What’s the difference between a food processor vs Vitamix blender?

Vitamix blenders are known for being extremely powerful, versatile, and durable machines.

They are able to chop up almost any ingredient into almost any size…much like a food processor.

So how does a food processor compare to a Vitamix blender? Is a Vitamix better than a food processor? And can you use a Vitamix like a food processor?

Read on to find out!

Food Processor vs Vitamix Blender

Similarities

• Both can handle tough/hard ingredients.
• Both are great for efficiently prepping and coarse chopping ingredients.
• Can add food without stopping and removing the lid; food processors have a food chute and pusher, blenders have a two-part lid with plug and tamper.

Differences

Convenience

• Vitamix blenders are not as large, heavy, and bulky as food processors and usually sit on the kitchen counter instead of being stored away. This means a Vitamix is much more convenient to use and is usually used more frequently and easily than a food processor.

Ease of use

• Vitamix blenders are often simpler to operate and more user friendly; however this depends on the model of Vitamix and the model of the food processor it is being compared to.
• Vitamix blenders also come with a tamper, which is very helpful for mixing the food around while blending, i.e. without having to stop, remove the lid, scrape down the sides, then resume.

Ease of cleaning

• Vitamix blenders tend to be easier and quicker to clean – ex: blending soapy water usually does the trick. However, this greatly depends on what you are blending in it; something thick and sticky is going to be harder to scrap out from the base of the blender than from the base of a wider food processor container that you can remove the blades from.

Jar shape

• Vitamix blenders have tall, narrow pitchers with blades at the bottom that the food is pushed into.
• Food processors have shorter, wider containers with the blades at the bottom directly outward from the centre.

Blades

• Vitamix blenders usually have moderately sharp 4- or 6-pronged blades. These blades are built for pulverising ingredients and blending with liquids.
• Food processors have very sharp blades, positioned low and horizontal in the container. These sharp blades are built for chopping and slicing ingredients (instead of mashing and crushing like the blender).

Power

• Vitamix blenders have more power and speed.

Noise

• Food processors tend to be very loud.
• Vitamix blenders, while very powerful, are designed to be quieter than most high-powered blenders and appliances.

Price

• Vitamix blenders are more expensive than food processors, on average.

Durability

• Vitamix blenders are known for the quality and durability of their parts, and are built to handle heavy use. Generally more so than a food processor. (Hence the generally higher pricetag)

Function/Use

• A Vitamix is meant for blending, meaning it works to mix, mash, crush, shred, and pulverize ingredients, usually into a liquid or paste.
• A food processor, on the other hand, is used more for chopping, slicing, dicing, shredding, etc., usually for meal prep.
• Food processors can’t handle liquids like blenders can.
• The powerful motor, circulation vortex, and tamper of a Vitamix are all designed to get a smooth blend, ideal for pastes, sauces, drinks, etc.
• The wider container and sharp blades of a food processor are designed to obtain a chosen chunkiness (the more you process, the smaller it gets).
• Blenders can’t leave ingredients chunky (not paste) like food processors can.

Can You Use a Vitamix Like a Food Processor?

As we can see from the differences listed above, these two appliances are optimized for different things.

A Vitamix is better for drinks, smoothies, soups, crushed ice, frozen desserts, and anything with liquid. Even thicker blends like nut butters and hummus can be better in a Vitamix thanks to the handy tamper that can help push ingredients to the blades while blending.

On the other hand, a food processor will not handle anything with a lot of liquid very well. It will get messy and frothy, and you certainly cannot make a soup in a food processor like you can in a Vitamix. Something like a smooth soup or lump-free smoothie can only be made in a blender, not a food processor.

A food processor is better for slicing and shredding vegetables and hard foods more evenly (without just pulverising them), shredding cheese (without it clumping up), and overall just leaving slices and pieces instead of mush.

So, do you need both appliances? Or can one cover the other?

While a food processor does not have the versatility of a Vitamix blender, a Vitamix can do almost everything a food processor can.

One of the main uses of a food processor is to coarse chop/shred vegetables. A Vitamix is able to do this too. The caveat is that a Vitamix will likely have a more mushy and/or uneven result. For the most part, this isn’t a big deal; but if you are looking for a more sliced effect, for a cole slaw for example, a food processor has an edge over a Vitamix. You simply can’t get larger, non-liquified slices in a blender the way you can in a food processor.

Another popular use of a food processor is for chunky mixture like a salsa. Again, a Vitamix can do this too, the result just might not be as good. Many Vitamix models have a pulse function, which mimics a food processor in that it allows you to leave chunkier pieces. By using the pulse function or blending for a short time on low speed, you can get chunky mixtures with a Vitamix just as you can with a food processor.

Vitamix Food Processor Attachment

If you have a Vitamix blender and really want the perks of a food processor without having to add another appliance to your kitchen, Vitamix actually sells a food processor attachment!

Basically, this attachment is like the top portion of a food processor, that attaches to the motor base of your Vitamix. Note that you have to have a Vitamix from the Ascent or Venturist series for this attachment to work.

While it is not cheap, this attachment can definitely expand the versatility of your Vitamix with three blade options for different tasks, such as finely chopping, mincing, kneading, mixing, finely or coarsely shredding, and thinly or thickly slicing!

Specifications:

Conclusion

Ultimately, a Vitamix blender is an extremely advanced blender that can do almost anything a food processor can.

In the comparison of food processor vs Vitamix, is it clear that each appliance has its own specialties, with a food processor being ideal for evenly chopping and slicing vegetables and hard ingredients, and a Vitamix being ideal for blending liquids and making smooth drinks.

While each has its own specialty, a Vitamix is overall more versatile than a food processor, and can mostly be used like a food processor, save a few limitations. For a true food processor experience using a Vitamix, consider the Vitamix food processor attachment.