KitchenAid Hand Blender (2011) vs Breville Immersion Blender (2011)

Blenders are kitchen accessories that help with various processes like blending, stirring, liquefying, mixing, pureeing, crushing, chopping, and even heating up food. They create vortices to pull food towards the motor-powered blades that then blend the food.

There are several different types of blenders.

• Personal blenders are usually designed for one person use and are best for making shakes or smoothies. They’re typically easy to clean and operate.
• Countertop blenders are similar to personal blenders but are more versatile, offer smoother results, and are designed to deal with larger quantities of food and tasks that require more powerful motors, like crushing ice. Many countertop blenders can also heat up food. Their main downsides are a larger footprint, typically higher price, and the fact that they’re usually more difficult to clean than other types of blenders.
• Immersion blenders, on the other hand, are very different from the other two types. These are handheld devices with a blade at the bottom and are used for blending food in a pot or container of your choice. Their form factor is great for pureeing soups or just blending large amounts of food. They often come with various attachments that let them whisk, chop, or grind foods. However, they’re not as good as countertop blenders when dealing with more demanding tasks and don’t usually provide the smoothest results.

Commercial blenders compete at various price points. One can get a decent blender by paying about 40$, but the market is also filled with blenders that cost upwards of $500. Paying more usually results in better performance and more versatility. Typically, a more expensive blender can produce smoother textures, blends faster, and is able to not only blend but also liquefy, stir, chop, mix, and puree foods. All blenders can prepare a smoothie, but more expensive ones can also prepare hot soup or other types of meals in a matter of minutes.

People who plan on occasionally preparing a simple shake or a smoothie should opt for a good budget blender. On the other hand, those who want to regularly and quickly prepare high-quality soups, juices made of whole fruits, nut butter, or other foods, should look at options found in higher price brackets.

A higher asking price usually means that the blender has better build quality, which translates to a longer lifecycle. Warranties illustrate this - budget blenders typically come with one-year warranties, while some high-end blenders have warranties that last up to ten years.

There are a number of major manufacturers that produce high-quality blenders:

• Vitamix is a very reputable blender manufacturer. It offers a variety of popular mid-range and high-end blenders.
• Oster specializes in producing great budget-range blenders and offers some of the best options when looking for the best bang for the buck.
• Cuisinart has had some success with its middle-range blenders and is also a highly trusted brand among American consumers.
• Braun is known for producing, among other things, high-quality and well-reviewed blenders. It mostly targets the budget end of the blender market.
• Nutribullet is entirely dedicated to making easy to use countertop and personal blenders. It offers products that compete at various price points but mostly focuses on the budget end of the market. Its products are highly regarded, by both users and reviewers alike, as a great option for people who enjoy making smoothies and prefer minimalistic blenders.
• Breville’s strategy is to cater to all types of users. This Australian brand offers blenders at every price point but has the most success when it comes to mid-range blenders.
• Blendtec is focused on making exceptional high-end blenders. Its blenders are known for their high performance and quality.
• KitchenAid excels at manufacturing good budget blenders. Virtually all of their more affordable blenders are loved by consumers.

These are the most important specs to consider when buying a blender:

• Blending Power (Watts) - Blending power is related to the wattage of the blender and can potentially result in superior blending performance. More powerful devices often blend thicker mixtures better, but they usually come at a higher price.
  However, lower-wattage blenders don't necessarily produce worse results since the construction of the blades and container also plays a big role in the quality of the blend. Blending power is more important in immersion blenders than in their larger counterparts.
  Because of the higher power of the motor, high-wattage blenders tend to be better at creating vortexes needed for even blending results. The wattage that manufacturers specify is usually the maximum power and usually can’t be sustained for the entire duration of a typical blending session.
• Blending Capacity (Quarts) - Blending capacity mostly depends on the volume of the blender's jar and determines how much food one can blend at a time. However, it also impacts the amount of counter space required - bigger blenders are typically more difficult to store. That's why it's important for a buyer to consider their individual use case when deciding on the size of the blender.