How does a mixer grinder work?

A motor that spins 20,000 times a minute, blades whose tips hit 200 km/h, and ribs that stop your chutney riding round the jar. A mixer grinder is a heavy base holding an upright electric motor, with a jar on top.

Read how it works: How does a mixer grinder work? · The history of the mixer grinder · More boxes on Glassbox

Chapters in this interactive model

1. Inside a mixer grinder: A very fast motor in the base, a jar with blades on top, and a rubber coupler between them.
2. The universal motor: Why a motor with brushes runs on AC, and why it slows down when the jar is full.
3. Blades at 200 km/h: Small blades, huge tip speed, and bits that get smaller every second.
4. Why jars have ribs: Stop the whole load from spinning, and it keeps falling back into the blades.
5. Heat, and the overload switch: Where the power goes, why spices get hot, and what the red button under the base is for.
6. Shaking, noise and safety: A lump of a gram shakes the whole machine. Suction feet, lids and fill lines keep it in check.