Blender Information

A food processor can perform many of the same tasks as a blender -- pureeing soup, whipping up dips, even grinding peanuts into peanut butter. Food processors balk at crushing ice, however. If you want margaritas and smoothies, a blender is your best bet. If you don't plan to make icy drinks, you may want to buy a food processor instead. See our report on food processors.

Hand blenders, also known as stick or immersion blenders, are convenient -- just whip them out, whiz ingredients in the pot they cooked in, and rinse. Although hand blenders cannot replace jug blenders, they can handle small jobs, including emulsions and purees. See our report on hand blenders for more information.

If you can't be without frozen drinks when you are camping, boating or picnicking, there are several unique options. The Waring Tailgater Blender TG15 (*est. $80) plugs into 12-volt cigarette outlets on cars and boats, with an extra-long 15-foot cord. The 48-ounce carafe is shatterproof plastic, while the base is heavy chrome. The Waring blender weighs less than six pounds. The Totally Portable TailGator (*est. $300) doesn't need a source of electricity -- it is gasoline powered, with a 24cc 2-stroke engine. It also has a 48-ounce plastic pitcher. This blender gets a fun write-up from About.com's Guide to Cocktails, Colleen Graham.

If you're ready to work for your smoothie or margaritas, the Vortex Hand Crank Blender (*est. $70) from GSI Outdoors has two gear positions for low and high speed. The base stores inside the pitcher to make the 6-pound unit easier to pack. A c-clamp is used to secure the Vortex when in use.

The Bike Blender by The Juice Peddler is also completely powered by the human body! There are several options with the Bike Blender. One adds a blender to a bicycle you currently own – there is one version for an Xtracycle (*est. $350) and one for any type of bike (*est. $300), or you can purchase an entire bike and blender combo (starts at *est. $690). There's even the Fender Blender (*est. $1,900), a stationary exercise bike with a blender on it. The faster you pedal, the faster the blender spins, so you'd better work those calf muscles if you want a truly smooth smoothie.

We found a helpful comparison chart of blender specs and features at Everything Kitchens, a site that sells blenders and other kitchen gear.

The New York Times published an entertaining article by Rob Walker on Blendtec's "Will It Blend?" marketing campaign.

Manufacturer links:

Bike Blender

Blendtec

Braun

Breville

Cuisinart

Hamilton Beach

KitchenAid

L'Equip

Oster

Vita-Mix

Waring