The Better (And Easier) Way To Clean Your Food Processor

The merits of a food processor are lengthy. The appliance can do everything from crafting oat flour to shredding cabbage for coleslaw to blending the creamiest hummus in a matter of seconds. Incredibly versatile and easy to use, food processors do have one major drawback — they aren't always simple to clean. After all, the appliance does boast a bunch of moving parts with tough-to-reach nooks and crannies as well as sharp blades. Fortunately, a cleaning tip exists to help make polishing your food processor a breeze.

Despite what the manual may suggest, we advise against tossing the various components of a food processor into the dishwasher since this can damage or cloud the bowl and even dull the blades. Instead, a more efficient and effective way to clean the appliance is to let some soapy water whirl around in the food processor. As soon as you've emptied the bowl, promptly add in a touch of dish detergent along with one-third of warm water, and blitz briefly. The sudsy water, in conjunction with the pulsing action, will work to loosen any gunk and grime clinging to blades (or disks) all while releasing residues stuck inside the bowl or trapped in the crevices of the lid and the pusher.

A lightly soiled food processor can usually be rinsed and dried afterward. However, to render the appliance truly spotless, we recommend following up by giving each component a good scrub, and here's how.

Once soapy water has made its way around the bowl, the next step is to unplug your food processor, which can then be disassembled. Although it might be tempting to toss everything into the sink for a crud-loosening soak, this isn't necessarily safe, nor is it effective. In fact, soaking can even rust the appliance's blades. A better way to proceed is to simply clean each component one at a time. 

Before you start scrubbing, remember to use soft sponges to avoid scratching the surface of the bowl and lid. Brushes destined for bottles and straws work best as their slender design allows them to reach food particles in tricky areas like the inner core of the blade or ridges in the lid. Using your soapy tool (and some elbow grease), each piece can then be polished. For a deeper clean, you can even use a combination of water and baking soda to remove stains, mineral deposits, and lingering odors. Once caked-on crud has disappeared, rinse everything except the base and cord — they can be wiped clean with a rag.

As a final word of advice, let components dry completely to prevent mold. We also suggest keeping the bowl and lid joined loosely to avoid stale aromas from developing. Just like that, your food processor is sure to shine. Of course, letting sudsy water whirl in the appliance is a great tip to ensure a spotless finish to begin with!