Choosing the suitable food processor for your kitchen can be tricky because all food processors have similar functions.
This review helps compare two of the best-selling food processors in India, namely Preethi Zodiac MG218 and Usha FP 3811. We shall look at it from a consumer perspective because we have tested these products extensively.
Before comparing the individual features of these products, this table can help simplify things.
| Model/Features | Preethi Zodiac MG218 | Usha FP 3811 |
|---|---|---|
| Price on Amazon | Rs 9,379 | Rs 12,499 |
| Motor | 750 watts | 1000 watts |
| Rotation Speed | 10000 to 18000 rpm | 13000 to 18000 rpm |
| Speed Settings | Three-speed settings plus incher | Two-speed options plus a pulse option |
| Number of jars | Five jars | Four jars |
| Juicer attachment | Available centrifugal juicer and a separate citrus press feature | Available, centrifugal juicer plus a separate citrus juicer arrangement |
| Jar quality | Three stainless steel jars plus polycarbonate food processing jar plus 3-in-1 polycarbonate juicer jar | Two stainless steel jars plus polycarbonate food processing and juicer jar |
| Functions | Kneading atta, mincing meat, chopping vegetables, slicing, grating, juicing, and citrus press | Atta kneader, chopper, blender, citrus juicer, mixer grinder |
| Material | ABS Plastic body | Premium Black Stainless-Steel finish |
| Storage facility | Not available | Separate storage drawer for blades available |
| Noise levels | 80 decibels | 85 decibels |
| Protection features | Overload protection | Overload protection |
| Warranty | 2-year warranty on the product and five years on the motor | 2-year warranty on the product and a 5-year warranty on the motor |
A glance at the two products above shows there is little to choose between these two products. Let us now compare the two food processors in detail.
Preethi Zodiac MG-218 mixer grinder, 750 watt
Usha FP 3811 Food Processor 1000 Watts Copper Motor with 13 Accessories
Overall Performance
The Preethi Zodiac MG218 is a 3-in-1 machine with a mixer-grinder, food processor, and juicer-blender. The wet grinding performance is satisfactory, but the dry grinding activity is top-class, especially when grinding turmeric and ginger powder. Kneading chapati atta is convenient, and so is the grating performance.
The Usha FP 3811 ranks amongst the best food processors in India. It delivers an excellent wet and dry grinding experience. Though the juicing performance is not the highest quality, the Usha FP 3811 offers a separate citrus juicer attachment. It is a complete machine because of its excellent kneading, grating, shredding, and mincing activities.
Preethi Zodiac MG218 is comparably less expensive than the Usha FP 3811. Performance-wise, both machines are equal. So we leave it to individual preferences as to which food processor is ideal for the kitchen.
Motor
The Preethi Zodiac MG218 features a 750W motor encased inside a sturdy ABS body. This motor offers three-speed options plus a pulse modulator mode. Copper winding makes the motor durable. Besides, features like power-on and overload protection indicators add to their utility value.
In contrast, the Usha FP 3811 has a more potent 1000W copper motor housed in a stainless-steel alloy casing. This model offers two-speed options and a pulse modulator. The noise levels of the Usha FP 3811 are slightly higher than the Preethi Zodiac MG218 model (85 decibels versus 80 decibels). However, that is expected of food processors.
The Preethi Zodiac MG218 has a top rotational speed of 180000 rpm. The Usha FP 3811 matches the maximum rotational speed to prove its capability as an excellent food processor. The high speed ensures the best quality grinding. However, it can be a disadvantage for wet grinding because good wet grinders have comparatively slower rotational speeds.
Comparing the motors, the Usha FP 3811 is better than the Preethi Zodiac MG218. But the Preethi model consumes less power while delivering comparable performances.
Food Processor Performance
Preethi Zodiac MG218 is one of the best food processors for dry grinding. We used this machine to grind tough ingredients like turmeric, ginger, pepper, etc., and found the results excellent. But we also found some residue after filtering the powder through a sieve. However, it is normal. On the other hand, its wet grinding performance is satisfactory. Better models are available on the market.
The Usha FP 3811 has sharp stainless-steel blades to ensure excellent quality dry grinding. The wet grinding performance is also OK, but it could have been better. We experienced the formation of air bubbles in the batter because of the high rotational speed.
Though we cannot compare its wet grinding performance with that of specialist wet grinders, we experienced that the Usha FP 3811 delivers faster and better performance than other food processors.
Capacity-wise, both these food processors have large wet grinding jars that should prepare idly dough for small to medium families. The dry grinding jars are smaller to cater to specific requirements. Preethi Zodiac MG218 has one additional jar for making chutneys. However, that should be fine because the Usha FP 3811 dry grinding jar can double up as a chutney jar by changing its blades.
The Usha FP 3811 delivers one of the best kneading performances among its peer food processors. The Preethi Zodiac MG218 delivers a decent performance. The mincing, grating, and shredding performances are comparable, with both these processors performing well.
The juicer attachment in both these food processors is satisfactory but could have been better. The centrifugal juicing arrangement can take care of almost all fruit juices but causes high oxidation. That causes foam formation to affect the juice’s taste. So this food processor cannot match the performance of a slow-masticating cold press juicer.
The citrus juicer arrangement allows for extracting juice from citrus fruits without crushing the seeds. The citrus juicer attachment is a huge plus point since it does not affect the juice’s taste.
The best aspect of these food processors is that these appliances are excellent for extracting coconut milk and tamarind juice.
Performance-wise, both these food processors are at par. While the Preethi Zodiac MG218 is excellent for dry grinding, the Usha FP 3811 delivers better overall performance.
Accessories
The Usha FP 3811 has six food-grade specialized blades, including a slicer, grater, kneader, shredder, chopper, and whisker. In contrast, the Preethi Zodiac MG218 has four blades for chopping, grating, slicing, and mincing.
Preethi Zodiac MG218 has five jars, three stainless-steel jars for wet and dry grinding, two polycarbonate jars, a large food processor jar, and a juicer/blender jar. The Usha FP 3811 has four jars: a food processor jar, a juicer/blender jar, and two stainless-steel grinding jars.
The Preethi Zodiac MG218 is better equipped with accessories because of its additional grinding jar. However, the Usha FP 3811 compensates for this deficiency by offering more blades to enhance its operational features.
Safety features
These machines have excellent safety features, including PVC-insulated 3-core Flexicord, earthing, and overload protector. The Preethi Zodiac MG218 has a lighting indicator system that changes from blue to red in case of overloading. The overload reset switch is located below the motor. All you do is reduce the load, press the reset button, and restart the machine.
Though the Usha FP 3811 does not have a lighting indicator, it offers an overload protection switch at the bottom of the machine. These food processors have safety lock mechanisms to prevent the food from spilling outside during operations.
Both these machines are equal from the safety viewpoint.
Storage Space
The Usha FP 3811 is the only food processor in India that offers dedicated storage space for keeping the blades safe. The machine’s body includes a drawer at the bottom to accommodate the blades. The Preethi Zodiac MG218 does not have any storage features.
Noise levels
All food processors make noise, primarily when operating at their maximum speed. We measured the noise levels of these machines. The Preethi Zodiac MG218 has a noise level of 80 decibels, whereas the Usha FP 3811 is slightly louder at 85 decibels. However, these noise levels are tolerable.
Warranty Information
Preethi Zodiac MG218 and Usha FP 3811 offer a two-year product warranty and five years on the motor. It indicates that the motor is sturdy and performs well.
