30 Nov Kitchen Aid Torrent Blender Launch Party + Melissa’s Produce
Silly me forgot to bring my camera to the event, so get ready for some iphone photos!
I will start by saying THANK YOU to Melissa’s Produce! Nick at Melissa’s Produce was kind enough to invite me to the Kitchen Aid Torrent Blender Launch Party they held in their Los Angeles test kitchen last Thursday! I decided I would document the night and share with you a review on the blender that is to be released next year. I will also do a review up close and personal with the blender as well, but that will be for another day 🙂
I was accompanied by my beautiful friend, the one and only Yvonne Ardestani of My Eclectic Kitchen. (If you don’t already have you hands on her app or ebook, you need to check them out!) And of course I had to rock my Green Juice Tote at the event as well, everyone loved it I was so flattered!
On the way in, we were able to see the table of goodies we were to receive on our way out. I had the biggest smile on my face when I saw this table. Why? Because the giveaway goodies weren’t cookies or candies or anything of that sort. The table was filled with an abundance of FRUIT! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the coconuts and mini apples. (Full photo at the end of the post)
We were one of the first to arrive at the venue, so we were able to wander around a bit in the test kitchen prior to the demo. Here is some of the decor in the kitchen, a tower of fruit and precooked garbanzo beans and lentils. I’ve yet to try the garbanzo beans and lentils, but I did take some home to try!
I think I just have to say that I loved everything about the kitchen and the decor. The centerpieces were FRUIT! Every table had a mini pineapple, a dragonfruit, and buddha’s fingers.
Have you ever tried buddha’s fingers? I have not, but I took one home to experiment with. IF you’ve never been in contact with one, you need to! Even if you aren’t going to eat it, it emits a beautiful fruity scent that is perfect for aerate throughout your kitchen or even bedroom. It smelled like Starburst candies if you have ever tried those.
We even took some selfies with the fruit! At first I was embarrassed, but being in a room full of food bloggers made me a lot more comfortable. Plus, Yvonne joined in with me, so at least we looked crazy together haha.
Time for FOOD!
Prior to arriving to the event, I filled up on a bunch of bananas. I was aware of the menu that was going to be served (thank you Melissa’s for informing me), so I prepared! Always always prepare when you are going out so that you do not fall off the ‘wagon’. If you do know ahead of time what to expect, which is quite often, add some dried fruit into your purse or backpack so that you will be set at least for a couple of hours.
Anyways, although not all of the food was vegan friendly, I am happy that there was a lot of options that were vegan. Yes, the foods were not of my typical HCLF diet, but I felt fine afterwards and this was definitely a treat! Those weren’t all of the vegetables I ate. I loaded up on a full plate more because the peppers were soooo good. I didn’t get much celery because eating celery and conversing with other guests while holding proper ‘etiquette’ was not the easiest thing to do.
What I tried:
- Pumpkin hummus from the Kitchen Aid Torrent Blender Cookbook
Absolutely DELICIOUS! I would recommend you try a pumpkin hummus recipe. In adding the proper spices, the dip was not too sweet and paired well with the vegetables that were served. - Roasted vegetable pisto from the Kitchen Aid Torrent Blender Cookbook
I wasn’t a fan of this one. Yes it was good, but based on my personal preference I would go with the other two. I think it was also due to the fact that it was pepper-y and I was eating it with peppers, so it did not go so well. They served chips which I believe this was more suited to be paired with. Also, what is ‘pisto’? - Lentil hummus by Melissa’s
This was like refried beans but with lentils! I loved this and I will definitely be making a rendition of my own in the future for my family. - Vegan Squash Soup from the Kitchen Aid Torrent Blender Cookbook
Another hit! This had a hint of curry in it and it was the perfect balance of savory and sweet.
Mmmm, fresh coconut milk! A creamy, rich and delicious treat! Plus you can make it at home. All you have to do is take both the meat and water of a fresh young thai coconut and blend them together to make a milk.
Pumpkin Popsicles! This was one of the desserts served, along with the milkshakes that they made during the demos. Unfortunately, none of the desserts that were served were vegan, but I got a few recipe ideas for the future on my blog that I will definitely test out in the kitchen. Take these popsicles: This is such a clever idea if you do not have popsicle molds, and I’m sure that kids would love this!
After we ate, it was time for the product presentation! We learned about the new Kitchen Aid Torrent Blender! They went over the features with us, pretty much all that is on their site, and they also answered questions we may have.
The blender has both preprogrammed settings and it also has a dial with pulse and adjustable speed to give you more control over what you are doing with it.
Doesn’t it kind of look like a coffee machine? That was my initial thought. But it is designed that way for maximum protection, which is awesome. Not only will you not have to worry about holding down the blender lid when you’re blending, let’s say, hot soup, but the blender also LOCKS into place magnetically, so you can walk away with no worries. That was a big factor for me. My blender sometimes wiggles around a little and I have to hold it in place until the cycle is done. Plus, you can blend pretty much ANYTHING. Ice, nuts, whole fruits and veggies…you name it. It is all also dishwasher safe (minus the base, of course) , so that can save you massive clean up time if you’re a busy bee like me!
If you want to read more info on this awesome blender, click here.
And time of the demo! I was cracking up at all of the cameras that were whipped out once the chef got started. That;s food bloggers for ya!
What was made was a banana split milkshake and an alcoholic milkshake. I’m not too sure of the names of them, and I can honestly say it’s because I was disinterested, if not turned off, by them, but it’s okay! Later on we were able to serve up some healthier options and share them with the crowd.
The demo proved that even a thick substance, like ice cream, would blend smoothly and without any problems. It was relatively quiet for a blender of this power, too.
A funny thing was that Yvonne and I were holding up the line because we had to wash our berries before using them (duh!). We were the only ones who did too haha.
Here is a shot before I blended up my smoothie! What I added into the blender: strawberries, raspberries, lots of blueberries (lots!), almond milk, orange juice, a banana (sadly, it was not ripe), and ice. 
I was surprised that the ice in the smoothie DID NOT cause it to make a loud noise! The sound was pretty consistent throughout the short cycle, and the smoothie that came out was prefect!
I used the speed dial to increase the speed slowly, and as it got to the highest speed, I was scared! It was going so fast I thought I was going to break it but the Kitchen Aid staff ensured me that its just the blender doing its thang. It’s that powerful!
Here is the final product! I wish I had brought my 32 oz. mason jar, I needed it! They only had small plastic cups (I wish they were glass or reusable!), but it worked out. I actually had made 4 cups, as I took this photo while I sipped a cup in the other hand. I shared my smoothie with the crowd, and everyone loved it!
I really do appreciate the fact that since we would not enjoy the desserts, we were able to make some goodies with the blender ourselves that were vegan <3
Image via @KitchenAidUSA Instagram
Here is a photo from Kitchen Aid USA! Small remnants from the night and hey, that’s me in the top left in action with the Torrent Blender!
Yvonne and I met Tess Masters, the one and only Blender Girl! Actually, we should say queen.
Tess is spunky and hilarious! She had us laughing in the first minute of conversation, and she really was the life of the party! After we all we blending up out smoothies, she asked Melissa’s to bring out specific ingredients (most importantly dried fruits and nuts) in order for her to put the blender to the real test.
She tested out both the dial speeds and the preprogrammed cycles and was happy to report that the blender was amazingly efficient in what she was trying to get done. The nuts were pulverized smooth, and not to mention the smoothies she created were absolutely divine! If you want to try some of her masterpieces, head to her blog Healthy Blender Recipes and also take a look at her recipe book, The Blender Girl. 
And here is the aftermath! These are the goodies I brought home from the event. Nothing made me happier than being able to take home giveaways that were actually useful and of my liking! I can’t wait to crack open the Kitchen Aid Torrent Blender Recipe book, and see what I can veganize in it 😉
I had so much fun at the event, thank you so much Kitchen Aid and Melissa’s Produce 🙂
xo Jasmine
Disclaimer: This post was NOT sponsored by Kitchen Aid or Melissa’s Produce. All opinions shared on my own. feel free to contact me with any questions.
Shiva
Posted at 10:54h, 13 FebruaryGreat hammer of Thor, that is pouflewlry helpful!