12 Things to use if you don’t have a blender? [Easy tips and Tricks!]

At times you may not have a blender while shifting to a new place. Or it may not be working due to a pending repair. You really need to use a blender.

What would you do?

While it’s not always feasible to ask your neighbors for help. There might be something in your kitchen that might work just as well as a blender. In this post, we will help you look into some of those options and how to work with them.

Listed below are some of the electric and manual options that you can choose from to address your blending needs.

List of things that can be used to blend Without using a blender:

1. A Chef’s Knife

A chef’s knife is a sharp knife that can perform most functions of a blender. A good quality knife is great at chopping fruits, vegetables, herbs, or nuts into smaller and finer pieces. Although, it may take time and skill to do the chopping.

It’s a great way to get those thin finer slices and pieces for absolutely anything. There are various kinds of chef knives that can be used according to the food ingredients. Rounded chopping knives with handles at both ends are commonly used to cut herbs.

2. Mortar and Pestle:

Mortar and Pestle have been around for centuries, and they come in various sizes. Centuries ago before the invention of electric mixers and blenders fruits and vegetables were cut into finer pieces then pounded and mashed using a mortar and pestle or a rolling stone.

However, spices are widely pounded in a mortar and pestle so as to preserve their aroma that is let out by the essential oils present in the spice. Small batches or larger batches can be made using this method.

Mortar and Pestle takes a little more time and effort but the results are much better than using electric blenders. In many parts of the world, this process is still used daily to grind spices or to create a mix of spices.

3. Rolling Pin:

Other ancient inventions are rolling pins. They are easy to use and easy to clean. Use a Ziploc bag to bag your food ingredient that needs to be mashed and use roll the rolling pin over it while applying pressure.

The food particles will break down into smaller pieces and gradually turn into a mash or a powder.

4. Boil and Mash Method:

Many vegetables such as potatoes, pumpkins, peas, etc. can be boiled and then simply mashed using a fork or a rolling pin as suggested above. This is a pretty easy process and doesn’t take much time, energy, and effort.

Jams, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin puree are some examples that can be done using this method. To get a finer mash, you can use a food mill or a sieve.

5. Cheese Graters:

Another kitchen staple that allows you to create thin, fine slices. Mostly used for cheese, however, it can be as easily used for fruits and vegetables. Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, and many fruits such as apples, papayas, and others can be created into a mash using the cheese grater.

Suggested Reading: Blender vs grinder[a better understanding]

6. Mallet:

Mallets are hammer-shaped tools, typically made from wood or metal. They have a smooth surface and the other side with protrusions. In the kitchen, they are used to tenderize and flatten meat.

They are one of the most underestimated tools in the kitchen today since they aren’t widely used in modern cooking methods. But, they are quite effective and get the job done. Although, they do make a fair amount of noise. Simply put the food ingredients in a cheesecloth and pound them with a mallet.

7. Food Mill:

Food Mills can mash and puree soft foods by hand. It typically consists of a strainer equipped with a handle and a small plate, that pushes the food through the strainer. They are easy to use and quite effective in mashing bigger chunks of food that have been left.

They are effective and allow you to get a smooth consistent puree.

8. Chinois Strainer:

Chinois strainers are basically a strainer with a metal mesh and are very similar to a food mill. However, the major difference between a food mill and a chinois strainer is that in a chinois strainer you have to push the food manually with the help of a spoon or your hand.

They do take some effort and may be a little messy, but they are quite effective in achieving a smooth puree or a mash. In fact, most gravies and sauces are sieved through a chinois strainer to get that smooth silky finish.

9. Handheld Whisk:

It is a simple arrangement of metal wires centered around a metal handle that comes in many shapes and sizes. Another common tool in most kitchens is handheld whisks are effective in whisking air into cremes or blending different ingredients.

Some handheld whisks also come with a hand crank so that a fair amount of pressure can be applied as well as the food can blend easily.

10. Electric Beaters:

Electric beaters are an electric version of handheld whisks. They perform whisking, blending, chopping soft foods, and pureeing foods quickly and effectively.

They are commonly used for making pancakes, cake, and cookie batters, whisking creme, beating eggs till they are light and fluffy, churning butter, making dough, and pureeing soft fruits.

11. Stand Mixer:

It is a tabletop version of an electric beater. The advantages of a stand mixer are many, as your hands are free while blending allows you to accomplish other tasks. Stand mixers have a much heavier motor compared to an electric beater.

Since they are mounted on a table or a platform, with their powerful motors they can work much faster than an electric beater.

12. Immersion Blender:

An immersion blender is an electric handheld blender just like an electric beater. However, the key difference is that it is immersed in liquids such as soups and juices, which you want to puree.

Immersion blenders are especially effective when you have large batched to puree. In fact, good immersion blenders can puree pretty much anything.

what to use instead of a blender for smoothies?

Smoothies can be made by hand and blended the old-fashioned way if you do not have an electric blender. There are many tools that you can use according to your preference, for the type of smoothie. Some like smooth and silky smoothies and many people like smaller chunks of fruits in their smoothies.

Depending on your preference you can use any of the above-mentioned tools or even a combination of any one of them. Such as a Chef’s knife to chop fruits and then a food mill to puree fruits. Or a cheese grater and food mill or a chinois strainer. Or simply a fork or handheld whisk to blend the fruits well into the liquid.

How to make a smoothie without a blender or a food processor?

Smoothies can be made without a blender or a food processor. Below are some steps that can help you make it.

Steps to make a smoothie without a blender:

1. Select the ingredients that you would like in your smoothie. Ripe fruits or soft vegetables are a good choice.
2. Once you have selected, mash the fruits, nuts, etc. using the spoon, fork, potato ricer/masher, or a food mill.
3. Add in the liquid of your choice. Milk, non-dairy milk, and fruit juices can be added.
4. Shake well in a large jar or a blender ball bottle to shake your smoothie so that all the ingredients are well combined.
5. If you like you can also add protein powders as they also provide thickness to the smoothie, and impart flavor and nutrition.

Suggested Reading: difference between a blender and a smoothie maker

how to blend fruit without a blender?

Blending fruits without a blender is easy, although may be a little messy and time-consuming at times. The trick is to choose ripe or soft fruits that can be mashed easily.

Steps to blend fruits without a blender:

1. Choose ripe fruits and peel them.
2. Chop them into medium to small pieces.
3. Mash them with a fork, spoon, or masher.

Can I Use A Whisk Instead Of A Blender?

A whisk can be used instead of a blender to blend things well. However, there are a few limitations to the same.

1. Only finely chopped fruits or soft fruits and vegetables can be blended using a hand or an electric whisk.
2. Hard or large pieces do not blend well into a mix.
3. If making a fruit juice, shake, or smoothie. Add in the liquid of your choice such as water, yogurt, milk, or nondairy milk.
4. Blend well using a whisk.

can I use a mixer instead of a blender?

You cannot use a mixer instead of a blender as they both have different functions. A mixer is just like a hand whisk or an electric beater. It is good at mixing things well. However, it cannot chop things and liquefy them which can only be done in a blender.

A blender is a multifunctional kitchen appliance that allows you to chop, mix and puree fruits, vegetables, and other food ingredients.

Suggested Reading: Difference between Blender and mixer? Full Guide!