As well as milkshakes of the past, the blender has been used over the decades to create icy alcoholic drinks such as pina coladas and daiquiris. In recent years, however, non-alcoholic concoctions such as iced coffee drinks and smoothies have made good use of the appliance.
KitchenAid, Cuisinart and Vita-mix are a few players that have made big names for themselves in the blender market over the decades.
Food processors have been used in the food industry since the early 1960s and in the early 70s the food processor was available for domestic use, courtesy of French-made and then Cuisinart in U.S.A. The big difference between blenders and food processors is that food processors use replaceable blades and disks instead of a fixed blade and they do not need liquids to work efficiently. Their bowls are wider and shorter, too, which works better with solid or semi solid foods.
KitchenAid, Cuisinart and French-made Magimix are traditionally the largest and most renowned producers of food processors. Recently, Morphy Richards have launched a line of food processors to challenge these traditional giants of the appliance market.
Finally, let us take a look at the machine that dates back the longest. Food mixer is used for whipping, mixing and kneading ingredients. The motorised version of this instrument can either be hand-held or attached to a stand, with the stand mixers being the more powerful of the two. The easier manually operated type, which was invented in 1870, is still in use today. Unlike blenders, mixers do not have blades per se (they are more like arms or sturdier whisks and are blunt), work at slower speeds and do not break down larger food items.