When you are going to slice up some potatoes for your next dish, you want to make sure that you can do this task quickly. After all, the faster you can get it done, the more time you have to spend doing important things or relaxing.
With a food processor, you can save loads of time and energy while also getting ultra-thin slices that are perfect for frying, baking, roasting; you name it. So if you want the perfect thin slices, you’ll want to know how to slice potatoes in a food processor.
Benefits of Slicing Potatoes at Home
It is true that you can buy pre-sliced or cut potatoes in the store. However, they are oftentimes not fresh and can be expensive, costing up to 50% more than uncut potatoes. There are many reasons to try slicing potatoes at home, especially if you have a family.
Avoid Contaminated Pre-sliced potatoes
This is a very good reason for slicing your own potatoes at home. First, you avoid the risk of purchasing contaminated pre-sliced potatoes. If you buy potatoes that have already been sliced and then left out for some time, there's a chance that bacteria could grow on the potato slices and make you sick.
Save you Money
Slicing potatoes at home will save you money. Pre-sliced potatoes are sold in convenient packages in the produce section, but they cost significantly more than regular potatoes. Pre-sliced potatoes typically range from $2-$3 a pound, while regular potatoes are usually less than $1 a pound.
You Choose the Size of the Slices
Cutting your own potatoes lets you choose the size of the slices, which lets you cook them more quickly or use less oil when frying.
You will also be able to cut them into uniform sizes, which means that they will cook evenly. If you are using them for wedges or fries, uniformity helps to ensure that all pieces are cooked equally and taste equally good.
Slicing them yourself can be done in just a few minutes with a food processor
Freshness
Another benefit to slicing your own potatoes is that you get fresher slices. Potato slices that are pre-sliced and packaged in stores can sit on shelves for days before anyone buys them, which means they become less fresh over time. Home-sliced potato slices are cut when needed, meaning they're always fresh and never have to sit around waiting to be purchased.
Finally, slicing your own potatoes allows you to control exactly what goes into your potato slices. While many pre-sliced packages say they're "no salt added," it's impossible to know exactly how much salt was used during the pre-cutting process
Step by Step Process of Slicing Potatoes in a Food Processor
It has been many years that I have been slicing potatoes with a knife, and I was never able to do it properly. Then I tried out the food processor for the first time, and it was a very good experience for me.
Just follow these simple steps, and you'll be turning out delicious homemade potato chips, hash browns, and potato chips in no time.
Step 1; Gather Needed Tools and Materials
The tools and Food that you need to slice potatoes are:
- Food processor-to slice potatoes
- Potatoes
- Sharp Knife-For cutting potatoes
- Cutting Board- for cutting potatoes so they can fit into the food processor
Step 2
Wash the potatoes thoroughly before slicing them. This will ensure that there is no dirt on their surface and no harmful pesticides on their surface.
Peel off any skin before cutting the potatoes. It is fine to leave it on if you do not mind eating the skin. For scalloped potatoes, you will have to remove the skin. There are many ways to peel a potato. You can use a knife, a vegetable peeler, or an electric potato peeler.
Step 3
Start by cutting each potato in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. This makes slicing easier because the potato is less likely to break or crumble at the edges.
Step 4
Make sure potatoes are dry before you put them into the food processor. Choose a slicing blade that is right for your needs. Add the potatoes into the opening of the food processor and secure the lid. Turn the food processor on.
Step 5
Use your food processor's pulse function to gently cut the potatoes into slices. You may need to let the machine run for a few seconds at a time. Remember that you don't need to press down on the lid, but you do want to hold it firmly in place.
Check your Slices
After letting the machine run for a while, check your slices and decide if they are too thick or thin. The goal is to get uniform slices. You can adjust how thickly you slice the potatoes by increasing or decreasing the frequency at which you pulse the machine.
Once you've got uniform potato slices and have decided on their thickness, stop pulsing and switch off your food processor's power. Remove them and can add in all of your ingredients, like salt and pepper. You can add liquids that are called for in your recipe, like chicken broth or oil.
Can You Use a Food Processor Instead of a Mandolin?
Yes, you can use a food processor instead of a mandolin. In fact, food processors are more efficient. A mandolin will slice regular or sweet potato one at a time, while the food processor will slice them in large quantities.
The food processor is safer to use than the mandolin. It is too easy to get your hand caught in between the blades of a mandolin. In addition, if you are doing any type of slicing that requires deep cuts into regular or sweet potatoes, it can be an extremely difficult task to do with a mandolin, but it is very easy with food processors.
Also, if you do not have enough strength to use the mandolin, I would recommend using a food processor instead.
Tips for Buying a Food Processor for Homemade Potato Chips
First, find out whether the processor you're interested in can slice potatoes. This is especially important if you want to make homemade chips with it.
A food processor with stainless steel blade that is specifically designed for these tasks can save you time in preparing your food by doing much of the work for you. Be sure to check the length of the slices it can make as well; if you want long fries, look for one that can produce quarter-inch cuts.
Can You Chop Potatoes in a Food Processor?
There are many different foods that can be chopped using a food processor. Potatoes are just one of the many types of food that can be chopped using this kitchen appliance.
The whole process takes less than 5 minutes, so if you're making a big meal, this will save you a lot of time and energy. After you've chopped your potatoes in the food processor, cook them like you normally would. You can fry them, boil them or roast them in a hot oven; they'll come out crispy and delicious.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Food Processor to Make Fries?
Food Processors Are Quick
Slicing potatoes by hand is a bit difficult, and it takes a lot of time plus, your hand starts aching after a few slices.
On the other hand, slicing potatoes in a food processor is quite easy, fun, and is a huge timesaver. Plus, you get perfectly sliced potatoes every time you do it with a food processor. You can also use this technique for cutting onions and carrots or any other vegetables or fruits.
It Is Safe
Trying to cut a raw potato using a knife can be very dangerous since it is very easy to slip and get hurt if you are not careful. A food processor is just as effective as cutting potatoes by hand, but it is much safer since you will not have to worry about slipping while you are slicing the potatoes.
Uniform Slicing
The benefits of using a food processor to make fries include uniform cutting and uniform cooking. By using a food processor to make your French fries, you can ensure that all of the fries are the same size and shape.
This uniformity is important because it means that all of the potatoes will cook evenly and at about the same time. This reduces the risk of burning some pieces while leaving others undercooked.
Do not Create a Mess
Food processors are perfect for making French fries because they do not create a mess when slicing the potatoes. This is why they prefer other machines in making this type of fast food because they do a better job and do not leave a mess.
There are various sizes of food processors, and they come at different prices.
What Are the Best Food Processor Sizes?
Best 3 Cups Food Processors
3 cup food processors are considered mini food processors and they are not effective for large-sized vegetables and fruits. If you are going to prepare the meal for one or two people and you want to chop the herbs, nuts, or make a small sauce, then 3 cup food processor will help you to save a lot of time and energy in the kitchen.
Best 7 Cups Food Processors
Generally, 7 cup food processors are suitable for small groups. For example, if you have a family consisting of four or five members, then it’s convenient for you and it will effectively meet your requirements. Also, when you have to cook multiple times a week, the 7 cup food processor lets you save a lot of energy as you don’t have to operate with the food by hand.
Best 8 Cups Food Processors
You can use the 8-cup food processor for chopping, slicing, dicing, shredding, and pureeing. It can easily operate with every type of vegetables and fruits such as cucumbers, tomatoes, cheeses, and many others. It’s even capable of making peanut butter and hummus depending upon the power you have.
Best 10 Cups Food Processors
One of the most significant components to take into consideration is power. When you are going for the 10 cup food processor it means you need to handle large-sized ingredients, so the powerful motor is required.
Best 14 Cups Food Processors
In order to always be ready to cook for a large number of people, the 14-cup food processor is absolutely an effective option. It can save your time and energy and also contributes to preparing delicious meals. However, due to their larger size, they may require a bit of getting used to if you are an amateur.
Best 16 Cups Food Processors
When you choose the 16 cup food processor this means you need to deal with large-sized ingredients, so high power is required. We recommend using more than 700 watts motor in order to perform smooth and thorough procedures.
Conclusion
The best food processors such as Cuisinart food processor will chop onions, slice regular or sweet potatoes, mash potatoes, chop nuts, puree food, grind meat perfectly; hence you won’t need other kitchen tools.