# What's the difference between a blender and a food processor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367 "2011-05-18T19:57:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/1 "2011-05-18T19:57:11Z")
Shape (long and narrow versus short and stubby) aside? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/2 "2011-05-18T20:03:04Z")
Inter changeable blades. But really the shape of the vessel is a really big difference. It dictates the size of the blades and what can be chopped up in them. A blender is pretty useless for anything but liquids. A food processor can make dough grind meet etc. Then with different blades you can grate and slice things. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/3 "2011-05-18T20:04:46Z")
The blade on a blender has a watertight bearing and seal to the … pitcher… thingy. Thus you can completely fill it with a liquid. The blades or attachments on a food processor aren’t watertight, so you can only fill it about halfway. But a food processor can do much more than puree liquids – there are dough kneading blades, slicing attachments, grating attachments. It’s more versatile but doesn’t do a great job for smoothies or soups. ---
**Author:** ![Profound\_Gibberish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Profound\_Gibberish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profound_Gibberish)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/4 "2011-05-18T20:05:35Z")
A blender is intended to crush and liquify ingredients. Food processors are inteded for chopping and mixing–their blades are too coarse and the bowl to big to crush & liquify. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/5 "2011-05-18T20:27:12Z")
Food processor blades also tend to be significantly sharper. If you reach into a (non-running) blender and grab the blades, you probably won’t hurt yourself. Do the same with a food processor, and you’re likely to slice up your fingers. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/6 "2011-05-18T20:31:24Z")
What’s the difference between a blender and a food processor? About $100… ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/7 "2011-05-18T23:39:15Z")
Also power. I have an Oster Blender/Food Processor combo unit. I burned out two gear boxes on the food processor attachment grinding nuts for a spread I make and was starting to make the motor give off that burnin’ motor aroma before I bought a regular dedicated food processor. Blender still makes Margaritas just fine. Just didn’t have the power to grind my nuts.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/8 "2011-05-18T23:42:20Z")
The original food processor was a blender with a washing machine motor in it. The extra power was the big selling point. Blenders were really designed for liquid materials; food processors could handle solids. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/9 "2011-05-19T00:49:41Z")
On a cooking show they explained that the blender motor spins much faster than a processor and can therefore liquify, whereas a food processor cannot. If I’m making a sauce or dip that I want to be creamy smooth I use the blender. The food processor will not get it creamy smooth (there will be lumps). ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/10 "2011-05-19T13:10:23Z")
> [@lukeinva](#): > > On a cooking show they explained that the blender motor spins much faster than a processor and can therefore liquify, whereas a food processor cannot. If I’m making a sauce or dip that I want to be creamy smooth I use the blender. The food processor will not get it creamy smooth (there will be lumps). Sometimes I’m forced to use a blender to make hummus, rather than my food processor (like when I’m at someone else’s house). Hummus is much to thick to make in a blender, whereas the food processor does just fine (and without lumps). I’ve had crappy food processors in the past where things were inconsistent/lumpy, but now that I’ve treated myself to my current model, I can say that a little bit of money _does_ make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-blender-and-a-food-processor/582367/11 "2011-05-19T13:52:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Food processor blades also tend to be significantly sharper. If you reach into a (non-running) blender and grab the blades, you probably won’t hurt yourself. Do the same with a food processor, and you’re likely to slice up your fingers. Definitely. I once put a nice gash in my palm while cleaning a food processor blade. I’ve never hurt myself on a blender blade.