2018 Blender Buying Guide
(What 6209 Blender Reviews Told Us)

A blender is the workhorse of the kitchen, and it is one of the most popular kitchen appliances that we see on ieatwords.com.au. From blending smoothies to making protein balls, a good blender is crucial for many tasks in the kitchen. With 6209 reviews on 109 models, we've gained a lot of knowledge on how consumers buy and use their blenders.

Our goal with this buying guide is to help you "know better, choose better" as you shop for a new blender. Using the knowledge from these 6209 reviews, we'll help you understand what questions to ask, what features to look for, and what are the best blenders.

Contents

1. Should I buy a blender or food processor?
2. Should I buy a countertop blender or a stick blender/mixer?
3. Which blender is best for me?
4. What features should I look for in a blender?
5. What are the best blenders in Australia?
6. What are the best places to buy a blender in Australia?

Should I buy a blender or food processor?

A blender works best when you need to blend and liquefy ingredients. For example, blending strawberries, milk, and ice cream together to make a milkshake is where a blender excels. Other uses of a blender include making smoothies, purees, soups, dips, and peanut butter.

Food processors excel at dicing and chopping as part of food preparation. A great example is preparing a pie crust by chopping up graham crackers. Other uses include making bread crumbs, slicing cabbage for coleslaw, grating cheese, and dicing vegetables for dishes like salsa.

Should I buy a countertop blender or a stick blender/mixer?

A countertop blender (what this buying guide focuses on) works better if you need food to be super smooth without any chunks. Countertop blenders also excel at blending harder foods like nuts due to their power. There is also the advantage of only having to hit a button as opposed to having to hold a stick blender.

A stick blender is good for small blending jobs as well as making baby food or blending food already in a pot. It does not have the power of a countertop blender, but it is also smaller and stores away much easier.

Which blender is best for me?

Everyone's blending needs are different. You need to ask yourself how you will be using your blender and what you will be blending to determine which blender is best for you. Some fundamental questions to ask include:

What will you be blending? Are you making milkshakes or blending peanuts into peanut butter? What you put into your blender will determine the performance and power you will need. Don't get a low-end blender to blend nuts; alternatively, you don't need a high-end blender if you only want to make milkshakes.

How often will you be using your blender? Are you making a smoothie every morning or using your blender for food preparation for every meal? Or is your blender something you use once or twice a month? Think about your use and if a countertop blender is best for you. Some stick blenders with attachments might be able to do the job if you are not going to blend often.

What is more important, power or price? If you are going to have substantial blending needs, think about how that will impact the power, size, and price of the best blender for you. Usually, high power and low cost don't exist together in a blender; understand which is most important to you.

Do you need accessories? Some people only want to blend; others want to use blender accessories to do other tasks in the kitchen. Whether it is a tamper, different lids, or chopping blades, think about how you might use attachments and if these are important to you.

What features should I look for in a blender?

When you are evaluating a new blender, you need to look at many features to determine which is right for you. Your needs will drive which features are most important. We have also helped by going through the 6209 reviews of blenders on ieatwords.com.au to identify six key features to evaluate.

Feature #1: How Durable Is The Blender?

A lot of the reviewers commented that their blenders wore out quickly based on their use. Many saw their blenders encountering issues within 8 to 12 months, and this drove a lot of dissatisfaction.

Much of this feedback came from using a lower-end blender for more significant tasks like grinding nuts, blending coarse food, or making protein balls. They were wearing out their blenders fast as their blenders were not built for the jobs they are being used for.

Pro Tip: A blender is an investment and focus on asking yourself the questions that will affect the durability of your blender. These include what will go into it, how often you will use it, and then based on this, what you are willing to pay for it. Blenders can be durable, but an entry-level model enduring heavy use is not going to last long.

Feature #2: How Powerful Is The Blender?

In the same vein as durability, many reviewers complained about the power of their blender. Most of the time they were using a lower powered blender for heavy duty tasks and were not happy with the results. An entry-level model can make quick work of a smoothie but is going to struggle to blend harder foods and the results might not be as smooth.

Pro Tip: Think about what you will be blending and how much power you will need to get the job done. Most models outline what foods they can handle based on their blending power; do the research to understand which models will fit your needs. This approach also applies to basic blending needs as sometimes a cheaper and more entry-level model might be all you need.

Feature #3: How Much Noise Does A Blender Make?

If you want to blend harder ingredients or put more into your blender, the power you need will come with noise. Some reviewers wrote about having to use construction level ear protection when they used their blender. Every blender is going to be loud; it's part of the deal. It is essential to understand what level of noise you can tolerate and how long you will need to put up with the noise while you blend.

Pro Tip: This is one advantage that buying in-store has over purchasing online; you can listen to the blender. If you are in-store, see if you can fire up the blender and then assume it will be much louder when there is food in it. Hearing it first hand can give you a better feel for what level of noise you can expect.

Feature #4: What's the Price Of A Blender?

If you are going to be doing heavy duty blending, spend the money and invest in a sturdy blender. A lot of complaints centred around using a cheaper blender for more sizeable tasks. These blenders were not up to it, and it was not money well spent. These same blenders had a higher satisfaction level with consumers that used it for basic blending like making smoothies and milkshakes.

Pro Tip: If you expect to use your blender a lot, focus on features before price and compare blenders with similar performance. First identify the different models that make sense for you and only then start looking at prices. Don't make the mistake of comparing prices across all models and then choosing a cheaper option; it probably won't have the performance you need.

Feature #5: Would You Like a Glass or Plastic Jug?

Understand which container is going to best suit the use of your blender. Many hardcore users prefer the durability of glass in that it does not get scratched and has a heavier, high quality feel. You will pay more for glass, and it's worth thinking about whether the benefit is worth the extra cost. Glass might not survive a drop to the floor, so think about who will be using your blender before deciding which container best fits your needs.

If you choose a glass container, ensure you inspect it when you receive your blender. Several reviews commented on cracks or chips in the glass that necessitated an exchange of the blender.

Pro Tip: Ask yourself about the importance of glass vs plastic before buying your blender. Many reviewers expressed buyer's remorse with their choice and wished they had chosen the alternative (glass instead of plastic or plastic instead of glass).

Feature #6: Will Your Blender Mark the Countertop?

This complaint was a surprise. A number of reviewers commented that the rubber feet of their blenders stained or marked their countertop after extended use. Outside of the staining issue, these blenders were still running strong. Several users went as far to get replacement feet or something to cover the feet to keep them from further damaging the countertop.

Pro Tip: Think about the countertop that your blender will be sitting on and see if this could be a long-term problem. If so, always clean under the blender and think about putting the blender away after use to avoid developing stubborn stains.

The above features are the ones that we saw the most complaints about from the reviews on ieatwords.com.au. So what did we learn from 6209 reviews?

If you want to blend, it pays to pay up.

A blender is an appliance where you can end up spending more by spending less. We noticed a lot of consumers were buying cheaper blenders for more heavy duty use. These blenders did not perform as well and also wore out much quicker. By paying for what you need, you can end up having a blender that will last a lot longer, and you will derive more satisfaction from it.

Understand why you want a blender and then think about which model is best for you.

Buying a lower end blender built more for basic tasks and using it for hardcore blending is a great way to waste your money. Before buying, ask yourself what you want to use it for and how that will impact wear and tear on the blender. Once you have answered these questions, only then shortlist the appropriate models and start evaluating prices.

What are the best blenders in Australia?

As of January 2018, out of 109 blenders with reviews, the top five rated by consumers on ieatwords.com.au were:

#1: Optimum 9200A

#2: Optimum 8200

#3: Optimum 9400

#4: Omniblend V

#5: Vitamix Total Nutrition Centre

Rounding out the Top Ten Blenders in Australia are:

#6: Nutri Ninja BL450

#7: Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ System

#8: Vitamix Professional Series 750

#9: Optimum G2.1 Platinum Series

#10: Omniblend I

What are the best places to buy a blender in Australia?

While you can buy a blender in-store, many consumers now buy online. Brands like Froothie (Optimum) and Omniblend focus on selling directly from their websites, while other brands sell both online and in-store through big Australian retail and electronics stores.

You can buy a blender from the following stores in Australia:

• Kitchen Warehouse (4.8 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• Appliances Online (4.0 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• Target (3.0 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• JB Hi-Fi (2.4 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• Kmart (2.4 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• Bing Lee (2.3 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• Harvey Norman (2.3 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• The Good Guys (2.3 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• Big W (2.1 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)
• Myer (2.1 out of 5 Stars on ieatwords)

With a blender, the main advantage of buying in-store is to listen to the noise it produces; this is something you just can't do online. Other than the noise issues and being able to inspect the glass jug for cracks before leaving the store, we have not seen consumers face any significant problems buying online vs in-store.

And there you have it - everything you need to make a better buying decision on your new blender. For more in-depth research, go to ieatwords.com.au's Blenders category to read all the ratings and reviews for 109 models of blenders available in Australia.