February 2003
It was not until I purchased a Vita Prep blender that I realized that not all blenders were created equal - I decided this was article material!



We put the blenders of four well-known companies to the test taking the following elements into consideration. Noise level, physical look, color range, materials used for construction, jug type, ease of cleaning, emulsifying, chopping, blending, pureeing and grinding proficiency. These were measured in relation to the machine's price tag and graded like a good old school report - A, B, and C etc.

Kitchen Aid Model KSB5SSOB
List Price $120
The kitchen Aid "5 Speed Professional" series is more gauged towards the home kitchen of a serious cook; it is however readily available though commercial wholesalers. Manufactured in numerous colors the "Professional 5's" construction offers a modern looking piece of equipment. The machine's straight-sided jug is made of stainless steal with the measuring markers logically painted inside the jug. The Kitchen Aid's motor was able to tackle the emulsification work, blending and pureeing without a problem - B+, chopping was a challenge - scoring a C, but was unable to make a dent in the chick pea grinding task - scoring an F. With reference to cleaning - the blade is mounted on a white piece of plastic which will eventually turn brown - not such a good thing. This machine is not too noisy, with the color options taken into account and its good looks it would make a great fit for an open kitchen that needs to finish soups and sauces during service.

Hamilton Beach Model 91555
List Price $620
H.B's blenders are well known on the bar front but not so well used for in the back of the house. So when I opened the box of their 91555 model I was really surprised. From the machine's appearance it looks as if this is Hamilton Beach's response to Vita-Mix's Vita-Prep. The 91555 is a well-built piece of equipment, with a cool, curvaceous retro look. The motor offers three different program cycles with the addition of a pulse action and has a built in safety sensor - the machine stops when the jug is removed. The three program cycles control how quickly the machine achieves full speed and can only be used in conjunction with its timer which runs for up to one minute. The machine's square slanted jug has it measurement markings painted on and its wide bottom offers the easiest cleaning of all the blenders. Put to the test it gets an A+ for all the duties with the exception of grinding where it was a little challenged and scored a B+. For such a powerful machine it is delightfully quiet. With its sturdy construction it offers itself as a well-built addition to any professional kitchen that needs equipment that lasts (or one that has a bunch of six fingered monkeys working in it).

Waring Model Blendfast HPB270
List Price $442
Waring's Blendfast is a good commercial blender. It offers no fancy speed settings (hi and low only) and is really noisy! But with the glamour aspects pushed to the side it is a good workhorse. It blitzed through the basic tasks scoring an A and proved to be the superior of all the machines in the grinding challenge - a definite A+. At a cost of around $442 - $200 less than the other high power machines, it offers itself as a good option if you need several machines within a budget and are not planning to use them in an open kitchen.

Waring Model Quik Stik WSB33
List Price $98

Vita Mix
Model Vita Prep
List Price $765