EMIKO FRANZEN FOR TASTE OF HOME
EMIKO FRANZEN FOR TASTE OF HOME
Pros:
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Performed well on smoothie and ice tests
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Fair price point
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Pulse function
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Preset blend options
Anyone who wants to try out a Vitamix but doesn’t want to splurge on the spendy Ascent model will find the Vitamix Propel 510 the perfect midpoint option. Like the Ascent, the Propel offers a powerful motor, which clocks in at 2 horsepower. It’s also just as capable in the kitchen thanks to its dedicated smoothie, hot soup and frozen dessert settings, plus a powerful pulsing button.
"Vitamix has an extensive list of blenders, and the Propel 510 is a great mid-tier model. It performs well and will last you years, while still being reasonably priced."
sydney Manning
former product tester
Smoothie performance is on par with the pricier models. Plus, it prepares ice and peanut butter that rivals the Ascent. Sure, the interface is stripped down and doesn’t feature all the bells and whistles of an LED touchscreen. But overall, it’s still user friendly if you familiarize yourself with the included instructions. Additionally, while we don’t love the latching lid compared to the fancier model’s plastic option, the overall performance is impressive—especially at a nearly $300 price difference.
Not only is this one of our favorite blenders, but it also wins our seal of approval when it comes to Vitamix blenders in general. “Of the four Vitamix blenders we tested, this was our favorite. The performance was outstanding,” says Sheri.
What To Consider When Buying a Blender
Power and Speed
- Motor Power: Most household blenders have a motor that produces between 500 and 750 watts. However, some are as low as 300 and others as high as 1,500. The higher the number, the stronger the blender.
- Speed Settings: Some trendy blenders on the market only have a single speed setting (usually a pre-programmed smoothie cycle). However, if you’re interested in customization or versatility, others offer numerous speeds (usually low, medium, high and pulse).
Blades
- Material and Sharpness: Most blender blades are made from stainless steel, which balances durability, sharpness and corrosion resistance. Most blenders have an array of four blades arranged at different heights and angles for increased contact with foods and liquids.
- Removability: Most blender blades are not removable—you’ll have to purchase a new container if the blades get too dull or damaged—but some do allow for removal (which is great for cleaning) and replacement.
Container
- Material: The vast majority of blender containers are made from heavy-duty plastic. Some brands, however, offer alternatives, including glass and even stainless steel.
- Capacity: Blender containers vary in capacity, with some as small as 20 ounces and others as large as 1.5 gallons. On average, most blender cups have a capacity of 48 to 64 ounces (Vitamix, for instance, ships its blenders with a 64-ounce container as the standard).
Ease of Use and Cleaning
- Controls: Most blenders fall into one of two categories regarding their controls. Either they operate via a dial—which is turned to increase and decrease the blending speed—or they have a sequence of buttons—some related to power settings and others tied to preprogrammed cycles. They’re both about the same regarding ease of use, so choosing between them comes down more to personal preference than anything else.
- Dishwasher-Safe Parts: Some blender parts are hand-wash only, but many brands offer dishwasher-safe parts. If you’re unsure if a part is dishwasher-safe, it’s best to wash it by hand, as running it through the wash could break it and cause rust or other damage.
Functions and Versatility
- Preset Programs: As mentioned, some blenders function entirely on preset programs. Others have presets included in their controls. This allows users to access programs for specific recipes or functions—like chop, mix, blend, puree and ice crush.
- Pulse Feature: Usually accessed via a standalone button, the pulse feature allows for quick, controlled bursts, ideal for when you need to slightly mix or process other ingredients (chefs sometimes use the pulse function on a blender to crush up nuts, like for a dessert topping).
Durability and Build Quality
Most blenders are made from various materials, but they usually include plastic for the housing and containers, rubber for gaskets and the platform the container rests on and stainless steel for the cutting blades. Higher-end offerings usually include more metal and other highly durable materials, while budget-friendly options tend to use more plastic.
Noise Level
Some blenders can run as quiet as 50 decibels (about the same level as a normal conversation) to as much as 100 (more like a loud hair dryer). Inevitably, your blender will make noise. Heavier-duty blenders tend to run louder than smaller blenders.
Warranty
Always check the manufacturer’s warranty before purchasing a blender. This determines what defects and damage the brand covers and how easy it is to get any parts replaced. Warranties may be as short as one year to as long as eight (or more), but can vary widely in what they cover and how they are accessed. Plus, you may need to register your blender ahead of time to access warranty customer service.
How We Tested Blenders
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To find the best blenders, our expert product testing team spent hours in our testing lab making homemade peanut butter, smoothies and crushed ice with 14(!) different blenders. The squad made note of all the blenders’ features and performance and made sure to judge them according to these high-priority categories:
- Functionality:Â Blenders are super versatile. You can use them to crush ice, make milkshakes, create your own peanut butter, and so much more. Our testing team tested every function of the blenders and tried out a handful of recipes.
- Capacity: When buying a blender, the capacity of the pitcher is a major deciding factor. If you whip up smoothies for a crew every morning, you’ll want a model that holds more. If a blender is more of an occasional gadget for you, a smaller one should do the trick.
- Operation: For a blender to be called the best blender by our testing team, it should be simple to use with intuitive controls. Extra bells and whistles—think speeds or pulse options—are welcome if they perform well.
- Ease of cleaning:Â If you ask our testers, all gadgets should be easy to clean. Our team of testers took note of how to clean each part of these blenders (pitchers, blades, lids and plungers). The easier to clean, the better, and if the parts are dishwasher-safe, that’s the best!
- Appearance:Â Yes, function, capacity and ease of cleaning all come first with appliances, but if this blender is going to live on your countertop, it should look good there (like this cool retro-looking Frigidaire blender).
- Price:Â If you’re going to drop a significant amount of money on a blender, it should be worth every penny. Our tests ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
Tests
Overall, we tested over 24 blenders (including handheld models), performing roughly 10 tests on each. The testing team collected roughly 700 data points—that’s over 100 hours of research, sourcing and testing!
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For the first test, the testers prepared a smoothie in each blender, following the manual’s instructions regarding ingredient order and settings, if available. Each smoothie was blended for 90-120 seconds (or according to the automated smoothie preset), then poured through a colander to evaluate how well it was blended.
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For the second test (the ice test), testers filled the blenders halfway with ice, then crushed them with the proper preset or pulse setting. Testers recorded the processing time and blended until the ingredients seemed fully crushed.
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The third test (the peanut butter test) was a thorough evaluation of each blender’s capabilities with sticky, thick foods. Testers prepared peanut butter in the blender, following the manual’s instructions for blending nut butter, if available. Otherwise, they followed recipe instructions. The testers then observed the smoothness and consistency, noting any errors or issues.
Lastly, to test how easily each blender cleans up, testers disassembled and cleaned each blender according to the manufacturer’s instructions, noting the ease of the process.
Takeaways
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Our team spent a lot of time whirring away with these blenders. During the series of tests, they came up with a few key takeaways:
- Power isn’t everything:Â One thing to know about blenders is that their performance also relies upon the pitcher’s shape. Cylindrical canisters can really help get the ingredients flowing into that vortex for a satisfying mix.
- Poking and prodding are normal: Even the best blenders will require you to stop here and there to scrape down the sides or use the tamper. This is absolutely normal for every model, be it Beautiful, our favorite budget model, or a spendy Vitamix.
- Read the manual:Â We mean it! Our team found that the order in which you add your ingredients matters, especially for smoothies. Each blender manual specifies the right order for that model.
- High speed isn’t always the best speed:Â Switching the blender on high to see your ingredients suddenly blend into one is so satisfying. However, this isn’t always the ideal method. Culinary Director Sarah Farmer says that some recipes, especially homemade mayonnaise and dressings, benefit from a lower speed.
Other Blenders We Tested
- Vitamix 5200 Standard: It feels heavy-duty, well-made and will last a long time. However, despite working well on fruits and veggies, this model doesn’t have a pulsing option for ice. Overall, we found it too stripped down for the price point.
- KitchenAid K400 Variable Speed Blender: While this one crushes ice well, we didn’t like that it took a lot of prodding with the tamper to incorporate our smoothies.
- Blendtec Total Blender Classic:“For 1560 watts, I was expecting this machine to whip out nut butter in no time, but it had a hard time. However, if you’re a smoothie lover, this machine did a good job,” says Sheri.
- Magic Bullet Full-Sized Blender: Unfortunately, the testers were unimpressed with this model overall due to chunky results and impacted ice.
- Oster Blender: This budget blender performed decently but still left a lot of chunks in our smoothies.
- Vitamix Explorian E310: While we liked this pricier option, we were more impressed with the other Vitamix mixers overall.
- Nutribullet SmartSense Blender Combo: The auto-sense is nice and intuitive, and the interface is also user-friendly, but the consistency of smoothies left a little to be desired.
- Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender: This basic blender barely even moved when we filled it with smoothie ingredients.
FAQ
How do you use a blender?
Using a blender is simple—just add your ingredients and choose your setting! Be sure to read through each unit’s instructions thoroughly for suggests on the ingredient order and other tips.
What is the best blender for smoothies?
The Cuisinart Hurricane Pro is our favorite blender for smoothies, according to our tests. It blends everything—including pesky dates and almonds—into a nice, smooth consistency.
What is the best Vitamix blender?
According to our testing, the best Vitamix blender is the Vitamix Propel 510. What really makes it worth the price is that its powerful motor comes equipped to heat soups and make nut butter—an impressive feat!
Why You Should Trust Us
Our testing team has three years of experience testing and evaluating everything from the best coffee subscriptions to the best flower delivery services. Many of us have backgrounds in kitchen and culinary careers ourselves. The remainder of our team are simply passionate home cooks who want to recommend the very best products using honest and fair testing practices. We would never recommend a product we don’t love, regardless of how popular it is or the size of the brand.