Many people wonder how restaurants get their soups and sauces so smooth or the ice for mixed drinks perfectly crushed. They think that it is impossible to replicate restaurant dishes like these at home, but this is not true. With a good quality blender, your home made goods will rival any of the most fancy restaurants. Blenders are an essential part of your kitchen repertoire and, despite the popularity of other kitchen appliances, they are still useful.
Blenders come in several varieties. There main difference is between a standing blender, which comes on a base or a handheld blender. Handheld blenders may have other attachments or simply be an immersion blender. Either choice is a good option depending on the needs of the cook. An immersion blender is also called a stick blender and is used primarily to smooth out sauces and soups without ladling it into a food processor.
A standing blender comes in high powered varieties, which is a good choice for people who make smoothies, blended drinks, and who would like to grind spices or nuts.
Many, many foods can be processed using blenders. Children love the idea of a frothy, icy drink like a smoothie. They can be made very easily at home with yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit, and no added sugar. They are perfect for breakfast or as a snack. Adults will love the possibilities with alcoholic drinks, from frozen margaritas to frothy whipped Irish coffee. Bakers appreciate the ease of whipping cream in a blender. Grinding spices or nuts is very easy as well. Peanut butter can be made at home, where the amount of sugar and additives can be reduced. Using a blender to make sauces and soups is so easy and healthy because everything is under the control of the cook.
Blenders make life easier in many, many ways. For families with infants, blenders are an essential appliance because home made baby food can easily and quickly be prepared. The machine will emulsify fruits and vegetables or grains. It is easy to quickly cook vegetables and puree them so that there is no choking hazard to the baby. Pureed vegetables can also be used in other foods like breads and casseroles to squeeze more nutrients into a family's diet for better health.
