Blenders are extremely useful appliances that everyone should have inside their kitchens. You can use them for all sorts of foods and drinks, from soups to smoothies. Not all blenders are the same, however, and you only need to see the huge range in prices, sizes, and shapes to work out that you have a lot of choices.
Fortunately, this guide will give you all the information that you need to make sure that you invest your money in the perfect blender!
Let’s have a look at the very first question:
What kind of foods and drinks are blenders used for?
A blender is a versatile appliance that you can use for a huge range of foods and drinks. There is so much that you can use it for.
If you’re a fan of sauces, then you’ll love being able to make pesto, salsa, hummus, and even mayo inside your blender. You can also make spreads, with peanut butter being a common spread that people make in their blenders.
Parents will love to be able to puree fruit and veg, meaning that baby food can even be made inside their blenders.
Some people even use their blenders to mix eggs for an omelet or to make the batter for pancakes, muffins, and other foods.
Of course, you can use blenders to make your healthy, early-morning smoothie, which will be packed full of vitamins and minerals to get your day started properly. And when that day is over, and you feel like you deserve a drink, then blenders can be used for lots of awesome frozen cocktails.
Iced coffee, milkshakes, and any other frozen drink can be made in a blender.
How much do blenders cost?
Just like a car, you can find a blender to suit every budget, but the more money you spend, then the bigger the blender will be, and also, the more functions that you’ll get too. The starting price is as low as $20. Top-end blenders can set you back ten times that amount. But you’ll find that most good blenders will be available in the $50-$100 price range.
What should you consider when choosing a blender?
Before you can choose a blender, you need to be able to answer the following questions, and then start looking for a blender that ticks your boxes:
• How much do I want to spend? – Defining your budget is a great place to start.
• Why do I want a blender? – If you’re looking to make smoothies or other frozen foods and drinks, then power is going to be a significant feature for you. Then again, if you’re looking for a blender that can make smoothies and puree foods, then it will be essential to have a multitude of settings so that you can vary speed and power depending on what is required.
• How big do I want it to be? – Of course, you need to decide what the size is going to be, as you’ll be storing this blender either in a kitchen cupboard or it will be going on your worktop. Either way, you don’t want to end up with something too big for the space you live in. But remember, the smaller the blender, the smaller the amount that you can fit inside the jug and blend at one time. If you’re looking for a blender for a cocktail party, then it may be worthwhile investing in a large blender, so you don’t have to keep making fresh cocktails for each person, and then storing it somewhere out of the way.
• Do I want it to be dishwasher-proof? – If you have a dishwasher, then, of course, the answer to this question will be a resounding yes! If you don’t have a dishwasher, then you should carefully inspect the blender and figure out just how easy or difficult it looks to clean. We recommend that you read reviews from people who currently own the blender to see what their experiences are with cleaning it. This is an essential consideration for anyone who is buying their first blender. They can be extremely fiddly and difficult to clean sometimes. People have given up on blending once they’ve gone through the rigmarole of cleaning them once or twice.
What are the key features to look out for?
Like everything in the modern world, blenders are quite advanced these days, and they’re loaded with very useful technology. Then again, you can certainly find a humble blender that will satisfy your needs, too. Let’s have a look at the key features that you’ll find today:
• Multiple Speed Settings – Basic blenders will have a couple of speed settings on them. That’s fine if you’re planning to use your blender for one task, such as making a smoothie. But if you intend to use your blender for a variety of purposes, then you want multiple speed settings. Some modern blenders will even have a speed setting for a specific task, so you don’t need to set it to 1 or 6, for example, but can instead choose the puree setting or the pesto setting.
• Jug – The jug is an essential part of any blender. You will have two main choices. Either the jug will be made from plastic or glass. The plastic used for making the jug will be anything from a quite flimsy material in cheap blenders, to BPA-free Tritan. This will be in much more expensive blenders, and is a better option than glass because of how light it is. Glass is an old favorite. It looks good, feels sturdy, and won’t scratch. But it’s heavy too. And you need to keep that in mind if you’re making a smoothie every morning.
• Extra Settings – You’ll find additional settings on top-grade blenders, which you can sometimes use in conjunction with additional parts. For example, some blenders can double as coffee grinders.
• Smartphone App – There are some blenders that you can connect your smartphone to.
• Storage Aids – Cheaper blenders might require you to wrap the cable around the body of the blender. In contrast, more expensive blenders will have a storage area for the cable and plug incorporated into it, giving it a much cleaner look when not in use, as well as making it more compact for storage.
Do I need a special blender for smoothies?
Some years ago, there was a trend for “smoothie makers.” These were blenders that had a tap connected to the jug for pouring the smoothie. Nowadays, smoothie makers aren’t very common. Instead, people go for a standard jug blender, which will do the job when it comes to making a smoothie. You should never make the mistake of buying a juicer for smoothies, as you’ll end up with a watery juice instead of a thick smoothie.
Why is there so much fuss about NutriBullets?
NutriBullets have been popular for a good few years now. The reason why they’re so popular is because of how easy they are to use. They’re also quite easy to clean. And they dispense your smoothie into a cup that can be sealed so that you’re ready to go without any need for pouring. There are issues with NutriBullets, though. They only offer a small capacity, and they come with a very big price tag too. Some awesome alternatives on the market are just as good but cost a fraction of the price.
What is a vacuum blender, and are they worth the money?
You might have read about a new craze for vacuum blenders in recent years. A lot of high-end blenders incorporate vacuum technology into them so that the oxygen is removed from the jug before blending. This gives you quite a few surprising benefits, but the main two are that you get less foam at the top, and it removes bubbles. Unfortunately, the manufacturers of vacuum blenders also make some wild claims, suggesting that your blended smoothie will last longer than smoothies that have been blended by regular blenders.
These claims are unsubstantiated. But vacuum blenders remove the froth and bubbles from your blender, so they should be considered if this is something that you don’t like taste-wise. Is this worth the extra dollars that vacuum blenders cost? Only you can make that decision. But you must be warned that flavor is unlikely to be any different from standard blenders.
Summary
Now you’re in a great position to choose the perfect blender. You know exactly what options you have. You know what the price range is for blenders. And you know what questions you must ask yourself before you embark on your hunt. If you know what you intend to use your blender for, as well as how much you want to spend, and what size that you want it to be, then you’re pretty much ready to choose your next blender. Before you do, then you should isolate your most desired key features.
Then ask yourself how you’re going to clean it and decide if you want to go with a famous brand, such as NutriBullet, or if you want to go for a lower-prices, similar quality alternative. Then you should decide if you want to take a punt on one a vacuum blender, as these forms of blenders will get rid of any foam and bubbles from your smoothie, making it an even smoother drink. Once you’ve followed all these procedures, then you’re ready to choose your perfect blender.
