How to Use All of the Blades and Discs Your Food Processor Comes With

When I first got a food processor, I tossed all the extra parts in the box aside and just focused on the essentials: the bowl, lid, and standard, S-shaped blade. After a while, I realized I was missing the point.

Related: The Absolute Best Food Processor You Can Buy Right Now

You see, while you can do a whole lot with the basic blade, you can do a whole lot more if you utilize everything your food processor comes with. I mean, it wasn’t just included with the appliance for no reason!

Here’s what you should be using each food processor blade and attachment for.

Also called the sabatier blade, this is the standard blade you’ll most use with your food processor, but it’s worth noting what its general purpose is. It’s best for your average jobs, like churning out pesto, nut butter, and hummus. Remember: When the machine is on pulse, the blades will mix and chop. When the machine is on continuously, the blades will blend and purée.

The shredding disc, sometimes called the grating disc, sits on top of the bowl rather than in it. You put food through the food processor’s lid’s feed tube and it hits the disc first, which shreds it, before falling into the bowl of the food processor. With this disc, you can shred carrots quickly and efficiently for carrot cake, cabbage for slaw, or broccoli for a crunchy salad.

While you can use the S-shaped blade to make dough, the plastic dough blade is superior. It has less curved paddles and is usually plastic, allowing it to do a better job of kneading the dough rather than potentially just cutting into it, like the sharp metal S-shaped blade might do. Try it to make focaccia and even pasta dough.

The slicing disk is similar to the shredding disc, in that it sits on top of the food processor bowl and items are put through the feed tube to be sliced. My favorite use for this disk is to thinly slice Brussels sprouts for shaved salads and sautés. It’s also great for thinly slicing potatoes or other vegetables like zucchini for gratins.

Do you have a question about food processor attachments? Let us know in the comments!