Kitchen equipment · Blender

Blender

A tall jug with spinning blades at the bottom that turns liquids and soft foods into smooth purées and drinks.

Useful to have · Electric · 290 recipes

Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

A motor base topped with a tall jug, usually glass or plastic, with a lid and a set of blades fixed at the bottom. The blades create a vortex that pulls food down, so it needs some liquid to work. It purées more smoothly than a food processor, which has a wide bowl and is better for chopping and doughs; a hand blender is held in the pot instead. Personal or bullet blenders are small single-serve versions; Indian mixer-grinders combine a blender jar with small dry-grinding jars.

What it’s for: Making very smooth liquids and purées from fruit, vegetables, nuts and liquids.

How to use it

Add liquids first, then soft foods, then ice or frozen fruit on top.
Fit the lid firmly; for hot liquids fill no more than halfway and vent the lid.
Start on low and increase speed, or use pulse for chunkier results.
Stop and scrape down the sides if needed.

Good to know

Tasks: making smoothies and shakes, puréeing soups, blending sauces and chutneys, making batters, crushing ice, making nut milks
Cooking methods: Blended, No-cook, Raw
Materials: glass jug, plastic jug, stainless steel blades
Care and cleaning: Rinse straight away, then blend warm soapy water for a few seconds and rinse again. Unplug before touching the blades.
Limitations: Needs liquid to move; poor at chopping, kneading or small amounts.

Safety

Blades are very sharp; never reach in while plugged in.
Hot liquids expand and can blow the lid off: fill partly, vent and hold the lid with a cloth.

If you don’t have one

Hand (stick) blender — Good for soups and small smoothies; less smooth with fibrous foods.
Food processor — Purées thick mixtures; leaks with thin liquids.

Equipment guide

How it works: A motor spins blades at high speed in the base of a tapered jar. The blades cut and shear the food while the jar shape creates a vortex that pulls ingredients down into the blades. More power and higher speed produce finer purées, break down fibrous material and emulsify mixtures; prolonged high-speed blending also warms the contents through friction.

Material	Good	Watch out
Tritan or similar BPA-free plastic jar	Light and shatter-resistant.	Scratches and clouds; can hold smells.
Glass jar	Does not scratch or stain; heavy, stable.	Heavy and breakable; often lower capacity.
Stainless steel jar	Unbreakable; good for very cold or hot mixtures.	You cannot see the contents.

Countertop blender: Smoothies, soups, sauces.
High-performance blender: Very fine purées, nut butters, wet-grinding.
Personal blender: Single-serve cup.
Indian mixer-grinder: Several jars, including small dry and wet-grinding jars, for spice pastes, batters and chutneys.

Buying guidance

Starting out: A 500–750 W blender with a 1.5 litre jar, or an Indian mixer-grinder if you grind masalas and batters.

Keen cook: A 1,000 W or stronger blender with a tamper for thick mixtures.

Professional: High-performance blenders of about 1,500 W and above with variable speed.