The Basics of Blenders
Blenders are very useful household appliances. Developed in the 1920s, nothing has come close yet to its functionality even if some argue that there are other appliances that can do almost the same job.
There are two types of blenders. There is the traditional and the immersion. Most of us use the traditional blender which consists of a power base that supports a tall container or jar with blades at the bottom.
The jar better known as the carafe could be made from glass, plastic or stainless steel with a lid to prevent the contents from splashing.
This is where the second type of blender comes in called the immersion blender or stick. Its power base is slimmer and this is usually attached to a long metal shaft with a mixing blade at one end.
It is given this name because you immerse the blade into the ingredients instead of the other way around. Once in position, you press the button to set the blades speed.
What makes these two so different is the fact that immersion blenders can only be used for light duty blending. It cant crush ice or any hard food items. The bowl or cup that you will put the ingredients in is something you have to look for on your own.
Earlier it was mentioned that there are some appliances perform similar tasks to the blender. These are namely mixers and food processors. But there are slight differences among the three.
Mixers are good for tasks that involve aerating or increasing the volume of batters by incorporating air into the mixture. Food processors chop dry solids or knead thick bread though. It is also able to slice or shred produce and cheeses. The blender cant do that because it can only reduce solids to smaller particles or blend liquids and it is not able to incorporate air into the mixture.
This means that these three appliances are not really competing with each other. You simply have to know which appliance to use depending on what you are trying to do.
If you dont want to get confused, try getting a unit that comes equipped with two attachments namely a traditional blender carafe and a compact food processor bowl with chopping blade.
Blenders are sold at different prices. These factors are based on the wattage, the container, the material used, speed and features.
For those who want something light, they can try to buy the cordless blender similar to a cordless phone. Once you take it out of the station, you can blend stuff even when you are outside on the patio.
Another option which is also compact is the personal blender. With this, you can only blend a single serving of your favorite refreshment. Once it is finished, you can bring it with you. It can even fit in the cup holder station of the car.
For those who need something that is heavy duty, go for the industrial strength blender. This is what restaurants use to liquefy fruits and vegetables into soup and do a few other things in just seconds!
The blender now comes in all shapes and sizes but the basics of this wonderful appliance are still the same. This is to help you mix different ingredients together so you can consume it within a matter of minutes.