Jug blender first look reviews Lakeland Compact Blender
Lakeland's new Compact Blender
The Lakeland Compact Blender promises to be a valuable kitchen aid for those who like to blend ‘little and often’. It has a smaller capacity than a standard jug blender but claims not to compromise on performance. We take a first look to find out if this diminutive model can still deliver excellent blending results…
At £34.99, the Lakeland Compact Blender isn’t cheap - full-sized jug blenders start from just £10 and there are some excellent jug blenders available for around £25. But this model has a glass jug and smart brushed steel base, so has the look and feel of a premium model.
With a maximum capacity of 800ml, it’s around half the capacity of the average jug blender (1.5L). For those with limited kitchen space who only need to blend small batches, this compact model may be attractive, but is it any good?
Good blending results
In our quick tryout, we thought the Lakeland Compact Blender seemed to be very effective at blending. Frozen fruit smoothies were easily blended and there were no visible lumps when we sieved our smoothie after blending - just a couple of raspberry pips.
Smoothies were well blended
Despite its compact size, it easily blended enough mixture for a pint-glass sized smoothie – more than enough to keep our researcher going.
Although small, this blender felt sturdy in use. Suction pads on the base help to hold it in place, and on the whole it felt secure and stable.
It also didn’t seem excessively loud for a blender when we tried it out, although you would probably need to raise your voice to speak over it.
Controls are simple, but some niggles
The controls on the Lakeland Compact Blender are nice and simple; there are two speeds and a pulse button, which are clearly marked. However, we found the speed control switch a little tricky to use as the ‘off’ position is in the middle, and sometimes we accidentally switched to a higher speed instead of off.
The glass jug slots easily onto the base and can be used in either a left or right-handed position. Glass jugs can be rather cumbersome, but this one wasn’t too heavy. The lid was easy to fit but we found it difficult to remove as it lies flush with the lip of the jug with only a very small grip at the back.
The Compact Blender is smaller than a conventional blender
Compact blender
This model lives up to its name – it won’t take up much space in your kitchen. The cord is rather short though, so you’ll need to be within easy reach of a plug socket.
The smart finish of the Lakeland Compact Blender will certainly look good on your kitchen countertop. We found the brushed steel finish was easily marked with fingerprints though, so it could need extra work to keep mark-free.
Which? first look verdict
If you want a compact jug blender for your everyday smoothie fix and the odd blending task, the Lakeland Compact Blender could be a good option. But if you like to make big batches of soup, or have more demanding blending needs, you may want to consider one of our full-sized Best Buy jug blenders.
Pros: Compact, seems well-built, good initial blending results
Cons: Short cord, lid is difficult to remove
- Is making your own smoothies worth it? Find out in jug blender FAQs
- If you prefer making juice to smoothies, you'll need a Best Buy juicer
- More blending gadgets: read about the best hand blenders