Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender review: vacuum pump feature steals the show

Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender review in a sentence: a versatile appliance made better by the addition of a vacuum pump accessory.

I’m always amazed at just how many blenders exist, with many lesser or non-brand names all having their own take on the concept. However, lots of folks prefer to stick with tried and tested brands, like Kitchenaid, Nutribullet and Smeg. It’s easy to see why, as products from these companies tend to be reliable, get the job done and add a little bit of style to your kitchen countertop too.

It’s generally worth spending the extra to be honest, just as long as you use it frequently enough to justify paying that higher price tag. The Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender certainly looks the part, with cool angular lines and a neat use of materials that gives it a really classy look. It comes in either matte black, or in the case of my example, matte white. Simple, stylish, classic.

This being a Smeg appliance though, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Underneath that luscious exterior Smeg has created a blender that does a little bit more than deliver a smoothie or produce zesty breakfast drinks like other best juicers on the market. In fact, its main USP is the vacuum accessory that allows you to produce the smoothies that can be saved for later. A definite bonus.

Smeg High Performance Blender review: price and availability

The Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender is available direct from Smeg and currently costs £499.95. That might seem like a lot, but this is a quality product that looks and feels like it should last a good few years. If you love to make juices or smoothies on a daily basis then it seems like a reasonable investment to me.

Smeg High Performance Blender review: what is it?

The Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender does look rather like any other blender on the market, but this model comes with an added party trick. This appliance has a vacuum pump accessory that works in tandem with the blender to remove oxygen from anything you’ve blended. So, if you want to make a decent amount of smoothie, you can save some for later thanks to this vacuum process. However, my battered review unit didn’t come with a manual and so it was only after closer inspection I realised the vacuum pump unit requires four AA batteries to work.

Aside from that, the Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender features a powerful 1400W electric motor, sophisticated design lines as you’d expect from the brand and it’s easy to use too. You can be up and running in minutes, with very little assembly required. There’s a 1.5-litre capacity jug, which can easily hold anything you’ve put in. Producing smoothies, crushing ice and creating your own frozen desserts is all possible, thanks to five automatic programmes.

Smeg High Performance Blender review: is it any good?

Just about any blender is good enough for the job if you’re an occasional user. The Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender though, is more for the fervent fan of juice, smoothies and suchlike. I love the way it’s got single serve or family serve modes to choose from, which means it’s easy to make bulkier amounts of fruit smoothies. Add in the vacuum pump feature and that means I can make more and keep it for longer.

The Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender is suitably versatile too, with nine speeds to choose from as well as a Pulse button. What is also really good about this appliance is its simplicity. The control knob on the front of the unit allows you to select blend timings in an instant, while the other mode buttons sit along the top of the appliance and illuminate when you select one. It’s all very no nonsense and hard to get things wrong.

Along with the core components, Smeg also includes cleaning tools/brushes along with a chunky plastic tamper. This can be used to push down your ingredients into the jug if you’re going for the world’s fruitiest smoothie. Aside from the main electrical unit and vacuum pump accessory, all other parts are easily washable, either by hand or, I presume, in a dishwasher.

Smeg High Performance Blender review: performance

Central to the appeal of any blender is just how well it’ll pulverise your raw materials. Thankfully, the 1400W motor that comes hidden inside the Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender is more than capable of getting the job done. This means that it should be more than practical when creating denser foodstuffs such as nut betters, while producing juices, soups and smoothies is a doddle.

I’ve found the Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender to be perfectly suited to all of the usual jobs I expect from a blender. So, it’s great on that front. I was more interested to check out the vacuum accessory though. Getting to the point of removing oxygen from your juice or smoothie requires blending materials as per normal. Once you’ve done that, it’s a case of removing the central plastic cover from the top of the jug.

Next, I had to place the vacuum accessory in the same place on top of the jug. It then needs to be turned anti-clockwise to lock it into place. A button on the top also needs to be pushed down to activate the vacuum pump – assuming that is, you’ve inserted four AA batteries into the unit first. It works well enough and, based on my time with it, smoothies really do stay fresher for longer.

Smeg High Performance Blender review: verdict

I like the overall appeal of the Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender, which is well worth considering if you like to make batches of smoothies and keep them fresh for a day or two. The fact that the vacuum pump requires four AA batteries is a bit of a downside, especially if you’re not using it that often as they may well go flat just before you really need them to get the job done.

In that respect, the Smeg BLC02WHMUK High Performance Blender is more of a machine for die-hard juice and smoothie fans, who’ll use it every other day or so. Aside from the vacuum pump, it’s got all of the usual features and functions. Better yet, it’s a Smeg, so looks the part just as long as the matte black or matte white finishes fit in with your kitchen décor. Seriously though, this is expensive but worth it to the right buyer.

Smeg High Performance Blender review: Alternatives to consider

If you’re a big fan of the Smeg brand, a great alternative is the full-sized blender option, the Smeg BLF01. Its 800W motor cuts through frozen food and ice admirably and its Tritan jug holds an impressive 1.5-litres. It also comes with a 600ml bottle for drinks on the move.

A similar portable option is the Nutribullet 600 Series. Both models are the best at making smoothies but the Nutribullet option is small, efficient and is about half the price of the Smeg PBF01 Personal Blender.