Why You Should Never Put Frozen Foods In The Blender

If you're looking to make life easier for you in the kitchen, a blender is one of the appliances you'll want to keep on the counter. The versatile tool allows you to make all kinds of sauces, soups, and ultra-smooth purees, but by far its most popular function is to blend up frozen drinks. Whether you're making a smoothie, milkshake, or slushie, the recipe will undoubtedly call for some combination of frozen ingredients. Ice cream is always a safe option, but unfortunately, whole ice cubes and food that has been frozen solid generally are not.

According to Eating Well, the blade of a standard blender isn't strong enough to break down extremely hard food items. Unless you have a specialty blender that specifies that it can handle large chunks of ice, the blade will either break or dull as it attempts to blend up the contents you added. Frozen ingredients can also cause the blender itself to malfunction, leading the glass or plastic to break apart. Even if your drink does manage to get blended, it's unlikely that the consistency will be entirely homogeneous.

The risk of dulling the blade may not be enough to convince you to stop putting frozen food in your blender, but one thing we can all agree on is that it can be annoying to have to stop the blender and shake it around every time the blade inevitably gets caught. The good news is, there's an easy way around both of these things.

If you still want to blend up your frozen food, simply let it thaw prior to adding it to the blender. My Budget Recipes recommends letting it defrost slightly in the fridge, or if you're short on time, in a bowl of cold water or in a microwave. It also helps to cut the food into smaller-sized pieces that are easier for the blender to break down.

That extra few minutes outside the freezer may not seem like it'll make much of a difference, but the extra step goes a long way in extending the life of your blender and making your frozen drinks as smooth as possible.