An often asked question when talking about mixer grinders is- “ How many watts is necessary for a mixer grinder for home ?” The short answer is- It depends on your needs. And the long answer? For that, we need to look at what the power of a mixer grinder implies, its effect on grinding performance and of course your needs.
Power of A Mixer Grinder and Its Implications
The power of a mixer grinder has multiple implications. It signifies the ability of a mixer grinder to handle tough ingredients; it indicates the speed with which it can grind and it also throws light on the load it can handle.
In India, the most popular segment within mixer grinders is 500-749 watts, followed by 750 watts. This is probably because the 500-749 Watt segment is priced a lot more economically than 750-watt mixer grinders. Then of course you have 900 and 1000 watt mixer grinders from Sujata and Bosch, which are more expensive. In the commercial segment, Preethi, Sujata and other brands sell mixer grinders with 1400+ watts.
Almost all domestic mixer grinders irrespective of their power have an RPM of 17-23K without load. The RPM here refers to the number of times the blades rotate per minute. When you add the ingredients to the jar, the RPM drops down significantly as it now has to overcome the resistance of grinding ingredients. This is where the power of the motor comes into play.
A 500-watt mixer grinder wouldn’t be able to rotate the blades at a high speed when it is fully loaded. It achieves an RPM of about 8-10K with the load. So, it takes significantly higher time to grind tough ingredients to a smooth consistency. But when it runs for longer periods with a heavy load, the motor comes under stress. As a result, either the overload protection switch gets triggered or the durability of the appliance gets negatively affected. So, a 500 or 600-watt mixer grinder won’t be able to handle tough ingredients or heavy load on a frequent basis as it will affect the durability of the appliance.
A 750-watt mixer grinder on the other hand may be able to achieve an RPM of 11-13K cycles with the load. As a result, it is comparatively quicker and there is no undue stress on the motor. So, even if you grind full load or tough ingredients on a frequent basis, the motor and the appliance are able to handle it.
A 900-1000 watt mixer grinder is incredibly quick. It can grind heavy loads in no time and its motors are quite durable too. Generally, they run at an RPM of 19-22K without load.
Related reading: Best Juicer Mixer Grinders In India
How Many Watts Mixer Grinder Should I Opt For?
As you would have understood by now, if you need a quick mixer grinder capable of grinding tough ingredients, you need to opt for a mixer grinder with a 750-1000 watts motor. You can use it to grind dosa batter, tough spices like turmeric, and all such ingredients in no time. Yet another advantage of buying a mixer grinder with high wattage is that they have comparatively better built-quality.
So does this mean you can’t grind idli batter or garam masala in a 500-watt mixer grinder? Not really. It just means that it will take longer to grind them. Also, it may affect the mixer grinder’s durability if you constantly do so. We have often seen the blades of 500-watt mixer grinders becoming loose or the coupler getting damaged when they are used to grind tough ingredients. In fact, except for Panasonic, most mixer grinders in the 500-749 watt range are priced very economically and their built quality isn’t that great.
To be fair, this also happens with poor quality or old 750-watt mixer grinder jars too.
To give you a better idea of the difference you will encounter in your daily life when you choose a 500 watt vs a 750-watt mixer grinder, here is an example. The product manual of Preethi Zodiac which has a 750-watt motor, mentions soaking rice and urad for 6-8 hours for grinding. In the Havells 500 watt mixer grinder manual, it says to soak for 10-12 hours. But in practice, I have even ground idli batter in Preethi Zodiac after soaking rice and dal for just 2 hours and the results were perfect. So, you save time, and effort and ensure hassle-free grinding when you invest in a mixer grinder with a higher power.
So if you want a mixer grinder with fairly good built quality, durability and grinding performance, opt for one with a 750-watt motor. If you are willing to spend a bit more, a 900 or 1000-watt mixer grinder will offer you a higher level of durability and even superior built quality.
Other Factors That Affect Grinding Performance
Power alone is not an indicator of the grinding performance. Two of the key factors that affect grinding performance are the blades and jar shape.
The blades of the chutney jar should be as close to the surface as possible. And in the wet grinding jar, they should be capable of creating a strong vortex that pulls the ingredients toward the blade. The jar shape should also be conducive to creating a vortex.
Considering these and other aspects, we have tested many mixer grinders and have come up with our list of best mixer grinders. Do take a look!