A Commercial Blender Offers Power and Durability For Homes and Businesses

A commercial blender is a must have for a restaurant or smoothie shop and it can be a great fit for most homeowners as well. Find out which are the best commercial blenders.

Blendtec Total Blender

The blender is often the unsung hero of the kitchen. It certainly makes life much easier for some cooks, but too many individuals invest in models that will break after a bit of hard use. If you plan on using your blender consistently, you may want to take the time to consider buying a commercial blender. It costs a bit more than a standard model, but it can be worth the cost for some.

How Does a Commercial Blender Work?

A commercial blender works in a manner that is identical to a typical consumer blender. One starts by loading the device with the food to be blended. The holding area may resemble a large covered bowl or a carafe, and should be fairly durable. The machine then uses a blade of variable speed, powered by a motor, to quickly chop and blend together the food. The end product will be a seamlessly blended combination of the foods that have been put in, with the consistency generally determined by the speed at which the blade had been set by the owner.

The Advantages of Commercial Blenders

There are a number of advantages to using a commercial blender instead of a standard consumer model, but perhaps the most important is the level of wear and tear that the machine is able to endure. Unlike typical blenders, these models are designed to not only stand up to repeated use but to endure a great deal of punishment when used.

Consider the average commercial kitchen - things may need to be blended all day long, and the blender must stand up to the punishment for months or even years at a time. If you find that your blender usage has led to having to buy too many replacements over the years, you might want to consider spending the money to replace your current consumer model with a more robust commercial model.

The Disadvantages

Of course, the price of the blender itself can often lead to the largest downside of purchasing such a product. The average home makes rather sporadic use of the device, and perhaps only brings it out on very special occasions. In such cases, even a consumer-quality device can actually last for years. As commercial blenders tend to cost over two hundred dollars even at the lower end of the scale, one might end up paying far more for a device that will simply not see the necessary use.

While there is certainly no real downside to the usage of a commercial blender even in any circumstance, it is quite easy for the common homeowner to grossly overpay for a device that simply will not see enough use to justify its purpose. If you only plan on using your blender to make relatively easy-to-blend dishes in rare circumstances, you may not be well served by spending the money on a commercial model.

What to Look for When Shopping

When you have finally decided to buy a commercial blender, you should take the time to look for a few key elements before making your purchase. First and foremost, you should take the time to look for a model that boasts relatively high durability. You can look at customer reviews and tell which models last and which don't. Also a warranty longer than a year usually indicates a high quality, durable product.

If you are planning on using the blender frequently, you should make sure that it will stand up to the punishment. This means a machine with both a strong base and a strong container. In a high use setting containers often get knocked around and dropped so you better make sure you get one that won't break. I like to look for food containers made out of a polycarbonate material which combines the positive characteristics of both glass and plastic carafes.

You should also look for a product with a reasonably high-speed motor and enough blending capacity to satisfy your needs. If you're going to be using your commercial blender a lot, then you'll want a machine that blends tough ingredients very quickly. I know I don't want to wait around too long for my smoothie, especially if I'm drinking a couple a day, every day.

It may take time to find a model that has all three of these qualities, but they can be found with a bit of effort. It is also wise to make sure that any commercial blender that you purchase comes with some kind of limited mechanical warranty; if such a blender breaks, you need to be able to replace the defective parts inexpensively.

Top Commercial Blender Models

VitaMix 4500 Blender

There are a number of great commercial blender models on the market, each of which has some strong selling points. Blendtec makes a commercial blender with a 3 horsepower motor that works well for multiple types of blending. The Blendtec Total Blender is one of the strongest, most durable blenders on the market. It can grind just about anything to a pulp. It has multiple speed options to suit any ingredient. The ingredient jar is made out of sturdy polycarbonate material so it won't break when you drop it.

Other owners really love this machine and give it very high ratings for quality, durability, and efficiency. The Blendtec Total Blender also comes with a 3 year warranty on the motor and a 1 year warranty on the jar and blade. I have an in-depth Blendtec Total blender review on this site where you can read more. Click here to check for the best prices on the Blendtec Total Blender.

The Vitamix 4500 blender is another excellent commercial blender. The Vitamix is powerful and sturdy enough to work well for common blender usage. It has a 2 horsepower engine that will blend just about anything in seconds. Like the Blendtec it also has a non-toxic, clear polycarbonate jar that is very durable and strong. The Vitamix comes with a 5 year warranty on the entire machine.

The Vitamix 4500 is also very easy to operate with a simple on-off switch. When you buy this blender you also get a cool recipe book with over 150 recipes. You can read more in my Vitamix 4500 blender review. To look for the best prices for the Vitamix Turboblend 4500 Countertop Blender, click here.

Waring MegaMix Pro Blender MBB518

Another good option for a commercial blender that is much cheaper than the Vitamix and Blendtec models is the Waring MegaMix HPB300 Commercial Blender. These models are fairly well known for their reliability, durability, and overall workhorse construction. The Waring MegaMix comes with a 1 horsepower engine and a 5 year warranty. The pitcher is also nice and sturdy, built of polycarbonate material. It has a simple high, low, and off switch so there is no need to worry about different settings, making this machine a snap to use. Owners also talk about how easy this blender is to clean.

You can read more in my detailed Waring MegaMix HPB300 Commercial Blender review. Click here to find the best prices for the Waring HPB300 MegaMix Commercial Blender.

Conclusion

Commercial blenders are quite useful for not only those that work in restaurants but for those that see quite a bit of usage out of their blenders. While they may be a bit too expensive for those that only blend on occasion, they can be quite helpful for those that use them more often in the cooking process. Always look for a durable model while shopping, and be careful to choose one of the popular models that fits your particular needs.