| Small appliances
can perform large tasks. Take the tears out of chopping onions with a food
processor or mini-chopper, mix dough with your food processor, make fresh
smoothies in the blender, deep fry your favorite fish - the list is endless.
For advice on selecting the perfect small appliance check out our quick
reference guide to small appliances. If you need further assistance contact
our Gourmet Shop Sales Associates at 888-228-5800.
Blenders
Blender drinks are festive and refreshing. But before you make a drink
you have to choose the right blender for it.
Blenders are available in several different colors and options because
that's one of the appliances consumers are most likely to leave on the
countertop. Crushing ice is one of the key attributes that you should
look in a blender. That's also the hardest thing that blender needs to
do.
For a good blender you want to have 3 to 16 speeds. The power ranges
from 350 to 500 watts. Manufacturers claim that higher wattage translates
into better performance, but not necessarily. Some lower-wattage models
often outperformed beefier ones, turning out icy drinks faster and leaving
them smoother in consistency. Three well-differentiated speeds are adequate;
a dozen or more that are hard to distinguish from one another are overkill.
Containers are made of glass, plastic, or stainless steel, and have a
capacity of about 5 to 8 cups. A glass container is heavier and more stable.
The blenders with glass jugs tended to perform better because they don't
shake. Glass is also easier to keep clean. Plastic may scratch and is
likely to absorb the smell of whatever is inside. Stainless steel looks
good, but prevents you from seeing how the blending is going.
Also, if a blender has a wide mouth it makes loading food and washing
it lot easier than those with the smaller once. Touchpad controls should
be easy to clean. A blade that's permanently attached to the container
is harder to clean than a removable blade.
Now that you picked the right blender for you, those frozen drinks are
going to be so easy to make.
Considerations for all small appliances:
- Determine your cooking needs and wants - both current and future.
Is your family growing or growing up and moving out? Are you interested
in increasing your culinary endeavors? Are you wishing to simplify and
reduce time in the kitchen?
- Evaluate your kitchen counter space. Where are you going to put all
those new small appliances?
- Check the height of the appliance compared to the height of your cabinets.
Appliances that mount under the cabinet are available.
- Decide on the color of your new small appliance.
- Determine the appliance capacity. The number of speeds and settings
on an appliance usually increases with the size of the machine. Those
who have large families or like to entertain may choose to buy larger
appliances.
- Decide whether you want corded or cordless appliances.
Click here to view all Blenders
Click here to view all Small Appliances
Click here to view all Buying Guides
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