The difference between commercial and domestic blenders

Commercial blenders tend to be more expensive than domestic models because they are built with high usage levels in mind and are of a higher quality. They tend to be bigger, more powerful, more durable and capable of blending larger volumes of food and drink. Just like all catering appliances, commercial restaurant equipment is less likely to experience breakdowns and expensive repairs from heavy use than domestic kitchen equipment.

What Do Commercial Blenders Do?

Blenders crush, puree, liquidise and emulsify foodstuffs. They can be used to make sauces, soups, dips, dressings and spreads. They can also be used to mix together different liquids or to crush ice, and for this reason, they're often used to make cocktails, iced coffees, slushies and other chilled or frozen beverages.

The Difference Between A Blender And A Food Processor

Blenders are designed to turn solids into liquids or purees. Food processors are often capable of liquidising or pureeing, but they can also shred, slice and grate food thanks to having multiple interchangeable blades and functions.

If the finished product is drinkable, pourable or suitable for dipping, it can be made in a blender. If the finished product is set to be eaten with a spoon or fork, a food processor is the right appliance to prepare it. Blenders tend to be more compact and much more efficient at liquidising or pureeing foodstuffs than food processors, so if you'll be performing these functions very frequently you're better off choosing a dedicated blender than a food processor.

Types of Commercial Blenders

There are four key types of blender - bar blenders and smoothie makers, kitchen blenders, stick blenders, and milkshake makers.

Bar Blenders and Smoothie Makers

Bar blenders with motor horsepower (HP) of around 1 are suitable for making drinks like cocktails, iced coffee and slushies and tend to suit cafes, pubs and restaurants that serve these types of drinks relatively occasionally. For bars that specialise in blended or frozen drinks and make more than 25 of them each day, a high-power bar blender with at least 2 HP is preferable. When making smoothies, higher horsepower is necessary to ensure solid fruits can be broken down easily. Between 2HP and 2.5HP is preferable.

Kitchen blenders

Kitchen blenders are designed for turning foods into purees and liquids, which means they're powerful enough to break down solids. They usually have a variety of speed settings to help chefs achieve the ideal consistency. Plus, they're often particularly generous in size to cater to high volumes of food.

Stick blenders

Stick blenders, also known as immersion blenders, are hand-held catering appliances that have a blade on the bottom to allow them to puree or liquidise when immersed in food. They're a quick and convenient option for tasks like blending soups and sauces that have been made in large pans on the stove. Some of them come with a range of different attachments that allow them to perform other functions, such as dicing, chopping, whisking or ricing.

Milkshake makers

Milkshake makers are also known as spindle drink mixers. These countertop catering appliances allow for a mixing cup to be attached so that a rotating spindle can mix together ingredients, such as ice cream and milk to produce milkshakes. They're somewhat limited in their functionality but are definitely the best tool for the job for businesses that makes lots of milkshakes.

Features Of Commercial Blenders

Some features of commercial blenders can offer greater precision in food or drink preparation or more convenience for chefs or bar staff. Let's take a look at some popular features to consider.

Timers

Some blenders have timer functions that allow you to set the appliance to blend for a defined length of time. This can be handy for busy environments where the length of blending affects the final consistency of the food or drink, and staff have trouble keeping track of blend times.

Pre-set programmes

Some advanced blenders have digital functions which allow programs to be pre-set to aid in the precise preparation of certain drinks or foodstuffs. Rather than defining power, speed or time settings, the user simply chooses a program and starts it. This is useful for businesses that produce high volumes of food or drink in blenders and want to ensure rapid service and excellent rates of consistency.

Noise enclosures

Some blenders include noise enclosures which are thick plastic covers that drop down over the top of the blender to reduce the volume of the motor. These are incredibly useful for coffee shops or bars where blenders are used in close proximity to customers and could be incredibly distracting. Blenders with noise enclosures are bulkier than those without them so make sure you have enough countertop space for them. You should also keep in mind that the opening and closing of the noise shield slow service down a little, but this is often worthwhile for the sake of minimising unpleasant noise for customers.

Stainless steel versus clear jars

Most blenders feature clear jars to allow users to keep an eye on the consistency of the product inside. Clear jars are usually made of polycarbonate which is a highly durable material but not suitable for hot foods since it contains BPA which may leach into food at high temperatures. Stainless steel can handle foods of all temperatures and is very robust, but it is not transparent. Steel is usually best suited to preparing drinks that require very little monitoring during blending.

Measurements

Some blender jars have measurements etched into them which makes it easier for staff to measure out ingredients. This is particularly useful when producing many drinks in a single day as it allows staff to decant ingredients straight into the jar which both speeds up the preparation process and cuts down on dirty equipment.