How to Maintain Your Food Processor

This holiday season, you may be planning all kinds of scrumptious dips, sauces and spreads, but to prepare your seasonal dishes, you’ll need to keep your food processor in top condition. 

Our experts at AppliancePartsPros.com have gathered the most important tips for cleaning and maintaining your food processor, so it stays in great shape so you can properly puree, chop and shred foods. 

At AppliancePartsPros.com, you’ll find genuine food processor parts for your next repair. Shop with us today!

How to Maintain Your Food Processor

To keep your food processor in good working order, you should perform these regular maintenance tasks:

1. Use Your Food Processor Correctly

To start, you can boost your food processor’s lifespan by taking care of it. Some key tips for preventing maintenance issues include: 

• Don’t overfill the bowl or it will damage the motor parts.
• Don’t push or lean foods into the processor.
• Avoid adding certain foods, such as very frozen foods, hot foods, sticky foods (such as dried fruit), and hard foods (bones, etc.).  
• Ensure all food is cut into small- or medium-sized pieces.

2. Maintain the Blades

The most important part of a food processor is the blades. You’ll want to take special care to keep them sharp and clean. For example, you should:

• Never slam the food processor on the counter to remove food from it. 
• Sharpen the blades on a regular basis. 
• Use the right blade attachment according to the food you’re preparing. 
• Clean the blades by soaking them in soapy water. 

3. Check the Seals Regularly

The seals around the motor are especially important for your food processor. Check the motor shaft seals regularly. If you notice that they’re worn down, replace them. Otherwise, you’ll risk liquids leaking into the motor area and harming your food processor. 

4. Troubleshoot Your Appliance for Common Problem

In addition to the blades and seals, you may run into a few common problems with your food processor. Some things to check for include:

• Noticeable food buildup → Check the base inlet to clear out any residue and protect the motor. 
• Lack of lubrication → Use food-safe grease to lubricate the motor shaft every year or so.
• Won’t turn on → Check for any damaged cords or a faulty motor. 
• Doesn’t work at all speeds → Examine the multi-speed switch to see if it’s loose or needs replacing.
• Bowl leaking → Tighten the base around the bowl. Also, check the seal and replace it as needed.
• Blades stuck or not spinning → Take a look at the drive shaft and the motor, and replace them as needed.

5. Clean Your Food Processor

Finally, you should clean your food processor after every use and do a deep clean every month or so. We’ll go through our recommended cleaning instructions in the next section.

Pro tip: If you dread cleaning the lid of your food processor, you can always place a fresh sheet of plastic wrap under the lid so that it doesn’t get as messy.

How to Deep Clean Your Food Processor

Let’s go through some pro tips for getting your food processor spic-and-span.

How Often Should a Food Processor Be Cleaned?

In general, you should clean the lid, the blades and bowl, and wipe down the food processor after every use. However, you should also do a deep clean every month, so that the appliance stays in top condition.

What’s the Best Cleaning Solution for a Food Processor?

You don’t need any fancy products to keep your food processor clean. Dishwashing soap, baking soda, or vinegar combined with warm water are all great cleaning solutions. 

How to Clean a Food Processor?

To best clean your food processor, follow these key steps:

1. Wash the Interior with the Clean Setting

To get started, you can clean the interior of the processor by filling the bowl a third of the way up with water and adding a drop of dishwasher detergent. Run the food processor on high for about 30 seconds and ta-da! The interior will be sparkling. 

2. Unplug Your Appliance and Wipe It Down

Next, unplug your appliance to manually wipe and clean it. Use a clean cloth to wipe the base and controls, as well as under the food processor. During this process, be sure that you don’t submerge any mechanical parts. Don’t use a wet sponge either, or the water could seep into the motor parts. 

3. Hand-Wash All Non-Mechanical Parts

Now you should take apart the main elements including the lid, blades, and bowl. All non-mechanical parts can be soaked in warm water and soap. After 15 minutes, you can return and scrub any remaining residue with a nylon brush. If you have any doubts about whether a part or attachment can be soaked, check your user’s manual. 

4. Fully Dry and Reassemble

Finally, make sure that all parts are fully dried with a clean cloth before reassembling your food processor. Once it’s back together, store it properly so that dust or grime doesn’t enter the appliance.  

Best Practices for Using Your Food Processor

By maintaining your food processor, you’ll be able to prepare delicious holiday dips with zero interruptions. 

While we’ve mentioned some ways to safely use your food processor, you can go one step further with these best practices:

• Use the pulse button. The pulse button lets you power the processor at full speed while holding it down. It’s a great way to control the speed and avoid overprocessing foods. 
• Don’t run it non-stop. Your food processor can heat up if you run it endlessly. Be sure to give the appliance a break between your food preparations. 
• Always pick up the food processor from the base. This way, you won’t accidentally damage or drop the appliance.
• Never use it as a blender substitute. A food processor isn’t a blender, so don’t run liquids that aren’t suitable for it. Not sure what’s safe for your appliance? Check your user’s manual to check the range of acceptable foods.

Maintain Your Food Processor With AppliancePartsPros.com

Nice job! With our pro tips, you can now maintain your food processor this season and churn out all kinds of tasty treats for the holidays. 

If you notice any issues with your food processor during your preparations, utilize our troubleshooting steps above to check the blades, seals, and other common problems. And if you require any replacement parts, head straight to AppliancePartsPros.com to find whatever you need. 

Food Processor Maintenance FAQs

What’s the Average Lifespan of a Food Processor?

With proper care and maintenance, food processors can last around 8-10 years. However, it may wear down earlier without proper care. That’s why it’s important to follow the tips in this guide.

Why Is My Food Processor So Smelly?

A smelly food processor is a sure sign that you need to perform a deep cleaning of your appliance. For this, follow our expert instructions above. If you still notice a bad smell, add a mix of baking soda and water to the bowl of your appliance and let it soak for about 15 minutes. This extra step should make the smell go away. 

How to Get Out Stains on a Food Processor?

Lots of different foods run through a processor, leading to potential stains. If you recently pureed tomatoes or another colorful food, try to remove the stains earlier rather than later. Simply soak the bowl in a mix of baking soda and water for about 15 minutes. If that doesn’t work, you can try vinegar instead. For stains on the outside of the bowl, use a brush and baking soda to scrub as needed.

How to Store a Food Processor?

It’s important to store your food processor properly to avoid damage. Ideally, you should store the blades and attachments separately from the appliance, so that they don’t get warped or corroded. Some ways to do this include hanging them on hooks or a magnetic strip. In addition, make sure that the cabinet where you store the food processor isn’t wet or humid, or your appliance may get damaged. 

What’s the Difference Between a Blender and a Food Processor?

Keep in mind that a blender and a food processor have different intended uses. Though they have some overlapping functions, a blender is largely used for liquids, while a food processor is ideal for solid foods. Prevent damage to your food processor by nixing certain liquids that would be better suited for a blender. And when in doubt, consult your user’s manual to check what foods can and can’t be processed by your appliance.

Check Also: 

• Food Processor Parts
• 8 Tips to Prep Your Kitchen for a Holiday Feast
• How to Clean and Maintain Your Stand Mixer
• How to Deep Clean Your Refrigerator