A blender is a device designed to make life easier for housewives. It is able to mix ingredients for salad, chop nuts in a matter of seconds, make minced meat from meat and so on. Most housewives prefer to use a food processor in the kitchen. Of course, it is comfortable and capable of handling any cooking task, which sets it apart from a blender. But the food processor also has its drawbacks. Compared to a blender, it requires more storage space, but this is what is constantly lacking in the kitchen, as a result of which the food processor is stored unassembled in a cabinet. For each use, it will have to be taken out again, collected, then washed and put back. Quite a laborious process, considering that sometimes you just need to chop the onion. A food processor is a waste of your energy and time. And to be honest, not every housewife uses more than half of the functions of a food processor for kitchen needs. A blender is a profitable solution to all of the above problems.
Blender types
Before buying, you need to decide for what needs the blender will be used. For example, if you are most often engaged in chopping various foods in the kitchen, be it onions, meat or cheese, then a hand blender would be the best option. It is a metal or plastic "leg" that is lowered into a container to perform the necessary actions.
If you like to prepare various *********, then a stationary blender is more useful for you, which you can use to mix the ingredients of various dishes and drinks. It is a glass or plastic bowl with rotating legs.
Now let's take a closer look at each type of blender.
Stationary blender
A stationary blender in Europe is usually called a shaker, since there it is more often used for mixing *********. But in Russia such a name did not take root, since, speaking of a shaker, we imagine a device into which ingredients are poured or poured and then mixing is done with the help of simple gestures.
Stationary blenderA stationary blender is often used for whipping proteins, breaking ice, mixing *********. It has its advantages compared to a submersible blender, it does not need to be constantly held in your hands, it will be enough to press one button and the blender will do everything by itself. In terms of cost, it is most often cheaper than submersible. Many stationary blenders have a self-cleaning function that will clean the blender itself. This function is quite convenient and simple, it will protect the hands of the hostess from cutting the blade of the hood. To wash it, you need to fill the container with warm water and turn on the blender itself for a minute. It's fast and convenient.
In stationary blenders, an important feature is the material from which its bowl is made. There are two options: plastic and glass, both options have their pros and cons.
The glass does not absorb odors and does not darken, but if the bowl breaks, it will be difficult to replace it. The plastic bowl does not break and the price of such blenders will be much cheaper than glass blenders. But the plastic bowl may darken over time. In addition, it is not recommended to put hot food in such bowls. By the way, in some of the latest models of blenders, the bowls are made of special plastic that does not absorb odors and does not darken.
An equally important factor is the volume of the bowl, so before buying you need to decide how much volume will be sufficient for your family. Bowls from 400 ml are on sale. up to 2 liters. Do not forget that the useful volume of the bowl slightly differs from that indicated in the characteristics in the smaller direction, since it makes no sense to fill the bowl completely. On average, when choosing a blender, you need to subtract about 200 ml from the specified volume, the result obtained will indicate the useful volume of the bowl.
The third most important factor is the power of the blender. The higher it is, the faster the device will cope with the task at hand. The recommended power is in the range from 300 to 600 watts, with these parameters you can make a milkshake (mix ice cream, syrup and milk) in 15-20 seconds.
Hand blender
A hand blender is a plastic or metal "leg" that is lowered into a container to perform the necessary actions. It is most commonly used to grind ingredients. He will be an indispensable assistant if you have a baby; you will spend just a few minutes making baby purees and cereals. The hand blender is very handy for small jobs. It does not take up much space and its application is not limited to a certain capacity.
Hand blenderThe hand blender is best for chopping onions, making bread crumbs, chopping meat into minced meat, and finely chopping vegetables and fruits.
But it also has its drawbacks. You need to keep it in your hands at all times - if you have to process a large volume of products, your hands may get tired. The material from which the submersible blender is made is also important. A plastic device will cost much less than a metal one. But it should be borne in mind that the plastic blender cannot be lowered into a container with hot food - for this purpose, you can use a device with an iron "leg".
As well as in a stationary blender, a submersible has its own power, on which the speed of rotation of the knives depends and, consequently, the speed of execution of various processes. The faster this assistant gets through his job, the less your hand will get tired. The number of speeds in the blender is also important, depending on this, it is more convenient to choose the optimal operating mode for certain products.
The blender may come with special attachments. When buying, you should always be interested in their availability and quantity. It's nice to receive such a bonus for any purchase.