Jug is a bit heavy, only one minute suggested processing time .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I had been thinking about buying a blender for some time, as I have found smoothies are both comfortable, easy, quick and healthy to drink (besides being delicious!), especially when you are in a hurry for lunch. The variety is infinite and they are actually fast food, even if they are not junk food.
I use a variety of fruit, often frozen berries, or mango or something like that, both shop-bought and self-frozen. Until now, I have always used the blender attachment of my mixer (Bosch), but I felt that it was not up to the task anymore and the jug was all scratched and stained and I wasn't able to clean it properly anymore, so I was having a look at what the market offered in the blender department.
I wanted something solid, quite powerful, and possibly with a 1,5 l glass jug, and I also wanted something that I could leave out on the counter and didn't take up too much space. What I didn't want was that kind of tap-thing, that gives me the idea of getting easily clogged and never really clean. I had a look at the upmarket kinds, such as Vitamix and Blendtec, but I wasn't really ready to shell out 300£ for a blender, which was also bulky and not exactly good looking, I know they promise to do marvels, but, really…
I came across this Morphy Richards Food Fusion SMOOTH on offer in a supermarket in my area and thought it could be what I was looking for. I had a look around on the internet, but I ony found one review, but I decided to take the chance and try it.
Morphy Richards is not very well known here in Italy, but I knew it is quite popular in the UK. The build seemed to be good quality, with its cast metal base, glass jug and stainless steel blades, the motor is powerful, 800 W on Pulse, it has 4 speeds and a clever cable and plug storage system. So I decided to give it a try, even if it was not really cheap for a blender, around 60£.
When I opened the package I immediately found the water tight cover and the little steel cover that doubles as a measuring jug (60 ml). After I removed the top protection I found the base and the graduated 1,5 l jug, and the instruction manual together with a nice recipe book, with interesting suggestions on how to use the different appliaces of the Food Fusion range, together with SMOOTH, of course. Each recipe is illustrated in a gorgeous picture.
The instruction manual is clear, the operation couldn't be easier. Unpack everything, set the base on the counter, fit the jug on the base, put anything you want in it, close with the cover, plug in and turn it on. I think it has a heat protection system, but it doesn't have any safety system for the cover, so you could turn it on without the cover in place, even if I suggest you don't, unless you really would like to see a geyser, but don't want to go all the way to Iceland! The jug is not locked on the base, you just insert it in special "dents" and its weight keeps it in place, together with the motor drive coupling. There are six positions in which you can fit the jug, and an interlock system preventig the motor to run if the jug is not properly positioned. I like this system, as it's very practical and quick to set up, and even if there are spills they are not likely to get into the motor, but rather get trapped into the jug stand. However you have to pay attention if you have children, as they might experiment with "things" to be chopped…
As I said, the jug has a 1,5 l capacity, but you are actually advised not to work on more than 1 l (the Bosch had a 1l capacity and when I put more than 0,75cl it spilled everywhere). The instructions say that you should not operate the blender for more than 1 minute a time, but, since it develops 15000-20000 rpm (Vitamix 850 W, 25000 rpm), it should be enough for most tasks. Cleanup is a snap. Most of the times it is enough to pour some warm water and a drop of dish soap in the jug and whizz it for a few seconds on pulse, then rinse it, and that's it! But even when I need to use a sponge, I find it easy to reach the bottom of the jug, as the blades are quite short (which made me doubt about the blender's efficiency at first, but I guess the "grooves" in the jug are well thought out and everything gets chopped). I don't think it is dishwasher-safe, but it would be quite bulky, anyway.
So, does it work well? The first time I used it I made a smoothie with frozen berries, yoghurt, green tea and a little sugar. I turned SMOOTH on and watched it whirl around all the ingredients, but it didn't seem to be doing much. I didn't hear the noise of frozen fruit against the jug, as I used to hear with the other one - it sounded a bit like a concrete mixer). I turned it off and without even checking, I gave it another pulse. When I lifted the cover I discovered a perfect smoothie! No lumps, no half chewed bits of fruit, everything was indeed smooth. And with a lot less noise, even if I could smell heated plastic. But that smell went away with successive uses.
Now I use it regularly for smoothies, shakes (MMM, vanilla!), drinks (it can crush ice, so… Pina Colada, here I come!), soups, sauces, dips, even if I still prefer my Miniper for mayonaise and pesto. The creams and dips are easy to scoop out from the bottom with a spatula, so there isn't much waste, but you have to scrape down the mixture a few times to achieve even texture. The results are very light and tasty, however. It is very solid and quite heavy and it has non-slip feet, so it doesn't wobble or "jump around" when it's working.
When I don't use it, I leave it on the counter and it looks really nice, with its matt metal finish and the central shiny dial. The cable can be wrapped around the base and on the back there is a socket-like storage place for the plug, so everything is tidy. I doesn't take up much space on the counter either.
that are ideal for your culinary masterpieces. You can make juicy fruit drinks, smooth soups or lump-free liquid mixtures. Thanks to its 4 speeds and pulse mode, y...
that are ideal for your culinary masterpieces. You can make juicy fruit drinks, smooth soups or lump-free liquid mixtures. Thanks to its 4 speeds and pulse mode, y...
