The Hamilton Beach Liquid Blu Blender 59205 has a nouveau design with a see-through acrylic base and backlit control panel. This striking blender does a fine job no matter what the task, and its suggested retail price of about $100 makes it an excellent value.

The Liquid Blu has an eye-catching light-up base with a snazzy round touchpad control dial. It packs an 800-watt motor, a 48-ounce (6-cup) glass carafe with stainless-steel Ice Sabre blades and a rubber lid. The assembled unit stands just shy of 13 inches tall, and it has a 8-square-inch footprint.

Once you get past the ultra-modern appearance, you'll discover that the Liquid Blu performs extremely well. This model features Hamilton Beach's exclusive "Wave Action" blending, which causes the mixture to crest and fall so the jar's contents continually reach the blades for an extremely uniform result.

For all its power, the Liquid Blu was not terribly noisy. On low speed, it actually seemed relatively quiet, and the noise level increased only marginally as we moved up to the higher speeds. There are five continuous speeds as well as a pulse button, providing exacting control over the blending. To switch speeds, you press either the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons. As you do, an extra indicator panel illuminates or goes out on the control dial. At the highest speed, all of the panels are lit, forming a half circle of light. The lowest speeds are efficient for simple tasks like stirring thin batters, while the higher speeds are capable of crushing ice, chopping vegetables and more.

The pulse option, which starts and stops the blender on any speed, proved the most useful. Pulsing was effective for incorporating solids into liquids, as the short bursts allowed the jar's contents to settle before mixing was resumed.

We were extremely impressed with the high-tech appearance of the Liquid Blu Blender, and the clear acrylic base with its illuminated control dial will make a striking statement on your countertop. More importantly, the consistently efficient operation spoke for itself, leaving our smoothies free from chunks of ice or fruit and our milkshakes smooth and creamy. For modern looks and fine performance, check out the Hamilton Beach Liquid Blu Blender.


Pros: Powerful 800-watt motor provides excellent performance, 48-ounce glass jar, ultra-modern illuminated touchpad control dial, clear acrylic illuminated base
Cons: None

Warranty
3 years, limited