best product to puree vegetables? looking for a kitchen gadget to make veggie purees for the kids - my blender and mini chopper make them to chunky . . . any recommendations from puree pros?
765567
hello heather, the best solution is a immersion blender. you can puree in seconds and you can look at the puree as you are doing it to see if it is pureed to your desired consistency.less clean up than a food processor or blender. you can puree in the vessel you cooked the vegetable in. do not buy a cheap model. i would suggest a bamix, braun. or kitchenaid.search at amazon under "immersion blender". the kitchenaid with chopper looks good. it is $99. i have not personally used it.the reviews are encouraging. do your homework. read the reviews. make sure the shaft is all stainless. shaft. i have a excellent braun mr5550mbc it retails for $299. ouch! i did not pay that much. i am not sure why the price is so high. you can use it for many healthy snacks for children fruit smoothees etc. wonderful for making soups. i also have a food processor but find the immersion blender a better choice for puree. ace
647794
Did any of you see the Popular Mechanix video that tested blenders? Neither the blentec or the vitamix comes out looking very good. I've been using my Kitchenaid 5-speed, which won the competition, everyday for green smoothies and it does a great job at a fraction of the cost.
567378
not better then a blender. But awesome for when you are traveling or out to dinner. You can grab a banana to mash up on an airplane, in a car etc. or order some steamed veggies at a restaurant and puree them right there. But I definitely still use a food processor or Blender at home.
1583937
I cup of water, two scoops of the power, whey protein, coconut oil, frozen blueberries (or whatever other fruit/veg you like), some cinnamon. I highly recommend investing in one of the "bullet" type blenders. I tried the first few days with a regular blender and cleanup was just too much. Once I got my "bullet," everything was super easy!
830429
I was given this product as a gift specifically to make baby food -- seeing that it was a "chopper" I called Ninja customer service and asked specifically if this product would do purees fine enough for baby food, and was told that it would not. Might be okay for older babies, but will not work for mine who is just starting out on solids.
1234303
It certainly will not puree any foods, but the more you chop, the finer the food will get. The smallest chop I usually get to is about relish size. The salad would have to be very crisp to chop that fine. For example, the hollow stalks from green onions do not chop near as well as the thick white parts. Buy it and try it. You will love it either way.
384811
Good luck...I returned this piece of junk and finally got a Vitamix! If you are into blending hearty veggies like those (as I am), then you should invest in a Vitamix or Blendtec. You won't regret it! :)
1392339
I put kale in my smoothies and it chops it up really well. Haven't used just kale or spinach.
1329056
Horribly for kale. There are always little chunks left in there no matter how long you blend it for. For other, softer greens it does pretty well, especially for spinach.
1331734
I have not done those veggies yet but I am amazed it cuts and liquifies unpeeled apple pieces and pineapple chunks. I'm going to the grocery today and get some veggies to try it but I have no expectations it will not work. QVC had or has a great buy on another version of the brand and product. You might check it out...but I just love my Ninja so far.Just got back from grocery and made a veggie smoothy. Diced peppers, celery hearts, cilantro, kale, spinach and 1/2 banana (necessary) 1/2 large tomato. Perfect. Pulverized and made into a smoothy depending on how much water you put in it. I used about 1/2 c because of the tomato. (one floret of Broccoli. I hear go lite on Broccoli additions) I have not done those veggies yet but I am amazed it cuts and liquifies unpeeled apple pieces and pineapple chunks. I'm going to the grocery today and get some veggies to try it but I have no expectations it will not work. QVC had or has a great buy on another version of the brand and product. You might check it out...but I just love my Ninja so far.Just got back from grocery and made a veggie smoothy. Diced peppers, celery hearts, cilantro, kale, spinach and 1/2 banana (necessary) 1/2 large tomato. Perfect. Pulverized and made into a smoothy depending on how much water you put... » Read More I have not done those veggies yet but I am amazed it cuts and liquifies unpeeled apple pieces and pineapple chunks. I'm going to the grocery today and get some veggies to try it but I have no expectations it will not work. QVC had or has a great buy on another version of the brand and product. You might check it out...but I just love my Ninja so far.Just got back from grocery and made a veggie smoothy. Diced peppers, celery hearts, cilantro, kale, spinach and 1/2 banana (necessary) 1/2 large tomato. Perfect. Pulverized and made into a smoothy depending on how much water you put in it. I used about 1/2 c because of the tomato. (one floret of Broccoli. I hear go lite on Broccoli additions) « Show Less
628152
Hi. Truthfully I have never used this product as a veggie chopper, but only for the use of chopping the salad. I generally use things like pre-sliced carrots myself. I would use a processor to chop whole carrots etc. rather than this item. It works very well if you use it for the 'salad' chopping as it is intended. If you wanted to, you could run the blades over a celery stalk to slice, but I would hesitate to use it with 'hard' veggies.I love the product myself, and if you like chopped salads - you will too.
1558584
I have put Kale and Spinach in my smoothies (along with 4-5 ice cubes, 1 cup of liquid, 1 cup yogurt, a kiwi and some frozen fruit) and it chops the kale or spinach into very small fragments, it does not pulverize/liquify - but I would still consider that it does a very good job.
628155
I think this chopper is great. As far as semi-hard veggies, if you mean like broccoli I'm sure it would do a good job on that. If we're talking big hunks of raw carrots, I'm not so sure. Mostly I've used the chopper for a salad with lettuce, chicken, olives, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, celery, onions, etc. and it works magic.
2037439
I have certainly used mostly the finest setting--love those zucchini noodles! It is nice to use multiple settings to make a salad more interesting...try narrow spirals for carrots, then wider ones of cucumber. Potatoes have made nice curls on the widest cut.When I put the machine away I make sure to put the smooth side of the cutter down to prevent me from grabbing a sharp blade if I grab it carelessly in the cupboard.
1862898
It chops finely. No blender consistency. It has a fast speed and a slower speed. I just give it a couple of quick pulses on fast usually and it's chopped. I've chopped onion, garlic and cilantro and it does great. I've also chopped tomato but you don't want to get it filled more than halfway if there will be any liquid at all which you get even when you use a knife. I really wish I had gotten this a lot sooner.
91023
this product makes things very smooth Cuisinart CPB-300PK SmartPower 15-Piece Compact Portable Blending/Chopping System, Pink I made dips in it with cheese and herbs etc and it is very smooth..I did not get that with this food processor though...not smoothe enough for baby...and when the baby is older the cuisinart makes slushie form juice or even fresh juice made in a juicer for excellent health but in a likeable form by addng a good amount of ice.
1184588
I haven't tried it. I mainly use carrots zucchini and potatoes. I love zucchini pasta. I've seen others that are bulky do a little better job but I just don't have space for them. I also have a mandolin which I use for cabbage.