Smoothies and Blenders: What You Need to Know

By Zeeman Haus

A smoothie is one of the easiest and healthiest meals you can make. It's also the perfect meal for someone on the go. However, if you want to make a great smoothie, you need a great blender. Many blenders are on the market, and choosing one may be daunting. How do you know which one is the best? Follow these guidelines when shopping for blenders.

Always choose a glass carafe over a plastic one. A carafe is the container that holds your ingredients. Although glass carafes may break if dropped, plastic ones have a much shorter lifespan. Dishwashers damage plastic carafes. Furthermore, plastic carafes tend to stain, especially if you blend dark colored ingredients like raspberries or strawberries. A glass carafe maintains its color and can survive countless trips through the dishwasher.

A blender's motor is the difference between a great smoothie and a smoothie full of ice chunks. A powerful motor breaks apart ice easily and quickly. Look for blenders that measure their motor's strength using horsepower. However, if you decide not to buy a blender with a horsepower rating, you can always microwave large chunks of ice to soften them - 10 to 15 seconds usually does the trick.

The blender's base is important. Unless you enjoy cleaning spilled smoothies, you need a sturdy base to keep the blender standing upright. For example, if you don't have to worry about spillage, you can do something else while your smoothie is blending. In addition, you need a rubber base. The rubber prevents the blender from sliding during blending, and it may help to dampen the noise.

If your blender is loud, you can buy a special sound enclosure. Some manufacturers, like Waring, produce sound enclosures designed to fit over their blenders. Sound enclosures are made of material that dampens the noise. If you make smoothies early in the morning while your family sleeps, a sound enclosure is a wise investment. Your spouse will thank you.

Many blenders advertise the number of buttons and settings they have. However, all you need is high speed, low speed, and pulse. Does a smoothie maker really need a dozen different speeds? Certainly not. The pulse option is necessary because it gives you short bursts of high speeds. Therefore, you can break apart tough pieces of ice before blending.

Choose a blender with an exceptional warranty. Motors and carafes can break. Typically, home blenders come with a better warranty - up to three years. The manufacturer expects commercial blenders to get more use. Therefore, commercial blender warranties are shorter - about 1 year.

If you want to make smoothies, many types of blenders exist. Sometimes, the options are daunting. However, using the tips above can help you narrow your decision to a blender that's perfect for you. The next time you make a smoothie, you know you made the right decision. - 31875

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