With the growing popularity of smoothies, blenders have become a kitchen essential.
But some home chefs use them for food prep and emulsion as well, so we thought a little Blender 101 might be helpful.
What is a blender?
Blenders are an at-home appliance used to grind, chop, emulsify, dice, and yes, blend food to the desired texture.
Why do you need one?
In addition to producing chunk-less and creamy smoothies and milkshakes, a blender can take the place of a food processor in a pinch.
What should you look for?
Depending on how often you’ll be using your blender (i.e. daily, for breakfast smoothies, or weekly, for food prep), you might want to consider a model that breaks down completely, for ease of cleaning.
The material of the jar can vary blender to blender, too, and this mostly comes down to preference. Plastic will be lighter in weight for lifting and pouring, but will degrade and scratch over time. Glass is heavier and will last longer, but obviously a little more precarious should it be knocked off the counter.
Depending on how ambitious you plan to be with your blender, a basic three-speed model will probably cover your bases. However, if you expect to use it as a food processor, a model with more speeds and horse power might suit you better.
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For the heavy hitters:
For the average blending couple:
