Magic Bullet / Grinder – Why and What I Recommend

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The Magic Bullet can chop, mix, blend, whip, grind, and more. It includes a wide array of dishwasher-safe attachments which makes clean up as easy as it gets. I highly recommend owning a Magic Bullet or the equivalent. I have owned mine since at least 2008, and it’s still going strong.

I use it to grind ingredients down to a fine powder. It can handle everything from nuts, seeds, whole spices, granular lecithin, sugar, and herbs. It’s great for small batches. These units are meant for other jobs such as chopping, mixing, and blending. If you travel a lot and like to make smoothies or blended drinks, take it along with you, it’s that compact!

If you are on a tight budget, a coffee grinder comes in real handy for grinding ingredients to a fine powder, but that’s about it. If you go this route, you will want to make sure that the coffee grinder can be cleaned thoroughly or that you can dedicate it to spices instead of coffee. The reason for this is because ground coffee has a strong lingering scent and can infuse whatever other ingredients you might want to grind.

Below I shared a link to the one that I recommend. The reason I like it so much is that it has a clear canister so you can easily see the consistency of grinds, has a stainless steel blade, and has a removable stainless steel bowl.

What can the Magic Bullet do for me?

• It Chops! It’s great for chopping veggies like onions and garlic for cooking, or make chunky salsas and bean dips.
• It Blends! Blending pulverizes frozen fruit for smoothies and sorbets, and milkshakes are a quick and easy way to make signature drinks. You can also blend salad dressings or any other creamy base for your recipes.
• It Purees! Whip up homemade hummus, creamy soups, or homemade baby food in seconds.
• It Grinds! It’s perfect for grinding nuts, seeds, and spices down to a fine powder. Just make sure to do so with small amounts, so you don’t overwhelm the machine and end up with a paste at the base of the unit.
• BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE… ok maybe not but I felt like I was doing an infomercial. haha

Techniques to Master

THE “COCKTAIL” SHAKE – When making smoothies, dips or other recipes:

• Remove the Cup/Blade assembly from the Power Base.
• Shake it like a cocktail shaker, then return it to the Power Base.
• Repeat if necessary until you achieve the consistency you want.

THE “SHAKIN’ PULSE” – Use this technique to chop ingredients for recipes like salsa or gazpacho.

• Before pulsing, lift the whole Magic Bullet (Power Base and Cup/Blade assembly) with both hands.
• Make sure one hand grips the cup while the other holds the Power Base.
• If you find that the ingredients at the top of the cup aren’t making it to the cross blade, firmly shake the whole Bullet downwards to force them into the cross blade then pulse at the bottom of the shake.
• Repeat until your food reaches the desired consistency.

THE “TAP” TECHNIQUE – This helps if ingredients are sticking to the sides of the cup.

• Take the cup off the Power Base and tap the Cup/Blade assembly on the counter to force the ingredients down into the cross blades.
• Return Cup/Blade assembly to the Power Base and finish processing.

Caring for your Magic Bullet

• The canisters and lids are dishwasher safe (top shelf only).
• Do not submerge the Power Base in water and always unplug the Power Base before cleaning it.
• Do not put cross blade with the gasket in the dishwasher. They should be hand-washed with careful attention to the sharp blades. I like to use an old toothbrush to clean down around the gasket area. I then set them on a dry cloth to air-dry.
• When washing the cross blades, do not attempt to remove the gasket ring. Attempted removal of the gasket may permanently damage the blade configuration and cause leakage.
• Never submerge the electrical unit in water or place it in the dishwasher. Use a clean damp rag to clean it.

Magic Bullet Tips

• If you purchase one of these units, you can usually find spare jars, lids, and blades at thrift stores inexpensively. It’s not that these parts typically wear out or break, but the clear jars can get scratched up and when that happens odors start to linger. Therefore, it’s nice to replace them as needed.
• Do not blend carbonated or hot drinks in the Bullet. Since it doesn’t have a way to vent it could cause the canister to eject off the base and create a real mess or even personal injury.

Let’s Go Shopping

Small Grinder

• Magic Bullet
• KitchenAid BCG111OB Blade Coffee Grinder – Onyx Black 

Tags: Equipment Recommendations