A while back, I bought a Cuisinart blender, and after a while, the blade stopped working. After troubleshooting, I found out that the blade wasn't moving.
The blade was probably just stuck, and I could do a few things to sort it out.
The troubleshooting a friend recommended worked. The blade had accumulated some residues, and it just needed a thorough cleaning.
Cuisinart blenders are some of the most reliable blenders in the market. They can serve you for quite some time before they break down.
Although they are effective, sometimes they develop problems. A significant issue is the blade stopping spinning. In other words, it is stuck and is not rotating.
Your blade is stuck because there is significant residue on the blades, the blade motor is not well lubricated, cavitation, you have overloaded the container, and there is a blown fuse in the powerhead and blending large amounts of hard food.
These problems are solvable, and some won't take you long to fix. Stay with me as I tell you all about these problems, what causes them, how to fix them, and some preventive measures. Let's dive in.
Also, Check Out: Cuisinart Pressure Cooker Problems.
The Cuisinart Blender
Blenders are one of the popular kitchen appliances. They are versatile, and you can use them for various reasons. Puree baby food, mix a drink, and make a smoothie are some things you can do with a good blender.
While there are blenders for each purpose, some blenders are all round. They are built to perform several purposes. Some Cuisinart blenders fall into this category.
This type of Cuisinart blender can chop, mince, grind and blend, to name a few tasks. You, however, have to use different settings for each of the functions.
You cannot use the chopping setting to blend a smoothie. Once you understand using a multipurpose blender, your cooking experience will become simpler.
Cuisinart blenders have a transparent jug, and you can see what is happening. They are easy to use. So, if the blade is stuck, you can quickly diagnose it.
How to use a hand (Immersion) blender for chopping [with Videos] Click to Read.
How to Tell the Blade of Your Cuisinart Blender is Stuck.
As mentioned above, Cuisinart blenders are easy to use and diagnose if they have a problem. If the blender is not rotating or is stuck, you can tell by the following:
● If you are doing a maintenance test without any food in the blender, it will be easy to notice stuck blades. Once you power the blender, you will note that the edges are not rotating.
● The blade can get stuck during the spin session. You can tell if this happens. Your blender will shut down depending on what caused the blade to get stuck.
● If a blade is stuck, the motor will start working enormously to try and fix the issue. So, you will hear a change in the sound your blender is emitting. It will be deeper and faster.
Also, Click to Read On: What to Make in a Blender.
Why is the Blender Blade Stuck and How to Fix it?
Now that you know the various ways to understand if your blender blade is stuck, let us look at the multiple causes of this problem.
This section will cover the causes of a stuck blender blade. We will also look at how you can troubleshoot these problems. Keep up.
1. A lot of Residue on the Blades
If you take a lot of time before washing your blender, the blade will accumulate residue that causes it to get stuck. What do I mean?
We all use our blenders for varying reasons: whipping, chopping, blending, etc. Let us say you blend a smoothie today, and instead of washing the blender, you just rinse it and use it to puree baby food.
Improper cleaning will cause the stubborn residue to keep on piling. In the end, they will be too much for the blade, and it will get stuck.
How to Fix it
A Blender blade being stuck due to excess residue is an often situation. This problem, however, occurs due to negligence and lack of proper washing over a long time.
To rectify this problem, you must disassemble the blender and wash the blade thoroughly. Be cautious, for the blades are very sharp and might harm you.
So, how do you clean a blade with a lot of residues? Here is the process:
Part one
● Remove the blender from the powerhead. Ensure you have turned off the power or disconnected the powerhead from the socket
● The jar part of the blender is the one that holds the blade. You need to disassemble it part by part. Ensure you mark the way you disassemble the pieces for easier reassembling.
● Remove the blade carefully to avoid cutting yourself, and place it on the counter.
Part two
● In a medium-sized pot, pour some water and place it on your cooker to boil.
● After the water has boiled, place the blade in it.
● You can add some detergent to the boiling water, boil the blade for five minutes and remove the pot from the cooker.
● Using a pair of tongs, remove the now clean blade from the hot water and place it on a clean towel.
● Let it rest for a while because it is scorching.
● Using paper towels or a clean towel, wipe all the water from the blade. Water is not suitable for some parts of your blade. It will cause rusting once you assemble it. The rust will cause the blade to stop rotating.
● After it is dry, try rotating it with a pair of tongs to avoid injuries.
● It is now time to reassemble the blender when you have ensured that it is rotating.
● Assemble the blender in the order you disassembled it. Whatever you removed last should go in first and vice versa.
● Put the blender on the power and switch it on to confirm it works.
2. The Blender is not Well Lubricated.
Even fine blenders like the Cuisinart blenders start to wear off with time. The bearings that enable the blade assembly to rotate wear off.
While the wearing off of these bearings can result from it seeing better days, there is another cause. The bearings can lose lubrication. If this happens, your blender will start producing weird noises.
Supposing you hear the blender's squealing and grinding and ignore it, the blades will stop rotating and become stuck.
A blade assembly is a mechanical appliance—the motor powers the bearings, which start rotating at high speed. Since the blade assembly is directly connected to the bearings, they, in turn, start rotating at high speed, thus fulfilling their functions.
So, if the bearings stop working, the blades will stop working too.
How to Troubleshoot this Problem
Listening to it as it works is the easiest way to tell that your Cuisinart blender needs lubricating. If you hear it grind and emit other weird noises, it is time to lubricate the blade assembly.
Lubricating the blade assembly is not hard. It does not take a lot of time. Remove the jug from the holding place and turn it upside down. Remove the cup that covers the bearing and add a lubricant.
It is not very healthy to use a lubricant with your blender. This lubricant can leak into the food you are blending and cause harm to you and your loved ones.
Supposing you realize that your blender is no longer well greased, you should replace the blender shaft.
3. Cavitation
Cavitation is simply air pockets. In a blender, these air pockets happen when you have arranged your ingredients wrongly in the blender.
Let's say you want to make a smoothie, and you need to add ice cubes. If you add the ice cubes as the first ingredient, it will create an air pocket.
The blades might move when you have air pockets in your blender, but there will be no action on the ingredient. The shaft will keep on moving, and some of the ingredients, like seeds, might get stuck at the blade's core.
Your blender will not function until you remove these air pockets.
How to Remove Air Pockets from a Cuisinart Blender
You will notice if your blender has air pockets. It will be spinning the blades, but no action will occur. Since the blender's jug is transparent, you can see if your ingredients are not getting blended.
If this happens, the first thing you need to do is switch off the blend. Dismount the jug and pour everything out. You will have to arrange the ingredients you blend from the softest to the hardest.
Any type of liquid should be in first. Add the semi-solid ingredients second and the solid ones last. Remember, ice should always come last. It should always be on top despite what you are making.
Once you have finished this new arrangement, power the blender, and it will work.
Sometimes, it is harder to remove air pockets even with the proper arrangement of ingredients. You need to shake the blender to ensure all the ingredients get settled in such cases.
Also, avoid overloading your blender, for it can create air pockets.
4. Blending Hard Ingredients Without Water
Some Cuisinart blenders can blend hard foods like seeds without needing any liquid. Some cannot do that.
Even the blenders that can dry blend can stop working if you are overworking them. So, anytime you are dry blending, do it in small quantities to avoid the blades getting stuck.
If you overload your blender with different seeds that you want to mix, there is a high possibility that the blade will get stuck. You are also overworking the blender.
Too many of these seeds will leave no room for the blades to rotate. Some of them will get stuck on the blades, and they will stop turning.
How to Fix it
The only thing you can do to fix this issue is unloading the blender and remove the stuck seeds. Then, blend small amounts at a time to prevent this situation from repeating itself.
5. A Blown Fuse
Everything electrical has a fuse. This fuse protects parts of the gadget like the motor and bearings from damage.
In case there is a power surge, the fuse is the one that will burn. This process will stop the circulation of power, thus protecting the blender.
When you are in the Middle of making a milkshake and the blades of your blenders stop suddenly, there is a problem. If the motor is not running, there must be a blown fuse.
If you are attentive, you might pick the smell of burning plastic.
There is nothing much you can do to fix a blown fuse. The only way out is to replace it. If you do not know how you should seek professional help.
What to do to Prevent a Stuck Blade
We have seen what causes a stuck blender blade. This problem occurs quite often. To ensure it does not happen to your blender, you should adhere to some preventive measures. Read on.
- Ensure you have assembled your Cuisinart blender correctly.
- Deep clean the blades after a few months
- Blend only what your blender can handle.
- Chop large pieces of food into smaller pieces.
- Add liquids when blending.
- Tackle any problem immediately you notice it.
Bottom Line
In this ear, where almost everything is electric, having a blender is common. As with all electric gadgets, problems are inevitable.
A major issue with the Cuisinart blender is the blade being stuck. As much as it is frustrating, there is hope. Some of the reasons that cause this problem are easy to fix.
After going through this article, you will know what causes your blade to be stuck, how to fix it, and what you can do to prevent this problem.
Take care of your blender, and it will not give you problems. All the best.
