Fortunately, the times when mashed potatoes were crushed with a mallet, children's food was rubbed through a strainer, and to make powdered sugar, refined sugar was crushed and ground, first wrapped in a cloth, are gone with the advent of a blender in our lives. Before purchasing kitchen appliances, many people wonder whether it is possible to cook in a blender something that other kitchen appliances offered by today's manufacturers cannot. Let's look at this issue in more detail.
What is good about the device?
Indeed, a blender is a unique device that can replace several units in the kitchen at once, helping housewives prepare a variety of dishes of varying complexity.
Today he is able to:
- beat eggs and whites;
- make minced meat and potato casseroles, cream soup for baby food;
- grind solid foods, cereals, coffee beans;
- mix hot and cold;
- cut into cubes, strips;
- knead;
- chop vegetables such as horseradish, carrots, tomatoes for sauces, seasonings and snacks.
In a stationary blender you can make milkshakes by adding fruits, ice cream, ice, and syrups. Depending on the type of device, the functionality of the tasks performed changes, so before purchasing a unit, you need to decide for what purpose the device is being purchased.
A little history
The invention of the blender goes back to pre-war times, when few people thought about creating a real household assistant for a private kitchen; all thoughts were on the scale of large production. It was then, in the 20s, that the prototype of a modern blender was invented, designed for carbonating malt drinks. Despite the fact that the unit was conceived with a narrow-profile purpose, its creator assumed the possibility of using the device in the culinary world. Ten years later, at one of the technical exhibitions, Miracle Blender in an improved form was presented to the general public. After another 20 years, sales of the product reached millions.
Today, the blender has reached the pinnacle of popularity due to its technical capabilities and portability.
Blender Types
Manufacturers offer consumers a choice of two types of devices that differ in appearance and functionality:
- submersible (manual) type;
- stationary.
The manual type is a handle with a knife attachment at the end. Some models are equipped with a measuring cup, a chopping bowl, a whisk and various other attachments that increase the cost of the device, which will help prepare mashed potatoes, cream soup, beat dough and egg whites for sweet pastries, cut vegetables into cubes for first courses, and chop horseradish root , prepare minced meat.
The main advantage that distinguishes this type from stationary and other kitchen appliances with similar capabilities is its mobility.
Indeed, even in a small kitchen with a small number of cabinets for storing dishes, you can find a place for it. With this blender you can beat, chop, cut, stir, grind.
How should you beat egg whites?
To beat the whites separately, you must use a large, clean whisk or a mixer with similar attachments.
The process looks like this:
- You need to pour them into a clean bowl and start whisking until they become a little foamy.
- Then you need to add 1 pinch of salt and/or cream of tartar for every 2-4 whites, and continue cooking until the desired texture. Both of these additives act as stabilizers and help the proteins maintain their shape when whipped.
Soft peaks
If whisking by hand, be sure to do it vigorously, using large, up-and-down circular motions to incorporate as much air into the mixture as possible. When using an electric device, it is recommended to turn on medium speed in order to be able to track changes in consistency.
Hard peaks
If you continue beating the whites until they reach soft peaks, they will become stiff very quickly. At this stage of cooking, the protein mass retains its shape and does not spread, even if the container with it is turned upside down. This is the last stage of cooking, upon reaching which it is necessary to stop whipping.
If you continue it further, the proteins will first fade and lose their glossy shine, and then begin to settle and disintegrate into water and thread-like solid fragments.
Beating with sugar
Sugar is often added to egg whites when making meringues and other desserts. It is important to add it correctly to maintain the foamy texture and fluffiness. To prevent the protein from settling, you need to start with a small amount of sugar and add new portions only after the ones already added have completely dissolved and mixed. Thanks to whipping with sugar, if the technology is not broken, the whites acquire a glossy appearance.
Whipped egg whites are quite fragile, so you need to use them immediately after cooking. If a recipe calls for them to be added to a batter or combined with another mixture, it is important to do so in a way that retains as many air bubbles as possible. It is better to mix the whipped whites with a wooden spatula, making just a few gentle movements.
If you need to beat eggs for later mixing with something or making a dough, you must first read the entire recipe before starting to cook. Warm or cooled product may be required depending on application and desired texture. In addition, without a mixer or similar electric devices, it is impossible to add some of the stages and textures of a beaten egg.
Functionality of the submersible model
Based on the number of additional attachments that come with the models, their functionality changes up or down:
- main attachment – chopper leg;
- beaker;
- whisk;
- chopper bowl;
- puree attachment;
- dough hook attachment;
- for cutting into cubes;
- for mixing.
An immersion blender can replace not only a mixer, but also a food processor.
Indeed, the attachments offered by manufacturers are so diverse that you can use them to prepare almost any dish.
whisk
The most popular attachment in a hand blender is the whisk, which turns it into a mixer and is designed for mixing liquid ingredients. You can use it to beat eggs and prepare an airy omelette or a fragrant sponge cake or cream for a cake for breakfast. Many people are ready to beat the whites with a whisk, bringing them to the state of hard peaks, but a mixer will still cope with this task somewhat better and faster.
How to beat egg whites with hot syrup?
How to beat egg whites with hot syrup? A similar thing may be needed to create Italian meringue, which is considered one of the most common. This is the base for creating protein cream, mousse or soufflé, which is proteins that are brewed with hot syrup. It is thanks to pouring the whipped protein mixture with hot (about 120 degrees) sugar syrup that it is possible to achieve density and stability of the mass. In addition, the product is safe to use due to the brewing procedure, that is, there is no need for additional heat treatment.
To create the right meringue, it is important to maintain proportions. Often, for 1 part of proteins, take 2 parts of sugar and 0.5 parts of the selected liquid. Using an example, it looks like this: for one protein weighing 30 grams, you need to take 60 grams of granulated sugar and 15 milliliters of water.
The technology for preparing Italian meringue involves the following steps:
- Water is poured into the saucepan and sugar is added in accordance with the proportion indicated above (depending on the amount of proteins used). Next, the container is sent to medium heat.
- While the syrup is heating, you need to start beating the egg whites (they should be at room temperature) using a mixer, a blender at medium speed, or a hand whisk. It is necessary to achieve cloudiness of the mass and the appearance of light foam. After this, you can increase the speed and continue whipping until thick foam.
- Bring the sugar syrup to a temperature of 116-121 degrees. It is convenient to measure the temperature using a cooking thermometer.
- After this, you can remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the syrup in a thin stream into the container with the whites, continuing to beat them. It is advisable to prevent syrup from getting on the walls of the container (it will stick) and the whisk rods (it will splash).
- After pouring in all the syrup, you need to increase the speed and continue whipping the meringue until it forms stiff peaks. The result should be a shiny and dense mass, the temperature of which has dropped to room temperature.
The meringue can be tinted with citrus juice, cocoa powder, or flavored for a more subtle aroma of the finished dish. Once ready, the product can be used for the required culinary purposes.
Remember that when preparing Italian meringue, the most important moment is the synchronization of the two processes: the whites are whipped to a stable foam, and the syrup is completely cooked. It is at this moment that the two mixtures need to be combined.
By the way, in the absence of a culinary thermometer, you need to do it the old fashioned way - do a “soft ball” test. To do this, you need to wait until the sugar dissolves in the syrup and small bubbles appear on the surface. Then you should drop a little syrup into a container of cold water and immediately catch it and roll it into a ball. If it turns out soft and dense, then the temperature is suitable (116-120 degrees). And if the syrup drips off your finger, you need to continue cooking it for some more time.
Stationary blender and its capabilities
This type of blender is somewhat cheaper than its opponent due to the lack of such a variety of tasks performed (about which device to choose - which is better: an immersion blender or a stationary one).
The stationary version consists of a stand for a special bowl with a knife at the bottom and a motor. Due to the actual absence of attachments, its functionality is much smaller.
Its advantage lies in the ability to make a homogeneous mixture reminiscent of puree from almost any ingredients. It will cope best with liquid ingredients; the device will be able to mix, beat, and grind them. With its help, you can prepare a delicious cream soup by mixing boiled vegetables, meat and broth, potato and vegetable puree for baby food. Using a stationary blender, beat the whites and eggs well until a stable foam is obtained. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you will be able to get minced meat, since it will resemble a pate in consistency. But making a delicious, spicy horseradish appetizer for the holiday table is its intended purpose. If desired, you can make an airy confectionery topping for the donuts in the form of powdered sugar.
The difference between a mixer and a blender
To fully address the issue, it will be useful to know the design features of these types of small household appliances. Both the mixer and the blender have their own functional purpose related to the preparation of food and drinks. Based on the positive and negative qualities, we will determine which electrical appliance is preferable.
Blender
The working tool of this kitchen appliance is a rotating system, which consists of sharply sharpened blades made of durable steel. These “knives” do a good job of crushing ice, nuts, crackers, fruits and vegetables (the latter are used to make purees). There are hand and stationary blenders with different power characteristics.
The design of a hand blender includes: a handle on which the controls are located and a “base” immersed in a container with steel knives. Many models come with an additional bowl for chopping food. There are blenders that have an additional whisk attachment with which you can beat the mixture.
The stationary model looks like a body with buttons, on top of which there is a bowl for ingredients. At the bottom of the bowl-container there are rotating blades. Simply place the desired products in the container, close the lid, select power and press start to grind the ingredients and mix them to the desired consistency.
To better understand the difference between a mixer and a blender, let’s determine the pros and cons of each option. What's good about a blender:
- capable of grinding raw, cooked and even hard foods;
- fast and productive;
- kneads the ingredients until they reach a uniform consistency;
- Additional attachments expand the functionality of the device.
It also has disadvantages:
- if you mix products, they will lose their airiness;
- due to rapid mixing, the equipment heats up more, and therefore requires breaks in operation;
- noisy;
- a manual (immersion) blender works purposefully, due to the small area of the cutting installation.
Yes, thanks to its functionality, a blender can replace other equipment. But it is still more convenient to do such actions as whipping or chopping using specially designed devices.
Mixer
The main working element of this technique is one or two rotating whisks. They are made of durable metal, so they easily mix liquid and bulk products. As a result, a homogeneous mass saturated with oxygen is obtained. The models produced may differ in shape and power. There are hand and stand mixers.
Using a mixer, taking egg white, sour cream and cream, prepare an airy foamy mass. Also using this technique, beat the dough, butter, knead creams and mayonnaise. There are powerful mixers with hook-shaped attachments that “beat” thick dough and other viscous ingredients.
Mixer advantages:
- suitable for creating airy and fluffy mixtures;
- It not only beats liquid ingredients, but also kneads dough;
- does not heat up, so it can work longer in one approach;
- Whisks ingredients quickly and conveniently.
Minuses:
- not intended for grinding products;
- a thick or overly hard ingredient that is “too tough”;
- processes only liquid or semi-liquid components;
- noisy work.
In addition, stationary mixer models require more space. However, this drawback also applies to blenders.
Use in cooking
Lovers of sweet baked goods often wonder about the capabilities of a blender when making sweet dishes. Of course, he is capable of a lot. Powdered sugar, an indispensable ingredient in cooking, is not difficult to make. And if you plan to store the sweet powder for a long time, you should add corn flour to it in a ratio of 10:1, it will not allow the powdered sugar to become damp and turn into a lump. In production, by the way, they do the same thing: when packaging the product, the above-mentioned flour is added to powdered sugar in the required proportions.
Coffee is often used in the preparation of pastries, cakes, tiramisu and other sweet desserts. And, of course, it is best to use ground coffee rather than freeze-dried coffee for these purposes.
Buying a coffee grinder may not be necessary if you have a blender in the house, because it can grind coffee no worse than a highly specialized device.
But the main trump card of a blender is its ability to beat eggs or whites alone until foamy in a matter of minutes. If you want to make meringue, no problem, the whites and sugar will turn into a fluffy thick mass without any additional effort.
Top 6 best combination blenders in different price categories
Best Budget Combination Blenders
There are blenders on sale in different price categories. The cost of some does not exceed 500 rubles. These are submersible options with a plastic body, without nozzles and with a minimum power of 200-300 watts. In most cases, such devices can be recommended for grinding only the softest products. However, among them there are a couple of decent models.
Marta MT-1559
The Marta MT-1559 blender is made in a bright red and black plastic case and costs only about 1000 rubles, as they say, with pennies. A power of 200 W is not enough for complex operations, but the device will do an excellent job of preparing, for example, baby food from boiled vegetables.
Price: RUB 1,194
Polaris PHB 0528
Polaris PHB 0528 is already twice as expensive - about 2000 rubles, but its power is much higher - as much as 500 watts. The device looks no less fresh and bright: the combination of white and orange will decorate any kitchen. Two speeds and a rich set of equipment for such a price (the set contains everything you need) make the blender an excellent purchase for modest money.
Price: ₽ 2,090
Middle price segment
Philips HR 2632/90
Among the products in the mid-price category, the Philips HR 2632/90 model stands out at a price of about 3,000 rubles. It is equipped with a 700 W motor. It is possible to regulate speeds and turbo mode. The strong metal whisk is given a special shape. Thanks to it, when working in open containers, food does not splash. The most necessary attachments are included: a bowl with knives for chopping small portions; whisk for whipping.
Price: ₽ 2,980
REDMOND RHB-2944
REDMOND RHB-2944 is inferior to the model described above in price (about 2,500 rubles), but superior in power (1,300 W). In addition to the whisk and bowl for fine cutting, the device has a glass.
Price: ₽ 2,450
Premium blenders
Philips HR 1677
Philips HR 1677 has a power of 800 W, smooth speed control, pulse mode, rich equipment and a price of about 7,500 rubles. What are buyers of such a device usually dissatisfied with? Difficulties using special attachments. Some people find it easier to cut food by hand than to wash the device. In addition, the cord length of the device is only 1.2 m.
Price: RUB 7,410
Rolsen SM-700MFC
The Rolsen SM-700MFC with a power of 700 W and a price slightly above 7,500 rubles can also be classified as a premium blender. Pulse mode and smooth adjustment of work speed on site. The ergonomic handle is comfortable to hold in your hand, and thanks to a special loop, the device can be hung on a hook. The set includes a blender attachment and a whisk for whipping, a measuring cup with a lid, a 1750 ml chopper bowl, and a whole set of knives: cutting, dicing, grating and chopping. The device has the same problems as the previous one: not very convenient to wash and a short power cord.
Price: RUB 7,660
