Best Blenders For Indian Cooking: A Spicy Guide

Indian cooking often involves blending a variety of ingredients, from spices to lentils, and finding the right blender can be a challenge. While some blenders may struggle with dry grinding, others excel at making smoothies and soups. So, which blender is the best for Indian cooking? Let's explore the options and find the perfect blender for your needs.

The Preethi Eco Plus Mixer Grinder

One of the standout features of this mixer grinder is its three stainless steel jars with flow breakers for fine grinding. The jars come in three different sizes: 1.5 liters, 1.0 liters, and 0.4 liters, making it suitable for both small and large quantities. The steel blades of the mixer grinder are machine ground and polished, ensuring maximum grinding efficiency.

In terms of performance, the powerful motor ensures quick and uniform grinding, delivering consistent results every time. The mixer grinder is also designed with safety in mind, featuring a cut-off for protection against voltage fluctuations and overload. It has a shock-proof ABS body and PVC-insulated 3-core and flexi cord with a 10-amp plug top and earthing.

Overall, the Preethi Eco Plus Mixer Grinder is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a reliable and efficient solution for Indian cooking in North America. It delivers superior performance and is built to last, making it a worthy investment for your kitchen.

Vitamix vs Indian grinder

Vitamix blenders are powerful machines that can be used for a variety of tasks, including grinding flour, making nut butter, soups, smoothies, drinks, milkshakes, and more. They are well-suited for Indian cooking, as they can handle wet and dry grinding, and can blend ingredients to a very smooth consistency. However, one drawback is that the containers are quite large, making it challenging to grind small quantities. Additionally, smaller containers for Vitamix blenders tend to be expensive and not as effective.

On the other hand, Indian grinders, also known as "mixie" grinders, are specifically designed for Indian cooking and come with multiple jars of different sizes, allowing for both dry and wet grinding. They are excellent for making chutneys, spice mixes, and grinding lentils. Indian grinders are also more affordable than Vitamix blenders and are specifically tailored to the needs of Indian cuisine.

When it comes to performance, the Vitamix excels at making smoothies and soups, while the Indian grinder is perfect for dry grinding and preparing spice mixes. The Vitamix may struggle with small quantities due to its larger container size, whereas the Indian grinder can handle smaller batches efficiently.

In terms of versatility, the Vitamix offers a wider range of functions and can be used for various types of cooking. It can grind, blend, and even make nut butter and soups. The Indian grinder, while excellent for Indian cooking, may not be as versatile for other types of cuisine.

Lastly, regarding cost, Indian grinders are generally more affordable than Vitamix blenders. While Vitamix offers high-end models with advanced features, they also come at a higher price point. Indian grinders, such as the Preethi Eco Plus Mixer Grinder, offer excellent performance at a lower cost, making them a more budget-friendly option.

In conclusion, both Vitamix blenders and Indian grinders have their strengths and weaknesses. The Vitamix is a powerful and versatile machine, excellent for a wide range of tasks, while the Indian grinder is specifically tailored for Indian cooking, offering efficient grinding and blending for chutneys, spices, and batters. The decision between the two ultimately depends on your specific needs, budget, and the types of cuisine you plan to prepare.

Hamilton Beach blender

The Hamilton Beach Professional Juicer Mixer Grinder is a powerful tool for Indian cooking. It has a commercial-grade 2.2 peak horsepower motor (1400 watts) that can handle a range of ingredients, from turmeric and coconut to silky idli batter. The advanced electronics provide infinite speed control, allowing for low-speed chopping and high-speed mixing or grinding. The intelligent speed sensor ensures consistent results, delivering precise RPMs regardless of the amount or type of ingredient.

The Hamilton Beach Professional Juicer Mixer Grinder comes with three stainless steel jars (0.5, 1, and 1.5 litres). The two larger jars have square sides to ensure excellent circulation with large amounts of food. The durable blades are universal, so you'll never need to change them. The leakproof Tritan lids provide durability and visibility, while the safety interlock system ensures that the blades stop spinning within 2 seconds of removing the lid.

The Hamilton Beach Professional Juicer Mixer Grinder is engineered in collaboration with Indian technology and culinary experts. It includes a chef-developed recipe book by Kunal Kapur, specifically designed for Indian cuisine. The product also comes with a 5-year total product warranty, giving you peace of mind about its quality and durability.

Breville blender

Blending and grinding form the backbone of Indian cooking. From creating a smooth tomato puree to blending coriander chutney, a good blender is essential for any Indian kitchen. While there are many blenders on the market, one option to consider is the Breville blender.

The Breville blender is a popular choice for those looking for a blender that can handle Indian cooking. With a price point of around $200, it is a little more expensive than some other options on the market. However, it offers a significant upgrade in performance over cheaper blenders. The Breville blender is able to handle wet grinding with ease, making quick work of chutneys, tomatoes, and onions.

One thing to note about the Breville blender is that it requires a certain amount of liquid in the jar for it to function properly. This can be an issue when making smaller batches of chutney or other dishes, as you may need to use more water than you would like or make a larger quantity than needed. Additionally, grinding lentils for dishes like kachauri and vade can be a time-consuming process even with the Breville blender.

Despite these minor drawbacks, the Breville blender is a solid choice for Indian cooking. It offers a significant upgrade in performance over cheaper blenders, and its ability to handle wet grinding makes it a good fit for many Indian dishes. The Breville blender also features a high-powered motor, noise suppression technology, and easy-to-use functionalities, making it a versatile and convenient option for your kitchen.

If you're looking for a blender that can handle the specific demands of Indian cooking, the Breville blender is definitely worth considering. While no blender is perfect for every task, the Breville blender's performance and features make it a strong contender for your kitchen countertop.

Coffee/spice grinders

Coffee and spice grinders are a great addition to your kitchen if you want to unlock the full character of whole spices. They can also be used to grind coffee beans, nuts, seeds, and even dried herbs and flowers.

Electric Spice Grinders

Electric spice grinders are powerful and are ideal for processing larger amounts of spices. They are also a good option if you have dexterity issues. Look for a grinder that can mill ingredients finely and evenly without generating too much heat, as this can hasten the loss of aromatic compounds.

The Krups Fast Touch Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder is a popular choice, with many reviewers praising its speed and power. It has a 200-watt motor and can efficiently grind whole peppercorns, fennel seeds, and cinnamon sticks into a fine powder. It has a fixed cup, which can make cleaning a little more challenging, but it is easy to wipe out between uses.

The Mueller Austria HyperGrind Precision Electric Coffee Grinder is another powerful model that performs similarly to the Krups grinder. It has a compact size for easy storage and a fixed cup that needs to be wiped clean rather than washed.

If you're looking for a grinder with a removable bowl, the Cuisinart Electric Spice and Nut Grinder is a good option. Its bowl and lid are dishwasher-safe, and it comes with a lid for storing leftover spices. However, it is on the bulkier side and is more expensive than the Krups and Mueller grinders.

Other electric spice grinders to consider include the Zwilling Enfinigy Electric Spice Mill, which has a ceramic grinder and a powerful motor, resulting in a smooth and quiet operation. The Salter Coffee and Spice Grinder is a simple-to-use model with a large see-through lid, but it cannot grind wet ingredients.

Manual Spice Grinders

Manual spice grinders are more compact, simple to use, and affordable. They are a good choice if you only need to grind small amounts of spices.

The Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Grinder is a highly-rated manual spice grinder. It has an ergonomic ratchet handle that you toggle back and forth to grind, and it is made of ceramic stone, which is durable and won't corrode. It can grind most spices and herbs but is not suitable for larger spices like nutmeg, cloves, and anise.

The Judge Solid Marble Spice Grinder is a pestle and mortar set that is ideal if you want to crush a few spices at a time and don't have a lot of space. It has a simple twist function and is made of marble, making it a stylish addition to your kitchen.

When it comes to Indian cooking, a good coffee/spice grinder can be a valuable tool for grinding fresh masala, making chutney, or preparing batter for idli/dosa.

The Preethi Eco Plus Mixer Grinder is specifically designed for use in the USA and Canada, with a voltage of 110V. It comes with two jars, one small and one big, that can handle both dry and wet grinding. It can make shakes, purees, chutneys, and coarse-grind wet lentils.

The Preeti and Ultra brands are also mentioned as reputable options for Indian cooking. These grinders typically have three jars with interchangeable blades for making dry powders, wet purees, and liquid blends, making them well-suited for Indian cooking tasks.

Frequently asked questions