The Basics of Kitchen Blenders
Monday, February 1st, 2010
By Elijiah Rampart
A kitchen blender is an absolute necessity for any serious cook. For every day use, an average duty blender will meet your needs quite well. Consider a heavy duty blender only if you are committed cook, and cooking in the kitchen is your passion. Having a blender in your kitchen is absolute must if you plan on making any type of frozen slush type of drink like a Margarita, or if you want to make a zesty pizza sauce, and especially if you want to make healthy fruit smoothies. The range of foods you can make with your blender is only limited to your creativity and cooking imagination. From creamy soups, to spicy salsa, and specialty desserts, your blender is a must have appliance. Let’s take a look at a few of the basics of kitchen blenders, so you can keep these things in mind the next time you are going to purchase a new blender.
Almost without exception, the more powerful your blender is the more expensive it will be. At a minimum you will want your blender to put out at least 400 watts, and if you can afford it splurge for a 1000 watt monster. The higher the wattage of your blender the more powerful it will bee, and the less likely it will be from seizing up. The lower power blenders will not enable you to puree ice cubes like you want when making icy type treats. Now, about speeds, you want your blender to have a wide range of speeds. Not all foods will require the highest speeds, and some foods need low speeds, and then there are times when you need maximum blending. If you are on a budget, however, you can probably do fine with a three speed blender, one that has speeds of slow, medium, and fast.
Modern blenders really come in many excellent designs, although this is usually where the price breaks occur. If you want a sleek design you are going to pay more money. However, since your blender will most likely be sitting on your counter top, you want to buy on that looks good and fits in with the colors of your kitchen. But if your blender is going to be stored in a cabinet, then you can save some money here by looking at blenders that don’t feature aesthetics as much. One thing is for sure, make sure the blender design is easy to clean, has a wide base for stability, and has some type of small opening where you can add ingredients during blending. Also, make sure the lid fist nice and snug, and has no apparent gaps with the seal. It should make solid contact with the jar all around the perimeter.
When you are out blender shopping, you need to pay close attention to what type of material it is made of. Glass and stainless steel have traditionally been the best materials to use for kitchen blenders. Glass is easy to clean, doesn’t scratch and can be sanitized, and you can see what is going on while blending. Stainless steel has the advantage of being lighter, it is impact resistant so it won’t break when you drop it, and it can be well cleaned as well. If your other kitchen appliances are stainless then you might want to consider using this material for your blender. Either way, you simply can not go wrong if you your choice is glass or stainless steel.
