Smoothies have easily captured the hearts of many.  Fruit drink lovers or health buffs easily got hooked.  Smoothies are basically thick and smooth versions of your favorite fruit shake, which gets its consistency from other additional ingredients such as yogurt and even milk or ice cream in some experimental cases at home.  Back in the day, the ever reliable blender is what we run to for a quick shake fix.  But with modernization comes more and more innovations, such as the different types of juicers and smoothie makers in the market today.  While you used to need a heavy duty carrot juicer or a similarly strong machine to chop through ice and hard vegetables like carrots, these days a powerful blender can do the trick.

A smoothie maker exactly resembles the usual kitchen blender on the outside.  Practically a mirror image, the difference lies in its machine and blades.  Ice being a major component of a smoothie and taking into consideration the thickness of the resultant drink, it is just imperative to have a machine that could perform a heavier load.  Although a regular blender could serve this function well, if you just love the drink and do not grow tired of preparing a smoothie every single day, you are just putting the blender at risk and possible retirement.  Ice has to be totally crushed and the fruit has to be liquefied to produce a perfect smoothie.  A rather smooth result with bits and pieces in between slurps is just as good as a shake.

Other differences of note are the usual presence of a spout at the bottom of the canister and a stirrer stick or spatula.  The Back to Basics smoothie maker is a good example of this design. The spout is your smoothie’s exit point, unlike that of a regular blender, which has a common entry and exit portal.  You need to lift the canister, take off the lid and pour the drink.  Care must be taken though with regard to the spout, as it can get jammed with leftover smoothie, un-crushed fruit fiber or even tiny seeds.  You have to double check before keeping it to ensure proper functioning and longevity.  The stick aids in mixing and pureeing the fruits while doing your own smoothie concoction.

There have been incessant comparisons and debates over which is better between a smoothie maker and a regular machine, such as a Cuisinart blender.  Although many would attest to the versatility of a blender over a smoothie, it still cannot produce a drink that lives up to its moniker.  That is the reason why it was called such, and here you are, claiming to be gulping down a smoothie that does not happen to have the smoothest consistency after all.  Maybe it is just a matter of perception, but smoothie makers were not invented without a purpose.  If a blender could do so well in coming up with a smoothie, then smoothie makers would not have made it to the sales racks.  Of course there will be endless comparisons, but what’s important is, as long as it lives up to your expectations and yields good results, then there is nothing wrong with it.

One final note to keep in mind is that a smoothie maker, like any other appliance can break sometimes.  If this happens, the best thing to do is to execute an internet search for blender parts, along with the brand name of the machine you have.  For example, if you have a Kenwood smoothie maker, either look directly on their website, or do a search on a shopping site like Amazon.com.

Tags: Blenders, Juicers by Jeffrey
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When people hear of smoothie makers, their first thought is that it is the same thing as a blender.  While this might be partly true, there is a difference.  While normal blenders are built to perform a wide variety of kitchen blending and chopping tasks, a smoothie maker is usually designed a bit differently.  In the past few years, there have been some great new innovations as far as these drink making machines go.  Here are some of the most innovative ones that will make smoothies fun.

One of the great things that blender dedicated to smoothies have is a tap on the bottom.  This means that you don’t have to keep taking the blender jar off the base, removing the top, and pouring it out. Take the Back to Basics smoothie maker for example.  Like its name suggests, it is pretty much your standard basic model.  There is a tap built into the blender jar, and this means you can put a cup right under it to fill even while the machine is still running.  You don’t even need to stop to pour!

Another thing that this machine and most others dedicated to smoothies offer is a mixing stick.  This consists of a stick that extends down from the top, letting you mix up the contents.  As anyone who has ever watched frustrated while the bottom layer spins and the top just sits there knows, being able to move things around is a big help sometimes.  If you can’t find one of these models at your local store, the back to basics salpha500 smoothie signature smoothie maker is available online as well.  See the whole line of Back to Basics Smoothie Makers Here.

For those of you who live in the UK or Europe, the most popular choice there is the Kenwood Smoothie Maker.  This is very similar to the one Back to Basics makes, but it does have a couple of differences.  The first is that the blender jar has a funnel shape, which helps to suck everything down to the blades.  The other difference is that it only has two speeds, mix and smooth.  This means that you don’t have to figure out which of the 18 speeds you should be using!

If you are on a budget, or are just looking for something really simple and perfect for one person, Hamilton Beach has just what you are looking for.  The Hamilton Beach 51101B Single-Serve Blender is a great little machine.  It is designed so that you can make a personal smoothie in the cup that fits right onto the unit.  When it is done mixing, simply remove the cup and take it with you wherever you want.  The cup even comes with one of those lids that lets you drink in the car without spilling it, and it fits in the cup holder.  The best thing about this personal smoothie maker is that it only costs about $15, which is probably about the price you would pay if you just got a travel cup of this size alone!  When you think of it that way, it seems like you are getting a free blender with your cup!  You can Buy it Here.
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Getting a Kids Smoothie Maker

One of the best things about being a kid is enjoying smoothies and milkshakes on hot day.  Everybody knows this, and you can get your kid involved in making smoothies for everyone by getting him or her    a machine.  If your kid is still a toddler, too young to mess around with a real machine, you can get a toy blender made by Educational Insights.  This is powered by batteries, and the blades won’t hurt anyone even if you touch them.  You can put real liquid in the jar though, and when you turn the knob it makes real blending noises.

If your kid is ready for the real thing, there is a Disney Smoothie Maker as well.  This unit is a bit hard to find, since Amazon lists it as “unavailable”.  You might be able to find one on Ebay though.  Otherwise, just let your child help you on a real blender, which is built better and is more versatile anyway.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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If you are looking for black kitchen appliances, then I have some good news for you:  they shouldn’t be too hard to find.  Along with white and silver, black is one of the top three most common colors for kitchen appliances.  Whether you are looking for a toaster, a microwave, or even a set of black cutlery, with a little searching you should be able to track it down.  Let’s take a look at the most common black appliances in the kitchen.

Starting with the most commonly used items, we have the coffee maker.  This is one black kitchen appliance that isn’t very hard to find at all.  Whether you are looking for a simple and inexpensive model, a single cup coffee maker, or a fancy espresso and cappuccino machine, nearly every manufacturer makes the same units in black, white, and sometimes silver.

After the coffee machine, other kitchen must-haves are a toaster, a blender, a microwave, a bar fridge, and a food processor.  All of these appliances come in black as well. Some of the better companies that produce this kitchen stuff are Oster, Kitchenaid, Hamilton Beach, and of course Black & Decker.  Black and Decker kitchen appliances run the gamut, and are of course a fine choice, as their name suggests.

Why Choose Black Kitchen Appliances?
Alright, so you know that you can get appliances in this color, but you might be wondering if it is a good thing to fill your kitchen up with dark things.  The answer really depends on the overall design of your kitchen.  Black looks good when it is contrasted against other colors.  For kitchens, many people choose white or stainless steel (silver) for their large appliances like refrigerators and range ovens.

That said, the color of your countertop and kitchen cabinets will have a large effect on whether a kitchen with black appliances will look good.  The vast majority of cabinets are made from wood, and those that aren’t are usually made from stainless steel.  What this means is that it is usually fine to choose black appliances, since they will go well with either a natural wood color or stainless steel.  One last thing to consider is that your kitchen will look better if you have consistent appliance colors.  If you get them in different colors, your countertop will look a bit jumbled.  It is usually best to just pick either black or white, and then stick to choosing items of that color.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders, Coffee Machines, Toasters by Jeffrey
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There is one tiny part that will make your blender stop working right, and that is the blender gasket.  If you have a GE blender, chances are that sooner or later you will need to get a new gasket for it.  Things happen to these little rubber seals over time.  Sometimes they get misplaced when we take the blender apart to clean it.  After lots of use, a GE blender gasket will often just wear out.  Once this happens, whatever liquid you put into the blender will start to seep out at the base, making quite a mess.

The solution to this problem is not to get a whole new blender.  The best and cheapest thing to do is to replace the little rubber gasket itself.  There is one problem though.  It seems as though replacement GE blender gaskets are nowhere to be found.  If you take a look here on Amazon.com, you can find blender replacement gaskets that will fit on blenders made by most of the other manufacturers.  Unfortunately, GE blenders are nowhere to be found.  It seems as though GE has decided to sell its blenders exclusively at Wal-Mart, and nowhere else.  I had a look on their website as well, and they don’t sell the gaskets either.

The more you look, the weirder it gets.  I had a look on GE’s own website, and had a look at the “parts” page.  When I typed the model # that I got from Walmart’s site into the search box, it can’t find anything.  It is almost as if GE doesn’t even know they make these blenders!  If you try to sort by products, they don’t even list blenders among their items.  I have a big suspicion that they just contract with a cheap blender manufacturer to put their name on the blender, sell it at Wal-Mart, and leave it at that.  This is there contact page if you want to contact them yourself.

The GE Blender Gasket Solution

So what’s the solution?  You have a couple of choices.  First, you can take out a ruler, measure your old gasket (or where it is supposed to fit onto the blade if you lost it), and order one made from another company.  This page from Amazon.com has blender replacement gaskets made for the other companies like Oster, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, and Black & Decker.  Most of them cost less than a buck. Unfortunately, there are no measurements, so you just have to take your chances and hope it will fit.

The second thing you can do is write emails and call GE, pestering them until they can track down a blender gasket for you.  In my opinion, if they are going to put their name on the blenders, they have an obligation to provide service for it.

Tags: Blenders by Jeffrey
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If you have a General Electic blender, sooner or later you might need a part for it.  Blenders break once in a while.  Sometimes the jar gets accidentally dropped.  Sometimes the cutting blades break off.  Whatever the reason, you will either need to get GE blender parts or get a whole new blender.
While other appliance manufacturers sell individual blender parts online, GE is an exception.  They have an exclusive contract with Wal-Mart to sell their blenders.  You won’t be able to find them on Amazon right now or other vendors.  Here are the most common GE blender replacement parts that you might need:

• Blender Jar:  These come in either glass or plastic.  Glass jars are better quality, but they break easier when dropped.
• Blender Blade:  Sometimes one of the blades breaks off when blending hard things such as ice.  You can get a new blade to replace the old one.
• Blender gasket:  There is a thin rubber gasket that fits between the jar and the blade. This gasket is what keeps the blender from leaking.  When the gasket is missing or worn out, the blender jar may start to leak.  These gaskets are very cheap, and are simple to replace.
• Blender Coupling:  This seems to be very popular for people searching for a GE blender part.  I have read some reviews of these appliances, and many people say that there is a plastic part that attaches the blender base to the blade.  What happens is the blade spins around very fast, heats up, and the plastic piece wears out.  Sometimes it happens within a few weeks of purchasing the unit!

Some other blenders have metal couplings, and they don’t have this problem.  If this happened to you, either take the blender back to the store you bought it from or go the company’s website here and have them send you a replacement part.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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