How to Find the Best Kitchen Blenders on the Market   by Rebecca Worthington

If you want to make tasty smoothies and other treats then you need to find the best blender for you home. With so many choices on the market, how do you narrow down the list and make sure you are getting the best value for your money? Here is some helpful advice to help you out in your quest for the best kitchen blender.

Types of Blenders

First you need to decide how you'll be using the blender. You'll need a standard kitchen countertop blender if you are going to be blending ice and tough ingredients and making thick smoothies. These blenders feature large jug containers made of glass, plastic, or polycarbonate. The motors on these blenders are also powerful, going from a couple hundred watts to over 3 horsepower. These also come with a variety of speed settings, up to 15 on some blenders. The Blendtec Total Blender is one of the best countertop blenders on the market and it has multiple speed options, a 3 horsepower engine, and 6 preprogrammed blending settings.

If you are always on the go and only need small portions for your smoothies, then a personal blender is a very good option. One example of this type of blender is the Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender. It has small cups where you blend your ingredients. You can then carry the cups with you. You'll even find that these cups fit in you car's cupholder. You only have one cup to clean too, which really saves you a lot of time.

If you fix a lot of soups and are very mobile in the kitchen, then an immersion hand blender is the way to go. The Bamix Mono Hand Blender offers 2 speeds and 150 watts of engine power and is very high quality. Because they are long and thin, hand blenders can easily be submerged in pots of boiling soups and moved effortlessly around your kitchen.

Specialized Features

You can start to look at blender features after you chosen the type of blender you are going to need. You should look at the capacity of the blender jar. A larger capacity of say 64 ounces is very good because you can blend large quantities if you need to. Another important factor is the container's material composition. Polycarbonate, which is hybrid glass and plastic blend is one of the best but most expensive options.

You also want to make sure your blender is dishwasher safe, which makes clean up a snap. Selecting the right motor power is another crucial element. You want to be sure that your blender has enough power to get the job done and not leave any ice chunks in your smoothie. 450 watts and up for a countertop blender is usually good. A personal blender with its smaller jar can usually blend very well with slightly less power.

Price also needs to be factored in. You'll find that you usually get what you pay for, the best blenders are the most expensive. There are some quality models that you can find for less though, that work very well. The Oster Fusion blender is a great option for only $80 and it has many fantastic features.

Consumer Opinion

The final factor you need to look at is on-line reviews. You'll find great reviews on sites like Amazon.com and GoBlendIt.com. Taking the time to read a few reviews can really help you find the best blender. Many marketers make blenders sound great, but consumer reviews will reveal if they really are that good. Owner reviews are a great way to find out about engine failures and other defects before you go out and buy a new blender.

When you read through reviews be sure you check out both the positive and the negative reviews. Also be sure to look at reviews from owners who have had the product for several months and have been using it on a consistent basis. If a blender is going to fail, it often happens after using it for just a few months.