Nowadays a blender can be found in almost any kitchen, this device has become so indispensable in everyday life. Gadgets differ in the type of design (there are now two variations on the market, stationary and submersible) and, accordingly, in their capabilities: obviously, grinding coffee beans in a submersible blender will not be as convenient and practical as using the first one. In order to clarify the nuances of using this or that type of blender, it is worth immediately distinguishing between their areas of application.
The device of a blender and what can be prepared with it
Blenders are different from blenders; accordingly, each device differs in type and has an individual design. Without exception, all kitchen choppers are equipped with a built-in blade (knives), the number of cutting parts can be different, a container for processing food, various attachments and glasses, and additional functions.
After preparing the product, let the device cool down before starting it again.
Using this unit, you can easily prepare smoothies, fruit and vegetable purees, pureed soups, as well as gruels and yoghurts for feeding infants. You can use a blender, which has the function of uniformly grinding food, at the height of the canning season. The device becomes an ideal assistant for cutting vegetables for wrapping.
If you plan to make a milkshake, your blender model should come with a special glass and two knives located at the same height.
Cleaning and storing the device
Due to its small size, storing the device does not require much space . After use, the bowl, knives and motor of the device can be stored separately. Most modern shredders have a storage system that is thought out to the smallest detail. The design allows you to store the attachments by placing them like a pyramid.
Unlike a mechanical blender, the blender must be unplugged before cleaning. All parts of the shredder, except the motor, can be washed in the dishwasher or by hand under running water. Afterwards, all parts of the chopper must be dried with a towel.
Some types of choppers are equipped with knives built into the bowl and they are not removable. This prevents you from getting cut by the sharp blades, but makes cleaning the device more difficult. The motor part can be wiped from above with a damp cloth, if necessary. You can use the blender only after making sure that there is no moisture left on the elements in contact with the motor.
Best Stand Blender Recipes: Delicious Ideas
Once you understand the operating principle of the device and its capabilities, you can prepare several interesting dishes that will diversify your daily nutritional diet. Agree, home cooking is high-quality and healthy food prepared with your own hands. No matter how difficult it is to complete the recipe, as a result you will be confident in the naturalness of this product. Let's return to what is perfectly prepared in such a device:
- Homemade mayonnaise . This is an original thick product that can not only be used to season snacks, but also simply eaten with a spoon, as it has a pleasant aroma and delicate taste. It is important to observe the quantities of all ingredients.
- Cream soup . It can be prepared on either a vegetable or dairy basis. It is important that the attachments are installed correctly for this type of product, otherwise you will get a porridge of chopped ingredients instead of a puree-like dish.
- Apple or banana mousse . This product is perfect for children's breakfast. To make the drink perfectly tasty and smooth, it is important to completely remove the skin, seeds and stems.
- Sauces and gravies . Why, you ask, do they need to be cooked in a blender? Because each ingredient is crushed as much as possible, forming a homogeneous mass, which you just have to boil, add spices and herbs to it.
To knead thick dough, the blender must be equipped with a special attachment and also have good power.
Using home blenders, we can prepare different desserts, as well as dough of different thicknesses.
We recommend using a multitasking blender that can serve you for as long as possible. When your blender breaks down, we recommend that you pay attention to this model.
Braun MQ 775 Patisserie
How to use
Many manufacturers recommend using the device to grind not particularly hard types of products. This means that there is no need to grind crackers, coffee beans and frozen pieces of meat in the device. However, there is a little trick. For example, if your recipe calls for small pieces of celery root, you should add a small amount of liquid to the bowl.
As a rule, the package includes special cups or glasses into which products are loaded. If you plan to use other bowls, be aware that splashes will occur while using the device.
The minimum loading mark should cover the lower leg, which is responsible for cutting. Cutting freshly boiled raw materials is also prohibited. Wait until the food has cooled to at least 70 degrees. Before whipping, you should check vegetables and fruits for the presence of seeds. If you can't decide what speed to use your blender at, start with the lowest gear and gradually increase the speed.
If your device has a whisk, it is designed for whipping egg whites. Stationary blenders do not have this function. In this regard, submersible models outperform stationary ones.
Simple Recipes for Immersion Blenders
The advantage of an immersion blender is its ability to puree soup and grind other ingredients in absolutely any container. You can even process just the cooked dish into a tender and fluffy mush without pouring it into another utensil. Using submersible models of kitchen appliances, you can easily create masterpieces:
When chopping berries and fruits in a blender, use a lid or deep container. This will prevent the juice from splashing.
- Cream for cake . An immersion blender can work like a high-speed mixer, beating the whites and yolks until smooth and foamy. The device perfectly mixes boiled condensed milk with sour cream, chopped nuts and other sweets.
- Batter . After mixing all the ingredients in the required quantity, turn on the blender and enjoy its work. With its help, you can easily create a dough of liquid consistency for baking biscuits and airy cakes.
- Berry mousses . An immersion blender perfectly processes berries with small seeds. Thanks to special attachments, you can simultaneously chop currants, blackberries, raspberries and gooseberries.
Do not process tree fruits that have not been pitted (cherries, cherries, plums, apricots). They can damage the blender blades.
Functional and operational features
An immersion blender is a mobile, compact device characterized by great functionality and ease of operation and maintenance. Immersion units are easier to clean, dry and store, especially in a compact kitchen. It is this advantage that modern housewives value very much and give preference to submersible models. This type of device is made in the form of a pestle to which different attachments are attached. Used for pureeing soft foods, chopping and mixing ingredients of different consistencies. When choosing an immersion blender, you should choose a model with metal attachments rather than plastic. Metal knives are more reliable and durable. The power of the “weakest” electrical appliance is 500 W, the “strongest” is 900 W.
What does a blender do for first courses: a review of the most delicious recipes
When you are a worker in a large company and have little time for lunch, use a blender, which will prepare delicious homemade soup in a matter of minutes. Let's look at a couple of interesting recipes.
Gazpacho is a great idea in hot weather
A bright and vitamin-packed soup for any table. In this dish you do not need heat treatment of the products, which means they retain all the vitamins that tonic the body.
Illustration | Description of action |
Prepare red bell pepper, salt, a clove of garlic and a few tomatoes. First, remove the stalks. | |
Cut the tomatoes and garlic into slices and place them in a blender vessel. | |
Place a pinch of salt in a glass and place the container in its seat, covering it with a lid. | |
We start the device, distributing the ingredients evenly in the glass with a special screw, you can slightly increase the grinding speed. | |
Pour the soup into a convenient container, add herbs, and you can eat it with a crust of bread for lunch. |
Delicious mushroom soup for a hearty dinner
If you like thick, creamy soup, then you can add less water or broth when cooking. We offer a step-by-step recipe.
Illustration | Description of action |
We prepare all the products: potatoes, carrots, onions, put them in a saucepan and fill them with water. Don't forget to add salt to the ingredients. | |
Wash the champignons and cut them into cubes, then place them in a frying pan with vegetable oil and fry until tender. Salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. | |
Place the blender in the pan and start it up. Bring the mass until smooth. | |
Add mushrooms to the soup and mix well. | |
Serve the finished soup to the table and season with croutons and herbs. |
How to choose
To choose the most suitable immersion blender model, you need to start from some characteristics. Please take into account the following parameters:
- power level. This indicator affects the speed of work. The higher the power, the less time you will spend chopping;
- additional nozzles. Many manufacturers offer replacement attachments complete with units. There are models with a whisk, an attachment for crushing ice, with special knives and other additions. Decide what you will do with the device, then choose a blender;
- weight. Submersible devices will always be in your hand, so this point is important. Buy the device that is comfortable for your use;
- material from which the “leg” of the device is made. The strength of the material affects the reliability. It is worth paying attention to the fact that metal models will have more significant mass;
- presence of containers. Although the blender can be used in any saucepan, manufacturers add several bowls to the set. Bowls made of glass and plastic are convenient because you don’t need to look for suitable containers for whipping or cutting. There are also special containers for chopping, whipping or cutting hard products.
You should choose an immersion blender responsibly in order to be satisfied with your purchase. If you make the right choice, this device will become a reliable ally in the cooking process.
What can you cook in a blender for the second course: options for snack recipes
In addition to soups and various desserts, you can prepare interesting snack options that will turn out tastier than store-bought ones.
Homemade pork sausage - the right approach to sandwiches
To prepare you will need:
- pork - 2 kg;
- cream - 5 tbsp. l.;
- egg - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 5 teeth;
- salt, pepper and other spices - to taste.
Boiled homemade sausage is many times better than branded store-bought sausage
Cooking method:
- We wash and clean all the ingredients. Cut the meat into small cubes, chop the garlic and beat the egg in a separate container.
- We put all the ingredients into the blender container and set the desired processing speed.
- When grinding is complete, start the device again. This will make it possible to grind the ingredients better.
- Wrap the resulting mixture in baking paper and form sausages. We tie them at both ends.
- Now wrap the product in foil and cook in salted water. Cooking time over low heat is at least 1.5 hours.
If desired, you can add vegetables, onions or spices to the sausage. This will give the finished sausages an unusual taste.
The most important rules of use
- It is forbidden to wash the base handles and motor stands under running water or immerse them in it in any way, as the liquid will damage the electronic components. To clean these parts, use a well-wrung damp cloth or a special cleaning cloth.
- If a burning smell appears during operation, turn off the device immediately.
- Do not use a faulty device; if it breaks down, take it to a qualified technician at a service center.
- The use of the blender by children and persons who do not have the skills to safely handle the device is prohibited.
- When operating the blender, do not put your fingers into the container with the device running, and also be careful when washing, as the knives are very sharp.
Sunflower seed pate - a healthy breakfast product
The distinctive properties of seeds are the richness of microelements necessary for the body. Let's use a blender to prepare a delicious and very unusual snack that can be eaten both for breakfast and throughout the day.
You will need:
- sunflower seeds - 1 tbsp.;
- basil greens - 30 g;
- lemon juice - from 1/3 of a whole lemon;
- garlic - 1 tooth;
- paprika, salt - to taste;
- parsley - 30 g.
Sunflower seeds are a great boost of energy for the body.
Cooking method:
- Peel the seeds and soak in cold water for several hours.
- Then combine the product with the remaining ingredients in a bowl and add to the blender jar.
- Set the desired speed and grind the mixture until smooth. After the product is ready, it can be eaten.
How to make liver roll
Now let's talk about what to cook in a blender for the holiday table. Beef liver rolls look presentable. Processed or curd cheese is used for filling. This roll cuts well into pieces, it is filling and healthy.
- Onions – 50 g.
- Carrots – 70 g.
- Liver – 550 g.
- Processed cheese – 260 g.
- Sunflower oil – 35 ml.
- Butter – 45 g.
- Salt - to taste.
- Cut the offal into large pieces. Finely chop the onion.
- Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the liver and onion and fry for 5 minutes.
- Grate the carrots into large strips. Add to the frying pan, add salt, cook until soft, covered, over low heat.
- Using a blender, puree the liver. Add soft butter and stir.
- Distribute the liver mass on a sheet of foil into a layer 1-1.5 cm thick. Grease with processed cheese, roll into a roll and refrigerate to harden. Now you know what to cook for the holiday feast. Before serving, cut into 2 cm thick pieces and sprinkle with herbs.
Cocktail recipes for a blender: milkshake and “Anti-stress” cocktail
To prepare healthy tonic drinks in a blender, you need to carefully consider the composition of the ingredients, because if you put more or less than necessary, you will not achieve the desired result.
Quick banana milkshake
To prepare it you will need:
- milk - 1 l;
- overripe bananas - 3 pcs.;
- Creme brulee ice cream - 2 pcs.
Illustration | Description of action |
We check all the ingredients and prepare them: peel the bananas, remove the blackness if necessary. | |
Place the milk in the blender bowl. | |
Break three bananas in half and place in milk. | |
We send two ice creams to the ingredients, having first removed them from the cups. | |
We start the blender at first speed and process for 1 minute, then gradually increase the speed and also spend 1 minute on each. |
After cooking, pour the resulting product into glasses and, if desired, decorate with grated chocolate or a lemongrass or mint leaf.
Anti-stress drink
For preparation you need:
- cabbage - 1 cabbage;
- carrots - 3 pcs.;
- water - 1 tbsp.
Illustration | Description of action |
Wash the carrots and cabbage, peel and cut into cubes. | |
Place all ingredients in a blender bowl and add water. | |
Start the blender at maximum speed. We wait until the blender grinds everything until smooth and pour it into a glass. Bon appetit! |
It is advisable to use only young vegetables to prepare a vegetable cocktail; they contain more vitamins, and daily consumption of such a drink will forever relieve you of fatigue.
Cauliflower fritters
In this recipe we will tell you what to cook in a blender for dinner. Cauliflower can be used not only for first courses; it makes delicious pancakes with a golden brown crust. You can serve them with sour cream or natural mayonnaise.
- Cauliflower – 320 g.
- Chicken eggs – 2 pcs.
- Wheat flour – 3 tbsp.
- Onions – 0.5 pcs.
- Salt - to taste.
- Vegetable oil.
- Rinse the inflorescences with water and divide into small pieces. Place in a bowl and grind.
- Break the raw eggs into the cabbage and stir until smooth.
- Cut the onion into small cubes and add to the overall mixture.
- Add flour and salt and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Fry in oil on both sides until golden brown.
Smoothie recipes for weight loss for Blender
This drink option is suitable for those who care about their figure and want to maintain an attractive shape or lose a little weight for the summer season.
A smoothie is a drink with different flavors, so you can add any ingredients to it.
Ingredients:
- low-fat kefir - 1 tbsp.;
- green apple (Simirenko variety is suitable) - 1 pc.;
- kiwi - 1 pc.
Method of preparation: pour kefir into a blender container, peel the kiwi, cut into half circles and immerse in kefir. Wash the apple and remove the seeds, cut it into several parts and put it in a blender. You can also add chopped fresh parsley to the mixture. Start the blender at first speed and gradually increase it. Preparation time is 5-10 minutes, depending on what consistency you want the drink to be.
Grinding of solid products
Of course, not every blender is suitable for handling solid foods. Necessary nuances:
- presence of grinding degree adjustment;
- power from 500 W;
- overheat protection.
The equipment will not fail if you grind intermittently, allowing the engine to run for no more than one minute.
Sugar
You can turn sugar into powdered sugar using a hand blender or in a blender glass:
- sugar is poured into a completely dry container;
- turn on the second mode or higher;
- The powder is ready in a minute or two, depending on the volume.
For the submersible model, select a higher bowl or glass. As you grind, sugar dust will rise.
Nuts
The nuts are pre-dried in the oven or in a frying pan and then cooled. Peanuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts are peeled off by rubbing them wrapped in a towel. Almonds are cleaned before drying by pouring boiling water for 10 minutes.
If you need nut flour, you need to grind continuously. To obtain pieces, turn on the blender several times briefly for 5 seconds.
Ice
To crush ice, the blender must have an appropriate function, durable blades and a jug made of impact-resistant plastic. Ice crushing occurs in pulse mode. The most well-known companies producing reliable devices with this mode: Redmond, Bosh, Philips, Braun.
Coffee beans
Coffee can be ground with any blender that has an airtight blending container. The dishes must be completely dry. Medium speed is suitable for grinding. In a minute you will get medium ground coffee.
What sauce can be made in a blender: a delicious addition to side dishes
If you are tired of store-bought sauces made from unknown materials, we offer you the ideal option for cold gravies made in a blender.
Mustard Tartar sauce
To make a rich and thick sauce that is ideal for spaghetti, potatoes and shrimp, you will need:
- mustard - 1 tbsp. l.;
- lemon juice - 1 tbsp. l.;
- yolk - 1 pc.;
- vegetable oil - 100 ml;
- pickled cucumbers - 3 pcs.;
- green onions and parsley - several sprigs each;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Add more grain mustard to get an original and beautiful sauce
Method of preparation: cut the greens into pieces and place in a container. We also send mustard, yolk, seasonings and chopped pickles here. Be sure to add vegetable oil at the very end. Start the blender and blend for 5 minutes.
Creamy chicken soup
Beginning housewives often wonder what to cook for lunch. We present to your attention a recipe for velvety chicken soup with cream. You can cook this dish on the stove or in a slow cooker. First of all, the meat is cooked, and then it is combined with all the ingredients. And in a blender, the products are perfectly crushed to a puree-like mass.
- Water – 1.7 l.
- Chicken breast – 450 g.
- Cream – 180 ml.
- Potatoes – 350 g.
- Onion – 70 g.
- Vegetable oil – 30 ml.
- Salt, black pepper.
- Place the chicken in a saucepan with water, add salt. After boiling, skim off the foam and cook for approximately 45 minutes. Cool the meat and grind in a meat grinder.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes. Finely chop the onion and fry in vegetable oil.
- Filter the broth, add potatoes to it, and simmer until soft over low heat. Pour off some of the broth.
- Pour the fried onion and chicken into the pan. Using an immersion blender, puree the ingredients while adding broth.
- Now pour the cream into a homogeneous mass and stir. Boil the cream soup for 2-3 minutes. Serve with homemade croutons.
NOTE:
This puree soup can be made from rabbit or turkey meat.
What else can you quickly grind in a blender?
In a house where there is a blender, you can easily prepare various drinks, quick main courses and first courses. Of course, in addition to soups, cereals, and cocktails, the device can whip up more “serious” products, provided it has a high power rating and has additional knives for chopping.
Is it possible to whip cream in a blender if you don’t have a mixer?
Preparing protein and custard creams for pies in a blender requires special attention.
Using submersible and stationary blenders, you can prepare various creams for pies and cakes, as well as make sweet fillings for them. In this case, it is important to follow the recipes. Moreover, if you overbeat the beating or, conversely, spend too little time on it, you will not get the desired result.
Grind the onion in a blender for minced meat
Do not overdo it with grinding the onions in a blender; it is very difficult to remove the pungent odor from them.
To process onions in a blender thoroughly, you must first cut the heads into 4-5 parts. At the same time, your knives in the container must be well sharpened, since old worn-out attachments are not able to cope with such complex processing.
When there is no meat grinder, can a blender come to the rescue in preparing minced meat?
Chopping chicken in a blender will cause the knives to jam, as the veins and skin often get tangled around them
You can grind meat in a blender for minced meat if you prepare it first: remove all the veins, bones and skin. First you must cut the ingredient into cubes and place in portions in a bowl. Do not use too tough old meat for chopping; the blender will probably not have enough power to process it.
Dear visitors to our site, if you know interesting dishes that can be prepared in a blender or have prepared them yourself, share your experience in the comments. We are always happy to receive feedback!
Briefly about the additional functions of blenders
The number of additional functions does not always mean that a particular blender can undoubtedly be classified as a premium class; it often happens that budget models are equipped with several operating modes, have a large number of speeds, but in fact it turns out that there is practically no difference between them . Therefore, it makes sense to dwell in a little more detail on the truly useful “skills” of these gadgets.
Vacuum functions: mixing and packing
The feasibility of having a vacuum mixing function in a modern blender is the subject of debate among nutritionists and manufacturers of household appliances: the latter argue that in the process of grinding or mixing, a sufficient amount of nutrients so necessary for the human body deteriorates as a result of an oxidation reaction. To avoid this, after loading the products and closing the lid, the air is completely removed from the bowl by pumping it out of the work area.
What is the point of removing air from the bowl for a couple of minutes while the blender is running is not very clear, because after mixing and grinding is complete, the resulting products will again come into contact with air.
What is really useful is the presence of a vacuum pump in the blender, which looks more like another attachment that helps pack certain products for storage in the refrigerator. The harmfulness of oxidative reactions during long-term storage in modern “No Frost” refrigerators has long been proven, and one of the ways to significantly extend the shelf life of dishes and products is to use the most airtight packaging and containers. The function can also be used when preparing marinade in a blender.
Pulse mode and turbo mode
The purpose of this mode is one - more thorough grinding of solid products and prevention of jamming of working knives. The idea is simple: the nozzles used rotate a little faster than in normal mode, but at the same time they stop for short periods of time, giving the products the opportunity to settle to the bottom of the bowl.
Correct use of the mode has a positive effect on the service life of the knives and the device itself (the engine does not overheat due to grinding for too long, for example, nuts or ice), as well as on the quality of work in general.
Turbo mode is different in that it is activated by the blender only at the end of one or another automatic operating program and represents a short-term increase in speed parameters. It is usually used to achieve softness and tenderness in mixtures, purees and cocktails.
Power, number of speeds and their adjustment
Obviously, to chop different types of food, the knives must rotate at different speeds in order to successfully cope with harder or softer products. It should be understood that devices whose maximum power does not exceed 250-350 W are absolutely not suitable for chopping meat, ice or nuts, and are suitable exclusively for fruits, vegetables and preparing drinks.
As practice shows, stepwise speed control is available on most models whose power is above 500-700 W (while blenders with a motor power parameter above 1,200 W are comparable to food processors). This allows, firstly, to quickly cope with large volumes of products, and secondly, to use the blender on a wider scale.
A useful function can be a smooth adjustment of the operating speed of the device’s knives, which is aimed at manually selecting the optimal operating mode for the blender if automatic programs do not show the best results. For example, if you need to chop potatoes that are too hard, high-speed gear No. 1 is too slow, and No. 2 is too fast, so that the pieces simply do not have time to grind and are constantly in suspension.
Soup maker
Modern expensive models of blenders can be an addition to the same multicookers, if only because of the presence of such options. This function allows the owner not only to use the gadget for its intended purpose, but also for cooking and heating food.
Most devices have a heating operating range that varies between the standard 40°C and 100°C, as well as a maximum operating time in one mode or another, which is usually limited to two hours.
Useful video
The video contains interesting recipes for a blender:
Have you got a blender? What can you do and cook with this device? A blender is a popular representative of kitchen appliances, which is designed for chopping or mixing products. This device is widely used among cocktail lovers, as well as among parents of small children, as it makes it possible to quickly prepare any puree for the baby at home.
Is it possible to beat meringue with a blender or prepare cream soup? We suggest finding out what types of representatives of this device there are and what dishes they will help you prepare.