Consumers and chefs often need a blender when cooking recipes, including frozen drinks, juices, soups, or baby food. You may notice that some blenders have an overwhelming number of blender settings. For example, countertop blenders typically offer 2–16 speed settings, but having more choices in speed settings is not an indication of increased utility for all users. However, immersion blenders usually have one or two blender settings. Some of the best blenders on the market have quite a few settings and controls. As long as you know how to use them, you can do a lot with them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Most blenders have at least two speeds, though some have significantly more.
- When blending, you should start on the lowest speed before increasing to your desired speed unless your recipe states otherwise.
- You can blend ingredients for a few seconds using pulse if you feel the food is not quite smooth enough.
Countertop Blenders
Most kitchens include a countertop blender. This kitchen appliance is also referred to as a stationary blender or conventional blender because you do not move the blender while using it. Additionally, these blenders have been around longer than immersion blenders. While trying to determine the best setting to blend your ingredients, you should consider the toughness of the ingredients and how much you are mixing.
Cooks encounter tough ingredients regularly, which requires a more powerful blender motor. Frozen fruits, nuts, and ice feature in various recipes, but they can be hard to break up. A high-powered blender with multiple settings may help you tackle these ingredients. Each option represents a different speed setting for the blades, such as pureeing, chopping, or blending. The motor speed is adjusted in response to the buttons being pressed. Higher speeds provide more power and motion to cut through ingredients. For a sweet treat, you can choose lower settings for softer components, like fresh fruit or liquids. Make sure to include liquids while blending to help mix the ingredients, such as water, milk, or juice. So how much should you expect to pay for a blender? It depends on what you can afford, ease of use, and also the versatility of the blender. You should expect to pay more if you are going for the high-end models.
Immersion blenders
Although they may not offer all of the functions of conventional blenders, immersion blenders offer additional functions compared to traditional blenders. While mixing large volumes of ingredients, immersion blenders do not require you to transfer your ingredients from the pot to the blender jar or make multiple batches. Because the immersion blender does not have a specially designed glass jar, you blend your ingredients in whatever dish you want. You can also mix smaller amounts of ingredients, creating the perfect portion size. Additionally, you can combine your hot ingredients inside the pot they are cooking in by using an immersion blender.
Immersion blenders sometimes have multiple speed settings as well. However, their speed options are more restricted. Therefore, these tools may only have one or two settings for speed. You should start on the lower setting and then move to high to help preserve the motor and reduce the motor heat. A higher setting may also help to reduce the amount of time you need to prepare your mixture. And if you want your blender to serve you for a long time, make sure you know how to clean an immersion blender after use. This is one of the best ways to protect your investment.
F.A.Q.
Why do blenders have different settings?
Consumers choose from several different settings on a blender based on how quickly and how much they want their ingredients to be blended. The different settings represent the speed options that the blender offers.
How many speeds should a blender have?
People use blenders with one or multiple speeds. If you want to have more precision in how blended things get, you may want one with more speeds. However, if you aren’t making a lot of hard-to-mix foods, you do not need a lot of blender speeds.
What setting is puree on a blender?
Different blenders have varying speeds, so it can be difficult to determine which is puree without knowing what blender model you have. To figure this out, you should consult your user’s manual.
STAT: Countertop blenders typically offer 2–16 speed settings, but having more choices in speed settings is not an indication of increased utility for all users. (source)
