Parsley juice, anyone?
By: LMP Editorial Team - February 5th, 2008
February is often the month in which the gastronomic excesses of the previous weeks really begin to show, a sad fact that motivates the over-indulged to focus on healthier eating. So in many homes right now, vitamin-packed fruit smoothies, hearty soups and low-fat veggie dips are making frequent appearances on the menu. Fortunately, wholesome foods are a breeze to make with a good countertop blender, and there are several new ones on the market, just in time for your mid-winter health kick.
The VillaWare Infinity Blender, for example, makes short work out of chopping, blending or pureeing large loads. With a 1,000-watt motor, this blender packs a lot of punch. The product literature even warns users to exercise restraint with the speed button. I did notice the tendency to over-process food the first few times I tested it. But I soon found that the speed control dial, which doesn’t have set “points”, offers great flexibility and control over blending speeds.
The machine comes with a plastic wrench to take out the blade assembly for cleaning. But it’s fairly easy to remove by hand, which means the user won’t have to go searching in kitchen drawers for the wrench — a useful feature in many kitchens, where the refrain “where’s the thingie for the thingie?” is too frequently heard.
A clever little two-ounce measuring cap fits in the lid of the 1.8 quart polycarbonate jar, so flavourings and ingredients can be added at any point in the recipe. Like many of these products, this one comes with an instruction book that includes recipes, and I can personally recommend the VillaWare’s version of Potato and Leek Soup, especially if you use the ingredient cap to add a dash of sherry at the end.
The Villaware Inifinity is available at Canadian Tire for about $300.
Breville’s stylish and sturdy ikon 550 and ikon 600 blenders feature 600-watt and 750-watt motors respectively. The blade system for both has two types of prongs — four conventional blades for chopping and blending, and two l-shaped blades that help turn food and prevent it from getting trapped under the blade.
The ikon 5
50 has four speeds, a pulse function, a pre-programmed Smoothie function in which pulsing and blending actions alternate for 60 seconds, and an ice snow setting that works better than some professional ice-crushers I’ve tested. Its big sister, the 600, has five settings, as well as a smoothie and ice crush setting. Both blenders have a 1.8 quart borosilicate glass jar with “ribs” that are designed to push food into the blades. Other noteworthy features: the entire blade assembly can be removed with a quick twist, which makes clean up easy and the snug-fitting rubber and glass lid has a ring tab for quick removal.
The ikon 550 sells for about $180, while the ikon 600 goes for about $230. For a full list of retailers, go to http://www.breville.ca/. If you’re really into juicing, check out Breville’s juicer, which is desiogned specifically for that purpose.
For some jobs, a hand-held blender is extremely useful. Many of the newest models, unlike the first few generations, have a variety of attachments for blending, chopping, whisking, and food processing.
Home Depot carries a new hand-held blender from Wolfgang Puck’s line of kitchen gadgets. Puck’s immersion blender/chopper is well-designed, with a variable speed dial at the top of the wand, and a push button “turbo” setting that will take the blender up to maximum speed from any setting.
It also comes with an extra-long blending rod that can be used in a stock pot of hot liquid without spattering, and the stainless steel whisk is perfect for whipping up a tasty egg-white omelets. The five-cup chopper bowl and removable blade turns the tool into a mini food-processer, which is great for making spreads like tapenade. Available at Home Depot stores for $68.
Cusinart’s newest blender is the SmartPower Supreme. With a 600-watt motor, 1.6 quart jar and six settings, it offers good value at $139. Cuisinart also makes a Premium 2 in 1 Blender, which sells for about $100. Along with standard features such as an ice-crushing mode, a 1,500-watt motor and a measuring cup in the lid, it also has a removable dispenser tap. 
That makes it the perfect tool for serving up a party-sized batch of parsley juice — or strawberry daiquiris, when memories of holiday excesses finally begin to fade.