From The Straits Times    |

Crushing ice, making a smoothie, preparing sambal belachan, a Singaporean favourite – nothing does it better than a blender. AZLINDA SAID does them all with these four machines.

 

Product review: BlendersEditor’s Rave: Philips Viva Blender HR 2170
$109, from major department stores in Singapore

WHAT WORKED It is the lightest of the four tested, has nine speeds, and has separate functions for crushing ice and pulsing. I liked how the suction cups at the bottom gripped my countertop securely. It crushed ice well and turned bananas into medium-sized chunks in less than 10 seconds – I didn’t have to shake the jug at all. The contents poured out easily too; I didn’t need to scrape it.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER It didn’t blend chilli well – I had to add water before the blade could break up the chillies. I also had to scrape out leftover chilli bits from under the blade.  

VERDICT 8.5. Light, easy to use, and blended most foods well. 

 

Tefal blenderBest Value: Tefal Blendforce Glass Blender
$69.90, from major department stores in Singapore

WHAT WORKED It comes with a pulse function and two speeds. It crushed ice and blended bananas quickly, each within 10-15 seconds – the ice was broken up into small chunks, while the fruit became a mushy pulp. I didn’t need to shake the jar to get smooth results. Pouring it all out was easy, no scraping needed. It is as light as the Electrolux, and like it, comes with a spice mill.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER It didn’t do such a good job with chilli. Most parts were ground to a smooth consistency but a large chunk was left behind, which I had to scrape out.

VERDICT 8. Easy to use, and gave the smoothest consistency, except for chilli.

 

Product review: BlendersElectrolux Cruzo Blender EBR 2601
$99, from major department stores in Singapore

WHAT WORKED This relatively light blender comes with a pulse function and three speeds, the last for crushing ice. It worked well on ice and chilli – the ice was nicely crushed and the chilli became a pulp in about 10 seconds. No shaking or stirring needed. It is one of two blenders with a spice mill, and the only one with a stirring stick.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER Bananas were chopped up unevenly – I got several tiny pieces after three seconds but there were rough, uncut chunks left behind. I had to add water to get it started again.

VERDICT 7.5. Good for blending hard food, but needed a lot of prodding and stirring for soft food.

 

Product review: BlendersEuropace 6-in-1 Multifunctional Deluxe Blender EBL A700
$159, from major department stores in Singapore

WHAT WORKED Its LCD panel has seven functions – pulsing, mixing, chopping, blending, liquefying, pureeing and crushing ice. There is also a timer that shows you the duration of the blending process. Ice was crushed within 10 seconds.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER It is the heaviest, making it harder to move around. There was a large piece of chilli left behind, even after I’d blended it for about a minute and added water. The bananas were chopped into medium bits, but didn’t pour out from the jug easily.

VERDICT 7. It’s heavy, and doesn’t grind food as finely as the rest. The LCD display makes it idiot-proof.

 

This article was originally published in Simply Her September 2012.

*All blenders were moderately noisy and all the removable parts could be easily cleaned. No stains or smells were left behind.

All product and pricing information was correct at the time of the magazine’s publication. We advise readers to check with the store for the latest availability and pricing information.