Finding the Right Blend

"When we took this to the trade shows, one of the questions we always got was 'How many seconds to crush ice?' and I had no idea," said Cheryl Slavinsky, vice president of public relations for L'Equip. "So at the show, we took a pitcher of ice, with no water, and found out. In three to four seconds it turned the whole pitcher into snow-cone material. It'll chop nuts and seeds, too. It's pretty powerful."

Unlike cheapie $20 blenders, which use smaller motors, dull metal blades and plastic parts to blend, L'Equip's model is built to last and comes with a six-year warranty. The entire unit and the blade is crafted from stainless steel, using the same materials found in the company's commercial juicers, while the 56-ounce heavy-duty polycarbonate pitcher comes with a zero-leakage rubber lid.

Fast Work L'Equips model 228 has a tachometer and costs up to $149.

The Model 228 costs between $129 and $149, not including shipping. That is, if you can find one -- the blender has only been on the market since the beginning of the year. While L'Equip is big with restaurant suppliers, the kitchen equipment maker is only now moving into consumer blenders, so their gear is often found at specialty-supply stores instead of the local Wal-Mart. Interested parties should check out the company's Web site, www.lequip.com, which began accepting online orders at the end of June.

The Smoothie Operator

As midday workouts have replaced three-martini lunches, blenders have moved beyond booze and into the world of smoothies, healthy ice-and-fruit concoctions that are now a staple of juice bars everywhere.

But making smoothies in a standard blender isn't as easy as it seems. The combination of crushed ice and pulpy fruit can be tough for small-engine blenders to power through, creating a mess that's more gloppy than silky. And even if the smoothie is properly made, pouring it out can make a bigger mess, when the thick mixture suddenly shifts and overshoots the glass.

To capitalize on the rise in the popularity of smoothies, a number of manufacturers have begun selling specialized smoothie blenders to make the task even easier. While fruit and ice is still loaded in through the top, the unit comes with a special stirring stick to ensure the high-powered motor chews up all the ingredients.

"The stir stick comes within a quarter-inch of the blade as it spins and is removable," said Melissa Clyne, spokeswoman for Back to Basics. "This was one of those light bulb moments for the category. I have minced quite a few wooden spoons trying to mix in my blender. What they've done is taken that cap that sat on the top and made it a functional part of the machine."