Damaged blender blade.. but not that damaged. Can I still use it?

October 3, 2014 10:06 AM

I left a metal teaspoon in my new blender and nicked the blade a little bit. Do I really need to replace this immediately before using? Or is it safe to use?

I've got a fairly new Kitchenaid blender and within a month of buying it, was making a smoothie and forgot I had left a metal teaspoon in there while looking for some other ingredients.

I hit "chop" and it blended for just a few seconds with the spoon inside - I heard the noise immediately and shut it off. Now one of the four metal blender blades (the one that sticks up) has little dings in it so the edge isn't quite smooth as the others. I checked with the company about replacing it, and I'd have to buy the entire pitcher apparatus to replace, not just the blade, which costs about $40 and it's on backorder.

Maybe this is a really stupid question, but can I just wait awhile to replace and continue using the blender? Or am I crazy, the little nicks are going to get tiny bits of metal in my food, which is really dangerous, absolutely I should not make any food/drinks with it until I get new blades? I've searched all over for the answer to this and my google skills are failing me.

If it helps, I use this thing to blend frozen fruit plus whatever else goes into a smoothie - greens, almond milk, yogurt. I might start making some blended soups in it. I don't use it to chop ice or nuts and seeds.

posted by citron to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

I'd use it like a shot--we must eat all kinds of little bits of metal off various kinds of food processing devices all the time; any metal food preparing implement that "wears out" adds some quantity of its lost substance to the food stream, after all. But I'm not a food scientist or a food safety expert of any kind.
posted by yoink at 10:13 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It's just a blade, the same as a knife. I would probably get a little metal file (they're very cheap) and file off any sticky-out bits of metal, although if there's nothing about to fall off, it's probably not a thing.

A couple of minor nicks in one of the four blades is going to make no perceptible difference to the ability of your blender to blend.
posted by pipeski at 10:17 AM on October 3, 2014 [4 favorites]

Consider them serrations and don't worry about it.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:23 AM on October 3, 2014 [3 favorites]

The blade is compromised, so it's possible that an especially frozen strawberry could knock off a shard and you wouldn't notice until too late. Seems unlikely to me. Could also be out of balance. Issues arising from each of those probably aren't likely since it isn't a Vitamix or something.

I'd use it, slightly more cautiously.
posted by supercres at 10:31 AM on October 3, 2014

As a one time college student who used his blender for all sorts of things that left it nicked and off balance, I can say that I would use that thing until it fell off. Filing it down is a good idea, but not necessary. If the knife sharpener guy ever comes around your neighborhood, have him sharpen all four blades.
posted by 724A at 10:31 AM on October 3, 2014

On the list of things in your life that you need to spend energy worrying about, this doesn't even rate. Put it out of your mind and don't think about it again unless the blender starts to do something weird, which it almost certainly won't.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 10:36 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you've got a knife sharpener, use it.
I wouldn't be concerned about small pieces, but I'd have slight concerns that you weakened it, and it might shatter if it hit something else really solid in just the wrong way. You might try to get in the habit of rinsing out the blender and looking into it to be sure the blades are all there before you start slamming back your smoothies, but that's hypocritical of me to suggest, since I'd probably forget to be paranoid and defacto stop worrying after a couple of weeks.
posted by aimedwander at 10:39 AM on October 3, 2014

I wouldn't give even a thought to this. Use it and forget about it.
posted by fiercecupcake at 11:03 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

If the blade can still rotate freely, then you're fine. (I'm assuming you'd notice if the pitcher were cracked, etc)

Idea: put a jar next to the blender, and every time you use it, put a dollar in the jar. When the jar has $40 in it, use the money to buy a really nice bottle of tequila and make margaritas. I'm sure the manufacturer *wishes* everyone who has ever left a spoon in there would buy a new blade.
posted by doctor tough love at 11:05 AM on October 3, 2014 [2 favorites]

supercres: The blade is compromised, so it's possible that an especially frozen strawberry could knock off a shard and you wouldn't notice until too late. Seems unlikely to me. Could also be out of balance.

"Compromised", no. We aren't talking helicopter blades or nuclear centrifuges. A blender is built to take shock and asymmetric loads. And those blades are highly unlikely to ever chip - I've abused blenders all my life, and never known one to chip.

The spoons get sharp nicks and are subtly unsafe, however....
posted by IAmBroom at 11:52 AM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

I would think that having an unbalanced blade would maybe make the motor wear out faster? I could be wrong.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 1:09 PM on October 3, 2014

Best answer: I would think that having an unbalanced blade would maybe make the motor wear out faster? I could be wrong.

There's a bearing in the jar, otherwise it would leak. Even if it's just a stupid plastic seal/bearing combo, that's still what the load is on.

Worst case, the seal will fail sooner and it'll leak sooner. Realistically, as was said above, blenders deal with unbalanced loads and shocks CONSTANTLY.



Use it until it starts leaking badly or burns out. And if it just leaks, order a new blade assembly for cheap from kitchen aid/amazon/whatever. I've used every blender i've had until the motor had some sort of issue, shitty blades and all. I've smashed up blades and such and just... kept using them. It's not a big deal.
posted by emptythought at 1:23 PM on October 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I'll keep an eye on the blade and go back to using it.
posted by citron at 3:28 PM on October 3, 2014