A pulse setting, which eliminates the lag time between when you push the button and when the blender starts or stops, allows for more precision when blending delicate ingredients. With a dozen or more, it can start to get difficult to distinguish one speed from the next. Though three speeds are generally adequate for a blender, you’ll see that blenders can have as few as two or as many as 17 speeds. A flip switch is easy to clean, but it limits you to a few options.Dial controls wipe down easily, but you have to turn through all the settings to reach your desired speed.Push buttons switch easily from one speed to the next, but grime can collect in their crevices.(For example, you might have to press the button multiple times to turn the machine on and off.) Touchpad controls are the easiest to clean, but they can be a little more difficult to operate.No one type of control is best, so the decision is mainly about personal preference: Regardless of the material, look for a container with a wide mouth to facilitate loading and cleaning, as well as easy-to-read measurements. The downside is that plastic can absorb odors and stains, so you’ll want to clean it promptly after each use. Most of our top-rated blenders feature plastic containers, which are lightweight and less prone to breaking than glass containers. There are some baseline features we think you should consider, which we outline here. To see how well premium, full-sized, personal, and immersion blenders perform in our tests, see our blender ratings.ĭecide which features are most important to you, but keep in mind that paying more for a blender doesn’t necessarily get you more features. To gauge the noise level, CR blends 1 cup of water and takes an average decibel reading over 30 seconds. Our durability test involves crushing seven ice cubes (four for personal blenders) without liquid for 1 minute on the highest setting. We measure a machine’s convenience by how easy it is to use its controls, clean its base, and remove and replace the blade-among other factors. In our purée test, we blend veggies and other ingredients in boiling water, operating on the manufacturer’s recommended speed (or high) for 15 seconds-three times per model. (The lower the score, the bigger-and more irregular-the ice chips.) A blender that garners a top-level score in our ice-crushing test serves up ice that looks uniformly like snow, while a very good score tells you the ice is more like a snow cone. “When a blender earns an excellent score in our icy-drinks tests, the drinks have a smooth, consistent texture,” says Larry Ciufo, a test engineer who oversees CR’s blender testing.įor our ice-crushing tests, we use another set of sieves to separate the big chips from the finer bits. In our lab, we make batches of nonalcoholic piña coladas and use a series of sieves (with diminishing mesh sizes) to evaluate smoothness and thickness. If you already know what you’re looking for, you can read about the best personal blenders we’ve tested, the most reliable blender brands, the best blenders for your buck (or even those that are specifically $100 or less), or dive right into our blender ratings.Ĭonsumer Reports tests blenders on how well they make icy drinks, crush ice, and purée, as well as on convenience, durability, and noise. We’ll also cover the different blender features you might want to consider, as well as how Consumer Reports tests blenders to identify those that might be best for your needs and budget. In this buying guide, we’ll talk about the different types of blenders you can buy-from full-sized blenders to immersion blenders. Also important is your budget-some plastic personal blenders can cost as little as $20, while those multifunction, premium glass blenders can cost more than $600. A higher price typically means better performance. From there, we look at each blender’s convenience, durability, and the amount of noise it makes to determine its ratings. When we test blenders, Consumer Reports assesses how well these machines craft icy drinks and crush and purée ice. Today, Consumer Reports’ tests have found that the small appliance is a lot more versatile than it was at its conception: The best blenders are great for making smoothies, soups, and even homemade nut butters. The first blenders, designed for whipping up malted milk, hit kitchen counters in the 1920s.
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