blenders

Anyone care to share their recomendations for a decent blender? I'd obviously love a Kitchen Aid but not sure I can get away with spending that much.

My first inclination is to say I only want it to make smoothies (more fruit, less fat, New Years resolutions and all that) and so am not concerned with being able to crush ice, but thinking about summer... and margaritas... I can't guarantee that I don't want a powerful one. But I'm assuming that I'd have to pay accordingly for that.

So what does everyone have and how do they like it?

I just bought a hand blender and I like it more than my old cuisinart stand alone blender. 

I use my hand blender for smoothies every morning.  I think it's a breville.  And the end comes off the motor part so it is easy cleaning. 

I'd obviously love a Kitchen Aid but not sure I can get away with spending that much.

Aaaaw. When I saw the subject heading, I immediately got excited about extolling the virtues of the stupendous KitchenAid blender!!

Before I got my KitchenAid, I had a Kenwood and honestly I didn't like it at all. It wasn't powerful enough for me. I guess it depends on what you're going to be using it for. I use lots of ice in my smoothies (just juice, fruit and ice as I don't like dairy in a smoothie), and the Kenwood just didn't cut it.

I forgot all about this thread!!! Now with the vet bill we're facing I'm sure dh won't let me stump up for a Kitchen Aid.... I think I could get away with a less powerful one for smoothies because when I used to make them (in the US I had a lovely blender  ) I used frozen bananas which took the place of ice and were easier to blend. But the more I think about margaritas, etc. the more I think maybe I should just wait until I can get a Kitchen Aid....

I got a Russell Hobbs Smoothie Maker from Robert Dyas for about 20 quid when I started South Beach last year (so, for same initial purposes) - it crushes ice, etc.  (not nearly as perfectly as a Kitchen Aid would I'm sure, but) I love it.  It's got a cool little spigot on the side that you can use instead of taking the whole thing off to pour out.

Hmmm. That might be a more practical solution. I just looked on ebay and even there a KitchenAid is £100 or so....

I recommend having a gander around a Robert Dyas (I LOVE that place anyway) - they have a great selection to choose from, and where I went, a well-informed staff, which I was under the impression that's at every store.

Oh yeah, Robert Dyas is fab!
When i worked in Croydon, there was one right across the road, and i killed many a lunch hour browsing there!

I have a Breville Classique which I adore.  Glass jug (read hard wearing) and blades strong enough to crush good sized (read US size) ice cubes.  Had it for 6 year and no probs.

Where did you get it, Cait?  Was it expensive?

Strikes me that it was Comet or Currys and it was somewhere around the £50 mark.

What about a Magic Bullet blender? anyone have on?  I really want a KitchenAid but don't think we can afford it...

What about a Magic Bullet blender? anyone have on?  I really want a KitchenAid but don't think we can afford it...

I have one in the UK AND the US...use it for smoothies and cafe mochas all the time!

;-)