Selecting The Right Mixer/Blender for YOU!

 

Making salsa, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, pizza sauce or any other type of delicious blended creation requires the use of a good mixer (blender). Selecting a good mixer can be a bit of a scary thing, especially when a lot of them can be a significant investment of more than $300! I have personally been through a number of mixers with a total investment value of over $1,200 so I decided to write a review of them to help you make a decision about which will work best for your personal culinary needs. I have used all of the following products. The following reviews are my opinion based on my sauce-making needs and do not reflect other uses for these products. 

Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

I have used this as both a food processor (reducing the size of whole food items) and to mix sauce. For small batches of sauce, this food processor is quick and easy. It is also one of the cheapest options at $39.95 on Amazon Prime. I commonly use this item to make marinade or small quantities of salsa. It does a good job of shopping up soft vegetables, such as tomatoes, but not pulverizing it into paste. This item is easy to clean and very easy to use. It features safety mechanisms to ensure that the blades do not spin accidentally by requiring the lid to be locked in place before use. I would caution against packing in too much food at one time or using too much liquid as the lid is not air tight and will allow spillage if it is overfilled. As a rule of thumb I usually fill it half way. Click here to view more specifications or to purchase for your kitchen inventory. 

Suggested Use: Small batches of marinade, salsa or sauce

Pros: Small, cheap, easy to clean, easy to operate

Cons: It will leak out the top if you add too much liquid

Cost: $39.95

 

Vitamix Blender

Vitamix is a very popular brand when it comes to kitchen blenders and has multiple versions to choose from including small capacity, large capacity, manual controls or smart controls. This blender features multiple power levels, a single blade and a leak-proof rubber top. This product is good for blending sauces to a puree as long as you don't add too many solids at a time. Due to the blade size and location it has a harder time pulling food down and can result in the need to use a plunger to push the food into the blade. This blender does result in a significant amount of heat transfer to the blended substance which can be good for sauces that are intended to be served hot such as enchilada sauce. Click here to view more specifications or to add to your kitchen inventory. 

Suggested Use: For blending sauce or marinade to a smooth consistency or sauce that is intended to serve hot

Pros: Multiple power settings that are controlled through a rotating dial, leak-resistant lid, can heat sauce if blended long enough

Cons: Expensive, plunger has to be used for blending solid items

Cost: $350-580

 

Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System

The Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System is one of many Ninja blender/mixer products but is BY FAR my favorite kitchen level blender/mixer for sauce making. It features multiple blades along the entire blend axel which allows for fast and smooth blending of all types of ingredients I put in my sauces. This set also comes with multiple blend containers for multiple purposes making it one of the most versatile options on the market. The lid features a locking mechanism to prevent leakage and a spout for easy, mess-free pouring. Multiple power levels allow you to gradually increase blade speed for your desired sauce consistency from chunky (salsa) to smooth puree (hot sauce, BBQ Sauce, etc). There are suction cups on the bottom to prevent movement during use with a quick release making it easy to multitask in the kitchen without worry of your system throwing itself off the counter! This system is also one of the more affordable options on the market and it comes with more attachments than most of it's competition. I highly recommend adding this system to your kitchen arsenal. Click here for more specifications and to add this excellent system to your kitchen collection!

Suggested Use: Good for all sauce types

Pros: Multiple power settings, locking lid for leak prevention, multi-blade construction, pour spout, multiple attachments, suction mechanism on the underside to prevent movement during use, reasonable price

Cons: None

Cost: $159.99-200

 

Waring Heavy-Duty Big Stix Immersion Blender

Sauce making started as a kitchen hobby for me. Making sauce in my blender/mixer at home and sharing it with friends and family was perfectly acceptable. Once I started my business I had to upgrade my equipment to handle the volume of sauce produced for selling to customers and that is where the Waring Big Stix immersion blender entered my culinary life. Its impressive 1 HP (horsepower) heavy-duty motor makes this blender/mixer an absolute BEAST! That is nearly as much power as my gas powered weed wacker!!! The 750W variable-speed motor can reach 18,000 RPM on HIGH and tackle any ingredient you can throw at it. This product features removeable wands at various sizes 10", 12", 14", 16", 18", 21" for whatever sized cook pot you use up to 50 gallons. If you are looking for a very easy to use and powerful mixer to speed up your production or increase your production quantity, this is the PERFECT tool for you. Click here to see more specifications and explore the many purchase options. For a video of my recent use of this product click here. 

Suggested Use: 10-50 gallon batches

Pros: Multiple power settings, multiple attachments, powerful engine, easy to use, customizable to your needs, easy to clean, and...it could possibly save your life if you need a makeshift outboard motor to escape from a flood-zone after a disaster.

Cons: Heavy, price

Cost: $395+

 

I have spent a lot of hours using different products for sauce making as a hobby and professionally. Follow the links in the text, read the reviews, do your own research and select the tool that fits your needs. Please share this post with all of your friends and family that enjoy making sauce in the kitchen or professionally! I hope this post has been helpful in making a decision about what mixer is the best fit for you and your culinary needs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*This post contains affiliate links and I may receive commissions based on purchases made through those links.