Before investing in a blender, make sure you’re clear about what you need. Buying a relatively inexpensive model may prove to be the wrong choice and so, for that matter, might be an expensive one. What’s particularly annoying is blowing money on a blender that doesn’t meet your expectations and then banishing it to the back of the kitchen cabinet. In this section, I provide some tips about the points to consider before buying a new blender.
FREQUENCY AND QUANTITY: If you’re planning on making smoothies frequently, it definitely pays to invest in a high-speed blender. High-speed blenders are durable, come with a long warranty and can basically blend anything to a silky consistency—from ice, seeds, nuts, frozen fruit and berries to hard vegetables, such as carrots and beets, and all kinds of leafy greens. They’re fast and efficient. They do the job perfectly, without any ingredients getting stuck or failing to engage with the blade. Some brands come with an optional dry-blending jar, which allows you to make your own flour from various grains, soy beans, or nuts/seeds.
PRICE: Blender prices range from a relatively modest cost to a substantial investment, and they vary in quality. There are basic blenders for making simple liquid smoothies and there are high-speed ones for making more advanced smoothies and smoothie bowls, such as those containing ice, frozen fruit, hard vegetables, seeds, and nuts, and those for making nut milks.
DIFFERENT SPEEDS: It’s important that your blender can work at different speeds. Usually starting on a low speed in order to crush and blend the contents, you then increase the speed in order to make the smoothie homogenous and creamy. Finally, you let the blender run on a high speed for a short time. Vitamix Pro 750 offers several preset programs, which is ideal if you want to do other things while the blender is working.
MOTOR POWER: Naturally, it’s important that your blender has a robust motor in order to crush ice cubes and frozen ingredients, among other reasons. The motor should have a minimum power output of 1,000 watts, and preferably more.
CONTAINER DESIGN is important for proper flow during the blending process. The container should never be perfectly round, but have a shape that creates resistance. That’s why most quality blenders come with square or clover-leaf-shaped containers. The container’s top lid should have a filler cap with a feed hole for adding new ingredients during blending, without having to stop the blender or open the lid entirely.
Containers made of BPA-free, unbreakable and scratch-resistant plastic offer an additional advantage. Glass containers are good, but they are usually very heavy and break more easily. Jars made of inexpensive plastic may contain BPA, and they may scratch and discolor easily. If you go for a simpler machine, I recommend buying one with a glass jar.
BLADES should be large, sturdy, and twisted at the right angle. Use a wooden spoon or a flexible silicone spatula when emptying the container or stirring the contents so as not to damage the blade. Never use metal objects inside the jar.
ACCOMPANYING TAMPER: A good blender comes with an accompanying tamper, which is used to push the ingredients down toward the blade. The tamper is tailored to the jar and doesn’t damage the metal blade. Use the tamper to feed hard or slow-moving ingredients down toward the blade and remove any air pockets. Containers come in different sizes, so never use a tamper in a machine for which it isn’t intended, even it they’re the same brand. Always read the instructions carefully or contact your dealer if there’s anything you’re not sure about. Never, ever feed anything into a blender that doesn’t come with an accompanying tamper while the blender is running!
PROTECTION AGAINST OVERHEATING: Some machines are equipped with a built-in overheat protection mechanism. The machine simply stops and you have to wait some time before being able to use it again.
WARRANTY is another thing to bear in mind. I’ve owned a dozen or so blenders, roughly half of which broke down within a year. Check the warranty period before buying a blender. The standard period is one year, or two years if you’re lucky. The blenders I’m using come with a seven-year warranty.
LOOK AFTER YOUR BLENDER: Read the instructions carefully or contact your dealer if there’s anything you’re not sure about. The warranty won’t apply if you misuse the blender, so look after it.
Common beginners’ mistakes
» dropping the container on the floor, causing it to crack and break.
» damaging the blade with sharp or metal objects when scraping out food.
» poking things into the machine with the motor running.
» placing the container incorrectly onto the machine.
» removing the container before the machine has stopped, even with the motor switched off.
» using ice or ingredients that are too hard (in the more basic models).
» causing the motor to overheat.
Things to keep in mind when buying a blender
» price.
» motor power output (at least 1,000 W).
» number of speeds.
» preset programs.
» material, size, and form of the container.
» design and thickness of the blade.
» whether it has a tamper and filler cap.
» whether it has protection against overheating.
» warranty period.
All the recipes in this book were made with the Vitamix Pro 750 and Vitamix S-30 high-speed blenders, both of which have an accompanying tamper to make the job easier. There’s a definite advantage to having a high-speed blender when making smoothie bowls, because you will commonly use nuts, seeds, and green leaves, as well as frozen ingredients.
Vitamix Pro 750 is a true powerhouse! It’s a largish blender with a 2-quart / 2-liter container (though you can buy smaller containers separately). Vitamix S-30, also called personal blender, is a smaller machine with a 1¼-quart / 1.2-liter container and a takeout container, much like a sports drink container in which you can blend ingredients directly. You fill it with the ingredients of your choice, screw on the blade base, attach it to the blender, run the blender to achieve the desired consistency, and then replace the base with an accompanying sports drink lid. It’s perfect for taking into work, for when you’re working out, or for when you’re on your way somewhere.
If you don’t have a high-speed blender but wish to use frozen fruit, let it thaw slightly and use more liquid than indicated in the recipe—or just drop the ice altogether if your blender can’t handle it. If the ingredients get stuck or aren’t engaging with the blade, stop the machine, scrape the sides of the jar with a silicone spatula, and then just run the blender again.
When making smoothies, always add the liquid first, then the soft ingredients that are easy to crush, then the nuts or seeds, and frozen fruit or ice last. Start on a low speed and increase it gradually. If needed, use the tamper.
Good luck!