When the first kitchen combines were launched, they were perceived as a revolutionary breakthrough in the household. Despite their cumbersome dimensions, a small number of functions, fragility and the fact that during their work they made a noise comparable to the roar of a flying bomber.

Today, the food processor is much more compact, it works noisily, but the noise level is quite tolerable. And the number of available functions has greatly increased. How to choose a food processor, so as not to waste money on unnecessary functions?

You need to understand what exactly you expect from your home appliances. The simplest models have a minimum of functions, are inexpensive, and they know little. Nevertheless, they are quite capable of saving your time, spent on cooking everyday dishes.

More advanced designs can cope with many things, but the price will be correspondingly higher. And very often most of their diverse functions remain unused. Decide which food processor to choose for your kitchen, you can only when you determine the purpose of the purchase. The advice of those who already have their own experience of using a kitchen assistant will help you decide.

Combine construction

Any combine consists of an electric motor, a bowl, and multi-purpose nozzles. The more functions - the more baits, the more complex the design of the device and the more places of possible breakdowns.

The simplest models consist of a moderately powerful motor, one bowl and a minimum of nozzles. Management can also be limited to one power button. Such a combine is able to grate cheese and vegetables, chop chocolate and nuts, beat whites for omelet and cream for dessert, mix the batter with pancakes or pancakes. The power of the engine does not exceed 300-500 W, with the volume of the bowl from, to 2 liters. Places in the kitchen take up a little.

These qualities often seem to buyers sufficient grounds to choose a compact, simple and inexpensive food processor. Simple models can perfectly suit those housewives and bachelors who do not like to spend their time on kitchen things. In the end, you can always supplement the kitchen arsenal with separate necessary devices.

Multifunctional combine is much more complicated and has more impressive dimensions. For him, you will have to make room in the closet, because keeping such a solid device on the table is not always convenient. They consume from 500 to 2000 W, they can do a lot. The kit may include more than one bowl, but two or three, different capacity or different materials.

The device control can include a speed switching system (up to 20 positions), a time and temperature control knob. Sensory control in general can independently determine in which mode it is necessary to whip or grind.

The last function of many experienced culinary experts is questionable. The process of whipping sometimes can depend on many factors, and to determine the optimum parameters of the process harvester can never be as good as a person. And not everyone likes it when the decision is made to take the machine.

In addition, the food processor with touch controls does not respond well to power surges in the network. Tips outsiders when selecting an aggregate for this parameter, you are unlikely to help. You have to decide on your own, taking into account your character.

The number of functions depends on the number of available attachments. Some manufacturers offer a basic model, to which you can separately buy everything you need, choosing the best for you the parameters of knives, bowls, coronets.

Such complex and rather expensive combines are able:

• mix and whisk the dough, proteins, cream;
• cut beautiful slices of cheese, meat, sausage;
• grind the products to a mashed state;
• rub vegetables, cheese on a large or small grater;
• shred with straws, cubes, slices;
• grind coffee, pepper, cereals;
• mix sauces;
• to make ice cream;
• squeeze juices from citrus and much more.

A juicer or a meat grinder?

According to the established practice, the delivery set includes either a juicer or a screw grinder. Both these functions significantly increase the cost of the unit. What to choose from these two options? It depends on your goals and intentions. But you should know: a separate meat grinder and a separate juicer will work better, more efficiently and more reliably than those included in the combine. Therefore, if you often use minced meat for cooking, you should consider purchasing a separate meat grinder.

The same applies to juicers. If a separate juicer is able to squeeze up to 70-80% juice from grinded fruits or vegetables, then the enclosed kitchen machine will squeeze no more than 50%, the rest will remain in the cake. When using the juice squeezing function once a year it is not so important, but if you intend to pamper yourself and the household with fresh juices every morning - it is worth buying a separate device.

• Related article: Juicer: which model to choose for home

Actually, a sufficiently powerful combine can completely grind raw or boiled meat in a bowl. But in the case of raw meat, you will get a liquid slurry that does not look much like regular minced meat for cutlets. The advice of the owners of combines is that it is better to purchase a meat grinder separately.

If you do not overpay for unnecessary functions, you can assume that you have thoroughly figured out how to choose the right food processor and can now give advice to less experienced landladies.

Materials

Usually, three materials are used to produce working bowls:

• the cheapest and short-lived plastic;
• more expensive, beautiful and safe glass;
• metal, the most durable and expensive.

The plastic may not be resistant to cold or high temperatures. Plastic can quickly begin to turn yellow, and eventually deform or crack. However, it is usually possible to buy a new bowl in exchange for a broken one - if the model has not yet been discontinued and the components to it are still being sold.

Glass is chemically neutral. Bowls for combines are usually made of durable, tempered heat-resistant glass. They can be placed in the microwave and in the freezer. Glass bowls remain intact even when falling on the concrete floor, but are more expensive than plastic ones.

Metal bowls are durable. They do not crack and do not break, they are easy to wash. But they can not be put in a microwave oven. And the cost of metal bowls is quite high.

All types of bowls can be washed in dishwashers, excluding containers from low-quality, non-high-temperature plastic. Experts on household appliances, giving advice on the Internet on the acquisition of household appliances, recommend choosing glass or metal.

Security

Manufacturers provide for cases when the engine fails. In different models, the shutdown systems operate on different principles. The least practical one can be considered one in which a small plastic part bursts and breaks down during an overload. You can replace it, but for this you will need to take your kitchen assistant to the service center, and pay for the item itself and its shift. The failure of this part in the warranty cases is not included.

The shutdown system can operate on thermal sensors: if the engine overheats, interrupts the power supply. Another option is an automatic interrupter, which includes two contact plates. If the power consumption approaches the critical level, the contacts open.

Rating of food processors

Several manufacturers pretend to be the first. Two of them have struggled for many years to be considered the inventors of combine harvesters - the German company BOSCH and the Swedish Elektrolux. The combines they produce are reliable, functional and offer many models, the cost of which meets the capabilities of different segments of the population.

But according to consumers, the most reliable were food processors Kenwood. In them, most parts are made of reliable, durable metal, the construction is convenient and functional. They are quite expensive. But the Kenwood harvester can be bought in several ways: most attachments and additional devices can be purchased separately.