How Does A Blender Work? The Details on Your Food Blender

How does a blender work is an important question to ask, especially if you've just purchased a food blender. Knowing the basics can ensure that you'll get the most out of your machine.

Though they may seem to be fairly simple to operate, all blender models have their own specific operating instructions. Some work by the simple push of a button, whereas others work by pushing a series of buttons. There are however, hidden elements which make the food blender work. If you are asking yourself, “How does a blender work?” your answer may not be as simple as you would think.

Blender Parts

Food blenders sometimes have removable blades which make for easier cleaning. The mechanics of a blender consist of a housing which contains a motor, blades, and a food container. Today most blenders are capable of multiple speeds by using a motor with multiple sector windings. When a button for a specific speed is pushed on the blender, it connects a specific stator of winding in the motor. Each and every speed setting or combination of speed settings selected produces a different torque from the motor.

Torque speeds increase or decrease the speed in which the blades of a blender spin. The speed of the blades is what determines how finely diced, blended, or chopped the item inside the blender becomes. There are of course not only buttons on the mechanical housing for you to press to set the speed of the blades, but there are also buttons that are preset to combination speeds that are marked for items like smoothies and milkshakes.

The motor is kept inside of the housing, and has a shaft which protrudes through the top of the housing and into the base of the blade assembly. There is commonly an O-ring or gasket which lies between the container’s body and the housing in order to prevent the leaking of the container’s condense into the motor or motor housing.

The blender containers are usually made of glass or plastic, though commonly commercial blender containers are made from stainless steel. Most containers have measurement markings etched in them for the purpose of properly measuring the amount of its contents. These containers always come equipped with an appropriate sized lid which sits atop it in order to keep the contents of the blender from coming out while it is in use.

Types of Blenders

There are commercial blenders and there are blenders for personal home use. When looking at how does a blender work, you can see that the difference between the two is the sizes of their motors. Though they are made to be both similar and easy to use, there are a few differences between the two which lie within the motor. The bigger a motor is, the more parts there are inside of it for it to operate efficiently.

Blenders often require some liquid to be added in order to mix some ingredients properly. This is because the blades use the liquid to stir and move the solids around the container to make contact with the blades. High power blenders use this same type of force and centrifugal motion to crush ice without assistance. This type of food blender can even mill grains.

Use Your Blender with Caution

Although blenders are a typically common commercial and household item, make no mistake about it they can be dangerous if not properly used. When looking at how does a blender work, you can see that the blades in most blenders spin at extremely high speeds, which can have devastating results in the event that someone were to accidentally have their hands and fingers inside of it while it was turning. The blades used in these blenders are sharp enough to crush ice with ease, so common sense should tell you that they can mangle or even crush and amputate your fingers as well.

Blendtec has a cool video on their website called “Will it Blend?” They throw some strange nonfood type item into their blender just to see if it will blend. Check out this nutty professor blending an Apple iPhone in this video. Now that is one powerful blender!

Always make certain to use proper safety precautions when using your food blender. Never plug it in near a water source because, as with anything electrical, it can electrocute you and it can be fatal. It could also cause a fire, which would cause damage to your wiring as well as your home or place of business.

It is imperative as well, to always make sure that your food blender is on a flat surface. This will keep it from tipping over. Never place a blender on the edge of a counter top, as it could fall off and cause harm to those around it and it could possibly break. It could also cause extreme damage to the internal mechanics of the blender and even short out or cause a fire.

Consult Your Owner’s Manual

As with any type of electronic you get, it is recommended that you read the user manual that comes with it. By reading the manual you will have a better understanding of how does a blender work, and why it works that way, how to put together the blade assembly, and how to ensure the health and life of your product. Reading the manual will also help you to better know when there is a problem with your blender. It will teach you about the torque settings of the motor, and also how to set combination settings and what they are used for.

Though blenders are common in any environment where food is prepared, there are some things that blenders once did that are now being done by food processors. No worries though, nothing will ever replace a blender. These machines are so versatile, that once you learn how does a blender work, you pretty much are prepared to use any type of blender. Just remember to always read the directions so that you will be certain you are using it properly.

It is important to understand how the mechanics of a food blender work so that in the event something goes wrong, you will be able to know the difference between a properly running blender and one that has a problem. You will be able to know the difference in sounds in the motor when the torque runs high and when it changes gears and speeds. You will also be able to know the difference in sounds when the blades in the blade assembly are dull and need to be sharpened or replaced.

Blenders, though they are mechanically manufactured to be easy to use, can be more complex than typically expected. Despite this, they are actually fairly easy to use and once you learn how does a blender work and how to properly use one you will surely enjoy it.

Back to Kitchen Blenders Help from How Does A Blender Work?

Back to Blender Reviews Home Page from How Does A Blender Work?