Blenders are the most important kitchen appliances that take a place on our kitchen countertops. This indispensable tool was invented in 1922 and has evolved into different varieties ever since. We use blenders for various purposes, like pulverizing ice into powder, pureeing fruits and vegetables, milling grains, and making smoothies. A blender can even convert cold vegetables into hot soup using just the friction of the blades.
This equipment is ideal for grinding pastes, making peanut butter and ice cold drinks. In fact, a blender is peddled as one of the top 10 home appliances that everyone should have.
Buyer's Guide Table of Content
Blenders come in various sizes, costs and power. While buying a blender, you should keep in mind the usage of the blender. Some blenders can perform multiple tasks, but these are usually pretty expensive. Most countertop blenders can handle simple kitchen tasks, like blending and grinding. They produce average results and meet your needs for the time being. However, if you are looking for a blender that can really make your life comfortable in the kitchen, you will need to invest in the right kind.
Types Of Blenders
There are a variety of blenders and understanding the different types will allow you to make an informed choice.
Immersion Blender
An immersion blender is also called a stick or hand held blender. It is a long stick shaped device which has a blade at one end and a handle at the other end. Immersion blenders are ideal to mix drinks, stir soups and smoothies into finer liquids. These blenders can handle hot liquids and can directly blend ingredients in a cooking pan. They are simple and practical to use and also easy to clean and maintain.
Features:
- Low cost
- Not many attachments
- Small motor
- Simple to use
Types of Immersion Blenders:
- Stick blenders with attachments
- Cordless blenders (Battery operated)
- Heavy-duty commercial immersion blenders
Counter Top Blenders
Countertop blenders come with a jar. They are also called jug blenders. These blenders are strong and powerful and are ideal for everyday kitchen use. They are stationary blenders and are heavier than the handheld ones. They are used to perform several tasks like pureeing, crushing, grinding and mixing. Depending on your usage you can choose the size and specifications of the blender
Countertop blenders are further classified into different kinds.
- Personal blenders
- Large countertop blenders
- Commercial countertop blenders
Cocktail Blenders
A cocktail blender is a type of countertop blender. It can crush ice, mix cocktails and also give you the froth that you need in some drinks. There are two types of cocktail blenders.
- Dual wave blenders are powerful for crushing ice and mixing the drinks. They come with an assortment of jars.
- Margarita blenders have a separate compartment to crush ice. The other compartment blends the drinks. This is ideal to make frozen cocktails.
Smoothie Blenders
Smoothies are made from fruits and vegetables. These blenders usually come in high quality and they can turn any kind of fruit or vegetable into a soft paste. It comes with an assortment of different kinds of blades and jars. They can also juice the fruits and vegetables. The assortment of blades is used to blend harder vegetables like carrots and different blades are used for softer ones like oranges.
Commercial Blenders
A commercial blender is a multipurpose device. It can perform many tasks from making a smoothie, grinding paste, dicing vegetables to mixing ingredients. It comes with a heavy-duty motor, which can perform these tasks quickly and easily. The containers are usually big. You can also get smaller containers to powder spices and grains. They can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
Conclusion
While choosing a blender, list down the everyday kitchen tasks that you are likely to perform. Once you know what kind of usage the blender will be put through, it becomes easier to decide the type of blender you need to buy. It is always advisable to own more than one kind of blender. This way you will have different blenders for different needs.
In the next section, we will discuss some of the basic features to look at in a blender, regardless of its type or purpose. Read the Features Any Blender Ought To Have, Next!