Blenders are one of the most underrated kitchen appliances. So many people think they don’t need one because they limit a blender’s potential to smoothies and milkshakes. Like every kitchen gadget, a blender can be used so many ways. These blender hacks prove that investing in a good-quality blender is worth it in the long run. If you take care of your blender, you’ll be able to use these hacks for years to come.
Create your own compost
If you’re super environmentally conscious, this hack is for you. To make your own compost, throw your fruit and veggie scraps into your blender and blend until everything is broken down. Place the blended scraps into a plastic bag and freeze to kill the smell. When you’re ready to dispose of your compost properly, simply remove it from the freezer.
#SpoonTip: Keep in mind that you can’t compost all kitchen scraps.
Aerate wine
Yes, wine aeration is a thing, and it makes you look fancy as all get out. Aerating wine helps improve its flavor, and can be achieved by blending your wine for 30 seconds to a minute.
#SpoonTip: There’s no need to aerate a lighter bodied red wine.
“Self-clean” your blender
To clean your blender as quickly and efficiently as possible, squeeze a little soap into it and pour in some water. Then turn your blender on until the blades are clean. Make sure the blender is completely dry before storing it again.
Make your own flour
These days, flour no longer refers to just the powdery white stuff you use for baking. In this health-conscious society, everything from oat flour to walnut flour is available at the grocery store. The downside? These flours are often incredibly expensive.
Luckily, a high-powered blender can let you make your own flour. To make oat flour, simply pulse your desired amount of oats in a blender until powdery and flour-like. The same process applies to almonds, walnuts, and anything else you’d like to make flour with.
#SpoonTip: Be careful when making nut flours. If you blend them for too long, you’ll make nut butters instead.
DIY whipped cream
Can’t afford that Kitchen Aid mixer? No worries, you don’t need a fancy whisk attachment to make whipped cream. Just blend ½ cup cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until thick, which should only take about a minute.
Churn your own butter
Are you noticing a trend here? Blenders can make so much stuff! To make your own butter, Pour ½ cup room temperature heavy cream into a blender and blend until the butter begins to separate from the buttermilk. Pour off the buttermilk and save it for any number of delicious baked goods.
#SpoonTip: This hack can take up to 10 minutes if you’re using a low-power blender.
Make blender pancakes
Alas, you still have to cook your pancakes on the stove, but mixing them in a blender is still a cool trick. To make blender pancakes, you need to blend 1 banana, 1½ cups milk, 2 cups oats, 1 egg, and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder until smooth. Grease a nonstick pan with cooking spray, heat it up, and drop spoonfuls of batter onto pan. Voila! No-fuss pancakes.
All of these blender hacks can be achieved with any type of blender, but it’s worth investing in a high-quality one to speed things up. You can also apply many of these hacks to a food processor if you don’t want to buy a whole new kitchen appliance. Hopefully you’re feeling inspired to put your blender to good use now that you know it’s useful for more than just your morning smoothie.