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Posts Tagged ‘carafe’

  1. The Blender Buying Guide

    April 23, 2011 by Admin

    You should know what to look for when you want to buy a blender. This is because no kitchen is complete without it so to help you out, here is buying guide for you customers out there.

    First, the blender must be able to do some basic tasks in the kitchen. These include crushing ice and combine liquids as well as solids.

    The capacity of the blender is also important. The carafe’s as they are better known may be able to hold 1 to 3 liters so knowing which one to get should be based on your blending needs.

    Since the capacity also dictates the size of the unit, you should also consider the amount of storage space when this is not needed. If this can’t fit inside the cabinet, perhaps this can be placed on top of the shelf instead.

    Surely, you don’t want your blender to break down only after a few months. To prevent this from happening, make sure you get a trusted brand. Look at what material is used in making the body and the carafes. The footing should also be stable so it doesn’t fall to one side especially when you are blending. If you are to choose between plastic, glass or stainless steel footing, go for the last as it is the sturdiest.

    As for your carafe, stainless steel happens to be the sturdiest however you are not able to see what you are mixing. This is why glass is much better even if it is heavier and more expensive than plastic.

    Regardless of the capacity of the carafe you choose, don’t make the mistake of putting in ¾ its capacity. Doing so will create a mess even if it does come with a lid.

    Looks are also important when buying a blender. Why? This is because the blender should also complement the rest of the kitchen. Fortunately, most companies have this available in various colors so you will just have to choose one from the rest.

    The ideal blender should have various functions. Since there are so many to mention, just choose one based on what you plan to do with it. If you want to try new things with your blender, always read the instructional manual so there won’t be any problems when you use it.

    The strength of the blender depends on its wattage. Usually, these are between 300-500 watts for small blenders and 1200 watts for heavy duty models. This makes the speed settings vary as well. Some units have 13 while others have 16 but for the people at home, sticking between 300 to 500 watts is sufficient.

    The blender must also be user-friendly. At one point, these were sold with push button controls. The problem was that they were very difficult to clean. The grooves seem to attract spills and this doesn’t go away no matter how many times you clean it.

    There are also models that have dials which are probably easier to operate than push button. The drawback is that they don’t look sleek enough to impress people who see it.

    The best once to get are those with touchpad controls because it is easy to clean. For a few more dollars, you can even one that has programmed settings even if some find it hard to read.

    The blender buying guide should help you find the right blender depending on your needs. The only thing you have to do now is check out your nearby appliance store or online to find what you need for your kitchen.

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  2. The Basics of Blenders

    April 19, 2011 by Admin

    Blenders are very useful household appliances. Developed in the 1920′s, 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 can’t 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 can’t 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 don’t 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.

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  3. How to Use A Blender

    March 14, 2011 by Admin

    Let’s say you are throwing a party at home. Naturally, there will be food and drinks. But what if you suddenly run out of bottled refreshments? For that, you can make some of your own which is only possible if you know how to use a blender.

    1. The first thing you have to do is take it out of the cabinet and put it together. In most cases, the unit is ready to use. You just have to wash the carafe and dry it before you throw in your ingredients.

    2. For others, you have to place the blade in the retaining ring then set the gasket over the blades and inside the ring.

    3. Next, screw the retaining ring firmly to the bottom of the pitcher. Be sure that this is seated correctly otherwise you will have a leak.

    4. When it is ready, you must place the blender on a flat and dry surface. Set the carafe and the plug the blender in.

    5. Now, throw in the ingredients. Close the lid firmly and then choose the setting that will do the job. For instance, use the ice or chop setting to make smoothies or other frozen drinks.

    6. If you want to add other things like grate chocolate, use the pulse setting. This can be placed inside the carafe if you have a secondary lid so you don’t have to switch it off then on again.

    Instead of adding ice while it is being blended, you can also use frozen fruit as this gives it a brighter flavor. Then you pour the drinks into glasses and serve it to the guests.

    7. If you have to make more, just follow the steps mentioned. Don’t forget to wash it after each use using dishwashing detergent, add water halfway and then run the blender on low speed for a few seconds.

    If you have to make more than 3 batches, perhaps you should get a bigger blended next time. Just make sure to use the right amount of ingredients each time to maintain consistency in whatever you are making.

    8. When the party is over and it is time to clean up, rinse the blender thoroughly and take it apart before this is placed back inside the cabinet. Taking care of your appliances will make sure that they will still be working the next time you have to use it.

    The blender is very easy to use and you can make other things with it in a matter of seconds. If you have a baby at home, you can make him or her food by adding a small amount of liquid into the cup of fruit and vegetables then blend this for a few seconds using the Puree setting so the food will smoothen out lumpy gravy.

    So now that you know how to use a blender, the only thing you have to do now is decide what you want to make and then prepare the ingredients. For those who want to experiment, do some research online and then practice this at home. If you just purchased a new one, look inside the box because it may already come with an instructional book or even a video so you can become an expert in no time.

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