I wanted a mixer grinder that made my mother’s task easier and hence went searching for it in the market. There were a plethora of options and I found it confusing. That is when I researched and brought one that fits our needs. The mixer grinder works fine and my mother still recalls me advising on maintenance and functioning.
This was two years ago and I haven’t looked back. The detailed research that I put in while buying a mixer grinder for my mom has been put out for you to make your task easier.
In this Mixer grinder buying guide, I have mentioned the basics of mixer grinders and general considerations that you need to take into account.
Type of usage
- Normal Household Use
- Medium Household Use
- Restaurant use
A normal household is a family which has 2-4 members, and which needs less amount of ingredients for grinding. For these households, a general 400 watts – 750 watts mixer grinder is most suitable.
Medium size family which has 4-6 or more members and needs a larger amount of ingredients for grinding. Hence a medium household requires anywhere around 750 Watts -1000 Watts mixer grinder.
If juicing is what you do regularly then you must consider a Juicer mixer grinder.
Whereas, for atta kneading, chopping, and slicing vegetables you need an advanced Mixer Grinder(Food processor).
Restaurant use is small or big restaurants that need daily usage of mixer grinders and also need it in large quantities. Hence mixer grinders that are high powered and highly rated have to be considered. Having a wattage of anywhere around 1000 watts.
Once you have identified your need and type of mixer grinder you require. This will help you in choosing a mixer grinder that fits your needs.
Consider this chart, to make a quick decision.
| Watts/Usage | Normal | Medium | Restaurant usage |
| Power | 400-750W | 750-1000W | 1000W |
| Members | 2-4 | 4-6 | – |
Now, moving on to the second criteria.
Power
Power is a major factor to consider while purchasing the mixer grinder. Higher the wattage easier it is to grind tough ingredients. Usually, a 500 – 750 Watt mixer grinder does the job for Indian cooking.
There are mixer variants that come with 600 watts and even lesser of around 400 watts but they have excellent motors to compensate for the power.
Speed Control
Speed controls knobs/buttons are provided to control the speed of the motor and it’s usually a three-speed control system. Low, Medium, and High Speed.
Always have at least three-speed controls in your Mixer Grinder. Though more the speed control options the better is control on the grinding.
Nowadays, pulse or momentary action is also provided in some mixer grinders for the initial mixing of ingredients.
Note: Always use the pulse or momentary action before performing the grinding operation. The pulse button or knob will allow you to mix your ingredients evenly thereby grinding it effectively.
Number of Jars/Size of the Jar
Jars are where all the magic happens to make it an important factor. The size, material, and type of lid of the jar also matter.
Higher the number of family members larger the jars and heavier the Mixer Grinder (Power).
Normal Mixer Grinder comes with three jars, a dry grinding, a wet grinder, and a small chutney jar. Some mixer grinders also provide a Juicer jar.
These juicer jars come with added extra cost and some companies also provide juicer options or separate jars for you.
The material used in jars is also an important consideration, almost all the mixer grinder companies use stainless steel jars for wet, dry grinding jars, and PVC for juicer jars.SS jars are excellent corrosion resistant(rustproof).
The plastic jars or PVC jars are mostly for juicers and have added attachments like filters to make the juicing easy.
Generally, three combinations of jars are perfect for Indian cooking, a dry grinder, a wet grinder, and a small chutney grinder. The size of the jars depends on the number of members in the family, the below chart will help you in deciding.
| Number of members/Number of jars | 2-3 members(Small Family) | 4-6 members(Medium family) | 6-10 members(Large family) |
| Dry grinding jar | 0.5-0.8L | 0.8-1.2L | 1.2L-1.5L |
| Wet grinding jar/Blending Jar | 0.8-1.2L | 1.2-1.5L | 1.5L |
| Chutney Jar | 0.2-0.4L | 0.4-0.5L | 0.5L |
| *Juicer Jar | 1L | 1.2-1.5L | 1.5L |
In the case of food processors, a master chef jar(as it’s generally called) is provided for carrying out kneading, chopping, and grating.
Consider a food processor if you are a working family and have less time to make food.
Blades
Blades are the next in importance, blades are the ones that cut down your ingredients and mix them thoroughly. Almost all the mixer grinders use stainless steel blades and hence are rustproof.
Always go for mixer grinders that have high-grade stainless steel(SS) blades in them. Usually 304-grade stainless steel. Most of the mixer grinders do not mention the quality of steel as it has become a norm of using high-grade steel in blades.
These high-grade steel blades give a superior cutting performance and are also rustproof.
Safety/Overload Protection
This is a factor that is most of the time overlooked by people, this is an important consideration. When we overfill our jars and run the mixer grinder for a longer duration it can lead to burning of the motor.
A mixer grinder always has an overload protection function that breaks the circuit and prevents the motor from further damage.
Some mixer grinders also have an added overload indicator which indicates the user in case of overload or burn out. It is always advisable to fill the jars up to 80% for optimum functioning.
Always buy Mixer Grinders with an overload protection function.
Coming to safety aspects the best mixer grinders have a safety lock system that locks the jars to the main unit, and until the jars are locked the mixer grinder will not start. This is important to prevent any accidents and also prevents children to use the mixer grinder without help.
Ensure that you consider safety when you buy a Mixer Grinder for your kitchen.
Warranty
Some Mixer Grinder companies provide warranties on product (the unit) and some give extended warranty up to 5-7 years on motor. Consider a good warranty period before making the buying decision.
Design
Some customers need their mixer grinders to look good and some do not bother about the design and style. Buy a regular one if the design is not an issue.
The mixer grinders can aesthetically enhance the looks of the kitchen. Some companies even provide color options for you, choose the one that complements your kitchen.
There are some very popular brands of mixer grinders, consider brands that have been in the mixer grinder market, some of the popular ones are mentioned below.
- Preethi.
- Bajaj.
- Sujata
- Philips
- Prestige
- Butterfly
- Bosch
With this, we come to an end with the mixer grinder buying guide. Feel free to reach us out in the comments below.