Before you take a look at the tips below, try to ascertain what tasks you intend on doing with the blender. So, when you are shopping for a blender, choose one that performs the tasks you have aimed for. Below are a few suggestions:
Blender Reviews – How To Select Your Best Blenders:
Capacity
- The majority of the blender’s capacity could vary between 1 and 3 litres. If you have a big family, a bigger blender would be suitable and vice versa.
- Besides that, consider how much food you intend to blend at any one time. Bear in mind that when blending, you can only put up to ¾ of the jar at any one time. This will help you in determining the ideal blender’s capacity that you want.
- Pay attention to the height of the blender so that it can fit in the maximum height of your kitchen’s storage or upper cabinet.
Durability
- The best material would be undoubtedly stainless steel. Preferably, the jars should preferably be made of glass to ensure sturdiness. The downside is that they are expensive, heavy and would require extra care.
- Plastic carafes would absorb the pungent smell of your food and would be a cause of irritation in the long run, so it is still better to get the glass jars.
- Always check the footing of the blender. It has to have a stable and strong base to ensure that it does not topple off the table when the motor is running.
- A blender should be made of a material that will not stain, break or scratch easily.
Functions and Features
- Blenders that come with multiple attachments and features are bound to impress a prospective buyer. However, it is advisable to analyze your need for all the features. After all, it will not be worthwhile if you are paying for features that you will seldom put to use.
- If you need to change attachments as part of your cooking processes regularly, try fitting and taking off the attachments before buying to make sure that the attachments are easily detachable and replaceable. Additionally, check if these attachments have certain sensitive or fragile parts that may get damaged if they are properly attached.
- Some blenders come with an opening at the top fitted with removable lids to facilitate the addition of liquid or food while in the midst of blending. Some buyers love this feature as they consider it useful.
- Nowadays, blenders come with food processor attachments. Depending on your needs, this might address most of your blending and food processor needs.
Power
- The higher the wattage, the quicker and easier the blending would go. The downside is that more powerful blenders which have 1200 watts cost more.
- Try to choose a blender that has various speed and pulse actions. This will aid you in mixing various ingredients at different textures.
- If you are just blending fruits and drinks, you don’t need a very powerful blender.
- Speed settings vary from 3 to 16. Most blender reviews state that 3 speeds are more than sufficient.
- Furthermore, a blender below 750 watts is ideal if you want to cut down on your electricity bill since you will be using the blender frequently.
Safety
- Since most kitchen blenders are left on the countertop, it is ideal that the blender should have cord storage spaces with lids to avoid the cord from getting wet.
- Check if it comes equipped with safety locks to stop the machine from accidentally starting. This is important especially if you have small children in the house.
- Longer cords may be quite useful as long as they have ample storage space.
Warranty
- Remember to check the warranty. Usually, the more expensive a blender is, the longer the warranty will be.
Try the Blender before Buying It
- It is always preferable to check its multiple functions. However, it is not possible; make sure that you can return it if it does not function as promised.
- There are some customers who have experienced blenders which promised to crush ice but only liquefy it.
Looks
- If you plan to place your blender on the countertop, it should be good looking (not just in colour but also in its shape)
Friendly Controls
- Blenders with touchpad controls are easy to keep clean because the surface is flat and smooth. Those with programme settings are very easy to use since time and speed are already pre-determined. However, some users find it difficult to read.
- Blenders with push button controls are very easy to use. However, when it comes to maintenance, they are difficult to clean. Keep in mind that the grooves might attract spills on a permanent basis no matter how frequently you clean them.
- Blenders with dials (to move from one speed to another) are easy to operate and clean. However, they do not look as sleek or as trendy as touchpad control panels. The same goes for blenders with switches. The further drawback is that switches limit speed choices since only two positions are possible.
Price Range
- They depend on the manufacturers as well as the sophistication of the blender. Handheld blenders (Faberware, Toastmaster, Cuisinart and Braun) are within $11and $30.
- Top names like Braun, Hamilton Beach, Oster, Cuisinart, Back to Basics and Black & Decker are roughly in the $35 – $50 price band, which have a capacity between 40 and 56 oz.
- A good tip to remember is that as the price soars higher, blenders become better in terms of quality and motor capacity rather than in terms of carafe capacity.
- As such, some top class blenders can be purchased as long as you are willing to spend above $100.
- However, do keep in mind that this is not necessarily true. There might be discrepancies in manufacturing. Not all high prices will guarantee quality.
Removable Blades
- Blenders with non removable blades are harder to clean.
- However, blenders with non removable blades are less likely to leak.
- Removable blades allows for replaceable parts.
Hot and Cold
- The best blender will not crack when blending hot ingredients immediately after blending cold ingredients.
- Neither will the lid fly off when blending hot ingredients. This is part of the safety precaution that you should look out for.
Look for a Tapered Jar or Pitcher
- Tapered jars funnel food down to the blades, yielding silky soups. The wider the mouth of the pitcher, the easier it is to clean and to pour.
- This makes cleaning easier since it is easy to scrape out the contents.
- Additionally, you may want easy to read measurements on the outside of the carafe. The print should be big and a different colour from the container.
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