A concise presentation of the practical laws of blessings before eating, useful for determining the bracha on mixed or coated foods.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּדִיעֲבַד אִם טָעָה וּבֵרֵךְ שֶׁהַכֹּל עַל כָּל דָּבָר, אֲפִלּוּ עַל פַּת אוֹ יַיִן יָצָא (כְּדִלְקַמָּן סִימָן נ"ו), לְכַתְּחִלָּה אָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, אֶלָּא צָרִיךְ לִלְמֹד לְהָבִין אֵיזֶה בְּרָכָה יְבָרֵךְ עַל כָּל מִין וּמִין. וְאַךְ בְּדָבָר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָרֵר מֵאֵיזֶה מִין הוּא, אוֹ שֶנִּסְתַּפְּקוּ הַפּוֹסְקִים וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַכְרִיעַ, אָז יוֹצְאִין בְּבִרְכַּת שֶׁהַכֹּל. וְאִם הוּא דָבָר שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְפָטְרוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַסְּעוּדָּה עָדִיף טְפֵי. אֲבָל אִם הֵם שְׁנֵי מִינִים, כְּגוֹן פְּרִי הָעֵץ וּפְרִי הָאֲדָמָה אוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁבִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁהַכֹּל, אַף עַל גַּב דִּבְדִיעֲבַד אִם בֵּרֵךְ עַל כֻּלָּם שֶׁהַכֹּל, אוֹ שֶׁבֵּרֵךְ עַל פְּרִי הָעֵץ בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה יָצָא, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, לְכַתְּחִלָּה אָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, אֶלָּא יְבָרֵךְ עַל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד בְּרָכָה הַמְיֻחֶדֶת לוֹ, וּבִרְכַּת בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ קוֹדֶמֶת (עַיֵן לְקַמָּן סִימָן נ"ה סָעִיף ד'). וַאֲפִלּוּ יֵשׁ לְפָנָיו יַיִן וַעֲנָבִים, וְרוֹצֶה לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן קֹדֶם וּמְבָרֵךְ בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאִם הוּא מִתְכַּוֵּן לִפְטוֹר בִּבְרָכָה זוֹ גַּם הָעֲנָבִים יָכוֹל לְפָטְרָן, מִכָּל מָקוֹם לְכַתְּחִלָּה לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה כֵּן, אֶלָּא יְכַוֵּן שֶׁלֹּא לִפְטוֹר אֶת הָעֲנָבִים, כְּדֵי לְבָרֵךְ גַּם עֲלֵיהֶם בְּרָכָה הַמְתֻקֶּנֶת, שֶׁהִיא בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ.
Although, if inadvertently, you had already recited [the berachah] shehakol over anything, even over bread or wine, you would have fulfilled your obligation, you may not do this deliberately. It is your duty to study in order to know which berachah [is appropriate] for each individual kind [of food]. However, if you are unable to determine under which category [the article] is classified, or if the authorities are in doubt and no [clear-cut] decision can be made [concerning the appropriate berachah], then you may discharge your obligation [by reciting] the berachah shehakol. But if it is something that you can exempt [from a berachah] [by eating it] during the meal, so much the better. If there are two kinds [of fruit], for example, a fruit of a tree and a fruit of the earth, or food over which the berachah Shehakol should be said; [then], in spite of the fact that post factum [when it is already done], if you had said Shehakol over all of them, or if you had said over a fruit of the tree the berachah Borei peri ha'adamah, you would have fulfilled your obligation; nevertheless, initially you must not do this, rather you should recite the appropriate berachah over each kind. The berachah Borei peri ha'eitz takes precedence [over the others] (see Ch. 55, par. 4). Even if there are wine and grapes in front of you, and you wish to drink wine, and said the berachah, Borei peri hagafen; even though it is permitted to exempt the grapes with this berachah nevertheless, initially you must not do so. Rather, keep in mind not to exempt the grapes [with the berachah over wine], so as to enable you to say the proper berachah, which is Borei peri ha'eitz, over the grapes.