What Sort Of Blender Do I Need?

Before you try to choose a blender and select any model at random, or as so many of us do, select one on price alone, ask yourself some questions:

What am I going to use it for?  What is its main purpose? Is it for  occasional use, frequent use, heavy duty use etc? Is it easy to clean? If it takes lots of time to clean is it possible that I won’t be very motivated to use it that often? What extra functions would be useful or do I really need all the extra functions which could go wrong?  Is it really going to make my life easier? What are the pros and cons of a choice between glass and plastic jar? Is the motor size important? Which is the best value for money and will it last?

Below we try to help answer all these questions but first let’s look at what a modern electric food blender does. A blender is one of the most versatile appliances you could have in any kitchen. It makes it easier to introduce more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet and that of your family. It allows different textures and tastes to be produced as ingredients are mixed and blended. It takes the hard work out of mixing and blending and releases a wealth of vitamins, anti-oxidants and healthy nutrients.

Besides helping you cook larger quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, a food blender can do a lot more: i.e. making smoothies, preparing purees from different types of nuts, grinding foods, making creamy soups with fresh ingredients, preparing barter or dough for baking cakes or pizzas, making your own yogurts, preparing pesto or even crushing ice for cocktails.

The possibilities are endless and the market offers so many different types of blenders that its difficult choose the right one. Below we at Kitchen Genie have tried to highlight some aspects of the different blenders on the market to assist in your choice.

Things To Consider When Choosing A New Blender

Capacity

Remember you may need that blender for a party of people so don’t just go for a small household sized one. When it comes to the capacity;  a large blender can always prepare smaller portions but a small blender can not cope with that occasional party of guests or gathering of family and friends. Maybe storage of the item is an issue and you just don’t have the space for the larger machine. In the case of catering for a large family or guests for the occasional party a blender with less than 1 litre capacity is almost useless.

The Kitchen Genie High Performance 1500w Blender has a generous 2 litre capacity jug.

Blades

It is essential to select a blender with good quality blades, especially when you want to prepare green smoothies or crushed ice. Stainless steel is the best material for a good set of blades.

The Kitchen Genie Deluxe Glass Blender 800w have strong stainless steel blades.

Extra Functions

In order to get the most out of your new blender it is often better to have one with variable speeds and/or a pulse function. They guarantee more power, faster and easier results.

The Kitchen Genie 300w Value Blender with Grinder has a 4 speed setting.

Blender Base

Usually the blender base is made of either plastic or metal and at high speeds they can “jump about” on the work surface so it is often better to have one with rubber suction feet fitted on the base to secure them, particularly at high speeds.

All of the Kitchen Genie Blender range have rubber suction feet.

Power

Power is one of the most important features for any blender. A powerful motor allows effortless mixing of nuts, leafy vegetables or root vegetables like carrots and celery and the smooth crushing of ice. A decent affordable blender should have a motor of at least 300 Watts but for crushing ice, grinding nuts etc you really need at least 500 Watts.

Aside from our affordable entry level 300 Watt blender & grinder, Kitchen Genie offer an 800 Watt & 1500 Watt motor in our blender range.

A Glass Or Plastic Jar – Which Is Best?

Blenders generally have either a plastic or a glass jar. Price often determines which but remember modern “hard” plastics can be as good and as strong as toughened glass. People say glass is more sturdy and durable but there is still the possibility of dropping them and breaking them.

One benefit of a glass jar is that it should never alter the taste or smell of its contents. The same can not truely be said in time of a plastic version. A plastic jar can after a number of years absorb odours and colours from the ingredients mixed in the jar.

On the other hand, the quality of plastic materials is now very much improved. In the past plastics were less durable but modern production techniques have led to the development of polycarbonate which is tough and durable, hard to scratch and reliable when used in plastic jars with the advantage of being more affordable than glass. It is also less likely to crack and break if dropped.

The Kitchen Genie 800 Watt Blender offers a glass jug whilst the Kitchen Genie 1500 Watt High Performance Blenders has a strong durable and tough polycarbonate jug.

Summary

Choosing between the many types and models can seem hard but if you pay attention to the aspects of your choice with the above pointers in mind you are sure to make the right choice for your needs.

Make sure you know what you want to do with your blender. Do not let a small price tempt you to compromise on the power of the motor or the quality of the manufacture and the functions you require.