Smoothie Maker Vs. Blender

What's Your Need?
The debate over a smoothie maker or blender can be solved by understanding your need for the appliance, your budget, and the space available in the kitchen.

The basic purpose of both the kitchen machines is to crush, grind, and pulverize the food items into powder form or a smooth paste. However, there are innumerable tiny details that make the two stand apart from each other.

Both these appliances are very important to make a kitchen well-equipped to serve all kinds of demands. The basic difference between the two is that a smoothie maker is specifically meant for making smoothies, while a blender can be used to make many other things besides a smoothie.

Before buying a kitchen appliance, it is important to understand all the possible differences to make an informed decision. So, before you decide to spend on a smoothie maker or a blender, here are a few differences that you must consider.

Smoothie Maker Vs. Blender

Basic Purpose

The purpose of the two appliances determines the main difference in what the two were designed to do. A blender is a very important appliance in a kitchen as it proves to be extremely helpful in day-to-day cooking. For instance, it is designed to perform several functions, such as crushing, pulverizing, liquefying, and making puree out of varied substances.

A smoothie maker is specially made to assist in making smoothies. Thus, it performs better than blenders when it comes to making smoothies. Its blades are specifically designed to chop fruits at a faster speed. As smoothie makers have a singular function, their capacity is lesser than that of blenders.

Design and Functionality

Blenders are bigger in volume when compared to smoothie makers. They have a pitcher on top where all the ingredients to be blended are put in and blended together. It comes in different shapes and sizes. For instance, one can buy a handheld blender that has no container of its own, but can be directly used with a utensil. A blender blends or crushes the items, but a smoothie maker is the one you need to liquefy the food solids.

A smoothie making unit has basic functions such as 'on' and 'off'. Thus, less number of functions can be performed with it. A smoothie maker is usually designed with two detachable units. One is a basic pitcher-lookalike unit with a spout to pour out the drink, while the other one is a cup. This allows the user to make the drink in the cup, and then use the same to sip from. Smoothie makers also have a built-in stir stick that is used to scrape the ingredients that are stuck on the sides and ensure proper blending.

Quality Concerns

A true chef or a culinary enthusiast can understand the actual need to have two separate appliances in the kitchen. A blender will only mix the products that you've put in it. However, it will not give you the exact smooth texture that a smoothie requires.

A smoothie maker is perfectly suited for making healthy summer drinks. The grainy texture of berries, the unevenly cut fruit pieces, and the softness of green vegetables can be derived well when put in a smoothie maker. This appliance ensures the end result to be a much silkier and smoother drink in comparison to what a blender can deliver. The taste may remain the same, but the enhanced texture is what changes the experience for the drinker.

Maintenance

The maintenance and cleaning of your kitchen appliances largely depend upon the model. The more number of attachments your blender may have, the more complicated it will be to clean all the parts. Simpler the blender, simpler is its maintenance.

A smoothie maker can take a little more time and effort to clean as it comes with accessories. Each one of them will have to be washed and dried. It is important to keep these appliances clean at all times as they are prone to grow fungi and fester bacteria.

The choice between the two purely depends upon the need for the product. However, it is only wise to own two separate appliances as it prevents mixing of different odors and bringing about the much-needed finesse to the quality of food.