Blenders
Blenders
The main function of a blender is the preparation of smoothies. The word smoothie comes from the English "smooth" and means as much as smooth or airy. This is exactly how this healthy and refreshing drink should feel on the palate. The combination of blade and fit of the mixing bowl plays an important role. The liquid flow during mixing should not simply rotate with the blade, but should always hit the blade in the ideal case. Even at low engine power, or revolutions per minute, excellent "smooth" mixing results can be achieved. In addition to smoothies, the mixers are also suitable for preparing soups, dips, pesto or grinding nuts.
At the beginning there is the decision to the suitable mixer type:
High-performance mixers, also known as high-speed or high-power blender, deliver the best "smoothe" mixing result, but are usually also priced at the upper end, not least because of their powerful motors and high-quality workmanship. The blender jug is usually made of tritan, a stable, unbreakable plastic, as glass does not withstand the vibrations triggered and would be scratched due to the high friction. The intensive friction during mixing means that the food to be mixed gets warm quickly and even the preparation of soups can be done without problems during longer mixing times. For a cool smoothie you either have to mix it briefly or use ice cubes or frozen ingredients.
Sport mixers are mini mixers that are usually equipped with one or more "on the go" bottles. You can mix directly into the drinking bottle and thus save the cleaning of the container. The devices are small and compact, come with plastic bottles and mixing containers and are inexpensive. Softer ingredients such as fruit or berries are also mixed well to very well in sports mixers. However, as soon as harder ingredients such as nuts, seeds or seeds are used, you will feel small pieces when drinking. In high performance mixers, such ingredients are crushed completely and "imperceptibly".
Standard mixers offer a larger mixing volume than sports mixers and often come with a high quality finish, stainless steel housing and glass mixing bowl. There is everything from inexpensive entry-level devices to very elegant design pieces. However, no standard mixer comes close to the performance of a high-performance mixer in terms of mixing results. In the entry-level range, the machines mix at the level of sports mixers.
Those who like to cook soups have the possibility to buy a soup mixer. Such appliances are standard mixers equipped with a non-stick coated heating element that brings the ingredients to the boil. Often the machines are equipped with different programs and cook the ingredients directly in the blender jug before they automatically puree them into a soup.
The latest trend from the USA is vacuum mixers, which generate a vacuum in the container before the mixing process. This makes the mix with the healthy nutrients more durable and does not discolour. The mixing result can be compared with high-quality standard mixers.
In addition to your preferences regarding mixer type, container size and material, there are two other characteristics that are often in demand. A device with pulse function is recommended if you would like to produce crushed ice. If you are cooking soups in a saucepan and want to use the blender to puree them, make sure that the container is heat-resistant.