A food processor was built with a few wire connections and can only work when connected to electricity. So, with these connections, your food processor can break down or malfunction while running. Over the years, a lot of complaints from food processor users have been quite alarming.
Some people had to stop using their food processor due to a certain smell from the machine. However, does the smell affect the use of the food processor? This would lead us to the question “Why does my food processor smell?”
Why does my food processor smell? Your food processor smells due to certain reasons which are the dull blades, newness, worn-out gear, and dull shredder disc. If you start noticing a smell after 20 seconds of using your new food processor, you don’t need to worry.
The smell is from the burning of lubricant added to wires to keep the motor running smoothly, and the smell would go away within a short while. However, if the smell does not go away after a few days, then there must be a problem with the wiring.
If you have had your food processor for a while, the shredder disc would begin to go dull. Once it is dull, the base motor would start working forcefully causing an electrical smell like burning.
It becomes hard to shred or slice any food item. Dull blades can also cause your food processor to smell causing the motor to function harder as expected. In addition, worn-out gear would cause the motor to bind and lead to an awful smell.
All of these issues have a way of resolving them and I would be talking about them later on in this article.
Read also- Why does my blender smell like vomit ?
How do I get the smell out of my food processor?
Contents
After knowing the reason why your food processor smells, you would need a solution to the problem which I would be providing. I will provide the remedy according to the reasons. You don’t have to worry, getting the smell off your food processor is not difficult.
Removing smell caused by dull blades
If you noticed that the blades are the reason why your food processor smells, then you have to change the blades.
- Get a new set of blades- if you use a Ninja food processor, you can purchase this blade. Ninja Blender 64oz
- Disconnect the food processor’s plug from the socket and take away the cover.
- Raise the pitcher scraping machine and the blade panel.
- Change the blade panel to the new one you purchased.
Tips – ensure no parts are broken before attaching them back.
Removing smell caused by worn-out gear
If your food processor smells due to worn-out gear, you would also have to replace it.
- Purchase a new set of gear. If you use a Cuisinart food processor, you can purchase Cuisinart Food Processor Gear Box Collar, Black
- Disconnect the food processor from the socket.
- Detach the pitcher from the electrical base.
- Get a spudger to take away the screw lids.
- Use a screwdriver to unscrew all the bolts clutching the electrical base lid intact.
- Remove the base lid to have access to the gear.
- Pull out the gear panel from the plastic middle piece.
- Change the gear to the new one you purchased.
- Put it back in the middle piece and screw back the base lids.
Removing smell caused by dull shredder discs
If the dull shredder discs are the reason why your food processor smells, you have to detach them. These discs are removable parts in your food processor, so they can be easily changed.
The discs are in between the pitcher, so you can purchase a new one and change them just like the blades. You can purchase this Cuisinart DLC-837 Medium Shredding Disc if you use a Cuisinart food processor.
Removing smell caused by Newness
If you just purchased your food processor and notice that it starts smelling within 20 seconds of use, then you don’t need to worry much because the smell would go away with time.
If it doesn’t, you can check if any of the issues I listed is the reason why your food processor is smelling. However, if none of them is the reason why your food processor smells, you can return it to the company you bought it from.
Read Also: Can You Chop Onions In A Food Processor?
Why does my new food processor smell like it is burning?
Your new food processor smells like it is burning due to the elimination of grease in the motor and other components. You purchased a new food processor to make smoothies for your friends or family, and after a few seconds of running, it starts smelling like it’s burning.
Then, you switched it off immediately, so it doesn’t explode. You decided to pack your food processor and return it to the company.
However, before doing that, you need to know a few things about a food processor. A food processor is an electrical utensil that has a motor that would smell on the very first day or a few days of use.
This also applies to all electrical utensils made for home or business use. Why? This is due to the grease added to the joints and motor of the utensil to work faster and smoother.
So, when you turn on your food processor and it reaches a certain temperature, it begins to eliminate the grease by burning it away.
However, this lasts for a few days of use and after a few days, your food processor would stop smelling. If the smell does not stop after a few days, then there must be a problem with the wire connections.
You can do a quick check on the attachments and if you notice anything, you can get them changed by taking them to a technician.
If nothing is wrong, then you can proceed by calling the customer service of the brand and having your food processor changed.
Can a food processor overheat?
Yes, a food processor can overheat. Although when it does, it turns off automatically due to the installed overheating defence engine.
Once this engine detects excess heat, it causes the motor to turn off automatically and after a few minutes, you can turn it on.
However, overheating can happen in your food processor if- the pitcher is not well attached to the electrical base, the pitcher has exceeded its content capacity, it is not supervised while it is running, and if you process liquid items.
All of these can cause your food processor to overheat, but the machine would turn off itself. Then, when you notice that it has turned off, remove the food processor’s plug and the pitcher from the base and let it cool down.
Overheating is often common in electrical appliances like the food processor, but since technology has improved, prevention has been added to the appliances. It is best to prevent your food processor from overheating to stop the motor from getting damaged.
Avoid overfilling your food processor pitcher, so the base would not overheat. You can fill the pitcher halfway with your ingredient so that the blades don’t work harder than expected.
Plus, you wouldn’t have your food item spill out of the pitcher to the base to cause sparks. However, If after you let the food processor cool it continues overheating, you can call the brand’s customer service for help.
Most times, you might be given a new food processor or they would repair it and return it to you. If you can’t reach the customer service, you can take your food processor to a professional technician to repair it.
Read also- How To Prevent Burning Smell In Kitchen Blenders
How long should a food processor last?
Your food processor should last for about eight to eleven years if you maintain it as expected. Technically, you do not need to spend much time cleaning your food processor since the base is sealed.
You just need to wash the pitcher, lids, chutes, blades, and other attachments. You can also clean the base with a sponge and water if there are stains on it.
Without cleaning and storing your food processor appropriately, it would not last for the duration I mentioned. When the blades or discs in your food processor get dull, ensure you change them by purchasing a new one.
Ensure you don’t overload the appliance so that the food processor would not break down. Grind a suitable quantity of food items or ingredients to stop the food processor from overheating.
You should also use the chute added to your food processor to stop the food from spilling out of the pitcher. Always try to clean your food processor immediately after use.
By doing this, it would not be hard to wash away the ingredients in the food processor.
Conclusion – Why does my food processor smell?
Your food processor is a good appliance that needs to be maintained to serve you for a long period. Inspect your food processor to be sure the blades or other attachments are still intact.
