When you are out shopping for a new kitchen blender there are many features you'll run across.  The container jar capacity, the engine's power, and the number of different speeds are some of the most essential features to look at.  You also want to look at consumer reviews and quality reports.  Checking the value and price of the blender is also a good thing to do.  But there are several other lesser known but equally important kitchen blender features that you will want to consider.

A Container Jar That Is Dishwasher Safe

Cleaning the blender container and other parts in a dishwasher can be a tremendous timesaver.  It is also very healthy because the heat and water pressure generated by most automatic dishwashers can kill many harmful bacteria and disease causing microbes.  

Containers made of polycarbonate, glass, and plastic are generally dishwasher safe.  Although not all are.  And most of the best blenders, those with the top ratings, like Vitamix and Blendtec, have dishwasher safe containers.  You even find that a lot of other blender parts are safe to go in the dishwasher as well, including the blade assembly.  You should always consult your owner's manual before putting parts in the dishwasher, just to be sure though.

A Long Term High Quality Warranty

A small home appliance with a lot of moving parts can be prone to breakage.  Therefore it's important to get a good warranty with your blender.  You can expect a higher quality blender to serve you up delicious smoothies for many years.  You pretty much get what you pay for with blenders.  Expect to pay $400 or more for a blender of this quality level.  If one of these is not in your budget though, and you opt for a less expensive brand, you may have some potential problems down the road.

Getting a one year or more warranty on your blender is a good choice.  Some models will even have warranties that last up to seven years.  The warranty should cover engine failure, cracks in the container, and other problems that are not as a result of typical owner usage.  The Montel Williams HealthMaster Blender even offers a 100 year warranty on their blender motor.  

When you're reviewing warranties, you should aslo look at owner reports and reviews.  You should see what kind of experience owners had with the customer service at manufacturers when they had problems with their blenders.  A good experience with customer service and a quick response to get a new blender out to replace a broken one are very good signs.

An Automatic Timer

An automatic timer is a fantastic feature you can find on many blenders.  After the ingredients are blended as needed, the timer will stop the motor from running.  It will then beep to let you know it's done, similar to a microwave oven.  This feature is a huge time saver because you are free to go off and do other things while your smoothie is blending.  There is no need to have to check the ingredients and see if they are finished blending yet.

Most timers will work in conjunction with several preprogrammed settings.  Most control panels will be marked with a variety of buttons like smoothie or milkshake, that you push and the blender motor starts and stops when that drink is complete.  Getting ingredients blended appropriately is pretty much idiot proof.  Each blending cycle is different for each type of ingredient.  For example, your smoothie will go for longer and at a more powerful setting that your chunky salsa.

You will definitely be happy with your blender and save a lot of time in the kitchen with these three fantastic features.