What you should know before buying a blender
Blenders have become a staple at home in recent years. This is perhaps because of the increasing awareness on the importance of taking in fresh and healthy food and drinks. Most vegetarians now, in fact, have either the blender or the food processor at home. Some even have both. They use these kitchen gadgets to prepare fruit juices and salads for their meals.
Although it is pretty easy to buy a blender nowadays because of the many brands and models to choose from, it is always good to research first and see just what you are buying. Looking into its variety of function will also help you decide on what models to purchase and how much budget should you allot for it. Here are some of the things that can help you.
1. It specializes in liquids
Blenders are generally used for making shakes and juices. Also called a liquidizer or a liquefier, this handy kitchen tool deals well with anything that is liquid. In fact, it is primarily used in mixing drinks and making smoothies. You can create Zombies and margaritas with this gadget as well as milk shakes that children often love.
If you have a baby at home, the blender will also be useful in creating purees and semi-solid foods that they eat during the first and second years. Babies do not have yet a strong digestive system in place. This is why their foods are often mashed and crushed for easy digestion.
However if you plan to use the blender to help you with the mincing and the mashing, a food processor is a better choice as this appliance can also slice and dice as well as grate depending on which blade you use. You see unlike the blender, the razors of the food processor can be changed into another. Each blade will perform a certain function.
2. Oster is a good brand
If you have a good budget, opt for the Oster brand as it is considered the sturdiest. Their blenders have very powerful motors that can easily crush hard objects such as ice. Blenders is even called osterizer sometimes, a term that the company popularized before. In fact, if you are planning to make shakes with ice on them, be sure that you allot a big budget for your blender. The cheaper ones may not have a powerful enough motor to deal with hard ice.
3. Blenders and food processors have similar functions
Blenders in general have the same functions as the food processor. This is why they are often referred to interchangeably. Some do not even know the difference between the two. They do differ from one another though. The food processor deals well with solid foods, the kind that you put as ingredients on the dishes that you cook. The blender on the other hand is more into making liquid drinks and food for babies. Between the two, the food processor is however the more versatile one. With the right blade and the right settings, you can also make juices using this.
If you have the money, it is better to have both at home. Both food processor and blenders are great help in the preparation food and drinks for you and your family.