If you desire to puree soups, smoothies, baby food, ice coffee drinks or just about anything else, you’re going to need to purchase a blending tool. However, the world of blending tools is a complex one, and if you’re new it’s hard to know where to start. This straightforward guide will tell you which blending tools are best for pureeing different foods.

Handheld Immersion Blenders

These are blenders that you just immerse into the same pot where you’re cooking the food that you want to puree. There are many advantages to this type of blender: they’re smaller so they take up less counter space; they’re quieter, easier to clean, and less expensive than full-sized blenders; and they’re great for travel use. However, they’re less powerful than full sized blenders, so they’re really only ideal for blending softer foods. For instance, handheld blenders are not able to crush ice or mash uncooked potatoes.

The handheld immersion blenders work best for:

  • Frothing milk in coffee drinks
  • Whisking eggs
  • Pureeing soups made with very soft produce
  • Mixing smoothies made with very soft produce
  • Blending soft or liquid batters
  • Blending soft baby foods while traveling

Some of the best-reviewed brands of handheld immersion blenders are the KitchenAid KHB100 (about $50) and the Cuisinart SmartStick CSB-76 (about $30).

Blenders

Blenders come in all different shapes, sizes, and price points. This can be to your advantage because you can buy the blender that is just perfect for your needs.

Budget Blenders
If you primarily intend to make soups and smoothies with soft fruits, then a less powerful budget blender will probably suit your needs. However, take note that most budget blenders do a poor job of crushing ice, so this is not a good choice if you want to make iced coffee or other icy drinks.
Among the best-reviewed budget class blenders are the Oster 12-Speed Osterizer 6663 (about $40), the Braun PowerMax MX2050 (about $50), and the Oster Classic Beehive Blender (about $60).

Best-value Blenders
If you need a blender that can puree harder foods such as carrots and squash for making baby foods or soups, then you’ll want to spend a little more for something more powerful. These blenders can easily crush ice and the hardest of foods.

Among the best-reviewed and best-valued class of blenders are the Oster Fusion BRLY07 (about $70), the Oster Counterforms BVLB07-L (about $90), and the KitchenAid Custom Blender KSB560 (about $100).

Heavy-duty Blenders
Heavy-duty blenders can blend the same hard foods that best-valued blenders can, but they can do it quicker and easier. Typically they will last longer also. So if you need to blend up tough, raw, or hard foods on a regular basis, you’ll want to invest in a heavy-duty blender.

Among the best-reviewed heavy-duty blenders are the Waring Commercial 7011S/7011G 2-Speed Blender (about $225), the Vita-Mix 5200 (about $450), and the Blendtec Total Blender ($400).

Food Processors

Food processors are usually more expensive than blenders, and unlike even heavy-duty blenders they can blend a huge amount of food at once. For this reason they’re generally reserved for commercial-grade use. However, many people who puree foods more than once a day or puree a lot of food at home report they like having the extra capacity of a food processor. You can puree just about anything in a matter of seconds with a food processor. However, they’re louder and take up more space than blenders.

Among the best-reviewed food processors include the Cuisinart DLC-2014 food processor (about $300) and the KitchenAid KFPM770 (about $270).

To locate the blender user’s manual or the food processor user’s manual for the model you already own, visit the OwnerIQ Library.