The best part of warm weather might be the cold drinks- summer means that you can finally enjoy milkshakes and frappes and best of all… smoothies. Whether you’re aiming for the healthy version of a liquid diet or an adult version for a day on the beach, you’ll need a way to crush all that ice to make your drinks nicely-textured. High power blenders have been around for a long time, but have traditionally been limited to restaurants and retailers that need the power- and can afford the big pricetags.
The Cleandblend Blender takes a heavy-duty commercial motor (three horsepower, 1800-watt) but puts it in a package that is designed for the home consumer. It’s got the shatterproof, near-unbreakable BPA-free plastic container and a tamper to help you push everything into the blades. The controls are simple, but offer variable power levels and a pulse mode. They don’t offer a lot of different models, and not even a variety of colors- just the one, and your options are black, black, or black. And the jar is plastic instead of glass, but that cuts down on weight, is more durable, and it’s what the pros use too.
The Cleanblend is fairly tall, so make sure you measure your counters/cabinets to make sure that it can fit in your kitchen. It’s pretty loud, because it’s so powerful- and while you could opt for a model with a silencing enclosure, you could also just make sure you don’t blend first thing in the morning (or at least make sure that your roommates, neighbors, or children are awake first). And there are some rough edges: literally. The container had a edge that was a bit sharp, and the lid isn’t as well sealed as some models you may have used. And the Cleanblend doesn’t pour as smoothly as some. Finally, a bit ironically, it’s not dishwasher-safe- but that’s not unusual and you can clean blenders easily by adding some hot water and a bit of soap and running the unit for a moment.
That might sound a bit harsh. But we’ve been testing out the Cleanblend at the office and at home, and even in a cafe environment, and it’s held up very well to some serious abuse. Whole fruits, even nuts, have met their match. With a five year warranty, you can rest assured that your blender will last. And there is even an automatic overload protection to prevent against overheating. Best of all, the Cleanblend boasts a price tag that will impress anyone, and it’s available now online and in stores for around $180, a fraction of the high-end models but with similar power and features.
