Smoothie Blender World

If you know you want a smoothie blender, you’ll already half way to enjoying a wide range of fun (and maybe even healthy!) beverages. But the tricky part is picking out the smoothie blender that’s right for you. Depending on how often you want to make smoothies, how many people you plan on serving, how much you want to spend, how much space you have, and maybe even what kind of smoothies you want to make, you’ll want to pick a smoothie blender that is best suited to your needs in all of these aspects, and more.

Here is a checklist of things to consider when picking out a smoothie blender.

• How many smoothies do you want to make? One of the biggest differences is whether you choose a smoothie blender that makes one or two smoothies at a time, or whether you choose one that makes a whole big batch at once, which is then divided into many individual portions.
• How much space do you have? Along with the aspect above, how much space you have will determine whether a party-size or self-serve-size is the better smoothie blender choice for you.
• How much money do you want to spend? Budget can be an issue, especially since smoothie blenders, while very fun, are not often at the top of your “essential items” list. Maybe you are very serious about your smoothies and have the extra cash to spend on a deluxe smoothie machine. Or maybe it’s something you’ve thought was fun, but you’re on a budget and may need to go more economical. Smoothie blenders cost anywhere from $30-40 for a basic at-home blender to $800-1,000 for a high grade commercial style blender.
• What kind of smoothies do you plan to make? Not all blenders are created equal, with some much more capable to grind and crush ice to a very smooth consistency, and some better suited to softer type smoothies. If you plan to use your smoothie blender primarily for margaritas and other blended frozen drinks, you’ll want to make sure you choose a model that is designed to really get that ice chopped finely. If you’re more of a health-smoothie type person, and you’ll use mostly frozen fruit and yogurt, then you can go with tamer smoothie blenders that are less intense.

Buying a smoothie blender is a fun, but somewhat overwhelming, process. There really are more blenders to choose from than you’d probably imagine before you head out. Do you want a big one or small one? What type of blades are best? How powerful of a motor, with how many speeds, should you get? And how much should you be prepared to pay?

Here’s a breakdown of the different aspects of smoothie blenders, to help you figure out a focus for what you’re looking for before you head out to make your purchase.

• Size. Decide how much counter top (or cabinet) space you can devote to your smoothie blender. Also think about whether you plan to make large batches (like for a party) or small batches (for yourself or one other person), then buy your smoothie blender accordingly.
• Purpose. Do you want a blender just for smoothies, or would you like it to blend other things as well? Smoothie-specific blenders and general blenders are both available.
• Ice? If you want to blend ice so it’s as smooth as when you buy a margarita at a restaurant, make sure you get a smoothie blender that has the motor power and blade strength to do so, and to do so well. Many claim to, but don’t stack up, so look around and ask your friends if you’re really interested in blending ice.
• Other blade use. Some smaller blenders come with different blade attachments so you can do other things, such as grind coffee beans or spices. Read up on blade styles so you can choose a smoothie blender that does more than just smoothies, if that’s what you’re looking for.
• Smoothie-specific features. A recent development is smoothie blenders is the addition of an easy-serve spout. Rather than remove the pitcher and lid and try to pour into a small glass, you simply flick the tap on the side and use gravity to serve directly into a cup. This is especially good for parties and other times when you want to serve many people from the same smoothie blender.
• Price. Not all smoothie blenders are created equal, nor are they priced that way. For the casual smoothie drinker, the $30-$40 price range is usually sufficient. If you’re looking for something a little nicer, go $50-$100. If you want something more expensive, then you probably already know what you’re looking for and know what you’re willing to spend.