Blenders

Blenders are one of those kitchen appliances you can’t live without. Making do without one now? Once you get a smoothie blender, bullet blender or immersion blender, it’s guaranteed you'll be using it quite often to make everything from creamy milkshakes to smooth soups. Find information below on how to choose the model that will be most useful for your culinary endeavors.

What are the various uses for blenders?

Like any vital kitchen appliance, the main consideration when shopping for blenders is what you will be using it for. Do you want to make smoothies and other frozen drinks? The best blender for smoothies is one that has strong blades to easily crush ice and frozen fruit. For those that want to make smaller servings, look for a single-serve blender like the Magic Bullet blender — you won’t even have to transfer your drink to a separate glass! If you plan to make a lot of soups, a high-powered Vitamix or Ninja blender with a big pitcher will enable you to blend large quantities all at once while preventing sudden spillovers.

Making smooth sauces and pureés with traditional models can mean messy transfers from bowls or pans. For this task, an immersion blender, or hand blender, is the way to go. The original stick blender, the Swiss-made Bamix, lets you get into the deepest containers to emulsify hot or cold foods. The Baby Bullet will also pureé and emulsify foods, which makes consistencies safe for babies to consume while allowing for easy storage when made in batches.

What features will the best blender have?

Power, settings and capacity are going to be the three main variations. Size wise, it's typically better to go with a larger pitcher, so you don't have to worry about spilling or making multiple batches. Having different power settings will give you variety in the types of consistencies you can achieve, which lets you get the most out of your blender. A commonly overlooked feature that makes a huge difference is a spout. It sounds silly, but when you're pouring a drink or soup you've labored over into a dish, you'll be glad you have it.

Ready to start blending? Find the best blenders for all your needs in several different styles and sizes on Houzz.