Common Blender Mistakes You Should Avoid

While a blender seems to be one of the easiest and most convenient kitchen appliances to use, many people still end up making a lot of mistakes to their blender. You may even wind up damaging even the best blenders around if you’re not being careful. So check out the most common blender mistakes below that you should avoid.

1. Blending all ingredients at once

People tend to throw all ingredients into the blender at once, but this may prevent the blades from rotating properly as they should and thus the ingredients may not be chopped and blended thoroughly.

To avoid this problem, it’s better to put in the ingredients in smaller, gradual batches. Ideally, you should put the solid ingredients first, and then add the liquids — gradually. Water or ice should be the last thing to add because it makes it easier to know how much water or ice is needed after the other ingredients have been blended. This prevents the likelihood of a watery mixture.

If the blender stops working, turn the machine off and use a spoon or a spatula to stir and better distribute the ingredients, or add water or other liquids.

2. Using an unreasonable amount of liquid

The amount of liquid you use directly affects to the quality of your mixture, such as the consistency, the taste and even the nutritional value. Too much liquid may end up in a watery result, while too little of it may lead to a too chunky or lumpy mixture.

Also, remember that blending tends to dilute food (especially for fruits and vegetables with lots of water content). So if you don’t want to end up with a diluted smoothie, for instance, freeze your favorite fruit or vegetable juices into ice cubes which you can add later on while blending, or freeze certain fruits or vegetables directly. It’s also a good idea to add some thick stuff such as milk, whipped cream or ice cream to make your concoctions a bit creamier.

3. Using a poor quality produce

Although you may not notice it at first, using poor quality produce that you blend may directly affect the test and the overall composition of your mixture. If you find a bruised apple, a mushy strawberry or a limp Swiss chard that have stayed too long in your fridge, forget tossing them into blender and toss them into the bin instead.

When possible, buy only the freshest and organic produce. Freeze them, or regularly re-stock your goods just for the blender.

4. Not washing the blender immediately after use

After using the blender, some may not wash it immediately or they wash it along with other dirty dishes. This habit may create a good place for bacteria to breed. If the leftover food stays too long inside the jar, it may harden and thus making it more difficult to clean it off.

If you’re finished blending, soak the jar with water first, then wash and clean it immediately. Clean the lid too right away, as well.

5. Never unplugging the blender after use

Many users never bother to remove the blender’s plug from the socket. What if you hit the pulse button by accident? It may damage the machine or even put you at a higher risk of injury.

Thus, before taking away parts of the blender for washing, remember to remove the blender’s plug from the socket first to avoid possible accidents.

6. Misusing the blender

A lot of blenders are equipped with different types of blades made for specific purposes. But if you tend to abuse your machine too much, it may compromise the durability of the jar and the performance of the blades. Using the wrong kinds of ingredients may also contribute to your blender’s possible damage.

7. Not checking the blender before turning it on

This is another blender mistake that most users usually encounter. Check the machine first to ensure that the parts are fitted perfectly. Overheating may also be the result of not inspecting the blender first before using.

8. Grinding and mixing raw and cooked food together

This habit seems plain gross, so this is a total no-no especially if you’re making baby food. It’s always better to grind cooked and raw food separately.

To ensure that your top rated blender will stay in its top condition and performance, you should never do any of these mistakes. Blender reviews are also a good place to find other tips from the users themselves, which will definitely add to your knowledge about maintaining your machine.