Top kitchen jug blender tips every beginner needs to know

Are you looking to prepare wholesome home cooked meals and vitamin rich smoothies for the family? If you have not unboxed that jug blender someone gave you, it's time to put that jug blender to good use. Use it to puree soups, chop vegetables, grind seeds, blend smoothies, crush ice and more, with less effort. But before you jump to use your blender, knowing these 7 tips will help you save time and be more efficient when blending. 

Tip #1- The best way to prepare ingredients before blending

Cut ingredients small enough so they can move freely inside the jug and reach the blade when the blender is turned on. The smaller the size of the ingredients, the lesser the strain on the motor to further break down the food. A high-speed blender (1000W – 1500W) like the Identity Collection Jug Blender is more powerful and is able to process bigger food pieces and firmer ingredients, however more heat is also generated as the blade is spinning faster when blending at a high-speed.

If you are blending round and firm ingredients like apples, cutting them into quarters or smaller pieces will make blending easier and smoother. For long vegetables like cucumbers, celery, and leeks, cut them no longer than half the height of your blender jug for smoother blending.

Tip #2 - Add ingredients into jug in sequence

Always fill your jug blender by adding the softest ingredients like liquids first and adding the hardest ingredients last for easy blending. Having the liquids or softest foods at the bottom of the jug will help to shift and move the hard ingredients towards the blade for optimal blending to achieve good results.

Let’s say you are blending a Kale, pineapple, green apple and protein powder smoothie, add the ingredients into the jug in this order - Yogurt, protein powder, kale, banana, pineapple, green apple and finally ice. Skip the ice if you are using frozen fruit. By following the right order, sipping your energising smoothie is only a minute away.

Tip #3 - Fill the blender jug with optimal volume

A good rule of thumb is to fill the blender jug at most 2/3 full, leaving room for the ingredients to expand when blending, especially hot liquids, but more on that in tip #6.

When blending at high speed, the last thing you want is the lid flying off and contents splattering from the pressure build up because the jug is too full. Follow the markings on your blender jug to know the maximum line to fill to.

Tip #4 – Always blend with the cover on

Secure the lid before starting your blender to keep the contents inside the jug with no chance of spilling out. At a high speed, the momentum and pressure inside the jug can cause the lid to fly off and the ingredients to splatter everywhere, giving your kitchen a new colour scheme with some extra cleaning to do. You definitely want to secure the lid before turning on the blender for a spotless kitchen. 

Tip #5 – Always start blending on a low speed

We know you would like to get things done quick but faster isn’t always better. When you blend starting on a low speed, it not only gives the blender time to break down the ingredients without them splattering on the walls of the jug, but it also relieves strain on the motor. Start slow and gradually increase the speed and blend till your desired consistency is achieved.

Selecting the right speed is key to achieving the right consistency and maintaining your blender’s motor. Blending firm vegetables like onion or thick consistency ingredients like hummus for too long at a low speed can overwork the motor, whereas at a high speed, the blade is spinning fast enough to power through firmer foods, so the blender isn’t overworked.

On the other hand, blending for a long time or at high speeds causes the ingredients and jug to warm up, which may then affect the quality of your food and drink. When that happens, switch off the blender and continue blending after the jug cools down slightly. In general, most foods will be blended in under a minute.

Tip #6 – Blending hot liquids safely & mess-free

Blending hot liquids like soups and sauces at very high temperatures can lead to splattering and even burns if you’re not careful. To blend hot liquids safely and mess-free, cool down the hot liquids to below 80 degrees Celsius before blending to prevent mishaps. Check that the blender jug can handle high temperatures before blending hot liquids to prevent thermal cracks in the jug.

As hot liquids expand more than cool contents, fill the blender jug not more than half its capacity, seal the jug securely but remove the centre plug in the lid to allow steam to escape. Cover the opening with a folded tea towel, start blending on low speed before gradually increasing the speed for safe and mess-free blending.

Tip #7 - Jug blenders can do more than puree soup and blend smoothies

What can you use a jug blender for? Making creamy soups, milkshakes, and smoothies are usually the first things that come to mind. Good news is there’s much more you can do with your jug blender, such as:

1) Crushing nuts to small pieces, even flour – The jug blender can whizz raw almonds to finely grounded almond flour, so next time you want to make macarons, save money by grinding your own almond flour.

2) Making nut butters – Try using your high-speed jug blender to make home-made peanut butter, hazelnut butter and more. Soak the nuts in water overnight before blending to relieve strain on the motor as the nuts will be softened.

3) Making sauces and salad dressings – The jug blender has made salad dressings so simple to create using a single container, it’s as simple as weighing all the ingredients in the jug and blending to combine them. Make your own pesto or olive tapenade fresh using your jug blender, it’s like a one pot dish.

Conclusion

With our 7 top jug blender tips, you will be blending like a pro. Experience smooth and efficient blending whenever you blend, with uninterrupted blending when you layer your foods correctly and a clean kitchen from filling the jug to the right level. There's no excuse now not to prepare home-made meals and drinks more frequently. 

Discover Braun’s Identity Collection Jug blender and PowerBlend 3 in our buying guide article, where we do a comprehensive review of both jug blenders and explain how to select the right blender for your needs.