Beast Made a Plastic-Free Personal Blender — and It’s Great
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I’ve reduced much of theplastic in my kitchenover the past couple of years. I’ve thrown out nearly all my plasticfood-storage containersand built up my collection ofglass and silicone ones. I’ve stopped using traditionalnonstick skilletsand instead opt forceramic. I no longer have any plasticcutting boards. And I’ve replaced any remaining plasticcooking utensilswith versions made from other materials like wood and silicone. At the end of the day, those swaps were simple to make — enjoyable, even — because all of the alternatives worked just as well if not better than their counterparts.
Appliances, however, are a different story. While certain items, liketoasters, inherently don’t contain plastic most of the time, others are a different story.Air fryers,waffle irons, andpanini presses, for example, rely on nonstick coatings. And while some brands have started to offerceramic alternatives, the options are few and far between. Harder still are appliances with small plastic mechanisms that allow them to run efficiently, and big plastic parts that help prevent breaking, like electriccoffee grinders,coffee-makers, andblenders.
To figure out how to make such items with glass seems impossible. But Beast, whose first iterations of blenders have been plastic, too, came out with stainless-steel versions this year that I put to the test. I opted to try out the personal-size blender, as that suits more of my needs as a cook, but it makes a full-size version, too.
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Beast Mini 600 Stainless Steel
Like the original, this thing is powerful. I made an herb sauce with parsley, basil, and chives that got ultrasmooth in just 40 seconds. I pulsed a marinade for chicken skewers that included whole garlic cloves and it ended up studded with consistent, not-too-big pieces of garlic — exactly what I was after. I blended Sungold tomatoes into a fresh sauce for summer pasta. The blender can handle ice for smoothies, too, which you can then take on the go, thanks to the accompanying lid. Not only this but because it’s stainless, your drink will stay cold for longer.
The biggest downside of an all-stainless blender is that you can’t see the consistency as you’re blending, like you’d be able to do with a clear plastic jar. But honestly, I didn’t mind so much. Especially after a few uses, I got a feel for things. When unsure, I’d start with about 30 seconds of blending, then take it off the base, unscrew the lid, and check inside. All in all, it’s not that inconvenient, especially if reducing plastics is a priority.
More plastic-free kitchen swaps to make
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My favorite affordable ceramic nonstick skillet.
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The ceramic nonstick waffle iron our deputy editor uses weekly.
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A collection of all-glass and silicone containers.
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A plant-based cutting board that looks and feels like plastic (but isn’t).
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