A food processor is one of those kitchen appliances that many of us own. But, if you have one, are you making the most of its potential?
Leaving those extra accessories to gather dust in your cupboard could also mean leaving metaphorical savings on the table. We've crunched the numbers and found that using the full range of attachments and functions to their potential could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
In our recent survey, 19% of respondents told us they used their food processor only every few months and 7% told us they use it only once a year or less. Almost a fifth – 17% – said that they don't use any of the attachments that came with their food processor other than the processing blade.
They're a great appliance if you want to reduce your reliance on processed foods
CHOICE home economist Fiona Mair
According to CHOICE home economist Fiona Mair, they're missing out on the opportunity to do so much more with this kitchen workhorse.
"Food processors are really helpful in your kitchen. They can chop, dice and slice, they shred, they grate, they can mix doughs, make pastry, blend purees – there are so many things they can do. They're a great appliance if you want to reduce your reliance on processed foods and make things from scratch," she says.
We've crunched the numbers on some common processed foods and figured out you could save hundreds a year by switching from store-bought to homemade with the help of your food processor.
Mayonnaise
Making your own mayonnaise may seem difficult, but emulsifying the ingredients for mayonnaise in a food processor is so quick and easy.
"You can whip up mayonnaise in just a few minutes. It's a great alternative to buying it, which can be quite costly," says Fiona.
You just have to whizz up an egg, gradually adding in a neutral-flavoured oil. You can also add flavourings like mustard, vinegar and salt.
A jar of mayonnaise will cost you around $4 at a minimum and as much as $10 or more if you buy one of the more gourmet varieties, but you can make your own for about $5 for a cup.
Savings: Up to $5
Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are a handy and versatile kitchen staple, great for adding to meatballs, using to coat schnitzels or sprinkling over pasta bakes for added crunch.
It's useful to always keep some on hand, and making your own is an easy, cost-savvy option. Our survey found that 60% of food processor owners had used their appliance to make breadcrumbs and it's certainly one of the easiest ways to save.
While a pack of breadcrumbs will set you back only 75c per 100g, making them yourself from bread is almost half the price: about 40c for the same quantity. Of course, if you're using crusts or stale bread that would otherwise have gone in the bin that's even better value and it has the added benefit of helping to eliminate food waste.
Savings: $0.35 per 100g
Fruit roll-ups are easy to make at home with your food processor and will cost much less than the store-bought version.
Fruit roll-ups
Are fruit roll-ups a popular snack food in your house? If you own a food processor you could save substantially by making them yourself. Doing so will also help you avoid the extra sugar and additives that are found in many store-bought varieties.
To make strawberry-flavoured fruit leather will cost you about $1.40 per 100g if you use frozen strawberries. That's a big saving on the Uncle Toby's varieties that will set you back $5.50 per 100g. All you need to do is process the fruit with a little bit of lemon juice, cook it on the stove for 10 or so minutes until it begins to thicken, then pour it onto a lined baking sheet, and cook in the oven at about 80°C for about four hours or until it's no longer sticky to the touch. Easy!
Of course, you don't need to use strawberries: Fruit leathers are a great way to use a seasonal glut of fruit of any variety.
Savings: $4.45/100g
Coleslaw
It's one of Australia's favourite dishes for barbecues and picnics, and the perfect partner for weeknight dinners like schnitzels and burgers. And while you can easily buy bags of pre-sliced coleslaw from the supermarket, you're much better getting your food processor out for this job, too. Not only does freshly sliced carrot, cabbage and spring onion make your homemade coleslaw taste better, you'll also make savings. About 60% of our survery respondents tell us that they've used their food processor for this purpose.
And it's not surprising when you consider that a pack of grated and sliced vegetables for coleslaw will cost you around $4, you can make your own for about half that cost.
Savings: $2/500g
Shredded cheese
Love a sprinkling of cheese over your pizzas, pastas and sandwiches?
If you regularly purchase shredded cheese you're probably paying around $5.50 for 250g, but buying block cheese to shred in your food processor will cost only about $3.50 for the same quantity.
Plus, it'll be free of the additives and preservatives, such as anti-caking agents, typically added to shredded cheese products to preserve shelf life and prevent clumping.
Savings: $2
Pesto
Pesto is another handy kitchen staple that can make weeknight dinners a breeze, and your food processor can help here too. A jar of this gourmet sauce can cost as much as $25, but making your own from scratch will cost you only about half of that. A bunch of basil will cost about $3, add some parmesan, garlic, olive oil and a few pine nuts, blend it up in the food processor and you'll have your own homemade gourmet version for less than $8. As an added bonus, it takes only minutes and will be packed with more freshness and flavour than you'll get from a jarred variety.
You can pay even less than that if you grow your own basil – it's one of the easiest herbs to grow and there's something extra special about using ingredients you've nurtured from seed to harvest.
Savings: Up to $17
Making bliss balls in your food processor could save you quite a bit.
Bliss balls
Bliss balls (also called energy balls or protein balls) are bite-sized snacks usually made from a mix of wholefood ingredients, such as nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and flavourings such as honey, maple syrup or cacao. Billed as a healthy alternative to other snacks, they're often priced at a premium, costing around $7.50 per 200g.
However, using your food processor, you can make your own version for a fraction of that.
In our latest testing, we prepared date and walnut balls to help us assess how well those food processors in our test that make claims regarding this kind of function could handle the job of combining a mix of sticky ingredients. You can view the results in our latest review.
We've run the numbers and found that you can whiz up a basic batch of simple bliss balls using dates, raw nuts, vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon and salt for around half the price of the shop-bought variety.
Savings: $3.50/200g
Chopped onions
Avoiding the discomfort of chopping onions by purchasing a bag of frozen diced onions won't cost you too much, just $3 for 500g.
However, you'll pay about $1.80 for the same quantity if you use your food processor to chop them, and still avoid the tears. Plus, you'll also be saving the environment from extra plastic waste.
Savings: $1.20/500g
How much can you save?
While every household's shopping basket and menu will be different, if you just look at the savings on the eight items we compared in this article, you can see how quickly the dollars add up.
Total savings:
$1.20 (onions)
$3.50 (bliss balls)
$17 (pesto)
$2 (shredded cheese)
$2 (coleslaw veg)
$4.45 (fruit roll ups)
$0.35 (breadcrumbs)
$5.50 (mayonnaise)
= $36 (total)
If you're buying those things every week, making them yourself instead could save you $36 on your grocery bill, which adds up to more than $1800 a year.
Of course, there are many other ways you could use your food processor to help you save, so take the time to look in your pantry and compare the cost of the raw ingredients to the processed items you regularly purchase and start making more of your neglected food processor.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
