Can You Use an Immersion Blender in an Instant Pot?

Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for chewing food and want it smooth enough to swallow, or perhaps you’re nursing a patient or just want to make something for your baby. Unfortunately, the food is in an Instant Pot, and you have an immersion blender. Can you dip the instant blender directly in an Instant Pot?

You can use an immersion blender in an Instant Pot. Just remember to remove the steaming rack before you begin blending because it can damage the blender. Also, take care not to go too deep with an immersive steel or metal blender because it can scratch the bottom of the pot.

In this article, you’ll learn how the two kitchen appliances can work together in harmony and how to use them for the best result. Read to the end if you want to end up with a nice puree or sauce with a smooth consistency. Let’s dive right in!

How an Instant Pot and Immersion Blender Combo Works

You already know what the two kitchen appliances are, but let’s do a recap for the sake of those who aren’t familiar with the terms. 

An immersion blender is an appliance with a long stick that doubles as a handle. A blade sits at the end of the stick. The handle has a finger trigger, and a shell surrounds the blade. The blender is used to make sauces, purees, or frothy milk by dipping it inside the food you’re preparing.

The Instant Pot is a pot version of the electric kettle with multiple functions like steaming, yogurt making, slow cooking, rice cooking, and pressure cooking up to 12 PSI. It consists of an outer shell and a removable stainless steel pot inside the outer casing. A removable metal rack at the bottom gives the pot the steaming function.

Now, let us learn how to use the two together! Follow these steps for using your immersion blender in an Instant Pot: 

1. Put all the food or liquid ingredients in the Instant Pot and power it on. 
2. Plug in the immersion blender and hold it with your hand. 
3. Immerse it in the Instant Pot until the blade is well under the food or liquid. 
4. Lastly, press the trigger with your hand and begin pulsating while moving your hand in circular motions.

You should remember to remove the steaming rack from the pot before using the blender. Otherwise, you’ll end up damaging both of them and potentially scalding yourself. Move the blender around at varying depths and angles to get a nice puree with the right texture and consistency.

You must be worried by now that the blender will splatter the food, ruining your kitchen and clothes. The manufacturer already took care of that by enclosing the blade in a metal shell, which also keeps your fingers away from the sharp blade. It would be best if you practiced a little caution because the casing isn’t foolproof. Splattering will still occur when you use the blender on the surface of the food or liquid.

One common concern people have about the Instant Pot is whether or not it’s true that they sometimes scratch the dishes in which they’re using them.

Can an Immersion Blender Scratch the Instant Pot’s Bottom?

Immersion blenders may or may not scratch the bottom of the Instant Pot, depending on how it’s used. Most stick blenders have the moving end made of a blade encased in a stainless steel shaft. This shaft and not the blade will ruin the pot if you go too deep. 

Please don’t use it as you would use a mortar because you’re not grinding. Go deep enough to reach the food below without harming the pot.

Thankfully, some have a plastic housing covering the blade and are much safer than metal ones. Some blenders feature rubber feet on top of the blade assembly, which sits on the pot, keeping the blender away from direct contact with the pot. What’s more, they have removable blades and arms, making them super easy to clean up or use with a dishwasher. Next time you chop veggies, froth milk, or crush ice, know that your bowls are safe.

Immersion Blender/Instant Pot Combo vs. an Instant Ace

An immersion blender is convenient because it can be dismantled for cleaning, while an Instant Pot Ace shouldn’t be immersed in water to avoid ruining the heating element. Stick blenders usually feature a detachable shaft that can be cleaned in the dishwasher, and the stainless steel insert pot for Instant Pots is also dishwasher-friendly.

For those still in the dark, there’s an advanced Instant Pot known as Instant Pot Ace that functions just like the regular pot, only with an added blender. This way, you can blend and cook food simultaneously, making some think it is more of a food processing machine than a cooking pot.

Can you use an immersion blender with an Instant Pot Ace? No! But thankfully, the Ace has an inbuilt blender, eliminating the need for an external one.

Some wonder whether it’s easier just to use an Instant Pot Ace and avoid all the hustle and bustle of using an external blender with an electric pot, assuming it would be much safer. It may be so when you look at it that way, but it can be disadvantageous when you look at it from another angle.

The Instant Pot Ace is ineffective when preparing huge volumes of soups or other food because it’s smaller than a regular Instant Pot. If you want to prepare a smoothie for two, that’s fine, but you’ll need something bigger for larger meals.

Remember that the Instant Pot Ace resembles a typical blender and has a capacity of seven cups (1.65 liters). On the other hand, most Instant Pot models start at 12 cups (2.83 liters) for the smallest and go as far as 32 cups (7.57 liters) for the priciest models in the market.

Let us look at the final evidence. An Instant Pot Ace has a fixed temperature, while you can lower or raise the temperature as much as you want with your Immersion Blender/Instant Pot combo. The convenience of the two, flexibility, and hygiene standards give them an edge over the Instant Pot Ace. Case closed!

How To Take Care of an Immersive Blender

Observe the following to make that kitchen appliance last longer:

• Wash the immersive blender right away because it has some spots which are difficult to clean when you let food sit for too long. Gently scrub with a soaped-up sponge and rinse with hot water.
• Avoid shallow dishes or quantities. When there’s enough food to blend, the blender will be fully submerged and not scratch the bottom.
• Cool hot dishes before blending. Let soups and whatever you’re preparing sit for at least 10 minutes before blending. We’ve said that the instrument spatters the pot content, and you don’t want that landing on you.