How Tos Archives - Blendday

Using your blender safely at home should an important aspect of ensuring the longevity of your home blender. Not only should you use blenders properly, but you should also use them safely. So far, our blenders have done more good to us in the kitchen than bad. And if you are new to the use of a blender for food prep, then you can still sense the importance of bringing in the appliance as part of your kitchen tools. When it comes to making green smoothies, salad dressings and perfectly pureed soups, blenders have proven to be the best go-to appliance so far. While we adore this appliance as a handy kitchen appliance for whipping, pureeing, mixing, liquefying and emulsifying our food items, it is important to be aware of the basic knowledge of safely using and maintaining a blender in order to prevent injuries and sustain the durability/life span of the machine. Blender can be your best friend in the kitchen when it comes to making perfect smoothies and sumptuous sauce, but at the same time, it can pose as a serious danger when you don’t know how to use it properly or safely. Needless to say, blenders involves sharp moving blades ready to cut anything with a single hit of a button. The dangers of not knowing how to safely use a blender extend beyond not being careful with the cutting blades. This should not give you a bad impression about the use of blenders. They are actually good for home use. But whatever blender you are using, there are some safety concerns that come along with its use. And that is exactly all we shall be looking into in this article Without beating around the bush, let's get down to the main reason why you are here. What are the Ways to use a blender safely at home? Know the components of your blender, first As basic as this may sound, it is in fact the first measure safety when using a blender. You need to be aware of the blender parts, components and their functions. This is because most of the hazard is as a result of ignorance on the parts of a blender and how they work. Your basic or standard blender is made up of the following Housing Blades Jar Sealing ring Jar base Lid It is equally important to be aware about how these components work so that you don’t mishandle them. The best way to know more about your blender parts, especially when you are new to the use of a blender is to read the manual from cover to cover before using the appliance. This leads us to the next step The user manual is very important In connection to knowing the parts of your blender, the user manual that comes with the blender is a good source of enlightenment on the blender you’ve just bought. Most of the errors made by blender owners is as a result of not paying attention to the details in the blender manual. Luckily, the ways to even sort the problems are still written in the book. The manufacturer manual usually contains the required wattage needed for the blender to run smoothly, the formation of the cutting blades (how they work and how they can be detached when cleaning), as well as the strength and weakness of every other part of the blender. If there is anything special about the blender model you have, it is usually communicated to you through the manual. Why then should you throw it away? Blend food items one at a time This simply means that is is not ideal to add other things into the blender container while using the blender. This safety tip is simply to avoid making a huge mess in your kitchen area as the food ingredients can fly out if the blender jar once you open the lid. Especially when you are blending pepper, the last thing you want is to allow the pepper liquid to escape from the jar straight into the eyes. In addition to this, do not, under any circumstances, insert any stirring object into the blender container while blending because it could disrupt the blades and cause serious damage to, not only the blades but also the motor Dress like a cook when using a blender You don’t want strands of your hair entering into what you blend. It is better to wear a chef cap and apron or you just pin the hair if it is a long one. The mechanism of cutting blades of blenders, especially hand-held blenders can grip any dangling accessory you wear. It is safer to take care of what you wear while you handle or use a blender. Dressing items like necklaces, bracelets, long earrings, ties, scarves, and a host of others are not good to wear when using a blender. Do not forget to unplug blender from the outlet after use I have visited many homes where they leave their blender plugged permanently into an electrical switch. I have also discovered that most blender owners in town are probably used to this. It is very dangerous. There is actually no point leaving your blender plugged into the switch when not in use. When you finish using the blender to blend an ingredient, make sure it is properly and thoroughly cleaned. This is very important to avoid rusty blades and bad odour in the blender jars. While cleaning the blender, be extra careful not to allow water to contact the engine or underneath the base of the blender. After washing and cleaning, store the blender in a cupboard that is free from excess dust Do not overwork your blender Even when you are using a heavy duty blender, do not use continuously for too long. It's just like allowing yourself to run a marathon without stopping at intervals. You need to give the blender a breathing space for the motor to cool. Continuous use of blender without stopping can cause the motor to becomes too hot such that it begins to overheat. The worse situation will be when you are overworking a cheap blender. Be ready to replace it in no time. If you need to blend a lot, give the blender a break in between each short blending spurt. Once you continue to use your blender without stopping, claiming it to be a very powerful blender, you may be very unlucky and begin to see smoke and perceive smell from the engine. This is a pure indicator that you have overworked the blender and now the motor is overheated, if not damaged. It is not right to put hot liquid in a blender To ensure a safe blend and a scalding experience, it is advised not to blend hot liquid. If at all there is a need to blend hot liquid, allow it to cool for few minutes before putting it into the blender jar. If you are using a blender with less quality blender jar, you must not fill them with really hot liquid for blending. Be careful of the blades when blending I do not need to tell how dangerous it is to put your hand in the blender while blending. To avoid injuries, it is important to keep your fingers and hands out of the blender as far as possible without losing grip or control of the bender. Blenders are made with really sharp blades that are ready to cut through any thing ones you hit the start button. Whether you are operating the blender or not, as long as it is connected to an electrical switch, do not make attempt to put your hand or fingers into the blender a just a small push of the button, on whatsoever speed, could dice your hand. Removed processed ingredients properly The proper way to remove your proceed food item from the blender is to first remove the blender jar or jug from the blender base before taking the lid off. This is a very important post-blending tip that you ought to follow in order to avoid waste or mess. In this way, you reduce the risk of accidentally bumping the blender into working mode, which could cause an accident. Filling the blender with the right amount of items at a time No matter what you are blending, or how quick you need to have the food items blend, make sure that the blender is filled halfway with the food item or even below. This will allow the food items to bounce around the blender jar thereby producing a consistent result. Also, before you toss in any hot food item, you want to make sure you allow it to cool for about five minutes so that it doesn't make the blender hot while working My personal safety rule for blending hot foods with a home blender If you use a bad boy blender like mine, you may not have a problem blending hot food because all the parts of the blender are durable. But one safety rule I developed for myself in order to keep myself safe when using a blender to blend hot foods is that I do not put the lid close to my face when opening it after blending. Lastly and most importantly on the steps to use a blender at home safety is that you MUST not ignore proper cleaning, maintenance and storing after each use of your blender. The cleaning process of a blender will be easier when your blender features parts that are dishwasher safe. How does a blender work? Yeah, you probably know much about a blender and its benefits, more reason why you came here to get the best safety tips when using a blender at home. However, while you think It is now unnecessary to start outlining the mechanism of a blender, you will agree with me that most mistake we have with our appliance in the kitchen is mostly because we have little or no idea about the components of the blender and how they function. Firstly, Standard blenders feature the following component parts, both fixed and removable Housing, Blades, Jar, Sealing ring, Jar base, as well as a durable Lid. So here is exactly how your blender works. With this knowledge, it will be easier to identify problems of a blender when they arise as well as how to solve them. When you connect the plug of your blender to an electric socket, it will power the motor of the blender which will cause the shaft to spin at a very high rate of speed. While the shaft is spinning, the blades attached at the bottom, inside the jar will also spin at the same speed. In this way, the food items in the jar will begin to blend, creating a vortex inside of the blender. The speed option of a blender is provided to allow you to blend food items at certain speeds to get desired texture as result in the end. In addition, is the pulse button that allows the user to blend in burst while the motor runs. What are the things I should not use a blender for? Lastly, we shall be looking into the items you should never put into your blender. Blenders can be very versatile when it comes to some food prep task, but without knowing the things that should not be put inside a blender, you may be breaching the limit of your blender’s capability. There are some thick foods that are not meant for blenders For most blender models, it is very challenging and difficult to process gooey food items. Going ahead to feed the blender jar with this type of food item for blending can affect the lifespan of your blender. Thick food items like potatoes, dough, and other thick or gooey foods are definitely not blender worthy. No matter how powerful the blender is, it is best to know the right appliance for processing various types of food items. For dough, potatoes and other thick food items, the best appliance you may want to consider using is a food processor with various attachments and accessories. There is no doubt that our blender will not last long once you start feeding more food items into it than it can actually handle or has been built to handle. This leads us back to the point where I mentioned that you should not overwork your blender. You could damage it. Just so you know, thicker food items allow the blender motor to overwork than normal, exceeding its limit to get the job perfectly done, while you may get a good result at the end, the motor of the blender could overheat. The recommended appliance for mixing a perfect dough is a stand mixer or hand mixer. You can also make use of a powerful motor if you do not have a stand mixer. When baking or making pastries, one huge flop is having to mix a dough badly. This is what a blender will assure you because it is not built for such a purpose. Do not use attachments that are not made for blenders Blenders come in different models. While there are several attachments for blenders that makes blending easier, not all of these attachments work for all type and brand of blenders. So it is important to be sure of the extra attachment you are using and whether they are really designed for your blender. I advise that you buy all the attachment you will need when buying the blender and they should all be from the same manufacturer. If you go ahead to use an attachment that is not specifically designed for the model of blender you are using, it may not fit well into the base of the blender which can cause liquids leaking into the engine or damage on any part of the blender. There is also a potential and increased risk of electrical shocks or fires when using attachments that do not match with your blender. Do not put hard food items into a blender When you start developing a problem with the cutting blades of your blender, it is because you have been using it on too hard food items that have made the blades weak and dull. So, it is important that you use the blender for food items that are blend-able. Some of the hard food items that should not be put in a blender include Frozen fruit, Frozen vegetable, Whole ice cube, whole spices, as well as coffee beans. Mind you, whole ice cubes can be crushed in a blender with high wattage power and glass blender jar, it is important to use a very powerful blender for processing whole ice cubes Blending hot liquids Chill, there is a special precaution you need to be aware of if at all you want to blend hot liquids in your blender. When you are using a really cheap blender, expect the excessive heat from the steam of the hot liquids to wear down and dull the blades inside. Even when you use a powerful blender, the steam may burn you when you take it off. When blending hot liquids in a blender, the steam from the h0t liquid can build up inside the blender, this will cause a lot of pressure inside the blender jar that can actually “blow” the lid off the top. If you continuously use your cheap blender to blend hot liquids, it is likely that you would be replacing them soon. To avoid stories that touch as well as an unnecessary mess, it is better not to use your blender for hot liquids. Better off, allow the liquids to chill for some minutes before turning them into the blender. Sticky foods are no go for blenders If you have been using your blender for sticky foods, then you should stop it. Chances are the blades will be dulled by now. For example, even without using a blender, you will agree with me that Sun-dried tomatoes and other dehydrated fruits are difficult to blend. In addition to their difficulty to blend, they can cause a serious sticky mess on the blades of the blender. So not just because you want the blender to last that is why you should not blend sticky foods but also because you don’t want to go through a tough time cleaning the blender after use. Sticky foods also leave residue and odour in the blender jar or container, so it is a no go for blender. They can also make your blades become really dull. In addition, you dint want the other food items to be detested and contaminated. The more you use a blender for processing sticky foods, the more you are trying to say you want to replace such blender. And when situation places you in an undeniable need to use a blender for sticky food, then the best option is to allow the food items to soak for some minutes to reduce its rigidity. Conclusion on how to safely use a blender at home Above all, I refer back to the first tip I gave you - always keep the manual book of your blender where you can always reach out to it. This is because more of these tips I have shared in this post are usually outlined in the manufacturer manual book. Blenders are important kitchen appliance that makes cooking easier. But without this basic knowledge, they could be hazardous. To sum up, all that I have laid emphasis on: Be careful not to insert utensils inside your blender when the blender is on and motor is running. Ensure you turn off your blender whenever it is not in use Don’t blend extremely thick foods for time exceeding four minutes Remember, sharing is caring!