Unsophisticook

I feel like I'm a little late to the green juices and green smoothies party... Adding greens to my beverages really wasn't something that I was remotely interested in, but my husband recently decided to try a green smoothie when we were having brunch at a local establishment. He loved it, so of course I had to taste it, and I have to admit that it was really, really good.

So when Walmart asked if I was interested in trying out the HealthMaster Elite Blender and the Fusion Juicer, it was a no brainer -- of course! Both appliances were packaged with recipe booklets, so I decided the easiest way to test them out was by selecting a recipe from each.

HealthMaster Elite Blender

The HealthMaster Elite Blender is priced at $149 and can be purchased via Walmart.com or in stores (check online for availability).

Like several well-known, much more expensive blenders, the HealthMaster Elite is designed to both blend cold ingredients and also cook hot soups via centrifugal friction. While it's been too hot and muggy to test out the soup function, it has performed wonderfully when I've used it for sauces and smoothies, emulsifying the ingredients quickly and evenly.

HealthMaster Elite 8-Speed Blender features:

• 8 speeds and pulse feature
• Prepares hot and cold foods
• Pulverizes and liquefies whole fruits and vegetables in seconds
• Helps retain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phyto-nutrients
• 60-oz. BPA-free pitcher
• Stainless steel blades
• Blends both wet and dry foods
• Centrifugal friction cooks food naturally

While I can't speak to the longevity of the HealthMaster Elite as compared to its more expensive counterparts, I've been very pleased with its performance so far. It's met my needs in the kitchen extremely well, and I'd absolutely recommend considering it if you're in the market for a new high-performance blender.

I opted to make Montel's Green Fruit Smoothie from the recipe booklet for this post. Filled with banana, orange, mango and spinach, I had high expectations for this green smoothie since these are all flavors that I love.

Sadly, while the flavor was not at all unappealing, the recipe called for two cups of water and only half a cup of ice, which produced a lukewarm, watered down beverage. I definitely think it has potential, but I'll tweak it in the future by either eliminating the water altogether or adding significantly less water and adding more ice.

But the color sure is pretty, isn't it?

Fusion Juicer

The Fusion Juicer is priced at $119 and can be purchased via Walmart.com or in stores (check online for availability).

Having not used an electric juicer before, I wasn't sure what to expect when I tried the Fusion Juicer. I found it to be surprisingly quiet for an appliance that's pulverizing fruits and veggies and also fun to use. There's just something very satisfying about using the tamper to feed the ingredients into the juicer.

Fusion Juicer features:

• Watch-it-juice clear design
• Non-drip spout
• Superior extraction technology
• Extra-large round feeder accommodates most fruits and vegetables
• Dishwasher-safe parts
• Whisper-quiet 3,600-RPM motor
• Surgical-quality stainless steel blade

If you're like me, you're probably wondering how easy it is to clean up the Fusion Juicer after use. The good news is it's fairly easy and straightforward! All of the pieces are dishwasher-safe, as I mentioned above. One recommendation I have it to rinse the juicing blade immediately after use because the fruits and veggies can pretty gummy if not, preventing it from getting completely clean in the dishwasher.

We loved this appliance, as well, and I think we'll get a lot of use out of it in the future. I'm particularly excited at the prospect of having another option for using up fruits and veggies that are approaching or slightly past their prime.

The recipe I chose to test with the Fusion Juicer was the Pineapple Berry Surprise, which calls for arugula, spinach, pineapple, blueberries, blackberries and pear. I was a little apprehensive about the arugula, wondering if the pepperiness of it might be a little overwhelming, but my husband and I both adored this juice.

It's very refreshing and the arugula just gives it a little bit of edge, but it doesn't taste the least bit green. I'm looking forward to trying a "greener" green juice, but I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this recipe often.

While these appliances perform different functions, they're both quality additions to a well-equipped kitchen. I consider a good blender a kitchen necessity, and the HealthMaster Elite offers a well-rounded array of features at a fantastic price. I think most would agree that a juicer is a non-necessity, but if you're in the market for one, the Fusion Juicer is a solid, budget-friendly investment.

As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I've received product samples and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

by Tara | 2 comments