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With metallic blades and a strong motor, you’d suppose a blender might deal with nearly any meals you throw in it. Whipping up smoothies filled with rock-hard frozen fruit and frothy frozen cocktails like our well-known whole lime margarita needs to be a breeze, proper? However there are some meals that may put a pressure in your equipment, make an enormous mess, or prove totally inedible.
After all, the kind of blender you have got will make a distinction on the subject of efficiency. With quite a lot of sizes and wattages obtainable, not all blenders are created equally, which implies these with decrease horsepower will doubtless have extra bother with our no-no listing of blender meals. (In case you’re available in the market for a beast of a blender that‘s massive on horsepower, these are the best.) And it doesn’t matter what form of blender you employ, be sure to follow these five basic blender tips.
With out additional ado, listed below are the meals it is best to suppose twice about plopping into your subsequent blended creation:
Ice
“Normal blenders simply aren’t highly effective sufficient to crush ice cubes right into a superb powder or snow. You will find yourself with half-blended ice that is nonetheless in massive chunks, which may destroy the feel of your smoothie or shake,” says Anja Wolf, CEO and inventive director for kitchen ideas web site I Love Cookware. Ice may harm blender blades and “trigger the motor to overheat and finally break down,” she says.
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Dried Fruit
“Whereas frozen and recent fruit are nice additions to your blended concoction, dried fruits are a totally totally different story,” says Aysegul Sanford, recipe developer, meals photographer, and founding father of Foolproof Living. Dried fruit has a sticky middle and thick exterior, which may coat blades and forestall them from functioning properly, she says. If you cannot reside with out it in your smoothie, pre-cut it or soak it in water to melt it earlier than including it to the blender.
Scorching Liquids
“Utilizing sizzling liquids in a high-speed blender could be very unsafe,” says Sodexo Live! Govt Chef Gregory Pittman on the Baltimore Conference Heart. “The steam buildup from the new liquids might pop the highest of the blender and splatter that sizzling liquid everywhere or, even worse, on an individual’s pores and skin.” In case you completely should mix sizzling liquids, first seek the advice of your proprietor’s handbook to ensure your blender mannequin can deal with sizzling objects. If it might probably, nonetheless take care and do not overfill the pitcher. As a substitute, mix in batches if wanted, and permit for steam to flee by eradicating the middle vent from the lid and draping a kitchen towel over prime to forestall splatter, says meals author Stacey Ballis.
Espresso Beans
Blenders and grinders are totally different beasts, and occasional beans are a wonderful check case to show it. “Consider it or not, espresso beans are literally one of many hardest issues to mix,” says Brittany Kline, blogger at The Savvy Kitchen. “They have a tendency to get caught within the blades and may even harm the motor if you happen to’re not cautious. So, except you are utilizing a really highly effective blender, it is best to keep away from mixing espresso beans altogether.”
Bread Dough
In relation to making bread, a stand mixer is your finest pal. A blender will not be. “In case you do not wish to find yourself with a broken blender or a dough that’s over-mixed and hard, then significantly do not hassle,” says Rachel Hemsley, founder and editor of Make Bread At Home. “When dough is mixed in a blender, the gluten within the flour may be overworked and develop into robust. The result’s a loaf of bread that’s lower than supreme—both too dense or crumbly. To have the right loaf of bread, it is vital to deal with the dough gently and never overmix it.”
Turmeric Root
“One meals I’ll by no means put in my blender once more is turmeric root,” says Veronica Rouse, MAN, RD, CDE, a registered dietitian and founding father of The Heart Dietitian. “Turmeric root is thought for its capability to cut back irritation and oxidation, and due to this fact the chance of coronary heart illness. Nevertheless, it has turned my (costly) plastic Vitamix jug a mustard yellow. I’ve tried the whole lot to take away this hue from my blender, however nothing appears to work. I assume turmeric known as the golden spice for a purpose.”
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Almonds
Almonds are a wholesome snack, filled with protein, fiber, minerals, and nutritional vitamins B6 and E, says registered dietitian and authorized energy and conditioning specialist Reda Elmardi, founding father of The Gym Goat. However when blended, almonds could make a large number. “When almonds are blended, they launch a sticky substance referred to as mucilage, which may clog up the blade of the blender and make it troublesome to mix different meals,” Elmardi says. To forestall this from taking place, Elmardi recommends stashing almonds within the freezer earlier than mixing them. Nuts usually can boring blender blades. Megan Weimer, recipe developer and founding father of Meg + Matcha, recommends soaking them in a single day earlier than including to the blender when making nut milk or butter.
Some Frozen Fruits
Blenders are synonymous with fruit smoothies, however some fruits may be robust on the equipment. “I make loads of smoothies and frozen fruit-blended recipes in our Vitamix,” says vegan cookbook creator and meals blogger Marly McMillen. “I’ve discovered by no means to place overly frozen fruit in my blender, particularly fruit that freezes laborious and agency, like entire strawberries. Attempting to mix laborious frozen fruit can harm your blender, as it might probably pressure your blender’s blades. When utilizing frozen fruit, I like to recommend letting it sit within the blender for as much as 10 minutes to permit it to melt earlier than mixing,” she says.
Potatoes
When making mashed potatoes, throwing your tubers right into a blender could appear to be a genius shortcut, however a large number and gloopy potatoes are the doubtless final result. “Starchy meals like potatoes can launch an excessive amount of starch due to the blender’s velocity and blades,” says Invoice Bradley, RD, CEO of mediterraneanliving.com. “They’ll have a chalky or glue-like texture.” So, seize a potato masher and get that arm exercise together with silky mashed potatoes.
And lastly, these non-food objects ought to by no means be added to a blender:
Fingers and Utensils
“Over my profession, I’ve seen a number of cooks utilizing rubber and even stainless-steel utensils to wash a blender whereas it’s nonetheless linked to energy–an final no-no,” Chef Pittman says. “All the time unplug the blender, take away the vessel from its base, take away the blade (if doable), pour out the contents and use a rubber spatula to scrape the perimeters.”
