DIY Network

Buying a Blender DIY's resident home-care expert shares tips on buying the perfect blender. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-124

Guest Carolyn Forte, the home-care director for Good Housekeeping Institute, joins host Stephanie Lydecker to spell out what to look for when purchasing a blender.

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	Carolyn's tips can help you choose just the right blender for your culinary needs.
	Figure A
	Figure B

Buying a Blender

• Blenders are a great appliance to have in the kitchen. They are really wonderful time savers and can really help with all sorts of cooking projects. They aren't just for making frozen drinks any more! Blenders really excel at liquefying fruit, pureeing, emulsifying, and grinding—basically anything that really needs thorough mixing is perfect for a blender.

• Because the blades whirl at such a high speed, they are better than a food processor at purifying soups and sauces. Most models also crush ice. When they don't do well is in aerating egg whites or cream, that's best done by a whisk or mixer, and because the jar is tall and narrow.

• Blenders grind rather than chop—if you need to chop onions or nuts, use a food processor.

• As with most products, there are quite a few options on the market. The main things to keep in mind are design, weight, speed, power and ease of cleaning.

• For design, you want to make sure you look for a jar that fits securely in the base and won't wobble. Weight is important because you want to make sure the base is heavy enough to stay put on the counter. Also be sure to check the weight of the container. Glass is heavier than stainless steel or plastic, so make sure you can lift it.

• As far as speed and power is concerned—think about what you will be using the blender for and don't buy bells and whistles you won't need.

• Make sure the blender is easy to clean. Easy disassembly and touch controls make a blender easier to clean.

• All that most people need is a blender that has two to five speeds with a pulse feature (to keep things moving for more even results) and ice crushing ability (figure A). Even a blender with just two speeds and a pulse feature might be enough for most people.

• Don't be fooled by wattage. A good blender will have wattages between 350-500, but that's not everything. Just as important as the wattage is the shape of the jar and the design of the blades.

• You should expect to pay at least $50 for a well made blender with a nice assortment of usable features. Less than 50 and you may be sacrificing features and quality, more than that and you could be buying extras you won't use. You should think about how and how often you will use the blender.

• Blenders can come in all different shapes and sizes. Many blenders have added features like touchpad controls that are easy to wipe clean, timers that track how long you've blended and "slow-start" buttons that allow the blender to start slowly to prevent splattering and then come up to full speed. There are also a few blenders that work great but also look fabulous. One of the models has a glass pitcher that is pretty enough to use for serving—cutting down on your dishes at the end of the night (figure B). There are also several blenders that have much more of an industrial look.

GUESTS :

Carolyn Forte
Home Care Director
Good Housekeeping Institute
E-mail: cforte@hearst.com
Website: www.goodhousekeeping.com