Blenders and Juicers

About Blenders and Juicers

Kitchen appliances are handy, highly functional, and time-efficient. Modern kitchens are hard to imagine without them.

The number of small kitchen appliances available on the market grows daily, and the food preparation was never so fast and easy. Orange juicers, for example, have long been a staple of many kitchens.

In recent years, the popularity of various fruit and vegetable extracts brought new, superior models to the table. Modern juicers are robust and powerful, designed to take the last drop of liquid out of even the most fibrous and resilient plant sticks. Celery juicers are just one such example.

In a more advanced game that includes smoothies, soups, sauces, and nut butter - nothing beats a good blender. Basic models are useful for pureeing, blending, and making smoothies. More powerful versions can also chop, churn, crush, emulsify, grind, knead - and even cook.

Advantages of Using Blenders

• Time-saving
• Easy to disassemble, maintain and clean
• Adding versatility to the daily diet

Advantages of Using Juicers

• Juicing provides an alternative to the regular diet, encouraging users to add more diversity to their programs. 
• Juicing can be a great way to use leftover fruits and vegetables. 

Blender Applications

• Easy juices and cocktails: Most blenders are powerful enough to make any mix, which comes especially handy for camouflaging the less favoured - yet necessary - flavours.
• Milkshakes and smoothies: Using a blender makes smoothie preparation a breeze. All it takes is throwing the ingredients inside and turning the device on for a couple of minutes.
• Blending the spices: A good blender can crush the spices, turning them into a homemade powder mix or paste. 
• Making purees and sauces: Blender can easily mix and emulsify different ingredients, turning them into a creamy, homogeneous compound. 
• Making butter and flours: Advanced models include various settings, such as options for turning nuts into butter, pastes, or flours. 
• Crashing ice: Blenders with strong motors and sharp knives can cut almost anything, including ice. 

Types of Blenders

Premium/High-Performance Blenders

"Premium" and "high-performance" are terms used interchangeably by manufacturers. These models are made from high-quality ingredients, equipped with powerful motors. The best models are suitable for making nut butter, sauces, soups, and more, eliminating the need to engage food processors and mixers at the same time. 

Conventional Blenders

These models are more affordable than a premium category but still suitable for lower-intensity blending tasks. It can produce milkshakes and smoothies, but not hot soup or nut flour. 

Portable Blenders

Portable blenders are designed for people on the go, with mixing containers doubling as travelling jars. 

Immersion Blenders

Also called "stick" or "hand" blenders, immersion blenders feature a cylindrical dome with blades. It gets the name from the operating process in which it submerges directly into the food or drink that needs blending. 

What to Look for in a Blender

• Container: Plastic containers are lightweight and less prone to breaking, while glass containers rarely absorb odours and stains. The most convenient container design features a wide mouth for ease of access and marked measurements.
• Speed: Blenders can come with over 15 different speed settings, while some high-performance blenders also feature preprogrammed options. The addition of a pulse operation supports precision when blending delicate ingredients. 
• Power: The power can be as low as 300 watts or higher than 1,000 watts. Higher wattage is typically associated with better performance, but that also depends on blade design and the shape of the container.
• Drive socket and blades: It's good to look for more durable blades, drive socket, and driveshaft - ideally made of stainless steel.
• Ice crusher: Similar to the pulse function, it chops the ice and integrates it into a blended mixture, which comes in handy for making sorbets.

Types of Juices

Citrus Juicers

Citrus juicers are designed specifically for use with lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and similar fruit. Many electronic versions come with built-in juice containers and different sizes of blades. 

Centrifugal Juicers

This type of juice extractor uses fast and sharp blades, suitable for processing various kinds of fruits and vegetables. The addition of a mesh filter helps to keep the pulp away from the liquid. 

Centrifugal juicers are user-friendly, with an option that allows continuous adding of fruits and vegetables. It's also available in several affordable designs, mostly on the larger side. 

Cold Press Juicers / Masticating Juicers

Cold press juicers have several alternative names: slow juicers, masticating juicers, single-gear juicers, and more. They start at a higher price point than juice extractors but also deliver better results.

Masticating juicers extract the liquids by crushing the fruits and vegetables. Such a process delivers excellent results while keeping the noise levels low. Cold pressing also works with leafy greens and herbs, while the ability to process nuts puts the device in a similar range with blenders. 

Twin-Gear Juicers

Twin-gear juicers, also called triturating or dual-gear juicers, belong to high-end designs. The name comes from two interlocking gears for processing the content at a speed that ensures maximal juice extraction. Dual-gear juicers are slow, quiet, and efficient, suitable for a variety of additional uses, such as making bread dough.

What to Look for in a Juicer

• Value VS performance: Higher-end juicers generally provide a higher yield with plenty of nutrients. Still, less demanding users can find an average device quite satisfactory. 
• Speed: Cold-press and twin-gear juicers are slower than centrifugal models, but their fast operation mode also delivers less extracted juice. The choice here depends on personal preferences and priorities.
• Loudness: While centrifugal juicers can be pretty loud, cold press and twin-gear juicers do not tend to produce noise. 

Cleaning and Maintenance

Blenders 

It's highly recommended to clean the blender right after use before the residue begins to dry. The appliance must never be submerged in water or rinsed under the stream. Its base can be wiped with a damp sponge instead.

Flip switches and touchpad controls are the easiest to clean. Dial controls wipe down easily. while push buttons tend to collect grime in their divisions. 

Juicers

Cleaning juicers can be time-consuming, and that applies to the higher-end models, too. On average, fewer elements mean less cleaning after each use. 

Things to Consider Before Choosing Blenders and Juicers

Price and Value

The upfront cost is not always directly connected to the device quality. However, better materials and construction often mean a longer life span.    

Noise

When noise levels are an issue, it's good to look for models specially designed to be as quiet as possible. 

Size and Cord Length

Most small kitchen appliances have their permanent place on the counter, making the rest of the free space a valuable commodity. Blenders and juicers can be sizable, so it's good to look for models with adjustable cords that allow flexibility. 

Warranty

As with any product, the manufacturer's warranty can be an indication of how long the product is expected to last - or, at least, perform at its best. Some high-end models feature five-year (or longer) warranties, while most affordable appliances are typically covered for up to one year. 

Materials

• Plastic: Many budget-friendly models are made of plastic. Their advantage is low weight.
• Glass: Containers made from glass are durable and resistant to odours, stains, and discolouring. 
• Stainless steel: One of the priciest materials is also the most durable. A container made from steel can also maintain the convenient temperature of frozen mixtures longer. 

If you need assistance to find the right blenders and juicers for your home or office, ArchiPro provides a connection to the various professionals, ready to assist with all requirements and questions. Simply click "Contact supplier" on the product's page, or visit the supplier's website directly from the product's page.