Whether you own a bar or restaurant, you will likely need to use a commercial grade blender at some point. Without one, you could not offer your patrons frozen drinks or even soup. A blender adds variety to your menu, making your customers more satisfied and saving you the time it would take to crush or mix by hand.

You will want to spend more on a commercial grade blender that will be in use frequently throughout the day. Before you rush out to buy commercial blending equipment, you should evaluate the following:

1. How much do you plan to blend at once?

2. What will your commercial grade blender be mixing most often?

3. Where will the blender be located in your place of business?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy commercial grade blending equipment that is the right size for your business

If you own a bar or restaurant in which frozen drinks are popular, your commercial bar blender needs to be large enough that you can make several drinks at once. However, if you rarely sell frozen drinks, or patrons do not often ask for the same type of frozen drink at once, there is no use buying a large blender. The same goes if your restaurant does not often sell food items that require blending.

I recommend: Equipment House sells a 1-gallon, tabletop blender and 4-gallon or 6-gallon freestanding models. It is cheaper per gallon to buy the largest blender available on this site. The Restaurant Source offers a blender that holds less than half a gallon, perfect for setting on your bar counter.

Choose commercial use blenders designed for specific mixing

If you own a bar and plan to mainly make frozen drinks, be sure to buy a blender that easily blends ice. However, if you need a blender to puree vegetables or mix soup, choose blenders for restaurants that specialize in this task.

I recommend: Zesco Products sells blenders that easily blend ice, such as the Waring Bar Blender with a 44-oz container. ChefsFirst carries restaurant blenders built for blending foods like salsa, dips, and soups, such as the Hamilton Beach commercial blender with a two-handle container.

Spend less with a basic commercial grade blender

If your restaurant or bar largely depends on the sale of frozen drinks or dishes that require blending, you probably have no problem spending a decent amount of money on a high quality blender. However, if you are simply adding a blender to your business as an afterthought, consider spending less with a more basic product.

I recommend: Atlanta Fixture & Sales Company carries the high performance CB-15 Blender 1-Gallon, which includes a heavy-duty motor, clear lid, and stainless steel construction. This is perfect for daily use at a busy bar or restaurant. Blender World offers a more basic Hamilton Beach drink blender for a low price.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Pay attention to how easy the blender is to clean. Commercial strength blenders with removable blades and buttons that are flush with the rest of the machine often make cleanup quicker.
• •  If your foodservice blenders are visible to customers, match the color to your interior design.