Best blenders for summer smoothiesWhich? reviews the best blenders for summer drinks
31 May 2010
The stylish Kenwood kMix blender
Make delicious frozen cocktails and cold drinks this summer using the latest Best Buy blenders, expertly tested in the Which? labs.
New reviews of the latest blenders from Kenwood, KitchenAid, Breville and Cuisinart boost the number of models in our blenders review to 31.
Cooling drinks are a must when the sun is shining and Which? experts have blended and juiced over 400kg of fruit and vegetables since 2006 to bring you the best performing jug blenders to make preparing summer drinks a breeze.
Jug blenders excel at blending, pureeing and making drinks such as smoothies and milkshakes. Some, however, have extra potential.
Cuisinart Soup Maker
The innovative Cuisinart Soup Maker features a heating plate so you can cook as well as blend. It promises to be a one-stop appliance for making soup from start to finish - but has it lived up to its claims?
Find out what our lab experts thought by going straight to our jug blenders review.
Stylish blenders
We have results for some of the most stylish blenders around at the moment, including the retro Kenwood kMix blender (pictured), the brand new KitchenAid Artisan power blender and the new Russell Hobbs Platinum blender.
How we test jug blenders
Which? blenders expert Lisa Galliers says: 'We've put a diverse selection of blenders through our lab tests - so whether you're looking for a cheap and cheerful blender, a fashion-forward model or a blender offering the latest innovative features, check out the latest Best Buy blenders before you hit the shops.
'In our expert lab tests we take hundreds of readings and rate blender performance for a range of tasks, from making smoothies to blending soup and making mayonnaise, which is really tricky to mix properly.
'And we don't just test for performance. A range of convenience factors are assessed too, including how easy the blenders are to use, to clean and even to store.
'A good blender will be simple to use without complicated or awkward controls. It will be fairly quiet and will have a detachable blade unit, which makes cleaning much easier.'
Latest jug blenders tested
The full list of jug blenders tested is: Cuisinart Soup Maker, Gordon Ramsay's professional blender, Antony Worrall Thompson by Breville Intelligent blender, Kenwood kMix BLX52, Argos Value liquidiser, Philips HR2000, Breville BL18, Philips HR2020, Russell Hobbs 14500 Platinum, Salter Essentials blender, Kenwood BL450 and the KitchenAid 5KSB55 Artisan.
If you're looking for an appliance with a bit more flexibility than a jug blender, we also have 30 food processor reviews or for something smaller, 14 hand blender reviews.
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Kitchen gadgets on test
Which? can help you kit out your kitchen - we've independently reviewed large and small appliances from the leading brands, at all price ranges, including:
- built-in ovens, cookers and hobs
- fridge freezers, dishwashers and microwave ovens
- coffee makers, kettles and toasters
You can read the results of our latest tests and see the products we recommend as Which? Best Buys, as well as the ones we don't.
