A food processor is one of those kitchen appliances that is used every day in the kitchen. In a food processor, blades are an important part to cut food. Everyday use of blades makes them dull and dull blades don’t cut food properly. So, instead of buying new blades, you can sharpen blades at home. Do you know how to sharpen food processor blades?
People order new blades when food processor blades get dulled. But by using sharping methods shown in this article, you can reuse old blades.
The more you use a food processor, the duller the food processor blades. After a few months, you would notice that the food processor is not cutting food properly because of dull blades. Dull blades take more time to cut food. So, here are the methods to sharpen the blades of a food processor.
How Would I Know That I Need To Sharpen My Food Processor Blades?
Maybe you are wondering how would you know that it is the right time to sharpen food processor blades.
If you regularly use a food processor then you know how much time it takes to cut food. When its blades get dulled, cutting time increases so it is an indication that it is the right time to sharpen its blades. Dull blades need more rounds to cut food.
Safety Tips To Follow While Sharping Food Processor Blades
Here are some safety tips that you should follow while sharpening blades to avoid any injury.
- Turn off the electric supply to the food processor – If you won’t turn it off and mistakenly it turns on when you are removing the blade from the processor then definitely your hand will suffer from a major injury.
- Wear safety gloves – People use sharpener tools to sharpen blades. These tools are very sharp so safety gloves will give you protection from any accidental injury.
- If you are using stone to sharpen food processor blades then never slide the stone over the blades. Slide the blade on the stone so you get more momentum to do work quickly. This process creates enough heat and friction to sharpen blades.
- One safety precaution people ignore is that you should slide the blade away from you. Blade movement should be always in the opposite direction of your body.
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Before Sharping Food Processor Blades, Do These
To sharpen food processor blades, you need to follow these steps.
Step 1 – Remove Food Processor Jug
First, you need to remove the food processor jug. Pull the food processor jug and separate it from the processor. Now pull the glass or plastic pitcher on the top of the jug.
If you are planning to use blades immediately after sharpening then you need to wash the container first.
You can use a mild dishwasher to clean the container. After the sharpening process cleans the container. With this, it would be great if you clean all the other parts of the food processor which need cleaning.
Step 2 – Remove Food Processor Blades
Now it comes to removing food processor blades. To sharpen blades, you need to remove them. Blades are connected at the bottom of the jug through a base.
Blades are easy to remove. You can do this by using your hand.
You just need to twist the base in the counter-clockwise direction. Apply a little bit of pressure and the base is out in your hand. If the base is stuck then you need to use more pressure to remove them.
Now place the food processor jug on the counter. Place it safely on the countertop. It is made of glass so there are chances of mistakenly you can drop it so don’t keep it near the edge.
To remove the blade from the base, hold the seal of the base and twist it. Now all parts are separated.
Step 3 – Wash Blades
Before sharpening the blades, you should wash them. There are chances that blades contain any type of food bits on them. These food bits might have gone harder so use a brush and warm water to remove them.
These blades are dull even though they have enough sharpness to cut your hand or fingers. So, you shouldn’t drop blades into the sink. It becomes hard to see blades inside soapy water and you can grab blades the wrong way which will cut your hand.
As we mentioned in our safety tips you should wear rubber gloves for safety. Wash blades carefully without cutting your hand. Remove all the stuck food from it with the help of a sponge.
How To Sharpen Food Processor Blades?
Use Sharpener
The sharpener is used to sharpen different appliances at home like knives, food processor blades, blender blades, etc.
Before using a sharpener, you should wear safety gloves to make your hand safe from any cut. Cut-resistant gloves are a good choice for them.
- Put a sharpener on the countertop.
- With one hand hold the blade of the food processor.
- On the other hand, hold the handle of the sharpener tightly.
- Now slowly move the blade on the sharpener.
- For safety move the blade away from you.
- Do this for the next few minutes on both sides of the blade.
- Now it’s time to check the sharpness of the blade.
- Take a piece of paper and cut it through the blade. If you don’t need to apply any pressure then it is good.
- If you feel that you need more sharpening blades then rub the blade on the sharpener for more minutes.
Use Rock Salt
Rock salt is a good material to sharpen blades. To use rock salt, you don’t need to remove the blades of the food processor. Rock salt is used to build many organic products. Rock salt creates enough friction that sharpens blades.
For this process, use a solid piece of rock salt, don’t use powder. Because powder will not create any friction and blades will not sharpen.
Cover the blades of the food processor with rock salt and turn on the machine. Run the processor for 5 minutes. Now turn off the machine and remove all rock salt from the processor.
To check blades is enough to sharpen or not, you can cut fruits or vegetables in a processor. If you feel more sharpness is needed then put more rock salt and run the processor for a few more minutes.
Use Fine Grit Sandpaper
- Put the fine grit sandpaper on the flat surface
- Hold the food processor blade in hand and make sure its sharp edge should be facing down
- Use the other hand to run the blade on the sandpaper in the forward and backward motion
- Use moderate pressure when you run the blade
- Run the blade until you won’t get a sharp edge blade
- Rinse the blade with clean water and wipe it with a dry cloth
- Cut a piece of paper with a blade or any vegetable to check its sharpness
- If you want more sharpness, you may run the blade on the sandpaper for a few more time
Thinking To Buy Food Processor, Check This –
- 1000 watt powerful motor can process the toughest ingredients with ease.
- Dedicated blades and discs for different cooking tasks.
- 4 Auto-iq preset programs make cooking easier.
- Dishwasher safe parts for easy cleaning
Why Do My Food Processor Blades Get Dull So Fast?
Here are some common reasons why food processor blades get dull so fast
- Overuse: When you use the food processor for heavy usages to perform chopping and grinding, its blades will become dull faster. Tough ingredients such as nuts make blades dull quickly.
- Incorrect Use of Blade: With a food processor, you get different blades. When you use the wrong blade for the task or apply lots of pressure on the blade, it will become dull. For example, a slicing blade is used to slice ingredients but if you use it for chopping or grinding, it will become dull quickly.
- Poor quality of Blade: If your food processor has a cheap quality blade, it will become dull faster than the higher quality blade. These blades can easily break. These blades are not as sharp as high-quality blades.
- Corrosion: If you don’t take care of the blade and store it without care, it will be corroded quickly. The corroded blade is not good for use and it is not sharp. After using the blade when you don’t dry it properly, it will become corroded.
How Often Should You Sharpen Food Processor Blades?
There is no such time period. Whenever you feel that blades are not cutting food properly, you should sharpen them.
It depends on your use. If you regularly use a food processor then you should sharpen the blades often. People who use a food processor once or twice a week don’t need to sharpen its blades. Their food processor’s blades won’t dull.
How To Clean Food Processor Blade?
Nowadays food processor is a dishwasher-safe appliance. You can wash its blades and jar it into the dishwasher.
After every use of a food processor, you should clean its blades so food won’t dry on the blades. People leave blades without washing and as a result food sticks on them and after becoming dry it becomes harder to remove them.
Don’t use hard detergent or hot water to clean the blades. They are not good for blades and may damage them. Instead of hot water, you can use warm water.
You can clean blades by hand or dishwasher. Use warm water and mix soap inside it. Leave blades in this water for around 15 minutes. Now take a sponge and rub it on the blades. Move the sponge from the center to the edge of the blade to avoid cutting yourself.
In the dishwasher, keep the blades at the top plate so the heat of the dishwasher won’t damage it. You should not use abrasive cleaners on food processor blades. These cleaners damage the surface of blades.
How do you sharpen a serrated food processor blade?
To perform this method, you don’t need to remove the blade from the jug.
To sharpen serrated food processor blades, you can use eggshells. When I listened about this method from my friend, I couldn’t believe it. But when I tried it and got the result. So here is the process.
People use eggshells to sharpen serrated food processor blades. It is a cheap and effective way. We always throw eggshells in the dustbin but now after reading this method, you can use eggshells to sharpen food processor blades.
Crack eggs and remove all the inside parts of eggs. Now take a power towel and keep eggshells on it to let them dry.
When eggshells are completely dry from the inside put them into the jug. Add water so the eggshells are fully covered.
Close the lid of the jug. Now turn on the food processor and run it until the eggshells are pulverized. Drain all water and wash the jug. You will see sharp blades.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Food Processor Blades Be Sharpened?
The blades of a food processor can be sharpened at home. You should replace blades only when it gets damaged. If it is dull then you can sharpen it. People don’t take care of food processor blades.
Do you need to sharpen the food processor blades?
A food processor is used for many works like chopping, grinding, slicing, kneading dough, and more. With frequent use of blades, they get duller.
To cut food properly, sharpened blades are needed. A food processor is a daily-use kitchen appliance so with everyday use sharpness of its blades reduces. You should sharpen its blades for better working of it.
Does Heating a Blade Make It Sharper?
It is not necessary when you heat a blade it will become sharper. In many cases when you heat the blade it will become less sharp due to the expansion and contraction of the metal. However, there are some heating treatments that are used to improve the hardness, sharpness, and durability of the blade. Before heating a blade to sharpen it, you should consult an expert.
Conclusion
Sharping food processor blades is not a difficult task. But you need to take care of yourself from injuries. People don’t use proper safety while sharpening blades. In this guide, we have shown detailed methods of how to sharpen food processor blades. Also, mention what safety tips you should follow. By sharpening blades, you can easily cut food into the food processor. Also, you will not need to spend money on new blades of the food processor.