Blenders are heaven-sent. With each improvement, these are making kitchen preparations easier and easier for home cooks and restaurant chefs. As of 2021, you can find a ton of assorted blenders. These come in different sizes, brands, and purposes. If you’re looking for different blender options for your kitchen, then you’ve hit the right page. Here we talk about different kinds of blenders you can add to your kitchen equipment or appliance.
According to KitchenPursuit, there are many options for blenders for your kitchen.
What is a Blender?
The blender is your kitchen appliance for various food preparations. It’s sometimes called liquidizer in British English. You can use a blender for various tasks like emulsifying, mixing, pureeing, crushing food, and more.
Blenders typically have at least one rotating metal blade inside the blender housing. An electric motor normally powers the appliance. And the housing can be made of transparent plastic or glass. We should mention that there are hand-powered blenders you can buy as well.
For brands, you can select from Hamilton Beach, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Ninja, and a whole lot more.
What Are Different Blenders You Can Use in Your Kitchen?
Now we come to the exciting part of talking about different blenders you can use and add to your collection. Yes, you can own 1 or more blenders. Because some types have features better suited to a specific task in the kitchen. Let’s talk about some of these blender options below.
Hand Mixers.
These are also called hand blenders. These are best for simple mixing tasks where you just need to beat and blend ingredients together. If you’ll be using ingredients that easily blend with other ingredients, this is the simplest yet most efficient blender to use.
Use it when you need to mix eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, and sugar. Ingredients such as these dissolve easily. When your task is to bake cakes or to make meringue, batter, and icing, a hand mixer is up to the task.
Hand mixers are lightweight. And they have different speed settings. Plus, they now come with additional attachments. We can say that hand mixers themselves are now evolving into a better version with each new product launch.
What are the pros of using hand mixers? They are cheaper compared with other types. They’re easy to hold and carry. And they’re quick to clean.
What are the cons of using hand mixers? They are for simple blender tasks. Don’t expect one to work with hard-to-mix ingredients like dough or bread. You’ll probably just bust the motor. These don’t have cutting blades, by the way. So don’t expect them to blend solid, chunky ingredients together.
Stick Blenders.
These are also called stick mixers and sometimes interchangeably with the term immersion blenders. They have twin blades that rotate. Stick mixers are handy blenders to keep around the house.
These make chopping, mincing, and pureeing so much easier for the cook or chef. Just pop in your garlic and onion and push the button. Soon, you’ll have chopped ingredients ready to saute or stir-fry in no time.
Stick blenders can be considered a simplistic food processor as well. These process various ingredients efficiently. The sharp, twin blades rotate swiftly because of a high-powered motor. Brands and models come with speed control. So you can amp the speed or lower it depending on how easy your current ingredient is to work with.
What are the pros of using stick blenders? These compact, handheld blenders are easy to hold, clean, and store. The design of the handle is usually made for comfort and grip. The twin blades are quite sharp. What could take you minutes of chopping can take less than half the time using a stick blender.
Stick blenders are also great for making pudding, soups, dips, and even smoothies. Place your stick blender directly in the pot of boiled vegetables. Push the button. You’ll have a nice blend of soup in no time. And that’s without the lumps!
What are the cons of using stick blenders? We mentioned that these are your simplistic form of a food processor. This means the functions are limited. Use it for basic chopping, mincing, and pureeing tasks. If you need more than that, you’re better off buying a professional blender. Also, stick blenders do not do a good job at blending cake batter.
Countertop Blenders.
Countertop blenders are your upgraded hand mixers. These can do all those hand mixers can do, and more. These can grind semi-solid ingredients. Depending on the power and attachments included, you can also crush ice and grind coffee beans. You can blend fresh fruits and veggies into smoothies and purees.
What are the pros of using countertop blenders? Both home and commercial kitchens use countertop blenders. Because they are useful for a lot more kitchen tasks.
If you’re up for an elaborate cooking task, a countertop blender is most advisable for you. There’s no need to bring out the hand mixer and the stick blender. Just use one blender for different food preparations.
The power is also a great advantage. Hand mixers are limited in power. So if you’re blending more solid or thick ingredients, countertop blenders make those tasks easier for you.
What are the cons of using countertop blenders? These take countertop space. You need to have a dedicated section for your countertop blenders. Sizes also vary. Some can be thin and a bit compact. Others can be bigger and wider.
Lastly, countertop blenders are pricier compared to hand mixers and stick blenders. So choose well before you make a final buy.
Stand Mixers.
Similar to countertop blenders, stand mixers are your upgraded hand mixers. These usually come with 3 attachments. You get one for beating or mixing, another one for whisking, and dough hooks for making bread or pastry dough.
What are the pros of using stand mixers? You can pretty much do anything with a stand mixer. And you can do a lot. The bowl capacity is often bigger so you can bake a regular to large-sized cake in one go. You can double servings and mix one time.
Stand mixers are pretty limitless as to use. Mix cookie, cake, frostings fuss-free. Prepare pulled pork or chicken, or mix meatballs or meatloaf. You don’t need to touch the meat with your hands.
More importantly, prepare bread and pizza dough with ease. This is something you can’t ever do with a regular hand mixer.
What are the cons of using countertop mixers? Similar to countertop blenders, the two main cons would be countertop space and price. They can take up space in the kitchen. And they can take a lot of cash from your pocket.
Bottomline – Which Blender Should You Get?
Blenders make it easier to prepare and cook great food in the kitchen. If you’re serious and passionate about cooking great meals and desserts, different blender options are there to make everything easier for you. Choose one that will meet your regular needs. And choose the best features at a price you’re willing to go for.