Not sure how to pick the right blender for your favorite smoothies or margaritas? Here are 7 questions to ask yourself before making a choice.
A Blender is one of the most versatile and useful kitchen equipment which can help you in making smoothies, protein shakes, juices, cocktails, and so on but making the ideal pick is easier said than done. However, you will find blenders in a varying price range and although higher price means more functions and features, it is not always the case.
In fact, a few high priced blenders are known to crack under pressure and sometimes cheap blenders last longer than expected, allowing you to get your money’s worth of that blender. This is why it is important that you consider important factors when selecting the best blender for your needs.
In this article, we have discussed the 7 important tips that one should remember when looking for a top-notch smoothie blender
Q1: Which Blender Type is the Best
The first important tip that one must remember when looking for the perfect blender is that you need to choose a blender type that will be suitable for your needs. There are four main types of blenders available in the market so you need to determine your use and then select the best blender type.
High-Performance Blender
One of the most efficient and powerful blenders which can prepare smoothies, whole-fruit juices, frozen drinks, etc. in an instant with the help of its fast-spinning blades.
You can also use this type of blender to prepare hot soup or to churn your ice cream but it is one of the most expensive blenders in the market and range around $300 – $700.
Personal Blender
This is a two-in-one blender designed with comfort and convenience in mind. So, you now have the opportunity to prep your favorite smoothie and then take it on the go without having to transfer it into another travel jar. This saves you time and you have fewer utensils to wash at the end of the day too, sounds easy peasy doesn’t it? Well, it’s meant to be.
Conventional Blender
This is comparatively a cheaper blender which allows you to prepare milkshakes and smoothies and can only be used for low-intensity blending tasks. This type of blender will not make hot soup or churn ice cream for you but will be easy on your pocket and will easily come in a price range of $40 – $150.
Immersion Blender
An immersion blender is different to a hand mixer or the above-mentioned blender types. It’s a simple cylindrical blender which is submerged in the drink that you are preparing and is often used more to complement your blender than to replace it. It can easily range around $30 – $240 depending on the quality and finish.
Q2: How much storage space is available?
Another important tip to remember when purchasing a blender is the size of the blender. If you are planning to make drinks for a large number of people then you want a large blender which is capable of making drinks for everyone in one go but you also need to consider the storage space.
If you have a large kitchen space then you can easily invest in a large blender but if you have a small kitchen then you might need to consider a smaller blender. Always remember that a 27-ounce blender is the smallest blender which can make only two drinks.
The size of your blender mostly depends on the drinks that you are preparing the quantity of those drinks. Ideally, a 48-ounce can handle all kinds of drinks and can prepare a sufficient amount for a small party.
Q3: What material is the blender made of?
While there is no doubt that you would find many attractive designs in a blender, it is important that you also consider the blender material before making a choice.
One must pay attention to the container and blade construction and should opt for stainless steel or glass material than a plastic one. While glass can break easily, it won’t absorb bad odor or be prone to scratches as a plastic blender. The plastic container will need to be thoroughly cleaned if it is to be used again.
Also, make sure that you choose a blender which comes with stainless steel blades as they would be efficient and will be easily able to churn ice cream for you too.
Q4: Is the blender easy to use?
You will also find different types of controls in the blender which will offer you a variety of features and functions. While there is no easy comparison between these controls, it ultimately comes down to the user’s needs and requirements. If you want something easy to clean then touchpad controls would be the ideal choice although they can be a little tricky to use.
On the other hand push buttons are easy to use but can collect a lot of dirt and grime in their cracks which makes it difficult to clean them.
You will also find blenders with dial controls or flip switches, all of which have their own pros and cons so you need to weigh all your options carefully before making a choice.
Q5: What are the available speeds?
Make sure that you opt for a blender which offers you multiple speeds as this will allow you different types of drinks with a single blender. You will find blenders with 2 to 17-speed settings but too many speed options can make it confusing to choose the right speed.
A pulse setting often comes handy in the blender and allows you to start your blender immediately on the push of a button. With variable settings, you can easily start on a lower speed setting and then gradually increase your speed to get the desired result. This is particularly important when you are blending ice and trying to make some frozen drink for yourself.
A few high-performance blenders also include programmed settings which allow users to prepare soup, juice, smoothies, etc. by choosing the desired program option and don’t have to worry about setting the speed at all.
Q6: What is the motor power
One of the most important things to check out when you are purchasing a blender is its motor power. You will easily find blenders with a motor power ranging from 300 to 1,000 Watts or even more because manufacturers believe that higher power means better performance.
However, this is not always true, the blade design and container shape play a major role and usually, an average blender will often provide only 300-600 Watts power to the users. One needs to choose a blender with the power that is suitable for their needs because higher power means greater price. So, determine the usage of your blender before making the purchase.
If you are planning to prepare cocktails then a 500-watt blender will work fine but if you want to crush ice with your blender then you need a powerful motor. Conversely, if you are only planning to make smoothies and shakes with your blender then a 300-500 Watt blender will work perfectly for you too.
Make sure that you consider your needs before deciding on a product if you don’t want to end up with a burnt-out blender.
Q7: Is the Blender easy to clean
Lastly, make sure that you purchase a blender that is easy to clean. Let’s be honest, there will be countless parties and gatherings when you will use your blender extensively and will leave the cleaning for the next day. However, you will not face a pretty sight in front of you.
You will wake up to a messy house and an even messier kitchen in which your blender will have fruits and food items stuck inside it, coating its blades all over and if you have a blender whose blades cannot be removed then you would have a real hard time cleaning all that gunk. So, choose a blender which can be disassembled easily for a quick deep clean.
A few blender models also have self-cleaning blades which are convenient and make your cleaning job much less challenging. Sometimes, a blender can be cleaned by simply soaking the blender in hot water.
How to clean your blender in a flash
So, now that you are aware of the above-mentioned useful buying tips, why not try them out for real? Go and purchase the perfect blender for yourself and host amazing parties at your home.
