Mastering the Basics
Make sure the blender is plugged in, clean, and in working condition. You can pretty much eyeball this one -- if it looks like it's in okay condition, it's probably safe to use. Be sure to have dry hands, wet hands is a safety hazard with and electric appliance.
Put your ingredients inside. We'll cover the things you can put inside in the next section, but for now just know that it all goes in there, pretty much however you want. It's a good idea to get a little liquid near the bottom to get everything going -- otherwise the solid stuff doesn't move around very easily. If you're blending ice, you'll need a little bit of liquid to get it going. The ice floats in water, letting the blades do their thing. No water and the ice will just wedge itself against the sides, slowly melting. Never put boiling items in a blender it can shatter.
Close the lid and hold the cover tightly. That little cap that comes off? That's the feeder cap. You can leave your blender going, remove the feeder cap, and add in a few more (albeit small) things if you'd like. But other than that, it's best to leave the lid on -- or else you might end up with blender goo on your walls. If it doesn't start, make sure the bottom of the blender is placed securely in the base. If the base and the blender aren't meeting just so, it can't make the connection to start whizzing and whirring.
Blend! Try experimenting with the buttons. Choose an appropriate speed setting depending on what you are blending. Generally speaking, the further you go to the right, the higher the speed. Never put a spoon or other utensil in the blender while it is running, be sure your blender is turned off before you use any utensil to stir. Chop, grate, grind, blend, mix, stir, puree, whip, and liquefy -- don't worry too much about these. You can't really use any "incorrectly." If it isn't the consistency you want it to be, try a higher speed. If that doesn't work, stop the blender, take off the lid, mix it up, and start again.
Open it up and pour it out. If you're done that is. You may need to scrape out the bottom or undo the blades to get it all out of there, especially if it's thick. That's it!
Clean the blender. Remove the blender from the base and wash the two parts separately. Just run the top under warm water with a little soap; the blades are sharp so be careful not to cut yourself. Never, ever, ever put the base in water! If you get it gunky, take a wet cloth or sponge to it. It's hard to hurt it -- and water (or any other liquid) is really the only way. Be sure to dry the blender completely, you don't want to leave liquid in the blender, its best to air dry upside down.
Getting Creative
Make shakes, gelato, smoothies or ice creams. The most quintessential way to use your blender is for sugary, sweet goodness. Throw in some fruit, ice, sugar, milk and you're just about good to go. And when you do it yourself, you can come up with your own crazy flavors, too. Check out a few of these articles: How to Make a Smoothie How to Make Gelato How to Make a Milkshake How to Make Ice Cream
Make salsas, hummus, and dips. No more buying that packaged crap -- with your blender, you can make just about anything. Your blender might very literally get your party started. Just make sure if you're making salsa you don't end up liquefying your tomatoes! How to Make Hummus How to Make Salsa How to Make French Onion Dip How to Make Bean Dip
Make cocktails. The moment you've been waiting for is upon us. Cocktails. Every blended drink you've ever wanted and even those you didn't know you did can be made with your blender. A little ice, some alcohol, and your favorite flavors and you're set. wikiHow has you covered for this, too: How to Make a Margarita How to Make a Daiquiri How to Make a Pina Colada How to Make a Virgin Miami Vice
Make soup and sauces. Yep, you can make soups and sauces in your blender, too. At least the kind of soups and sauces that you want to be creamy and smooth! Check out these recipes: How to Make Creamy Tomato Soup How to Make Butternut Squash Soup How to Make Soy Sauce How to Make Applesauce
Make jams and butters. And you thought the list was over. Homemade jams and butters are slowly becoming trendy, so why not join in on the fun? And you'll save tons of money by making your own. Here's four to get you started: How to Make Red Raspberry Jam How to Make Mango Jam How to Make Butter How to Make Apple Butter
Grate cheeses, make bread crumbs, and grind seeds. If it can be disintegrated, it can be put in your blender and grinded, chopped or shredded. Just don't put rocks in there or anything. Thaw out your stuff before you throw it in! Grind seeds or oats, popcorn, and other grains to make flour or spices. Grate your cheese for garnish on virtually any dish. Throw small, stale cubes of bread in for easy bread crumbs.
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