Smoothie Maker Facts – Helpful Things You May Not Be Aware Of

So you’ve heard of the immense health benefits of green smoothies and finally decided to give it a try. You mixed your fruits, ice and veggies in your trusty regular blender and found it greatly refreshing and delicious. The apples, bananas, strawberries and kale allowed you to consume the necessary helping of fruits and vegetables everyday. You already had the perfect morning and afternoon drink except for one thing: Instead of a well-blended drink, you got uncrushed ice, fruits and veggies getting into your mouth which makes drinking your smoothies a bit inconvenient.

What do you do to rectify the problem? The answer basically lies in two words: Smoothie maker.

Whereas a blender is for general kitchen use, a smoothie maker is specifically made with smoothies in mind. Ingredients for smoothies usually include fruits, vegetables, yogurt and some crushed ice as staples. Athletes sometimes mix protein powders in them while others throw milk or some almonds in their mixture. Whatever the composition, your machine is sure to grind, pulverize and mash all these to a pulp so you get to enjoy a totally smooth smoothie.

A smoothie maker has a more powerful motor compared to a traditional blender, thus enabling it to better mix ice and frozen fruits. It only has three to five speeds since it is only used to make smoothies. Its pitcher utilizes a narrow cone shaped design that deposits ice and fruit directly to the blade assembly, making ice crushing and blending faster, more efficient. But the most striking difference one can see in a smoothie machine is the cup holder and dispensing spout built into the pitcher. Found at the bottom of the pitcher, the spout allows you to fill a cup without taking the entire pitcher off its base. Moreover, a smoothie maker usually comes with a so-called “stir stick,” a long plastic cylinder that fits into the mixing chamber and helps blend the ingredients without the need to stop blending and opening the lid. This practically answers the problems with some blenders regarding the “dead zone” in the middle that had to be remedied by stopping the mixing procedure, opening the lid and stirring the ingredients with a spoon to make it blend easily. Even more helpful is the presence of measurements on the side of the mixing chamber that aid you in making the perfect smoothie. Computerized timers and cycles in some models blend the ingredients, allow it to sit for a time, then blend it again for a more satisfying drink.

Before buying your smoothie maker, look for reviews online since it can be confusing to choose among the different prices, styles and features made by different manufacturers. The price varies widely, too, depending on a unit’s functions and other considerations. It can go as low as US$ 30 to as high as over US$ 200, depending on the maker and features. However, you could get one that would suit your needs for $ 55-$ 65.

With smoothie makers, you won’t ever have to worry again about drinking bits and pieces of uncrushed ice and fruit into your smoothie.