According to Recycle Now , around one million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste are generated every year. Every item that has either a plug, a charger, batteries or carries a crossed-out wheelie bin logo can be recycled, and that includes blenders. Our expert guide to choosing a jug blender, juicer or smoothie maker explains the pros and cons of each in more detail. Blenders vs soup makers If you don’t want to overspend when shopping for a blender, consider what you need, rather than want, before you start browsing. Premium features, such as smart connectivity and LED displays are certainly impressive, but might not be necessary. It helps if you have a budget in mind as well. In doing this, you can avoid overspending. Is a high end blender worth it? Large pulse and start/stop buttons make for uncomplicated control, and Hamilton Beach simplifies additional options by dividing its control dial into two halves: the left half dedicated to the aforementioned programmed modes and the right half for adjusting variable speeds. A large red LED display takes the guesswork out of keeping tabs on elapsed time or time remaining, depending on selected setting. There’s a measuring cap for incorporating ingredients while mixing at lower speeds, and the lid includes an ergonomic grip that improves the chances you’ll remove it smoothly without splatter.

Whether you opt for a personal blender or a traditional jug blender, you shouldn't need to compromise on quality of blending, as long as you choose a good model. Below, we explain the pros and cons of each type to help you to decide which is best for you. Mini blenders If you mostly want to make soup, it's worth considering a soup maker. These have a heating element at the bottom of the jug, which means you can blend and cook your soup all in the same appliance. They usually also have a smoothie setting, so you might not need to get a blender as well. If you're tight on space on your kitchen countertop, this smoothie maker and food processor in one is a great buy. Compact, and simple to use, the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express comes with two 0.5-quart / 0.47-liter single-serve cups for blending smoothies and a 0.9-quart / 830ml food processor bowl so that you can grate, chop, and slice food too, as long as it's in small quantities.If you're looking for a budget-friendly blender, you can find more recommendations on our list of the best budget blenders.

Some blenders won’t perform as well as others. For instance, ingredients may not be blended consistently, with chunks potentially jammed under the blades. Others may fail to grip the countertop as they blend and begin to ‘walk’. While these faults are all relevant, remember that they can be reduced or even averted by having one of the best blenders. That’s why we put a range of models to the test — to find those that provide the best performance. We’ve found quiet models as well as those that feature a more compact design for storage. So, whatever your circumstances, we’ve got a recommendation. The Magimix Power Blender surrounded by ingredients to make a smoothie (Image credit: TechRadar) How to choose the best blender for youOur research shows that the most common blender faults are broken gaskets, broken blades, and burned-out motors. Some of these problems can be fixed with spare parts, especially when blenders have modular designs with components that can be easily removed. A more catastrophic failure like a broken motor will be much harder to fix. Warranties on blenders range anywhere from one to 10 years, and the most expensive machines cover at least five years. When you buy a new blender, pass on an extended warranty, it's unlikely it will cost less than the expense of any lifetime repairs. On average they’ll last about seven years.