Ode to a Blender

Here at Tranquil Domesticity, I like to share things that contribute to a more peaceful home life. And while high-powered blending may not sound all that peaceful in the literal sense, it has been a total game changer in my kitchen. And anything that makes life easier–especially powerful, multitasking tools/appliances–makes home a more peaceful place (though sometimes a loud one…).

High-Powered Blending: Why am I telling you this NOW?

I’m in the habit of sharing little tidbits of info (things I’m currently loving/enjoying or just little household hints and helps) with my email subscribers. You can join that group of amazing folks right here! And my high-powered blender is certainly something I’m loving even more each summer than I do the rest of the year (for the frozen concoctions), so it’s been on my mind lately to share. But I decided it needed an entire post unto itself.

If you’re already a proud owner of a high-speed/high-powered blender, you can just “amen” through this post and chime in your blender praises in the comments. But for those of you who don’t yet own one, I feel I need to let you in on what is probably my most used and best loved appliance in my kitchen.

What led me to a high-powered blender in the first place

Years ago, while dealing with some health challenges, I became convinced I needed to probably invest in a powerful blender. I was trying to incorporate a host of (often fibrous) nutrients and powdered supplements into my diet while also needing to have control over the ingredients that went with them. So blending my own shakes and smoothies seemed like the best solution.

The problem back then was that commercial-grade blenders were not widely available and seemed out of reach price-wise. After lots of internet research (what I do best…) I found a restaurant supply website that had Vitamix (Vitaprep) commercial-grade blenders for a full hundred dollars less than I could find them anywhere else, AND they were willing to sell to the public. The company I used way back then was called Katom (not getting any kickbacks here). They’re still around and offer a wide variety of models, although nowadays the wholesale clubs offer Vitamix and/or Blendtec at pretty competitive prices (we’ll discuss those in a moment).

Why you might want to invest in a high-powered blender

Let’s talk for a minute about what separates the men from the boys, so to speak, where blenders are concerned.

You may be wondering, what’s wrong with the blender I have? Well, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been careful to talk about not just my “blender,” but my “high-powered blender.” (For those of you that remember, cue the Tim Allen grunt here…)

If you don’t frequent smoothie establishments (like Smoothie King or Jamba Juice), you may not have heard the loud, high-pitched whine of a commercial grade blender. But we’re talking about a machine that can reduce a piece of wood to sawdust in moments.

Even though I don’t recommend putting wood into your blender, it’s good to know that you’re dealing with something that has a quite a bit more power than the blender that all of our moms had in the… well… whatever decade you grew up in. A true high-speed blender can reduce all kinds of roughage to a silky smooth consistency. And then do it all over again, and again, and again… without burning up the motor.

We’re talking actual horsepower on your kitchen countertop!

If you geek out about things like torque and speed, here’s an article that goes way more in depth for you: https://joyofblending.com/vitamix-horsepower/

And once you’ve mastered putting the right ingredients together for a taste to match the level of smoothness, you’re in business.

The versatility of high-powered blenders

I’ve used my blender to make sauces, flours, nut butters, whipped cream, slaws, purees, and of course most of all, smoothies and shakes.

I have even used it to make soups–yes it creates enough friction to actually COOK the ingredients if you run it for the right length of time!

My brother makes fantastic salsa we have enjoyed for years (he’s a tool guy and a bit of a foodie, and he decided he needed a high-powered blender not too long after I bought mine and sang its praises).

On the lower speed it rough-chops, so you can use it for most food-processing functions. This is important if, like me, you want to have the lowest possible number of gadgets on your precious countertop space.

But the real magic happens on the high setting, when you want to pulverize ingredients to a silky smooth puree, or even just very finely chopped.

And though it’s best to use the dry container to keep from overheating flours, I have successfully used my regular carafe to grind nuts and grains to make wheat, almond, and oat flour. Not to mention quick protein snacks and desserts made with ground assortments of nuts, seeds, and or oats, combined and added to melted nut butters, oils, and sometimes chocolate.

High-power but low-tech

My blender is certainly on the low-tech side. It has an on/off switch, a low or high power switch, and variable speed dial (for the lower power level only).

So it’s super simple to operate.

There’s a slight learning curve in figuring out how much preliminary chopping is needed (not usually much), and how to use the tamping tool if you are making a thicker concoction like a smoothie bowl or nut butter.

But overall, it’s VERY easy to learn to use and to clean. Not to mention that there are TONS of great instructional videos available on YouTube (how did we ever survive without it??).

So… Vitamix, Blendtec, or other?

As you’ve probably gathered by now, Vitamix and Blendtec are major brand contenders for high-powered blenders. I personally went with Vitamix for a number of reasons I probably could have better outlined ten years ago. But in truth I hear good things about both.

AND I’ve seen both used by smoothie/drink professionals, as well as TV chefs.

They used to be the two main options, and I think either is probably a safe investment. However, I think now some other brands such as Ninja and KitchenAid have come onto the scene with some comparable products.

I can of course only vouch for Vitamix, but I’ll say it’s a workhorse. Ours gets used usually multiple times a day and has for many years now. My blender is in around its tenth year of working hard for our family–and still going strong!

I have replaced the gear (a trained monkey could also have done it), but the replacement came with the original setup.

Also a couple of years ago, I replaced my carafe. The old one had a slight crack at the top, and I had bought mine right before BPA had been removed from most food-grade plastics, so I made the decision to go ahead and replace it, even though it cost about a third of what I paid for the whole blender.

The newer polycarbonate carafes seem stronger, and they have the added benefit of no BPA. And I’ve had no cracks since. So similar to the blender itself, I don’t regret ponying up. That’s saying a lot for this frugal female.

So… I’m totally biased here, but if I were shelling out $400-500 on a high-end blender, I’d probably go the Vitamix route all over again. Here’s an article that is a little more credible than my purely anecdotal bias however: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-blender/.

If you have a high-powered blender but are not using it much…

Like anything else, you kind of have to get into the habit of using something new. But you certainly don’t want such a versatile tool to sit and gather dust.

So here are some basic ideas to get some use out of your blender, and hopefully build your confidence:

Super easy slaw:

Rough chop cabbage and onion into manageable-size wedges to fit into the blender, then add enough water to make them float off of the blades. Secure the lid. Then blend on high for a second or two until desired fineness of chop is reached. Drain water and add mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.

Salsa

Salsa is simply some combo of tomatoes (canned or fresh), onion, garlic, cilantro, lime, salt. Here’s a recipe I found with a quick search: https://butterwithasideofbread.com/easy-blender-salsa/.

(I don’t make much these days because it leads me to eat chips… hmmm…Need to contact my brother and see if he’ll share his secret recipe because his is always spot-on…)

But salsa is hard to get wrong. Even the so-so results are better than what you get from the store, and you’ll soon discover what is your sweet-spot flavor combination.

Hummus

Hummus is super simple even if you don’t have tahini (essentially sesame seed butter) on hand. I’ve used this recipe: https://www.thewholesomedish.com/simple-hummus-without-tahini/ with delicious results!

Pro tip: if the results are not as smooth as you like, you might wanna go to the trouble beforehand to submerge the chickpeas in water and quickly remove the outer skins by pinching between your fingers and letting the skins float to the top.

Breakfast or snack smoothies:

Chocolate Smoothie: Pour 1 cup of milk (we use almond milk around here) into carafe.

Add 1/2 banana or a whole date with the pit removed, a heaping tablespoon or two of peanut butter, a heaping tablespoon of cocoa, a scoop or two (whatever makes a serving) of protein powder of choice (preferably not flavored or sweetened), plus 1 tablespoon of chia or ground flax seed* , and 15 ice cubes (if you have the small, crescent-shaped ones). Then add stevia or other natural sweetener, to taste.

Start on lowest speed and increase until smooth consistency is reached on high.

Fruit Smoothie: Same recipe as above, but replace peanut butter, chocolate, and ice with frozen berries, and add frozen pineapple or mango for extra sweetness.

*Alternatively to the chia or flax, I sometimes add 1 tsp-1tbsp of Maca root gelatinized (not raw) powder plus 1/4-1/2 tsp glucomannan. I realize these ingredients are a little more specialized and not everyone has them on hand, but the reason I mention them is that they really take my smoothie to the next level.

Maca is a cruciferous superfood grown in high altitudes in Peru, and has several health benefits–for me it seems to increase my energy levels (the gelatinized seems to be the most digestible). It has the added benefit of adding a rich, caramelly or malt-tasting undertone to your smoothie that goes nicely with either chocolate or fruit flavors.

Glucomannan (also called Konjac root) is high in soluble fiber, has almost no taste, and works as a thickener, which results in silky-smooth, richer mouth-feel smoothies.

Disclaimer

**At this point my lawyer husband says I have to make it clear that I am not a health professional and no health claims I make in this post or any other should be taken as medical advice–just in case you found me to be that credible. Always consult with your own credentialed health practitioner for such advice instead of listening to any old person on the internet!

Convinced yet?

So what do you think?? I’ve joked before that if either my blender or my stove had to go, I might get rid of the stove. (Of course, I guess I’d have to build a brick oven in the yard to bake bread…) But seriously, if you didn’t notice, I have a real love affair with my blender, and that’s saying something for a reluctant cook. Let me know where you stand on this crucial issue. Has a blender changed your life? Or do you think you might need to look into one?

All joking aside, I hope this post has been helpful either 1) if you haven’t delved into the world of high-powered blenders, or 2) if you’ve jumped on the bandwagon and bought one but just haven’t really fallen in love with it. Or 3) if you wanted some affirmation for your own blender obsession. Ha!

Blessings,