Best BPA-free Glass Jar blender

Plastic jars VS Glass jars

At one point, glass was the predominant material used by popular brands. As blending has grown in popularity, the safety issues you can run into while using blenders with glass jars forced many companies to switch to plastic. This was initially the safer option resulting in fewer reports of breakages, but this led to public awareness of contamination through BPA in plastic. 

BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical used in many products to increase the strength and durability of a product. It can be found in many everyday items from plastic bottles and electronic equipment to canned foods and hygiene products. If it enters the bloodstream, it tends to affect our bodies in a similar way to estrogen, causing changes in our hormone levels. 

The primary way the chemical can enter our bodies is through digestion, so for the health-conscious among us, its good to pay attention to what materials your blenders jar is made from. 

With the rise in public concern over BPA entering our bodies, many companies are now using BPA free plastic to reduce chemical leakage. To make BPA-Free plastic, BPA is replaced with alternative chemicals BPS or BPF (bisphenol S and F), but there is still much debate on whether this stops all contamination and how harmful these chemicals are in the long run. 

For those wanting to avoid potential health risks, a glass jar is an excellent alternative to plastic as long as you stay aware of the limitations.

Pros and Cons of a glass jar

While blenders with glass jars may not be the first option for many blender brands, there are still many significant advantages to using one.

By far, the most significant advantage is that it eliminates any possibility of you digesting the chemical BPA. We all know that the journey to optimal health can have many obstacles. To make that road a little bit easier to navigate, choosing glass over plastic is a simple first step.

Plastic jugs are known to stain with long term use. Blending leafy greens or freshly picked bright red strawberries can leave marks on the plastic over time. This can reduce the overall look of the blender and makes the blender’s age more evident.

A glass jug will last longer than a plastic jar if used for its intended purposes and stay looking premium for most of its lifetime.

We have all had the experience of using plastic containers that partially retain food odors, even after a thorough clean. This occurs due to tiny food remnants seeping into the plastic, but this is a non-factor with glass pitchers.

The main downside to using a glass jar for blending is that they won’t be as powerful since they can potentially shatter or crack with extreme use. The lower power limits the extent of what ingredients you can blend in the glass jar. 

Firm ingredients like kale or frozen fruit need a high amount of power to break down efficiently, so be cautious of the power output relative to the glass jar size. A smaller glass jar won’t need as much power, but a large one will need a lot more. Some companies such as Vitamix don’t even have a glass jar option since, based on their research team, glass doesn’t appear to be suitable for the power that their blenders can exert.

Glass blenders are also not the most optimal for blending a large batch of nuts or creating nut butter since there isn’t usually enough power to blend it smoothly, so choose wisely when deciding what ingredients you will be using.

Glass jar blender Buyers Guide

Power

The two most significant issues with power when blending in a glass jar are having enough watts to effectively make the ingredients smooth, while at the same time not having too much power as to cause the glass to crack. Hence, a blender that finds a great balance between power and jug stability is essential.

Most blenders with glass jars will have lower blending power than the premium plastic countertop blender due to the glass’s fragility. A powerful blender with a glass jar can exert between 600 watts and 1000 watts, with the impressive Oster pro 1200 able to push out a powerful 1200 watts.

Glass material (thermal and shock-resistant glass) Durability 

We know the benefits of choosing glass over plastic, but not all glass material is created equal. You want to look for a glass material that has been thoroughly “Thermal Shock” tested to ensure its durability. 

What is thermal shock resistance? It’s the process of exposing the glass to rapid temperature changes, going from extreme heat (in an oven) to extreme cold (in water), and testing whether the glass cracks. The material is continuously tested at a higher temperature until it finally fails. 

A high-quality glass jar will have a high level of thermal shock resistance and will retain a smooth in texture without internal bubbles. 

Vegan Agility Tip: if you notice any defects in your blenders glass jar, please return the item to be safe with future blending

The last thing to decide before purchasing a glass blender is what foods you will be blending. Making smoothies with leafy greens, crushing ice, or blending nuts may be a struggle, depending on the blender’s power. If choosing to blend harder ingredients regularly, we recommend going for the high speed blenders with glass jars that have a motor power output of 700 watts and above.

Jar capacity

How large is your appetite, and how many people will you be blending for? If your portion sizes are large or you are blending for many people, then a large capacity jar may be required. The main downside to a larger glass jar is that it needs more power to blend all ingredients effectively.

Smaller glass jars tend to have better blending results since they require less power to break down ingredients. 

We always recommend deciding in advance how regularly you will be blending, and in what capacity to find the best balance between size and power.

Blades and blade coupling

The blades are a pivotal piece of the glass blender, and stainless steel is the most optimal material for the highest blending efficiency.

Aside from the stainless steel blades, the other part to factor in is the blade assembly that connects the blades to the blender base. 

Some glass blenders come with a metal connector at the base, such as with the Oster blender. In other blenders, the connector may be made of plastic. The amount of plastic is usually minimal, but it’s something to consider if you want to eliminate any chance of BPA getting into our food. 

Ease and convenience-Strong seal, how easy is it to clean?

We know blending smoothies and other healthy foods is an easy way for us to boost our vitamins and minerals intake, but this can sometimes be a messy process. 

We want a blender that is easy to clean without food getting stuck in the corners of the glass jar to make the cleanup stress-free.

You also want to ensure the glass is dishwasher safe and whether the blade system can be detached for easier cleaning.

How much space the glass blender takes up is another thing to consider before purchasing. If your kitchen space is limited, it’s better to go for a blender with smaller dimensions for convenience.

Vegan Agility tip: Pay attention to the power cord. Some blenders have a compartment to store the power cord, which makes packing it away a breeze plus keeps things safer and more presentable.

Our top-rated glass blenders all came with a nice amount of useable accessories from lids with spouts to portable cups. If you want to use the blender for many tasks, we recommend checking the list of accessories since a glass blender with more extras may save you money in the long run.

Vegan Agility tip: when cleaning up, any blender rinse out within 15 minutes to avoid food getting stuck or hard to cleanout.

Speed controls

When blending, having the power to choose the speed is essential for controlling the texture and consistency of your smoothies. A blender with only one speed setting is like a car that maxes out 50. It can only do so much and knows that it needs to stay in its lane. 

Luckily for us, our research has found that all of the quality glass blenders give you multiple speed options. Being able to choose when to use a lot of speed and when its ok to take it easy on the power output will add to the longevity of your glass blenders motor by not going full throttle for the simple tasks.

Warranty

Warranty on glass blenders tends to vary with many companies choosing to go for a shorter warranty since glass has a higher potential to become damaged. Pay attention to how long the warranty of your glass blender gives you before purchasing since some of the cheap models may only provide a year. 

In contrast, some of the best options in the glass blending category give a fantastic 10-year warranty, which we were really impressed by.

Conclusion

While glass jars for blenders may not be for everyone, they are still a great option if you want to avoid BPA leakage and are selective with your ingredients. Current technology has improved the amount of power that is safe for a glass jar blender with our editor’s choice of the Oster pro-1200 being able to push out 1200 watts of power. 

The best glass jar blenders will be robust thanks to the improved glass durability that comes from thermal shock resistance testing. They will also eliminate any chance of BPA leakage affecting our food thanks to the blades and connectors being entirely metal. 

The main points to take away before diving in are to: 

If you try to get the same results as a truly high powered blender, you may wear out the glass blender’s motor quicker than expected. This may also cause inefficient blends, so be cautious of the limitations. 

With all the ins and out of BPA free glass blending covered, you should now have the perfect setup for blending smoothies.

So, what mix of ingredients will you be blending first? Leave a comment below