A smooth operator... (Russell Hobbs 12620 Smoothie Maker)

Member Name: anwar7

Product:	Russell Hobbs 12620 Smoothie Maker
Date:	03/06/09 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see review

Disadvantages: see review

In March I reviewed my Breville Daisy juicer and smoothie maker in a review entitled An awkward cow. However sods law, a few weeks later the awkward cow decided to die on me! I have now updated the review! I loved being able to make my own smoothies so decided I needed to buy another machine. I had purchased my Breville machine from Tesco and they were happy to refund my money! I then spotted a Russell Hobbs smoothie maker at the reduced price of £22.50. Although Daisy had also been a juicer I decided I could live within this function!


What you get for your money.
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The Russell Hobbs 12620 simply smoothie to give it its full name, is a smart looking machine, unlike Daisy! Inside the box is a robust silver plastic base unit that houses the 550 watt motor. The buttons operating the 2-speed motor are located on the base unit. There is also a pulsing button to crush ice cubes. All the buttons are clearly marked and easy to operate.

There is a 1.8 lire capacity plastic jug with a screw top lid. The middle of the lid can be removed to add liquid through, or stir any lumps of fruit or vegetable. The lid is made of black plastic to compliment the base unit.

There is a strange looking long plastic stick to stir your fruit and an instruction booklet that also has recipe ideas. The jug has a tap at the bottom so you can pour your smoothie or milk shake into your glass (more about the tap later)

How it works.
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This machine is really easy to set up. You will first need to give the jug a good wash in hot soapy water and you are ready to go! To fit the jug onto the base unit you simply need to align the arrow on the base unit with the one on the jug. The jug twists easily onto the base unit; unlike other machines I have experienced! If the jug is not properly fitted the machine will not operate. This is a safety feature to prevent any mishaps!

Before switching on ensure that the lid and top and in position, I managed to start the machine without the middle bit of the lid and you can imagine the mess! The machine has 2 speeds plus a pulsing button used to crush ice. The buttons are clearly marked and easy to press.

I have been experimenting with different flavours and thickness of smoothies. I like to use either apple or orange juice as a base. This machine is not a juicer so I buy cartons of organic juice to use as a base. At the moment strawberries are in season and they make wonderful smoothies when mixed with orange juice, and a banana. I usually use a good handful of strawberries, but it really is trail and error! Mangoes are another favorite with my children. Again all you need to do is pour in some orange juice into the jug, add a chopped up mango, a banana and a little yogurt and blend for about 1 minute. The possibilities are endless!
I use the slower speed for softer fruits that don't take much mixing and the higher speed for firmer fruit, vegetables or liquidizing soups.

I really love the ice crushing function of this machine! We have used it a lot in the recent hot weather. The button is well located on the left of the base unit and is clearly marked with an ice symbol. Adding a handful of ice cubes to a smoothie mix or milkshake gives a lovely cold drink!

The machine is also excellent for liquidizing home made soup. I made a lot of soup, much preferring my own to any shop bought version. The motor is powerful enough to cope with quite large chunks of vegetable and liquidizes them quickly with smooth results. Please remember to cool any hot liquid before pouring into the jug to prevent it from cracking!

I have also used the smoothie maker to make a vegetable/tomato sauce to add to pasta. This is a good way to get reluctant vegetable eaters to get their 5 a day! It can also be used to blend baby food.

My thoughts.
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I wanted a machine that I could leave out on my worktop as I knew that it would encourage me to use it! This machine is fairly compact and looks good too. The silver and black colours will go with most kitchen decors.

It is very easy to set up and use. The buttons are easy to operate and well positioned. I like the ice crushing function too. The blades in the jug do their job well and the motor is powerful enough to blend most fruits or vegetables. The handle of the jug is quite chunky and I find it very comfortable to hold and grip. The jug pours well, which is just as well as the tap is not that good! I initially thought the tap was a good idea so you could pour your smoothie directly into your glass. However I find that it gets blocked easily and doesn't empty the jug. This is a minor irritation as it is just as easy to remove the jug from the base and pour directly from the jug.

The jug itself is easy to clean. It is not dishwasher safe, but should be washed in hot soapy water. I use a brush to wash around the blades so I don't cut my fingers! The tap is difficult to clean properly and I run warm water through it to remove any bits. The base unit is cleaned by wiping over with a damp cloth.

This is not the quietist machine in the world but as I only run it for short bursts of time it is not really a problem for me. Even on its highest setting the machine remains firmly on the worktop as there is little vibration.

The verdict.
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The Russell Hobbs simply smoothie is really a glorified liquidizer. I like the way it looks and it is made robustly so hopefully will last! It comes with a standard 1 year manufacturer's guarantee. I think for the money, this is an excellent buy and would recommend it. The only real negative point is the tap but as you don't really need to use it it is not a major problem as far as I'm concerned! The smoothie maker is available from Tesco for £22.50 or from Amazon for £27.35. I'm sure it is on sale with other retailers too.

Summary: smoothie maker from Russell Hobbs