If you’re looking to whip up a refreshing smoothie or a satisfying soup, having the appropriate tools is essential. However, not all blenders are alike – and their prices can vary greatly, from $30 all the way up to over $600! This guide aims to assist you in finding the perfect blender that meets your specific requirements.
There are a lot of different styles of industrial blenders. It’s essential to get one with the latest technology for your application.
Choosing the right blender is vital to producing a quality product for your customers. You can’t always trust local job shops or used equipment dealers. A trusted toll processor can provide a custom process solution at a reasonable price.
Determine the Right Blender Type for Your Needs
Before shopping, decide what you’ll use your blender for and how often. For example, if you are blending drinks on the go, consider a portable blender with an ergonomic lid that’s safe to use while driving. Or, if you are making meals for a family or group of friends, opt for a high-powered blender with multiple speeds that can handle tough ingredients like ice and hard nuts.
If you are blending hot liquids, ensure your blender has a sturdy glass pitcher that can withstand the heat and doubles as a measuring cup. Or, if you prefer to avoid plastic, opt for a stainless steel jar. Remember that various pots are available, from round to square, with multiple capacities and finishes. The shape of the jar will also affect how easy it is to clean. Round jars are more common and may be easier to grip, but they can have trouble blending all of the ingredients in corners, while square pots can be more challenging to get into and require more cleaning effort.
Power
Fluidizer blenders, also known as fluidizing paddle mixers, cut mixing times significantly, making them ideal for products with varying densities. They have smaller, differently shaped paddles set farther apart and spun faster than you’d see on ribbon blenders. They are a more gentle option when handling sensitive or delicate materials than ribbon blenders. Adding a VFD to a fluidizing blender lets you control the mixing speed for the perfect blend.
Size
Unlike a typical blender, fluidizers are much bigger and have blades that can vary in size to meet your needs. They are ideal for mixing granules and powders with varying densities. Liquidizers also have sharper edges to handle more challenging ingredients.
Although they’re relatively new to the American industrial mixer scene, fluidizers have a high mixing efficiency and can be used for almost any product. These machines look like ribbon blenders on the outside but have large groups of fluidizer blades going in different directions, resulting in superior mixing speed and gentle handling of products.
The best part is these machines cost no more than other industrial blenders and can be paired with a VFD to reduce operating costs further. This makes them an excellent investment.
Convenience
A fluidizer blender can mix materials of different particle sizes and densities. It can also be very gentle when handling fragile or heat-sensitive products.
Although the fluidizer blender is relatively new on the industrial blending scene, it offers many benefits that may need to be apparent from a quick look. Its blades are much smaller and differently shaped, set at decreasing distances along the shaft, and rotate much faster than those on a ribbon or paddle blender.
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Durability
Fluidizers are a recent addition to the industrial blender lineup. They’re ideal for blending dry and semi-dry materials that are free-flowing and non-cohesive, and they can handle a wide range of particle sizes and densities. Because of this, they offer high mixing efficiency and can be more gentle on your products than other industrial mixers like ribbon and paddle-type blenders. When choosing a fluidizer blender, look for fabricators who use solid stainless steel instead of stainless clad carbon in vessel walls and agitator shafts to avoid the potential of iron oxide contamination over time. Ensure the fabricator uses a mechanical seal rather than packing glands for a more durable and reliable solution.
Find a Model that Fits Your Budget
A blender can be a significant investment, but you don’t have to break the bank to get a quality model. Plenty of affordable blenders on the market offer surprisingly robust features. For example, a mid-range blender that can crush ice and make soups will cost around the same as a high-end model with all the bells and whistles.
Test Your Blender to Ensure It Works Well
Flow testing is only one of the practical suggestions due to the expense, but it can improve the selection of the correct blender and the device’s performance during operation. Unless you’re working with a specific, easily-defined material that has consistent characteristics, it’s a good idea to run at least a few batches through a blender before finalizing your purchase.
