Kitchen Storage Ideas – A Clever and Practical Way to Store a Food Processor
The days of mincing, dicing, slicing and chopping are certainly not over and never will be (unless you are an avid star trek believer) but food processors can be a fantastic aid in these sorts of preparations. Find clever kitchen storage ideas to make your food processor more accessible.
Of course there are all types even some with carborundum lined mixing bowls for “sanding” the skin off root vegetables such as potatoes. Consequently all food processors consist of the main machine with the electric motor and various attachments such as blades, bowls, jugs and mincers for the various tasks they have to perform.
This makes them bulky and difficult to store in the usual places. As a designer we need to think about where and how to store these items when not in use.
My mother had the traditional, and very heavy Kenwood food processor. These are still available today and are wonderful quality lifetime machines. I.e. they are built to last but as I said they are very heavy, you could anchor the titanic with them, and lifting them on and off the bench or counter top and dragging them out of cupboards is hard work, so the bench is often where the food processor lived. Personally I don’t mind those sorts of items being on display but many people do as it is another item to dust and clean around, and often the amount of bench or counter space may be limited and every part of the bench or counter top is needed.
Here is a picture of a Hafele shelf system where the food processor is spring balanced on a platform that can be swung under the bench and stored in a cupboard with the proprietary fitting. Isn’t it a fantastic idea!
How to choose a food processor
There are many food processors on the market and the cheaper plastic models can be very good value for money. The more expensive item is usually because you are buying a famous brand and or paying for additional features or qualities.
Buy what you need not what you think you may need one day. With the advent of many prepared foods on the market today the food processor although very useful may not be used that regularly for the heavy tasks of mincing meat for example.
Photograph used with permission from Hafele
Modern plastic cased machines and accessories are usually easily dismantled and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, a great time saver!
Where to Position the Food ProcessorThe placement of the storage area for the food processor is best closest as practical to the area of food preparation. Another idea is to have compartmentalized areas of drawers to store the accessories need for the appliances. Here is the diagram of the food processor extendable shelf, you can see how it works, easily guiding the heavy weight of the food processor into it’s home in the cupboard, definitely saving your back and time! |
 Photograph used with permission from Hafele |
So if you are thinking of designing a kitchen, renovating your existing kitchen, or buying a food processor, keep these ideas in mind for saving you time, your back and your bench or counter top space.
