his article is about the kitchen and laboratory appliance. For the 3D graphics software, see Blender (software).

For
other uses, see Blender (disambiguation).
"Liquidizer" redirects here. For the album by Jesus Jones, see Liquidizer (album).

A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to
mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with
a rotating metal or plastic blade at the bottom, powered by an electric motor that is in the base. Some powerful
models can also crush ice and other frozen foods. The newer immersion blender configuration has a motor on
top connected by a shaft to a rotating blade at the bottom, which can be used with any container.

An electric blender
This article is about the kitchen and laboratory appliance. For the 3D graphics software, see Blender (software). For
other uses, see Blender (disambiguation).
"Liquidizer" redirects here. For the album by Jesus Jones, see Liquidizer (album).

A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to
mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with
a rotating metal or plastic blade at the bottom, powered by an electric motor that is in the base. Some powerful
models can also crush ice and other frozen foods. The newer immersion blender configuration has a motor on
top connected by a shaft to a rotating blade at the bottom, which can be used with any container.
 An electric blender

Contents

 1 Characteristics

o 1.1 Countertop blenders

o 1.2 Immersion blenders

 2 Applications

 3 Development

o 3.1 North America

o 3.2 Europe

o 3.3 South America

o 3.4 Increased versatility

 4 Mechanical operation

 5 In culture

 6 See also

 7 References

Characteristics
Different blenders have different functions and features but product testing indicates that many blenders, even
the less expensive ones, are useful for meeting many consumer needs. Features which consumers consider when
purchasing a blender include the following:

 large visible measurement marks

 ease of use

 low noise during usage

 power usage (typically 300–1000 watts)

 ease of cleaning

 option for quick "pulse" blending

Countertop blenders

Countertop blenders use a 1–2 liters (4–8 cups) blending container made of glass, plastic, stainless steel. Glass
blenders are heavier and more stable. Plastic is prone to scratching and absorbing the smell of blended
food. Stainless steel is preferred for its looks, but limits visibility of the food as it is blended.

Countertop blenders typically offer 2–16 speed settings, but having more choices in speed settings is not an
indication of increased utility for all users.

In cases where the blades are removable, the container should have an O-ring or gasket between the body of the
container and the base to seal the container and prevent the contents from leaking. The blending container is
generally shaped in a way that encourages material to circulate through the blades, rather than simply spinning
around.

The container rests upon a base that contains a motor for turning the blade assembly and has controls on its
surface. Most modern blenders offer a number of possible speeds. Low-powered blenders require the addition of
some liquid to operate correctly. In these blenders, the liquid helps move the solids around the jar, bringing them
in contact with the blades. The blades create a whirlpool effect which moves solids from top to bottom, ensuring
even contact with the blade. This creates a homogeneous mixture. High-powered blenders are capable of milling
grains and crushing ice without such assistance.

Immersion blenders

Main article: Immersion blender

An immersion blender

The hand-held immersion blender, stick blender, hand blender or wand blender has no container of its own,
but instead has a mixing head with rotating blades that can be immersed in a container. Immersion blenders are
convenient for homogenizing volumes that are too large to fit in the bowl of a stationary blender or as in the case
of soups, are too hot to be safely poured into the bowl.

The operation of an immersion blender requires that the user hold down a switch for as long as the blades
operate, which can be tiresome for the user.

Handheld blenders are ideal for small and specific tasks but do not have as many uses as a countertop blender.

Applications
Countertop blenders are designed to mix, purée, and chop food. Their strength is such that the ability to crush ice
is an expected feature.

Blenders are used both in home and commercial kitchens for various purposes, including to:

 Grind semi-solid ingredients, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, into smooth purées

 Blend ice cream, milk, and sweet sauces to make milkshakes

 Mix and crush ice in cocktails such as the Zombie, piña colada and frozen margarita

 Crush ice and other ingredients in non-alcoholic drinks such as frappuccinos and smoothies

 Emulsify mixtures

 Reduce small solids such as spices and seeds to smaller solids or completely powder or nut butter

 Blend mixtures of powders, granules, and/or liquids thoroughly

 Help dissolve solids into liquids

Blenders also have a variety of applications in microbiology and food science. In addition to standard food-type
blenders, there are a variety of other configurations made for laboratories.

Development

North America

The Polish-American chemist Stephen Poplawski, the owner of the Stevens Electric Company, began designing
drink mixers in 1919 under a contract with Arnold Electric Company, and patented the drink mixer in 1922 which
had been designed to make Horlicks malted milkshakes at soda fountains. He also introduced the liquefier
blender in 1922.

In the 1930s, Louis Hamilton, Chester Beach and Fred Osius produced Poplawski's invention under the brand
name Hamilton Beach Company. Fred Osius improved the appliance, making another kind of blender. He
approached Fred Waring, a popular musician, who financed and promoted the "Miracle Mixer", released in 1933.
However, the appliance had some problems to be solved about the seal of the jar and the knife axis, so Fred
Waring redesigned the appliance and released his own blender in 1937, the Waring Blendor with which Waring
popularized the smoothie in the 1940s. Waring Products was sold to Dynamics Corporation of America in 1957
and was acquired by Conair in 1998. Waring long used the trademarked spelling "Blendor" for its product; the
trademark has expired.

Also in 1937, W.G. Barnard, founder of Vitamix, introduced a product called "The Blender," which was functionally
a reinforced blender with a stainless steel jar, instead of the Pyrex glass jar used by Waring.

In 1946 John Oster, owner of the Oster barber equipment company, bought Stevens Electric Co. and designed its
own blender, which Oster commercialized under the trademark Osterizer. Oster was bought by Sunbeam
Products in 1960. which released various types of blenders, such as the Imperial series, and still make the
traditional Osterizer blender.

Europe

An electric centrifugal juicer

In Europe, the Swiss Traugott Oertli developed a blender based on the technical construction and design style
conception of the first Waring Blendor (1937-1942), [citation needed] releasing in 1943 the Turmix Standmixer. Based on the
blender, Traugott also developed another kind of appliance to extract juice of any juicy fruit or vegetables,
the Turmix Juicer, which was also available as separated accessory for use in the Turmix blender, the juicer Turmix
Junior. Turmix [de] had promoted the benefits of drinking natural juices made with fruits and vegetables, with
recipes using juices to promote its blender and juicer. After the World War II other companies released more
blender in Europe; the first one was the popular Starmix Standmixer (1948), from the Germany company
Electrostar, which had numerous accessories, like a coffee grinder, cake mixer, ice cream maker, food processor,
thermic jar, milk centrifugue, juicer and meat grinder; and the Braun Multimix (1950) from Max Braun, which had
an attachment with glass bowl to make batter bread and a juicer centrifuge like the one developed by Turmix.

South America

In Brazil, Waldemar Clemente, ex-staffer of General Electric and owner of Walita electric appliance company since
1939, designed a blender based on the Turmix Standmixer and released in 1944 the Walita Neutron blender.
Clemente also created the name liquidificador, which ever since designated a blender in Brazil. Soon thereafter,
Walita acquired the Turmix patents in Brazil and also released the Turmix juicer, calling it the Centrífuga Walita as
well the others Turmix accessories for use with the blender motor, as fruit peelers, grinder, crusher and batter
mixer. Using the same marketing strategy as Turmix in Europe, Walita passed the million-blenders-sold mark a
few years later in the early 1950s. Walita was the first manufacturer to release a wide range of blenders in the
1940s. In the 1950s, Walita made blenders for Siemens, Turmix, Philips, and Sears (Kenmore), among others. In
the 1960s Royal Philips Co. approached Walita, acquiring the company in 1971, becoming Royal Philips' kitchen
appliances developer division specializing in blenders, which are sold under the Philips brand outside Brazil.

The Austrian immigrant Hanz Arno, owner of an electric motor manufacturer in Brazil since the 1940s, released a
blender in 1947, based on the blenders made by Hamilton Beach and Oster. The Liquidificador Arno was exported
to other South American countries. As Arno had stocks of Electrolux, that brand was used on the blender in some
countries. Later in 1997 Arno was bought by the Groupe SEB, owner of Moulinex, T-Fal, Rowenta, and other home
appliance brands.

Increased versatility

With the rising popularity of smoothies, Frappucinos and other frozen drinks prepared in front of the customer,
new models of commercial blenders often include a sound-reducing enclosures and computerized controls.

Specialized blenders for making smoothies are becoming popular, chiefly resembling an ordinary model with
a spigot added for quick serving. Some models also feature a gimballed stirring rod mounted on the lid,
constructed so that mixtures can be stirred whilst the machine is running with no chance of the stirrer fouling the
blades.

In 1996 Tom Dickson, founder and CEO of Blendtec, introduced the WildSide blending jar — a unique design that
eliminated the need for stir sticks and plungers to make thicker blends. The technology was so effective that Vita-
Mix decided to use the design in the company's commercial blending containers. In 2010 the United States court
system concluded that Vita-Mix had willfully infringed the patents, ultimately awarding Blendtec $24 million in
damages.