Blenders have dramatically increased in popularity since all the juice and smoothie diets have started making headlines. Many celebrities claim to use and endorse these types of diets with great success which makes us want to try them even more.
But before you rush out and stock up on fruits, vegetables, almond milk and all the other healthy ingredients you will need for these smoothies you will need to invest in a good blender.
With so many to choose from, you need to know what you are looking for to avoid buying a blender that will disappoint you. You will need a powerful blender to make juices and smoothies as many of these recipes require you to crush ice and have frozen fruit or vegetable added.
For best results, you will need a blender with a motor that has at least 600 watts of power. 600 watts or more will give you enough torque and speed to make quick work of the ice or frozen goods.
The jug or container of the blender is also important as this is what will take the most hammering. Plastic containers may scratch or crack, so it is best to look for a blender with a glass container.
A stainless steel container is visually appealing, but you can’t see through the container to monitor the progress of your blend so while they are nice to look at they aren’t very practical.
You also need to consider the size of the container of the blender. If you are mostly going to be blending smoothies and juices for yourself only then a powerful single serving or personal blender may be just what you need, however, for larger families you will want a blender that has at least a 1L capacity.
A good blade that is well designed, sharp and made from strong durable material will serve you well. Constantly using your blender to crush ice, blend frozen fruits and make smoothies will quickly wear the blade down and eventually render your blender useless it has an extremely strong blade.
Once you have found the best blender that is perfect for your daily smoothie, you need to follow a few guidelines in order to get the best results with a smooth consistency every time. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as simply putting all your fruit in the blender and switching it on.
Always Add Liquids First
A blender is designed to pulverize and liquidize fruit and vegetables. This done by adding a bit of liquid to the container first. Add enough liquid to form a nice vortex and the slowly start adding your fruit bit by bit.
The vortex will pull the pieces of fruit down to the blade which in turn will pulverize it, creating a juice. Without adding water your fruit will be grainy and will not have the smoothness that you require.
Use Frozen Fruit and Vegetables
Using frozen fruit and vegetables has more than one advantage. Firstly, if your fruits are frozen you eliminate the need to add ice cubes and can rather add a bit of water that will form the all-important vortex.
The other advantage is you can keep your fruits for longer and will not end up throwing away fruit that has become rotten.
Chop and Peel Your Fruit
Especially when using fresh fruit and vegetables, always peel and chop your veggies before adding them to the blender. A blender is not a juicer that separates the pulp from the peel.
Fruits such as apples, peaches, and plums can be used with skin on, but oranges, lemons, and other thick-skinned fruits should be peeled. It is true that a lot of the nutrients are sometimes in the peel, however, adding these thick peels to your blend will not work in a blender.
How to Blend Fruits in a Blender
Once you have prepared all your fresh or frozen fruits, or a combination of the two, you are ready to start blending your fruits. If the recipe you are using uses milk, juice or water, add this to the bender first. The liquid will form the all-important vortex and you can then slowly start adding your fruits to the liquid.
Most blenders come with a stirrer that you can use to push down or mix the fruits as you add them. If your blender has different speed settings, start going through the settings varying the speed. Also, use the pulse setting occasionally for best results.
While learning how to blend fruits in a blender is not rocket science, following a few basic steps and tips will help you get the smooth consistency that you would like. After all, there is nothing worse than a lumpy and grainy fruit smoothie or juice.