Kitchen Blender Buying Guide

In today’s crazy economy why spend your hard earned money on expensive blended coffee drinks and fruit smoothies when you can make them yourself? All you need is a blender and some simple ingredients to make delicious smoothies at a fraction of the cost.

source: KitchenAid

Blenders can mix, crush, grind, and pulverize just about any food or drink you put into them - great for making purees, sauces, soups, shakes and other blended drinks. They can also grind solids such as ice, nuts, herbs and even cheese, making them a “must have” small appliance for any kitchen. Here are some basic things to consider when buying your next blender.

Type of Blenders

Traditional Blenders
Traditional blenders are the typical countertop appliance made up of a base that contains the motor, a jar or carafe with blades at the bottom, and a lid. They are available as a very simple model with basic features as well as full blown fancy blending machines.

Industrial-Strength Blenders
Industrial–strength blenders are high-powered models that can liquefy whole fruits and vegetables to make soup in an instant or turn ice cubes into snow…okay maybe not snow but how about snow cones!

Hand-held or Immersion Blenders
Immersion blenders are hand-held versions of a traditional blender. They are shaped like a wand, with a motor at the top and blades at the bottom. You submerge an immersion blender into the food or drink you're preparing. For example, you can blend vegetables to make a soup right in the pot, or mix milkshakes in a glass.

Hand-held blenders are intended for light-duty blending and are not strong enough to handle what a traditional countertop blender can, so don’t replace your countertop blender with an immersion blender.

Multifunction or Combo Blenders
Combo blenders are essentially a blender and a food processor all in one. These models come with a traditional blender carafe as well as a compact food processor bowl with chopping blades. They’re more expensive, but if you’re looking for versatility, this type of blender is perfect.

Personal Blenders
Personal blenders are basically a single-serving mixer with a special blending cup instead of a carafe. The cup is typically designed with a drink-through lid and a tapered base to fit into the cup holder in your car.

Blender Components and Features

• Blender Base - the blender base is the part that houses the motor. The least expensive and most common base material for blenders is plastic. More expensive models use stainless steel and other metals resulting in a more professional look as well as a heavier, sturdier feel.

• Blender Carafe/Jar - blender carafes or jars come in plastic, glass or stainless steel, and usually range in size from about 32 to 64 ounces. Most have a similar shape - with wide mouths for adding ingredients and cleaning. Many also have measurement markings to help measure as you're adding ingredients. Look for carafes that open at the top and bottom so blades can be removed for easy cleanup.

  Plastic carafes are the least expensive of the three, and are lightweight and break-resistant. Plastic may scratch or discolor over time, and most will absorb odors, so it's good to wash these thoroughly immediately after use.

  Glass carafes are durable and do not discolor or absorb odors, but they're heavy especially when filled with a delicious smoothie. They are typically the preferred choice as they can handle tough functions, such as ice crushing without scratching. Unlike plastic carafes, glass ones may break or chip if dropped or mishandled.

  Stainless-steel carafes are the most expensive and, unlike glass or plastic, are practically unbreakable. Aside from the price, the only disadvantage is you can't see inside the carafe as its blending.

  Thermal carafes are carafes with double-walled sides that keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot for hours.

• Blender Speed and Power - blender speeds vary widely by manufacturer and price, but most blenders come with different speed options. The number of speeds you choose is simply a matter of preference. In most cases, three speeds - low, high, and pulse, should be enough to get the job done.

  Lower speeds are best for incorporating dry or solid ingredients into liquids and the higher speeds are designed for stiffer mixtures, like those with ice.

  Pulse is probably the most useful of the three as it lets you start and stop the motor in short bursts giving you better control over your mixture.

  Blender power typically ranges between 300 and 600 watts. Lower-wattage blenders do just fine with day-to-day mixing tasks, but won't work well with thicker mixes, such as frozen margaritas. For those who want real power, a newer blender called the Vita-Mix comes with a whopping 1,300 watts of power - and a price tag to match. Power seems to make more of a difference with immersion blenders than with countertop models.

  The more power a blender has, the louder it's going to be. Most are advertised as "quiet," but, everyone has their own definition of what quiet is, so if noise is an issue be sure to check out user reviews on noise levels for the blenders you are considering, before you buy.

• Blender Controls - when it comes to blender controls, most vary by manufacturer and price. Basic controls are push buttons and are either labeled numerically (1,2, 3...) or descriptively (high, lo, blend...) to indicate speed or function. Older models may even have slide control levers or variable-speed dial controls but these are becoming obsolete. Higher-end blenders typically offer touchpad controls with digital display panels. These digital touchpads are without a doubt the easiest to clean.

Caring For Your Blender

Most blender manufacturers offer limited warranties for up to three years, but hopefully you want need the warranty if you follow some of these easy care tips:

• Always make sure your blender is unplugged before cleaning.
• Clean the blender after every use by putting a small amount of dish soap in the carafe, fill it halfway with water, and let it run on low for a few seconds. Then hand-wash the carafe and blade assembly, rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Use caution when adding hot foods to a cold, glass carafe (or vice versa) - thermal shock will crack the carafe.
• Do not over-fill the carafe or it may overflow when blended.
• Never stick anything in the carafe when the blades moving, that includes your hand, a spoon or other utensil.
• Carefully lift the carafe off the blender base only after the motor/blades have stopped.
• Always add liquid while crushing ice - crushing dry ice may cause damage to the motor and blades.

Popular Blender Manufacturers

Hamilton Beach - www.hamiltonbeach.com
Oster - www.oster.com
Black & Decker - www.blackanddecker.com
Vita-Mix - www.vita-mix.com
Blendtec - www.blendtec.com
Breville - www.brevilleusa.com
Braun - www.braun.com
Cuisinart - www.cuisinart.com
DeLonghi - www.delonghiusa.com
GE - www.geappliances.com
KitchenAid - www.kitchenaid.com
Krups - www.krups.com
Proctor-Silex - www.proctorsilex.com
Sunbeam - www.sunbeam.com
Waring - www.waringproducts.com

Reviews

ConsumerSearch
Read about their top 3 picks for the best blenders.

Epinions
Find consumer reviews on over 1000 blenders. Search by brand, price, or features.

Viewpoints
Read first hand reviews from users on blenders ranging in price from $15 to over $300.