How to Choose the Best Blenders for Smoothies

By Zeeman Haus

If you want to make smoothies, many blenders exist to make your smoothie making experience easy. No matter your budget, you can find a blender that fits your needs. Most high-quality blenders cost between $100 and $400. However, if you're a savvy shopper, you can find a quality blender on sale for $50 to $75. When shopping for blenders, consider these six tips.

Never buy blenders with plastic carafes. A carafe is the technical term for the blender's pitcher or container. You want a glass carafe. Glass carafes don't stain and repeatedly survive the dishwasher. Plastic carafes stain easily if you use dark colored foods, and they warp and crack quickly in a dishwasher. Just be careful not to drop your glass carafe!

Choose a model with a powerful motor. Powerful motors crush ice easily, and they guarantee your smoothie isn't full of ice chunks. Lower-grade blenders use wattage to measure the motor. Typically, wattage just tells you how much power the blender uses from your wall outlet. You want to choose a blender based on horsepower. High-grade blenders range from 1 to 3.5 horsepower. As a side tip, if you decide to buy a lower-grade blender that has trouble with ice, try microwaving ice cubes 10 to 15 seconds before blending.

You want to look for blenders with sturdy, rubber bases. A solid base keeps your smoothie where it needs to be - in the pitcher and not all over your kitchen floor. Rubber on the bottom of the base prevents blenders from sliding and rattling. A rubber base may also dampen the noise while blending.

Everyone knows blenders are noisy. An easy way to reduce noise is to place a rubber mat or thick towel between the blender and the counter. This method reduces rattling, especially if you have a blender without a rubber base. In addition, you can buy a sound enclosure to reduce noise. Only certain blenders have sound enclosure options. Therefore, if you think you may need noise reduction in the future, at least buy a blender with an option to add a sound enclosure later.

Don't worry about the number of buttons that control the blending speed. High-grade blenders generally have two speeds and a pulse option. The pulse option is useful because it allows you to briefly ramp up the motor to crush large pieces of ice. Otherwise, making smoothies requires speeds high enough to liquify the ingredients. The only speeds needed for such a purpose are high and low.

You need to protect your investment, so choose a blender with a great warranty. Some manufacturers offer a warranty up to three years or more. A longer warranty proves the manufacturer is dedicated to the blender's quality. Additionally, be sure to register your blender soon after you buy it. Otherwise, the manufacturer may not honor the warranty if your blender breaks. Save your original receipt too.

If you're in a hurry to make a meal, a smoothie is a great choice. However, don't rush your decision to buy a blender. Use our guidelines above to choose the right blender for you. - 33383

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here