Picture yourself on a beach front under a large umbrella, relaxing on a lounge chair, while sipping on a frozen margarita. The only thing is that it’s 3 pm and you are stick in the office while you get this sudden craving for a margarita. But since you are in the office, your realize that you can’t be sipping margaritas.
You choose to go for a smoothie instead. Despite the healthier choice though, you realize that you still cannot whip up anything, not because you lack ingredients, but because you lack that one piece of equipment needed to make that smoothie – a blender.
Blended drinks are all the craze these days. Whether they be smoothies, frappucinos or frozen margaritas, many people tend to crave for blended drinks. They aren’t so complicated to make for as long as you have a blender on hand. Fortunately, someone has thought of inventing the portable blender to make life easier for blended drink lovers. If you are one of them, you might want to consider owning one yourself.
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What is a portable blender?
If you are familiar with traditinoal blenders, you will be glad to know that portable blenders are pretty much the same as their countertop counterparts minus the bulkiness. These gadgets are able to crush, chop, pulverize and liquefy ingredients in the same manner as regular blenders or food processors.
The good thing about portable blenders though is that they are comparatively lightweight and small so you can move them around with ease. Because of their size, you can place them on any part of your kitchen and even store them without having to worry much about space. They come complete with accessories too!
Some of them have mixing chambers that are equipped with lids so they can be easily converted to tumblers for your convenience. With portable blenders, there can be no limit to your creativity since these portable blenders are not meant for blended drinks alone.
They can also be used to make soups, dips, sauces – practically anything that will need blending. When it comes to operating power, these portable blenders don’t require much. Some can even run on batteries or USB power so you won’t always need to look for any nearby power supply.
The only downside though to portable blenders is their capacity and motor power. These can be pretty limited due to th blender’s size, but there are ways in which to go about these limitations.
What to know about portable blenders
When getting a portable blender, you would still have to temper expectations. Blenders, after all, are all about power.. You cannot expect the same amount of power in portable blenders since these won’t be able to accommodate bigger motors that can deliver the same amount of power as seen in traditional blenders. Nevertheless, these portable blenders can still deliver. There are also ways that can be used in order to overcome the shortcomings that portable blenders may have.
Ingredients with “softer” textures are most ideal for portable blenders. Regardless of texture though, it should be remembered that ingredients must be cut into large chunks not bigger than half an inch.
Portable blenders can handle ingredients with harder textures though such as cartos and celery. However, when blending these types of food in portable blenders, you must remember to pass the through a strainer in order to avoid the lumps.
Harder ingredients such as ice are more difficult to manage in portable blenders, although it is still possible crush these using this gadget. In the case of ice, it would be best to add a bit of water in order for the motor not to get stuck during operation. While crushing the ice, slowly tilt the blender in order for the ice to easily reach the blades of the blender. Occasionally shake the blender in order to equally crush the ice as well.
What to look for in a personal blender?
Personal blenders can come with many additional features, but there are very practical basics that you should look for in order fo you to make the most out of your portable blender.
Check the number of to-go cups that come along with the blender. Although these blenders are meant to produce single servings, there may be times when you may want to make multiple servings of the same kind of drink for others. Having to-go cups will make it easier for you to distribute those drinks to different people.
Blender Sizes
Just how much drinks do you plan to have in one blending cycle? Do you plan to have the same drink in multiple servings or do you plan to create different types of drinks per cycle? Having the option of choosing amongst different serving sizes will make it easier for you to adjust sizes according to your daily preference.
Power
Power is a big deal when it comes to blemders. This can be measured through the blender’s wattage. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the blender. Try to see what kind of ingredients you plan to use for your blender. Soft-textured ingredients will not need a high wattage unlike food with harder texture. Do plan wisely.
Overall Dimensions
The word “portable” is actually quite relative, although all of these will come in, more or less, handy sizes. Despite their small size though, it will still be better for you to check the blender’s size to make sure that they do fit in your bag. You wouldn’t want to have regrets of buying a blender that won’t fit in any of your daily bags.
Portable blenders are a convenient way to create drinks and other liquid types of food that you would want to make. They may indeed be useful enough to add to your daily lifestyle. However, making a good choice is needed if you want to choose a gadget that will best serve your needs.