Highfalutin food processors can hog the spotlight on TV cooking shows, but plain old vitamix blenders beat them hands down in the event that you're producing frozen drinks or fruit juices, crushing ice, or pureeing vegetables for soup. Blenders price anywhere from $20 or so to a few hundred bucks. Even models in the lower end of that range should do a passable job in the usual tasks. A higher cost will normally get you more features and style.

Alternatives to the typical blender comprise multifunction models that claim food-processing capabilities, handheld blenders, and technical smoothie makers. (See CloseUp on page 45.) Manufacturers are pushing numerous rates, higher energy, and smart models with programmed settings and recipes--not one of these must-haves within our opinion Additionally, there are more styles, colours, and metallic finishes, good news if You Prefer to maintain your blender on display HOW TO CHOOSE Think about convenience, simplicity of use may greatly impact your satisfaction using a blender.

Decidewhich type of controls you need (see First Things First, under ). See whether the lid fits snugly and comes off easily.Start looking for a blade that can be removed for cleaning. To keep the power cord neat, get a model that stores it from sight. Consider the container. Glass jars have a great deal of pluses. They are stable and heavy, can be put in the dishwasher, and don't become cloudy or stained. But there's a whole lot to heft when the jar is full, and glass can break if dropped. If light weight is a must, get a vitamix blender using a plastic jar. Vinyl jars are somewhat lighter and easier to manage, but that makes them more inclined to wobble or tip over.

Plastic can be scratched, can absorb smells, and might not be dishwasher-safe.Stainless-steel jars are stylish, sturdy lighter than glass, and frequently dishwasher-safe. But models with stainless steel jars can be expensive and you can not find the contents. With any jar, check the capacity, which may range from 40 to 60 ounces approximately. Look for clear markers to simplify measuring and a spout to aid in pouring. Ignore hype about speed, ability, and quietness. Three to five well-differentiated rates are adequate; a dozen are overkill. Variable settings let you adjust the rate in fine increments, not essential in our view.More versions now have a special setting for crushing icehockey; on the ones who don't, simply use thehighest speed. Electricity claims may be overemphasized.

In our evaluations, some 400-watt models were equally as proficient as 500- and 600-watt versions at turning out icy drinks with smooth consistency Most blenders are noisy but they're used so briefly that we don't believe noisiness a big concern. For Ratings and CR Quick Recommendations, see another page.RELATED ARTICLE: First things first Controls vary in usability and cleanability. Here is how they compare. TOUCHPAD Experts: Flat, smooth controls are easiest to clean.

Some models have programmed settings to get rid of guesswork about speed and time.Disadvantages: Must frequently press double --on and desired speed--to trigger. On models lacking speed preferences, must press up or down arrow repeatedly to achieve desired speed. On programmables, small screens are difficult to read.

PUSH BUTTONS Pros: Easy to switch from one rate to another with one touch.

Disadvantages: Hardest kind of control to wash. DIAL Pros: easier to clean than push buttons. Cons: To move from low to high speed (or vice versa), must rotate dial via complete range.SWITCH Pros: easier to clean than push buttons.Disadvantages: Limits available rates to two or one, occasionally with a pulse option. CR Quick Recommendations You do not have to spend a bundle to find a decent vitamix blender.

Most of the 22 models we tested, even inexpensive ones, were competent at various jobs. Several have specific strengths, so select one that is appropriate for your requirements.If you create mainly fruit smoothies or carbonated beverages like pina coladas, start looking for a model that really did well in these evaluations. Irrespective of wattage, most versions had the oomph to crush ice.

With a few, you're instructed to add liquid, resulting in slushy ice.
One of the models that could crush ice without liquid, the Braun (1), Bosch (2), Oster (5), and Krups (6) did the very best. While all the analyzed models have some shortcomings, many were judged great for advantage and were reasonably easy to use. Those judged fair possess more serious shortcomings that made them inconvenient to use. The type of container and controllers, features, and styling differ, so variable those considerations into your choice too.

The Ratings rank models by operation. Quick Choices consider both functionality and variables that we don't speed, such as value and useful capabilities. QUICK PICKS The best celebrity and a real worth: 1 Braun $50 This was tops for smoothies and one of the best for crushing ice.Pluses add a glass jar along with a detachable blade.


Adept at all tasks and low-priced: 10 Sharp $40 Has an easy-to-clean touchpad, dishwasher-safe glass jar, and removable blade. 11 Black & Decker $45 Similarly equipped and competent, but has push-button controls. Ratings vitamix blenders In operation order. Blue key numbers Indicate quick choices; view box at left. Brand & model Price Total score Similar versions in Small type, comparable To the tested model.We judged how well each version made Icy drinks, fruit juices, vegetable puree, and much more.

For convenience, we realised ease of replacing and cleaning blade; clarity of controls and jar markings; pouring ease; and jar balance. Cost is the approximate retail. Under brand and model, bracketed letters or numbers will be the colour code. A dot indicates a version has the characteristic listed.

Under controls, P=push buttons, D=dial, S=switch, and T=touchpad. (Ratings order can differ from earlier reports because of changes to scoring scheme.) closeup OTHER CHOICES IN THE MIX If you would like an appliance that does more, or less, than a countertop blender, then you have a few choices. (Because they are not standard blenders, these versions aren't at the Accreditation.) Multifunction machines claim to combine the functionality of a blender and a food processor. The Vita-Mix 5000, $400, is charged as'10 kitchen appliances in one."This tall, hefty machine did nicely in our mixing tests, but no greater than cheaper blenders.

Exactly what the high cost gets you is versatility. We tested two of its many claims. The Vita-Mix mixed bread dough well, but cleaning the dough out was a chore, in addition, it made adequate ice cream, but it was quite a job. If using a do-it-all apparatus is a priority, then consider the Vita-Mix. Otherwise, we'd acquire separate appliances. Handheld, or immersion, blenders are made for light chores. They're handy for mixing powdered drinks or pureeing vegetables in a saucepan, but they're less capable and less suitable than countertop vitamix blenders or handheld mixers.

You need to maintain the On button while they're running, which becomes tedious when whipping cream or mixing cake batter. We analyzed that the Braun Multiquick Professional MR5550MBC-HC, $100. And the Hamilton Beach Turbo Twister 5977, $30.

The Braun (shown in right, with included accessories above) has more power and did better in pureeing, whipping, and chopping. Nonetheless, it's expensive. While handheld blenders are fantastic for a couple jobs, they can not replace counter blenders or handheld mixers. Smoothie makers like the Back to Basics Smoothie Pro SP-600, $60, are designed primarily for whipping up drinks. The Smoothie Pro's plastic container doesn't have handle or spout, instead utilizing a spigot to dispense the contents.

It was very good at making smoothies, but the outcomes were no better than those from a number of blenders. It was a little simpler to use, as a result of a stirring stick that may be inserted through the lid to split balls while the blender is operating. (This isn't recommended with many blenders.) The Smoothie Pro was passable at chores other than making smoothies, for example pureeing, but the container layout does not lend itself to the customary range of blending tasks.

If you want to do much more than make smoothies, then you may want to pass. stylewise COUNTERTOP CHIC With fashion infiltrating the kitchen in a big way, it's no surprise that even products as utilitarian as vitamix blenders are getting more stylish. Producers are crafting blenders which are worthy of being exhibited on the countertop, rather than being rushed from sight once their work is finished.

Two models in our test team exemplify the wide variety of styles out there. The Bosch MMB 9110 UC, $300, is a portion of this Porsche Designer Collection. It appears very different from the usual vitamix blender, with a brushed-aluminum outside on its plastic carafe and base. (That cool touch means you can't find the contents of the jar, though.)

At the other extreme is that the retro Oster 4093, $70, with a chrome base and toggle change reminiscent of decades ago. (Note that a chrome base may show fingerprints.) Color options have also expanded to incorporate a range of colours other than black or white. The KitchenAid line consists of red, blue, green, yellow, and gray, while the Oster line incorporates translucent blueberry, strawberry, and grape. Metallic finishes now available in a variety of brands contain brushed aluminum, brushed nickel, copper, pewter, chrome, and stainless steel.

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