Blender Safety for Blending Hot Liquids

Nowadays, so many people have blenders in their homes and we use them so often it can be easy to forget that they are large jars filled with blades that spin super fast and destroy whatever you put inside. Well, I'm here to remind you: blenders can be dangerous. Usually they are perfectly safe, however, blending with hot liquids is one of those instances in which the blenders can become a safety hazard. Generally when blending hot stuff there are two types of blenders to choose from: immersion blender and countertop blender. I will cover them separately because they have different dangers with different solutions.

Immersion Blender

A standard immersion blender is a handheld wand with a attachment head containing blades. You immerse the blending head and turn on the blender. Simple. But sometimes when things seem simple we relax and mistakes happen so here are my tips:

1. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. This is self explanatory but still needs to be said. In fact, I remove the blending head attachment any time I am not actively blending with it so that there is no chance it can cause harm unintentionally and if you have small children, I highly suggest you begin using this practice as well.
2. Always be aware of which way your blender is facing. Seems obvious but it's literally a spinning blade stick. If you aren't paying attention and it gets switched on at the wrong moment, it can cause a lot of damage. Again, I remove my blades if I'm not using them. Better safe than shredded while making soup.
3. Always fully immerse your blender. Now we are getting to the stuff that you're more likely to run across. These are called immersion blenders for a reason. If the blending head isn't fully immersed, meaning you cannot see the head, the blender will spit hot liquid at you. This is because the surrounding liquid moving into the blender head is what keeps the blades from spraying the liquid out at a high speed into your kitchen. If you find that what you are blending isn't deep enough to cover the head, transfer your liquid to a container with a smaller circumference so that it is deeper and try again.
4. Keep the blender head horizontal. This is very similar to number 3. If you tip the blender head, it runs the risk of breeching the surface and spraying hot liquid onto you. 

Countertop Blender

These blenders are what we are most familiar with and usually unless we stick our hands inside or forget to put the lid on it's generally safe... unless what you are blending is hot. You see, hot stuff lets off steam so when you put something hot in an enclosed space, that steam has nowhere to go. On top of that you are spinning and chopping the contents putting off even more steam! Pressure begins to build until it reaches the blender's limit then BOOM. It could simply pop the top and send boiling hot liquid all over or it could break the jar and explode sending boiling liquid, glass, and blades into your kitchen. Either way, it's not good. There are three solid ways to avoid this:

1. Wait for it to cool. This is the safest option. If you wait until it is just warm and not putting off much or any steam, it should be safe to blend then simply reheat your soup after blending.
2. Blend in batches. If you only fill your blend 1/3 of the way leaving lots of head room, there's not a big chance of pressure building to dangerous levels. Just work in batches until all your soup is blended. The downside to this method is getting an extra bowl to keep the blended soup in while you work. 
3. Leave a vent, cover with a cloth, and build speed slowly. This is my preferred method. Almost all blenders have a way to leave a small opening to release pressure. Old school blenders with the suction cup lids and clear cylindrical handle on top actually can have the handle removed leaving a hole in the center of the lid. Many new blenders have pour spouts that can be opened even when the lid is sealed. With these openings we no longer need to worry about the building pressure... but we run the risk of sending soup everywhere... so we cover the opening with a towel in case of accidents to keep it contained and people safe. Then we start blending at the lowest speed and slowly increase it until we reach the desired speed. When you start slow, the liquid won't shoot as high and the slow increase will keep the liquid from going too wild. Doing these three in combination should keep you safe and all of your soup in the blender.

Now go safely make some soup!!! 

Check out some of my blended soup recipes!

Fall Vibes Butternut Soup

Butternut and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Beet and Sweet Potato Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Onion and Kale Soup