Wondering whether owning a hand blender is worth it? We’re here to tell you that it is! Now, before we can do that though, you first have to understand how to use hand blenders.
Using a hand blender will make daily cooking easier and faster, saving you ample time and energy. There are multiple ways in which your hand blender can be put to use to allow you to spend minimal time cleaning the kitchen, and for that, we’ve got your back!
How to Use Hand Blenders
A hand blender is a reliable kitchen tool that is pretty easy to use for various tasks. If you love experimenting with various ingredients and cooking methods, then learning how to use a hand blender will help take your cooking skills to the next level.
Below is a step-by-step guide to using hand blenders:
1. Make sure that the batteries are charged beforehand if your blender functions on batteries. If not, then make sure that you are near a power outlet.
2. Next, put the hand blender together according to the instructions on the box. Majority hand blenders include an upper and lower attachment part that need to be screwed together.
3. Once that’s done, dunk the head of the blender into the bowl/cup that has the ingredients you want to blend. Remember to keep the head of the blender slightly off the bottom of the bowl/cup.
4. Switch the blender on and blend until the batter/smoothie is at your desired consistency.
5. In case you’re using a large bowl, you’ll have to move the blender around to make sure all the ingredients are blended properly until there are no more lumps.
6. When you’re done, detach the blender from the handle and wash.
Creative Ways You Can Use Your Hand Blender
Now that we’ve learned how to use a hand blender in its most basic steps, it is time to get straight into the delicious recipes we have prepared for you!
- Pesto
Using your hand blender is perfect to make a delicious pesto dish, and it’ll only take half the time it would if you would prepare it manually. You don’t have to fill extra dishes too, just put all the ingredients in one bowl and blend!
Throw in some fresh basil leaves, salt, garlic, pepper and add in olive oil as well for some extra flavor. Blend using the hand blender, and you’ll have some smooth, rich, and tasty pesto right in front of you.
- Waffles and Pancake Batter
As if making waffles and pancakes wasn’t easy enough, we’re here to make it simpler and quicker for you. All you need is—you guessed it right—your standard hand blender!
Add all the ingredients to a regular sized bowl, start your hand blender, and get a lump-free batter just within a few seconds! Now, simply pour the batter onto your hot waffle maker and guess what? Your breakfast is ready before you know it! This is even better if you’re not a morning person and don’t like spending too much time preparing breakfast in the morning.
- Salsa
Salsa made using a hand blender reaches new levels of satisfaction, and it’s quite easy to do too!
Add everything you want in your salsa, namely: tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, onion, salt, and pepper, preferably in a narrow dish. Start up your hand blender and move it in an up and down motion to get the best result. Once the salsa is smooth enough, turn the hand blender off.
Adding the tomatoes at the top of the container when blending will give better results as they’re easier for the hand blender to break down and the added liquid will help other ingredients to blend faster.
- Smoothies
Making smoothies can be a hassle when you’re using a full-size blender. It takes too many dishes, too much cleaning time, and it just isn’t worth all the time and effort.
Using a hand blender is the perfect solution. All you have to do is throw in all the ingredients in one single beaker. Add yogurt, frozen fruit, and some fruit juice, and begin blending. Once you’re done, replace the hand blender with a straw, and you’re done!
- Soup
Fifth on our list on how to use hand blenders is to make rich, creamy, and velvety soup. Making soup is the most common use of a hand blender, giving you the perfect texture! This is great for winters when soup cravings are at its peak, and all you want is a quick soup fix.
- White Sauce
Making white sauce requires ingredients that take a while to melt in properly, and the biggest challenge is getting rid of those lumps. The butter and flour are a combination that takes a while to mix, and that’s where your hand blender comes in.
Instead of wasting time cooking the sauce on the stove waiting for the lumps to disappear, take the white sauce off the stove after it’s melted enough and blend the remaining lumps with your hand blender.
- Tomato Sauce
Making tomato sauce at home sounds like such a difficult task. Why should one make tomato sauce at home when it’s easily available at the supermarket? One, it’s healthier, and two, it’s not as hard as you think!
Using a hand blender turns a difficult, lengthy task into a simple one. You don’t even have to peel and seed the tomatoes. All you have to do is fill a pot with tomatoes, boil them for an hour until the tomatoes have reduced, let them cool for around 15 minutes, and then use your hand blender for the perfect silky texture!
- Whipped Cream
Everyone loves whipped cream, especially when your very own hand blender has given it the fluffiest texture. The good thing is that it will all be ready in less than 30 seconds.
Your hand blender is ideal for perfectly blending in the sugar and heavy cream added to the bowl. Manually blending it leaves sugar crystals that can be felt in your mouth, which isn’t the best quality whipped cream. The hand blender lets you easily get rid of these hassles.
- Apple Butter
Ever heard of homemade apple butter? We swear it tastes like heaven! Chop some apples and add cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice, and a pinch of maple syrup. Cook the mixture for one to two hours until apples have become soft and the ingredients have infused into the apples.
After it has cooled for a few minutes, blend it with your hand blender to create a smooth and delicious apple butter!
- Homemade Mayo
Last on our list is making homemade mayo. Mayo is something used in burgers, sandwiches, rolls, and even pizzas. Why not opt for a healthier option rather than the processed mayonnaise on store shelves?
A hand blender is very helpful when blending ingredients like egg yolks and oil, which can be very difficult and tiring to mix by hand! The mayo will be done before you know it and ready to use in your sandwich.
Conclusion
A hand blender is a useful tool and can be used in a variety of ways. Not only that, but you can also get as creative as you can with this small gadget. So, don’t delay, just buy one and surprise your guests with your cooking skills.
