food processors.' Food processors are used to blend, chop, dice, and slice, allowing for quicker meal preparation.
- key_innovation
- Accessibility updates for users with limited fine motor skills and eyesight
- common_functions
- Blend, chop, dice, slice, knead dough, shred cheese
Lore & Background
Although the basic unit resembled a simple blender, numerous accessories were available, including attachments for slicing bread, milk centrifuges and ice cream bowls. In a time when electric motors were expensive, they also developed the piccolo, where the food processor's base unit could drive a vacuum cleaner. In the 1960s, Albrecht von Goertz designed the Starmix MX3 food processor. In France, the concept of a machine to process food began when a catering company salesman, Pierre Verdon, observed the large amount of time his clients spent in the kitchen chopping, shredding and mixing. He produced a simple but effective solution, a bowl with a revolving blade in the base. In the late 1960s, a commercial food processor driven by a powerful commercial induction motor was produced. Harrison focused on making the machine usable for those with limited abilities with fine motor skills and eyesight, which in turn made it easier for any user to operate. These updates included larger writing on the base and larger handles and buttons.
Reader's Guide
The food processor has significantly changed home and commercial food preparation by automating repetitive tasks such as chopping, slicing, and kneading. The food processor's ability to perform multiple functions with interchangeable attachments, such as shredding and slicing blades or juicer and blender attachments, has made it a versatile tool that can replace several other appliances. Its legacy is evident in its widespread adoption in both domestic and professional kitchens, where it continues to reduce meal preparation time while allowing users to retain control over food texture, as it requires little to no liquid during use.
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