Ah the blender... This almost magical accessory allows us to easily make the tempting recipes that we see on the net and to become the pro of soup, hummus, smoothies or even sauces of all kinds. Yes, but here it is:to keep it in good working order, you have to take care of it. The PureWow website listed 6 things you should never use in a blender (and that's always good to know!).
Unless our blender has an "Ice Cube" feature, attempting to blend ice cubes in the blender may damage the blades. It's the same with frozen fruit. The trick? Take the fruit out 10 minutes before mixing it and prefer crushed ice.
Well, our blender is not afraid of much with cooked potatoes, but it is too powerful to succeed in obtaining the desired texture. Yes, we won't cut it:the potato masher remains the best tool for homemade mashed potatoes as we like it.
A blender soup? Fastoche! Be careful, however, because liquids that are (too) hot can damage the lid... and paint the kitchen. So, we wait a few minutes before putting them in the blender and we get into the habit of never filling the device more than halfway.
You don't necessarily smell it, but dried fruit can leave a sticky residue on the blades of the blender (=annoying to clean + can damage the blades in the long term). To avoid this and still use dried fruits, mix them with liquid (not oil, even if it's tempting for sun-dried tomatoes) or soak them before mixing.
Well, it seems obvious, but you should never use a utensil such as a wooden spoon or a fork in a running blender. Why ? We risk damaging everything:the utensil, the preparation and especially the blender. It's not worth the shot. If you need to fetch a nut that is hidden in a corner, unplug the blender and only there, use a spoon.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a good dough texture (for bread, for cookies, etc.) with a blender. Not to mention that the ingredients might struggle to mix together (too sticky!) So while it's not super fun, it's better to do it the old-fashioned way, with a whisk or our hands.
There you go, our blender will thank us!
