Kenstar Senator MG0120

by Prema
(Madurai, India)

An Indian kitchen, modern or old fashioned cannot do without a blender/grinder and there are any number of models to choose from according to one’s budget. All of the models are sturdy and give good service and one’s choice is often tilted in favor of a model that looks good.

Indian cuisine requires a lot of spices to be ground up or certain ingredients blended, thoroughly and uniformly. Where we live, there are regular power shut downs and every one wants to get their grinding, blending done when power is available. Where we live, the houses are quite close to each other. My kitchen is flanked on two sides by our neighbors’ kitchens and I can hear the whirring of the blenders going on when cooking is in progress. We just cannot do without these modern gadgets. They really save us a lot of elbow grease. Without them we shall have to grind our spices on stone slabs and blend our smoothies with wooden pestles!

I used to have a Sumeet grinder/blender but I had a lot of minor problems with it and so I got myself a Kenstar grinder/blender which has given me nearly a decade of trouble free service. Mine is Kenstar Senator MG0120. Though I settled on this model rather because it suited my budget than for any particular reason, I have nothing to complain about it. If I wanted to compare blenders perhaps it will not fall under any ‘best blender’ category but as far as I am concerned it is one of the best blenders for smoothies and chutneys.

My Kenstar uses 500 watts, has three speeds, with juicing/inching modes. It comes with three jars: a transparent polycarbonate liquidizing jar of 1.5 l capacity; a stainless steel dry/wet grinding jar of 1.5 l capacity, and a stainless steel chutney jar of 500 ml capacity. There are three universal blades. The blades in the large jars are detachable but the blade in the chutney jar cannot be detached. There is a card winder at the base and that makes it easy for safe storage when not in use. The jars are easy to clean after use.

It would be really difficult to find fault with it, except for the noise it makes. Blenders are indeed very noisy machines. We have always hoped that the newer models will be less noisy but till now that hope is not realized.

I use the chutney jar most often to make yummy cilantro or mint chutneys that not only go well with rice, but will be good as a savory sandwich filling also. All you have to do is clean and coarsely chop or tear up cilantro or mint leaves, put them in the chutney bowl along with a clove of garlic, salt to taste, a bit of tamarind or lemon juice, a couple of jalapeno or hot green chili peppers, coarsely cut pieces of fresh coconut, and grind them all up. Add water as required, to make a soft dough kind of chutney, not too finely ground but well blended. Adjust the salt and hotness and enjoy!

I use the liquidizing jar to make papaya smoothies. Just add peeled and coarsely cut papaya pieces, milk, and sugar or honey and smooth away. Adjust the quantities of fruit and milk as per your requirement. You can make smoothies with mangoes or watermelon too.