Which speed is for chopping?

Blender has 4 speeds(low,medium,high and pulse). Instructions are non-existent: which operation goes with which speed?

Leonard Levine
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9 Comments

Nancy
Nancy June 21, 2016
Recommend searching amazon, local library or used book store for cookbooks on blender cooking...they will have some tips.
Pulse is good when you want to mash something to a rough consistency but not get a puree (like a tapenade).
There IS a technique for chopping in a blender, if you need to do it there. Coarsely chop the vegetable (e.g. onion, carrot) into large pieces. Put in the blender with about the same volume of water (cup veg, cup water), pulse until desired consistency, drain & use. If you're making soup, use that water as part of the soup.
Otherwise, start at lower speeds, increase as needed and go by results.
 
pierino
pierino June 21, 2016
What make blender are you using? As noted above chopping is not a function I would associate with a blender. That job is what food processors are for. Even so, a sharp chef's knife is the best tool.
 
702551
702551 June 21, 2016
There's no way my cheapo Oster blender would be able to do what Nancy describes.

The base of my blender jar is very narrow where the blades are. The blades themselves are perhaps 1.25-1.5" long, not long enough to effective chopping instruments.

At least for my blender, it is really only useful for liquefying things that have a certain amount of moisture.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune June 21, 2016
Sounds like anything other than pulse will liquefy.
 
BerryBaby
BerryBaby June 21, 2016
For chopping I wouldn't use a blender. They give more of a ground up texture. To obtain the right size and consistency I use a sharp knife and do it by hand. Food processors have different blades to slice and grate but again they don't chop.
 
PHIL
PHIL June 21, 2016
I agree , always better to hand chop if you can. How is your basil BerryBaby?
 
BerryBaby
BerryBaby June 21, 2016
It's doing better, the slugs have moved on, I think due to all the coffee grounds I placed around it. I did see new growth the other day so keeping my fingers crossed!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames June 21, 2016
Coffee grounds to keep slugs away from basil? I missed that thread. Good to know. Someone has been chomping away on my basil these past few weeks . . . . must try. ;o)
 
PHIL
PHIL June 21, 2016
Without knowing the blender or what you are trying to chop I would use pulse and keep checking till you get the right amount of chop you want. I think any other option may just pulverize or liquefy what you are trying to chop
 
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