A Good Mix of Power and Tech

I always thought a blender was a blender was a blender. If it was really flash it might have two speeds. But basically if you wanted to turn something from a solid to a liquid, bung it in the blender and push go.

As far as smoothies went, this seemed to work most of the time - as long as you got the mix of solids and liquids about right, blended them for the right amount of time, there usually weren't too many chunks left in the bottom, unable to be sucked up a straw. Want an icy cocktail? Sure... although getting the ice all smooth and slushy like they do at the "real" bars could be a bit of a challenge.

And that was about the extent of my blender experience and skill-base.

Little did I know how much all of that was about to change...

At the risk of racial profiling, there's something reassuringly German about the Braun PowerBlend 9. The Braun website claims they win people over with "aesthetics, functionality and quality." I've been reliably informed by another person in the house they haven't exactly nailed the "aesthetics" part of the equation with the PowerBlend 9. Admittedly, it's kind of huge and boxy and the triangular jug seems to stick out in all directions. You're going to need some bench space.

But Braun has gone with function over form here - there's a reason for the big box at the base, just like there's a reason for the jug being a triangle instead of round.

Let's start at the base; this is not just about on/off, fast or slow. Plug in the PowerBlend 9, switch it on and you'll be presented with an impressive range of blending modes, along with a central dial to choose between Coarse, Medium or Smooth. Yes, rather than leave anything to chance, you can blend smoothies, crush ice, create frozen desserts, design your own spread or just chop stuff - all at the push of a single button. You don't have to stand there monitoring the situation, wondering if you should be pulsing instead of going hard-out. Oh, you can do that too but believe me, after using this thing for it bit, it generally knows best.

I love a cocktail. Who doesn't? In the past, I've found most blenders don't really nail the icy margarita the way a smaller, smoothie machine does - they just don't seem to be able to crush the ice and whip it into that smooth, drinkable consistency. This is a pain if you're mixing drinks for more than a couple of people at once as it means you have to do multiple mixes for every round.

Not with the PowerBlend 9. It has an automatic ice-crushing program that alternates between the full force of the 1600 watt motor, capable of spinning the PrecisionEdge blade at up to 45,000rpm, and a pulsing action that lets the unblended ice settle down to the bottom of the jug to be smashed to smithereens. The jug is also an unusual triangular shape which supposedly means faster and finer blending. It's big too - a two-litre capacity and it's made of something called Tritan, a shatter-proof, BPA-free plastic. Which is just as well because if it was glass, it'd be one heavy jug.

The point is, it's plenty big enough for a full round of margaritas for everyone - pummelling the ice into a smooth slush in next to no time.

I've also whipped up frozen desserts using a combination of frozen fruit, berries, chocolate and milk. Even using the "Frozen Dessert" function, I still ran into that common issue of a lot of icy stuff jammed up at the top of the jug, leaving a bit of liquid whooshing around at the bottom. Luckily, there's a tamper included in the box, just the right size and shape to poke in the top and push down anything that gets stuck.

This is possible because of the removable measuring cup in the centre of the lid - complete with oil drip function. That lid clips into place by the way, totally secure. Yes, they seem to have thought of everything. Including a thirty-second cleaning routine to make maintenance easy.

Here's the surprise ending though - this is more than just a blender. The PowerBlend 9 comes with two Smoothie2Go bottles, complete with smaller blade attachment and adapter skirt making this a very versatile machine indeed. The smoothie bottles fit into place the same way the jug does, just upside down. Too easy.

Oh, and there's an added extra surprise ending. You can make soup. I don't mean just blending up ingredients to put in a pot. I mean actual, finished, steaming hot soup, poured straight out of the jug. Somehow the PowerBlend 9's soup function uses the friction of the blades to heat up your soup as it's blending it. I've done it. It works. The program told me it would only take 5 minutes 45 seconds. In fact, it was ready in about three, piping hot and delicious - even if I say so myself.

My biggest criticism? It's loud. Like, jet engine loud. Like, set it going, leave the room and shut the door loud. If you're making a smoothie for breakfast, better make sure everyone else in the house is already awake, otherwise they definitely will be by the time you're done. 

NZ$419.99 might seem a lot for a blender but as you can tell, this is no ordinary blender. If you've ever been frustrated by chunky ice in your cocktails, inconsistent bits stuck to the side of your jug or even if you've wanted to make a quick soup without a pot - not to mention easy smoothies on the go - this is a very full-featured appliance, designed for maximum power and lasting durability.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Braun PowerBlend 9.