Things to Look for While Buying a Mixer Grinder

While buying a mixer grinder there are many points that you need to focus or consider so that you can buy a good mixer grinder for you kitchen so here you can read the points that you can follow or you can consider while buying mixer grinder.

Here are the Points that You Need to know

1. Mixer Grinder Types

Mixer grinders are a must have kitchen appliance in every household. They help you to save your precious time and effort for food preparations.  From pureeing, grinding, chopping and grating, a mixer grinder is a solution for many tasks. As they reduce all manual and tiresome work, you can cook the dishes in less time and more deliciously.

So, it’s important to consider few things before making a purchase like – types of mixers, number of jars, power, motor speed, adjustable control knobs, and the safety features over load protection, lock system. Let’s discuss each feature in detail now!

2. Number and Size of Jars

The number of jars depends on your requirements. If you have a large or joint family, then a heavy duty motor mixer grinder with more 3 – 4 jars will be sufficient enough. More number of jars means you can complete the tasks within less time. If you are a small family, then a normal mixer grinder with 2 jars (for dry and wet grinding) should be enough.

Wet grinding jars come with tight lids to ensure the liquid or paste doesn’t get out of it while the grinding is in process. You can even grind coconuts for making chutneys. Usually, the dry grinding jars are much smaller than the wet grinding jars. You can use it for grinding spices and grains into a fine powder.

Most of the mixer grinders present in the Indian market comes with three jars – larger one for juices or grinding batter, medium one for other wet grinding tasks and a small one for chutneys and grinding dry ingredients. These jars should be sufficient for small and medium sized families.

3. Blade Types and their Functionalities

There’re different types

 of blades used in mixer grinders and each has its own specification. Most of the blades are made of stainless steel material to last longer and yet handles the task quickly. You can also change the blade from time to time depending on the usage and should be cleaned properly. Here, in this section, we’ve given different types of blades and its usage for mixing/grinding/juicing. Have a look!

Blade Types	Applications
Shredding disc	To shred cheese, fruits and vegetables
Coarse grater	Grate vegetables like carrots, beetroots, chocolate, and creams.
Slicing disc	To slice fruits and vegetables
Dry grinding blade	Grind dry masala, rice and sugar
Wet grinding blade 1	Blend lentils to paste, make lassi
Wet grinding blade 2	Puree kaju, vegetables and fruits
Chutney grinding blade	For preparing chutneys and pickles

4. Motor Speed

It’s always good to choose a mixer grinder that comes in different speed settings to offer the best cooking experience. They operate efficiently at different motor speed settings to control the blade. And the blade speed control mechanism ensures that the food items kept in mixer grinder do not overflow when it reaches the maximum speed.

Usually, the speed of motor is measured in RMP (Revolutions per Minute) which is the number of times a mixer blade rotates per minute. Most of the mixer grinders come with a motor speed ranging from 10,000 to 23,000RPM. While operating the appliance, do not run it on high speed for a long time. For most of the tasks, medium speed or speed up to 15,000 RPM is sufficient enough.

Finally, a powerful motor lets the blades operate at more rotations per minute which enables to grind the ingredients within a less period of time.

5. Power

The regular mixer grinder consumes 500-watts motor power which is good enough for grinding spices, nuts, chilies, ginger, garlic, etc. But the higher the wattage, the heavier the load it can handle. But, the modern mixer grinders utilize 750-watts of power for preparing Dosa, Idly and other food items.

Anything above 600 Watts can be a bit noisy. And moreover, you must look at mixer grinders that are highly energy efficient and saves your electricity bills. For Indian kitchens, mixer grinder with 500Watts power is sufficient enough. However, if you have a large family, then purchase a mixer grinder with 750Watts.

6. Speed Controls and Settings

It’s always good to choose a mixer grinder that comes in different speed settings to offer the best cooking experience. They operate efficiently at different motor speed settings to control the blade. And the blade speed control mechanism ensures that the food items kept in mixer grinder do not overflow when it reaches the maximum speed.

Speed control option is another important factor to consider while purchasing a mixer grinder. It allows the user to set the speed of the mixer grinder as per the cooking requirements- low, medium, high. Suppose, if you want to operate at high speeds, simply turn or switch the device to high mode and vice versa. It will ensure the fast processing of ingredients in the mixer grinder.

If you are purchasing a juicer mixer grinder, then it better to purchase a model that comes with slow speed setting. This option ensures the fruits or vegetables churn delicately and smoothly to ensure the juice retains all the vitamins and nutrients.

Finally, one more feature to look into is pulse specification or electronic speed sensor which is specially designed to monitor the speed and grinding process. Apart from that, it also programmed to increase the speed setting according to the requirement.

7. Overload Protection

Sometimes, we overfill the jars with ingredients or run the mixer grinder for a longer period of time. In such situations, the overload can cause the risk of motor burning. In order to avoid such issues, manufacturers have introduced overload and overheat protection feature. In cases of overload, this feature acts as circuit breaker to prevent the motor from any further damage.

8. Incher/Pulse Feature

This feature controls the speed and aids the grinding process of delicate foods like parsley, tomatoes and others. The speed setting of this option is perfect for whipping eggs, milkshakes and other delicate foods.

9. Safety Lock

Just like any other electrical appliance, safety lock is one of the important factors to consider before purchasing a mixer grinder. This feature ensures that the machine is locked properly to prevent any accidents and damages while the mixer grinder is operating. As mixer grinder often comes in contact with liquids regularly, safety has to be foremost factor. Apart from that, check whether power cables, earthing connection and others are in proper condition. Finally, make sure the base of the appliance is strong and balanced. If not properly balanced, then it can tumble while operation and cause unnecessary accidents. Also make sure the jars have to be properly locked before starting the appliance.

10. Quality and Durability

As mixer grinders are common kitchen appliance will be used on a daily basis, it is vital to make sure they last for a longer period of time. And for that to happen, the mixer grinder should be made up of high quality plastic (outer body), stainless steel (jars) and components for motor. If the lids of the jars are made up of plastic, then it is important to make sure break proof materials are used for making them.

It is important to check the durability and quality of the material used for the main unit, jars and blades. In most cases, the main unit is made from plastic while the jars and blades are built with stainless steel. And the connection between them is established using a PVC rubber material for mixing the ingredients effectively. When it comes to steel quality, make sure it is of 304 grade as it will resistant to oxidation and corrosion. Also the stainless steel blades should retain the sharpness for longer time.

11. Warranty Duration

The warranty period of a mixer grinder is different from manufacturer to manufacturer. Before making a purchase, check out the warranties offered. In this time duration, repairs and replacements are taken care off in case something goes wrong.

Usually, most of the mixer grinders come with 2 to 5-years of warranty. Some of them even more as high as a 7 or 10-years warranty period. However, the higher duration will be provided on the motor and not the body of the appliance.

12. Cost

What are your budget requirements? Want to spend generously or you have a price constraint? Based on how much you want to spend, do a price comparison between the models within your budget limits. Usually, juicer mixer grinders are much more expensive than just mixer grinders. Apart from that, mixer grinders with both wet and dry grinding capabilities are much more expensive.

13. Maintenance

Within warranty duration, an authorized dealer will take care of the service and maintenance. However, once the warranty expires, you should visit a local dealer or service center for getting the repairs done. For easy and affordable service, you can sign up AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) with vendors to get the service or repairs done on time without any hassle.

14. Additional Features

• Switch Type: A mixer grinder has two switches – a piano and a rotary switch. Piano switches have buttons which can be switched on and off as per requirement. While rotary type has knob which can be dialed as per the needs.
• Spatulas: Some of the brands provide a spatula (either wooden or plastic). This helps you mix the ingredients in the jar between the grinding. When compared to hands, using a spatula is more hygienic and safe to mix or remove ingredients from the jar.
• Slip Proof Feet: Having slip proof feet is important to maintain the balance of the appliance on the kitchen platform. As you will be working with liquids as well, choosing a product that doesn’t slip will be more helpful.