BUYING A PROFESSIONAL BLENDER

JUG BLENDERS

Professional jug blenders have a large blending container sat on top of a sturdy motor base. These machines are further sub-divided into bar blenders and kitchen blenders.

BAR BLENDERS

As the name suggests, bar blenders are primarily designed to mix up drinks in bars, pubs, hotels and smoothie bars. A main function with these is the ability to crush ice, so they usually have extra strong metal blades and powerful motors. As bar blenders are usually positioned front of house, they also have to be stylish, easy to use and, if possible, quiet.

When buying a bar blender, it’s important to consider what you’re going to be blending, as well as how much capacity you’re going to need. If you only need to blend up the occasional single cocktail or smoothie, a small single-litre model may be suitable. If you’re continually crushing ice or offering cocktail pitchers, you’ll benefit from a larger capacity version.

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TIP: If you’re crushing a lot of ice, a commercial ice crusher can free up your bar blender for other tasks.

KITCHEN BLENDERS

Commercial kitchen blenders, often called food blenders, are very much suited to prep in the professional kitchen. Whereas bar blenders are mainly designed for cold drinks and ice, kitchen blenders excel at blending and crushing down almost any ingredients - hot or cold.

From meats and vegetables to seafood or nuts, kitchen blenders are great for liquefying foods - especially useful for sites where smooth foods are required, such as residential care homes or nurseries.

As a primarily back of house machine, kitchen blenders tend to be larger than bar blenders, with jug capacities reaching as much as 4 litres in the largest versions. Although noise isn’t as much of an issue, these need to be powerful, reliable and easy to use.

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Jug Blender Buying Criteria

• Blend speed: many blenders have variable speed settings, allowing you to gently build up the blending speed instead of immediately going full power. This helps to preserve the food quality and prevents damage to the motor over time.
• Capacity/size: higher capacities allow you to blend more at a time. Remember that higher capacity jug blenders usually need bigger motors and take up more counter space.
• Jug material: blending jugs are commonly made from glass, plastic or stainless steel. Whereas plastic jugs are durable and shatter resistant, stainless steel jugs are usually stronger and more suitable for hot ingredients. If you're buying plastic, BPA-free versions are available.
• Controls: jug blenders can either be manual or programmable, with analogue or digital controls. Digital controls usually have a timer too, giving you the precision to get consistent blending results every time. Analogue controls are sometimes preferred for their simplicity.
• Noise: ice crashing around a blender can be pretty loud. If you need something a bit more discreet, choose a model with a sound enclosure - a handy cover which significantly reduces noise.
• Clutch: the clutch connects the motor to the blending jug. As such, a strong metal connection is usually preferred if you’re blending regularly. However, plastic clutches are usually inexpensive to replace when needed.

STICK BLENDERS

Professional stick blenders are the latest addition to the blending family. Often called immersion blenders or simply hand blenders, these handy machines are a great option if you’re looking for a portable alternative to countertop blenders.

The great thing about stick blenders is their versatility. Rather than bringing your food to the blender, you bring the blender to the food - perfect for mobile catering or kitchens with limited space. These can usually produce the same results as jug blenders too, allowing you to mash, pureé, chop and emulsify without fuss.

Immersion blenders can also prep much larger volumes in comparison to jug blenders. Whereas the largest commonly available jug blender can prep up to 4 litres at a time, the largest stick blenders can do over 300 - great if you’re prepping for a large service. Even the smallest hand-held professional stick blenders can prep around 4 litres at a time.

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DETACHABLE SHAFTS VS FIXED SHAFTS

Blenders with fixed shafts are engineered as one solid mechanism and the motor has a direct connection to the cutting blades. As such, this type of blender has a reputation for reliability. Some professionals think that this type of blender is hard to clean - it’s not. You can usually just blend some clean water to rinse, and then wipe the shaft down. Simple.

The main benefit of detachable shafts is the flexibility. Smaller preparations can use smaller shafts, or you can fit a range of attachments to get different blending results. Blades and shafts can easily be replaced when required and most components can be cleaned in a dishwasher (not the motor).

STICK BLENDER ATTACHMENTS & BLADES

There’s a huge variety of stick blender blades and attachments available to help you get the prep results you’re looking for. Here’s a breakdown of what you can achieve with each attachment/blade.

Standard: models with standard blades are great for all-round blending, whether that’s soups, sauces or mayonnaise. These have super-strong blades which easily cut through most ingredients.

Emulsifying: the clever design of these blades pulls food up into the cutting mechanism. This helps to make preparations significantly smoother. Perfect for smooth soups and sauces.

Whisk: whisk attachments are the ideal time-saving attachment for making doughs, meringue, gravies or whipped cream. Strong stainless steel blades are much more durable in comparison to hand whisks and these can usually just be popped in the dishwasher when you’re finished too.

Turbo/Homogeniser: although not designed to blend large solids, the turbo/homogeniser attachment delivers the very smoothest results. Unusually, it doesn’t cut – the mechanism pulls liquids up into the crushing ‘hammer’ mechanism, where it is them emulsified into a silky-smooth preparation. The process is exceptionally efficient and can produce incredibly smooth results much faster than traditional stick blender blades. No standard blending system delivers a smoother result, so this is perfect for making fish soups or ultra-smooth ice cream.

Ricer: thanks to a clever design which forces food through tiny holes, ricer attachments are great at delivering smooth pureé-style results. The unusually wide base is shaped to mix larger quantities in comparison to standard blending heads. Great for preparations such as mashed potato, hummus or pea pureé.

Stick Blender Buying Criteria

• Shaft length: this is the length from the motor block to the blade. The bigger the shaft, the higher the blending capacity. Shafts range from 160mm to 550mm in length, however it’s important to note that longer shafts can add to the overall weight of the blender.
• Speed control: commercial stick blenders can usually operate at speeds between 700-19,000 rpm. Just like jug blenders, speeds can be either stepped or variable, meaning they either have selectable set speeds, or a dial which allows you to slowly ramp up the speed smoothly - great for precision blending and preventing mess.
• Weight: if you plan to hold the stick blender during use (some can be clamped into position), the weight is a critical consideration. The heavier it is, the harder it will be to operate, especially if you’ve got thick preparations which need to be mixed for longer.
• Corded/Cordless: modern professional cordless stick blenders easily equal the performance of their corded counterparts, making them a great choice if plug sockets are in short supply. However, remember that cordless blenders require charging and can be heavier due to the weight of the batteries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do home blenders have a higher power rating than professional blenders?

Domestic blenders are tested and rated differently to commercial grade blenders. Whereas home blenders are tested empty, most professional blenders are tested 'in use', meaning the power rating can look very different.

What’s the difference between home blenders and professional blenders?

As with any catering appliance, commercial grade machines are designed for professional use in commercial kitchens. As such, the motors, blades and gearing are all much more durable in comparison to their domestic counterparts. In addition, home blenders don’t have commercial warranties, meaning if they develop a fault the manufacturer has no obligation to repair or replace the unit. Many commercial blenders are easily repaired when required - and there’s a huge selection of blender spares and accessories available on this site.

What is the best blender?

As always, the best blender is the one which is most suitable for your needs. Don’t make price your first priority - match the capacity, power and functionality to your requirements.

How many blenders are needed in a professional kitchen?

It depends on what you're blending and how much you need to blend. It's worth noting you can almost double capacity just by purchasing additional blending jugs. Most kitchen and bar blenders are supplied with a single jug, meaning you’ll need to clean it out if you’re blending different ingredients each time. Additional jugs make the rotation much faster. Most commercial blending jugs are stackable too, so they are easy to store when not in use.

What is a Blixer?

A Blixer is a fairly unique machine which combines the functionality of a mixer with a blender, so it's classed as a type of food processor. For more information, see the Robot Coupe food processors page.