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If you know how to use Hamilton Beach blender right, you can make a lot of recipes in your kitchen. And that includes not only smoothies and vegetable salads but also fancy margaritas or a decent Frappuccino.
Nonetheless, Hamilton Beach mostly has blenders under $50. And while the machines are good enough for many applications, they’re not as powerful as Vitamix or Blendtec.
So, you’ll need to use some nifty tricks when working with ice to make margaritas, frappuccinos, or any other frozen recipe.
In this quick guide, that’s part of what we’ll be looking at to ensure you get to make the most of your Hamilton Beach blender. Or were you planning to use the appliance for only green smoothies?
Know Your Blender Inside out
Indeed, you should know your blender thoroughly before you even start using it. And that doesn’t apply to only Hamilton Beach but also to all the other brands.
However, our topic today’s on Hamilton Beach, which is one of the bestselling regular blenders on the market.
We could say affordability is the bestselling aspect here, but the machines also have a number of admirable features.
- Blending Jar
Hamilton Beach is one of the best blenders with a glass jar for blending. So, it’s a nice pick if you’d want to keep your kitchen plastic-free.
- Power Output
Have you ever wondered why Vitamix and Blendtec never send their blenders with a glass pitch? A simple answer would be the fact that the material is very fragile and can easily break from the rapid beating of frozen cubes onto the walls.
Also, this would explain why Hamilton Beach has its blenders with glass jars featuring a 700-watt motor. And at that kind of power, you shouldn’t expect the machines to pulverize the regular-size ice cubes.
However, while going through some of the best blenders for making nut butter, we saw Hamilton Beach also has a 1500-watt machine. Only that it now comes with a BPA-free plastic pitcher, which should support my high-speed motor theory.
- Pre-programmed Buttons
Apart from the high-speed selections, most of the other Hamilton Beach blenders usually don’t have variable speed settings. Instead, the machines have dedicated buttons that the maker has programmed at different operating speeds. And that’s what you get to use for the various blending functions.
- Drive gear System
Unfortunately, most of the Hamilton Beach blenders have a plastic gear system. And while it’s pretty sturdy, still not like the metal ones. So, it might not be an ideal option if you’ll be blending tough ingredients like ice everyday.
How to Use Hamilton Beach Blender
The Hamilton Beach blender is pretty straightforward to use. As I’ve mentioned above, most of the options have dedicated buttons labeled with the various blending functions. You’ll just need to hit the button that suits your recipe at hand.
However, the Hamilton Beach blender usually falls in the regular category that usually blends by chopping down the ingredients. And for that, you shouldn’t blend large chunks of foods like with the Blendtec Classic 575 or Total Blender we were talking about the other day.
Instead, here are the steps on how to effectively use your Hamilton Beach blender without harming it:
Step One: Gather All Your Recipe Ingredients
The first step in any of your recipes should be to put all the necessary ingredients in one place (working space). It applies to all the blenders and not only those from Hamilton Beach.
FYI: As you gather your ingredients, you can also get the blender from the cabinet and have it on the working counter too.
Step Two: Prep Your Ingredients
As was mentioned above, the Hamilton Beach blender doesn’t work well with large chunks of food. So, after you’ve cleaned your ingredients (vegetables & fruits), chop them down into small cubes of about 1-2 inches.
If your recipe calls for frozen fruits or ice cubes, they also should be in small sizes. So, the frozen fruits must have been 1-2 inches before freezing and the ice cubes should be from the mini trays.
If what you’ve got are only the regular-size ice cubes, you’ll have to crush them to a smaller size for the best results. Otherwise, your recipe blend won’t be as smooth as expected and also will likely end up with unblended chunks.
Step Three: Prepare Your Blender Jar
Technically, you can perform this step before or after prepping your ingredients. It’s simple and only requires you to screw the cutting blade assembly onto the bottom of the blending jar. Then rinse again with running water from the tap.
Step Four: Arrange the ingredients into the Jar
Now put the prepped ingredients into the clean blender jar. Remember to arrange the ingredients with the lightest at the bottom and the heaviest on top to make the blending easier.
Also, make sure you add enough water into the mixture to enhance circulation and speed up the blending process.
Once you’ve added all the ingredients, secure the lid and place the blender jar on the power base.
Step Five: Give Power to Your Blender
Now plug the power cable of your Hamilton blender into the wall outlet and press the power (ON) button. Then, press the dedicated button of your desired function to start the blending.
Step Six: Blend Until the Desired Consistency
The program buttons in these cheap Hamilton Beach blenders are usually not timed as in the high-end Vitamix Pro 750 or A3500. They only have a fixed blending speed that’s different from each other.
So, once your mixture reaches the desired consistency, you’ll have to press the dedicated power (OFF) button to end the blending. Then serve your recipe.
The 7 Things you can Do with a Hamilton Beach Blender
If used in the right way, the Hamilton Beach blender can make about any type of recipe. The seven best tasks you can try include:
A Basic Smoothie
Hamilton Beach is an exceptional blender for green smoothies with only fresh ingredients. Yes, you might feel some grainy taste while drinking. But that’s something common on all regular blenders, including even Ninja and Nutribullet.
A Frozen Smoothie
If you want your fresh smoothie a bit chilled for the summer weather, you can add ice into the mixture while blending. But do use small ice cubes or frozen fruits to ensure smoother consistency without stressing up the motor.
Baby Puree Food
While you can, indeed, puree baby food without a blender, the tool tends to save you a lot of time. You could even use your Hamilton Beach blender to puree hard foods like apples before your baby’s old enough for the raw fruit.
Hot Vegetable Soups
Sadly, Hamilton Beach isn’t one of the best options if looking for a dedicated hot and cold blender with a built-in heating element. But you could use the brand to make some comforting warm soup by blending your cooked food into a puree.
However, Hamilton Beach warns against filling your blender jar with hot liquids more than half full due to pressure build-up.
Frozen Cocktail Drinks
Yes, again, you can use your Hamilton Beach blender for cocktails, including frozen margaritas. You just use your ice in either small cubes or when crushed to ensure complete pulverization and also not stress up the motor.
Homemade Ice Cream Flavors
Similarly, you can use your Hamilton Beach blender to make various ice cream flavor combos with small frozen fruit pieces.
A Classic Frappuccino Coffee
Last but not least, you can use your Hamilton Beach blender to make Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino chilled coffee drink. But as with any other frozen recipe, your ice cubes (from either water or coffee) should be in small sizes.
Key Takeaway: The 5 Bestselling Hamilton Beach Blenders Right Now
| Hamilton Beach Blender Model | Best of | Motor Power Output | Blending Jar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Beach (58148A) 12-Function Blender | Overall Bestseller | 700 Watts | 40-ounce, Glass |
| Hamilton Beach (51131) Personal Blender | Best of single Blends | 175 Watts | 14-ounce, Plastic |
| Hamilton Beach (58870) Professional Blender | Best of Value | 1500 Watts | 32-ounce, Plastic |
| Hamilton Beach (54221) 14-Function Blender | Best under $50 | 700 Watts | 40-ounce, Glass |
| Hamilton Beach (58149) Power Elite Blender | Best of Deal | 700 Watts | 40-ounce, Glass |
Final Thoughts
At this point, you can see the Hamilton Beach blender can handle any type of blending task you instruct it to perform. You just need to use it in the right way, in particular prepping the ingredients accordingly.
When you further chop down those vegetables and fruits or crush those big blocks of ice, the blending gets easier for the blender. And that will not only present the desired smooth consistency. But also ease the pressure on blender components to ensure you get to enjoy its convenience for a couple of years.