The Hobart FP-350 has a de-coring screw to improve quality and consistency in food preparation.
Choosing a food processor with the right features, and following some best practices for its use, can help improve efficiency and quality when preparing fresh food — and it can minimize food waste and its associated costs.
Whether you select a continuous-feed food processor for slicing, dicing or shredding high volumes of ingredients or a compact, countertop bowl-style food processor to chop, mince and mix, the right food processor for the job can speed food preparation. With labor at a premium in most kitchens, completing tasks faster saves time and money.
What to look for
When making the selection, consider what types of food and the amount you plan to prepare. The food processor needs to have a large enough hopper to accommodate the volume of food being prepared and will ideally provide flexibility for future needs.
To gain greater operator assurance, look for a food processor with an interlock switch. Hobart offers a triple interlock switch on its bowl-style machines, which prevents them from operating unless the bowl, cover and lid lock are in place. Hobart continuous-feed and combination-style machines both feature a double interlock switch — the blade will not spin when the pusher plate is swung away or is open.
Food processors with features that make them easy to clean also increase efficiencies. For example, removable cutting tools and a hopper with no-tool removal like Hobart offers make it quicker to thoroughly clean the equipment. Machines with stainless steel blades and cutting tools are also easier to clean. These parts can be placed in a dishwasher or ware wash equipment for cleaning and sanitizing. As a matter of caution, handle these sharp cutting tools with care during cleaning.
If you are selecting a continuous-feed food processor, such as the Hobart FP-350, the featured decoring screw helps provide greater quality and consistency in food preparation. It deflects food away from the plate hub of the machine and into the middle of the hopper, for more complete processing.
How to get the best results
As a key best practice, always clean fruits and vegetables before loading them into the food processor, and be sure the machine and cutting tools are also thoroughly cleaned. Proper cleanliness helps prevent cross-contamination and reduces the risk of food safety issues.
The proper speed can help you gain good quality and productivity from your food processor. Faster isn’t better, but cutting too slow can affect quality, too. Hobart food processors operate at RPMs in the low 400s, which is optimal for preventing bruising or damage that could lead to moisture loss from fruits or vegetables.
Correctly loading the hopper with the right amount of produce is equally important. A food processor blade turns clockwise as it operates, so it’s important to load the food in the same direction. It allows the blade to immediately hit the product as the blade spins, leading to better cutting performance.
