Most residential kitchens have a blender, but not everyone has a food processor, yet in the commercial foodservice operation you’ll find both of these different types of commercial food prep equipment because they serve different functions.
A blender is a common countertop appliance that chefs utilize to homogenize a mixture of foods into one consistent sauce, soup or even salsa. A commercial food processor can create a variety of different textures and cuts. Bowl-type food processors work similarly to commercial blenders, except that their blade mechanisms produce a specific texture rather than reducing everything inside to a blended mixture. Batch processors are ideal for reducing small volumes of food products to various levels of rough textures to whipping and even creating purees. Continuous-feed food processors slice, dice, blend or whip foods and then discharge the ingredients into a bowl rather than continuing to process them. Food cutters function like blenders but with a broader spectrum of textures. Commercial blenders are also very popular for drink mixing and in particular bar blenders are utilized for creating frozen drinks by finely blending ice with the drink ingredients.
