Best Blender – Blender Reviews

2009

Hi. I’m Mandy. Welcome to my Blender Reviews & Best Blenders Kitchen Blog!
Are you looking for the best blender available? This is where your search ends. Everything that you need to know about blenders is right here with my blenders reviews.

Best Blenders - Blender Reviews

Blender Reviews

Blender Reviews

There are many famous brands for kitchen appliances including blenders. Among them are Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart, Oster, Braun, Vita-Mix, etc. It’s quite head-spinning just to think about them, let alone look at every blender that they have produced! So, to help you in your choice, I have done a thorough research and this is the best blenders I came up with.

There are many reasons why I set up this blog. Over the years, I’ve been accumulating plenty of tips and hints on blenders. But I can’t possible own all the blenders, but I do own a lot of blenders:) I guess that the best way of becoming an expert in blenders is not just by research but also by trial and error. However, my journey to pick a best blender is quite expensive and time consuming. As such, I hope to save you the trouble of running around when your blender breaks down and instead help you to get the best possible blender that is suitable with your needs, right from the start in my Best Blender Reviews Blog here. :)

How to Choose the Best Blender

Purpose for Your Blender

The first and most crucial aspect of buying the best blender is by knowing what you want out of a blender.

  • Do you want a heavy duty blender which is used in places like Starbucks and Coffee Beans? Or do you want a blender that is used purely on the weekends?
  • Do you want a blender that can last you from your generation to the 2nd or even 3rd generation? Or do you want a short-term medium size blender for your student days only?
  • Do you want to blend big batches of food at any one go? Or are you just blending for yourself?

Now that we’ve ascertain your purpose, let us move on to a few tips that I picked up over the years when you want to buy a blender.
When you have determined your purpose, half of the job in picking the best blender is completed. This is because what you want out of a blender will determine the exact characteristics of the blender that would suit you best.

Hand Blender or Stand Blender?
A hand blender is something more than a manual whisk and something less than the typical stand blender. I have both types and use them for different purposes. A hand blender can be used for smoothies just like a stand blender, but I usually use it for small amounts of blending like making small batches of crepe batter and making creamier soup. I use my Oster Beehive for the larger amounts of blending and stuff that needs to be blended for a longer time.
If you need a hand blender, this is what I would recommend:

For more hand blender reviews, go to my Kitchen Blender reviews blog.

Your Budget

Blenders can range from approximately $40 to $400. However, don’t zoom straight away to buy the most expensive blender! The most expensive blender does not guarantee quality. Neither does it guarantee that it is the most suitable blender for you.

Features

Sturdy Base
Get a blender with a sturdy base and better still, with rubber at the bottom of the base to keep the blender from vibrating and sliding.

Speed settings
Blenders might have two simple high and low speeds or might come with multiple speeds. More speed settings will give you precision but is probably not necessary for most usage.

Pulse button
This is a nice feature to have for additional processing with quick, strong pulses.

Capacity
This is relevant as to how much food do you want to blend at one time.

Wattage
Get a blender which can cope with the task you intend it to do. Do you need to crush ice?

Glass or plastic jug?
Glass may break and is heavier, but more durable. Plastic scratch easily and has a shorter life span especially if washed by dishwasher.

Dishwasher Safe
You’ll want a blender which attachments and parts are dishwasher safe for ease of cleaning.

Storage
Check the height of the blender to be sure that it fits on your countertop. If it doesn’t fit you might have to lug it in and out of cabinets, and some blenders can be pretty heavy.

Cord Storage
Some blenders come with storage space for its cord, to avoid safety hazards and clear up your countertop.

Warranty
Preferably the blender comes with a long warranty and great customer service.

To read more about features, go to my Guide for Selecting Kitchen Blenders.

Best Blender

Oster 4093 Classic 2 Speed Beehive Blender

The name is an eye-catcher. Its distinctive beehive-shaped base is a great head-turner for your kitchen if you like the lustrous chrome and its retro style.

best blender - oster classic beehiva blender review

Based on the many reviews on blenders, Oster Classic Beehive Blender in Chrome has consistently good ratings. It is, thus, hardly a surprise that it is ranked as the best rated blender since there are no nagging durability problems on the whole. To help you in your purchase, below are the pros of this blender:

Oster 4093 Class 2 Speed Beehive Pros

1) Smooth – This blender is great for crushing ice because it leaves no chunk of ice. A real deal compared to Cuisinart which leaves a grittier consistency. So smooth, you don’t need to sift through the pulp when blending chilies. It is great for making smoothies especially those with frozen fruit and I’m talking about ice-cream shop quality. No more waiting for defrosting! Just pop it in the blender straightaway! Other blenders have problems with separation (the top is chunky while the bottom is blended). This powerful blender is so strong that it creates a ‘funnel’ so that liquid from the top is dragged down to the bottom. Voila! A perfect blend.

2) All-purpose – You name it, you blend it: soup, salsa, homemade pasta sauces, grated cheese & coconut, salad dressings, etc. It’s specialty? Perfect margarita, puree soups, smoothies, strawberry daiquiris and fabulous gazpacho.

3) Fast & Furious – I kid you not! You can blend most things under a minute. Need your protein shakes in a jiffy? All it takes is 30 seconds. It’s powerful (600 watts), quick and simple.

4) No burnt smell – Afraid of triggering the fire detector? No worries  Even though it is very powerful, there is no burnt smell from the motor.

5) Blades are made of metal – It’s sharp, it’s durable. Other blenders’ plastic blades crack over time. This metal blade does not. No more worries about cracking blades. It’s so sharp and sturdy that it halves the time to blend.

6) Not plastic, but a glass jar – Stain resistant and scratch resistant; the glass gives it a polished look. Does a pretty good job at funneling the food to the blades. The carafe is pretty small, but its cuteness does not diminish its strength.

7) Eye-candy – Kitchen lover? Its shiny base is a fine addition to your counter table. Reminiscing of the 50’s jukebox café? This is your answer!

8) No unpleasant odours – Fret not if you love to blend garlic or other smelly food. It does not retain those smells after it is cleaned.

Oster 4093 Class 2 Speed Beehive Cons

1) King Kong of the Kitchen – This is an all-time high complaint in almost every single blender review. Just imagine a jet engine taking off without any ear plugs on. Solution? Dampen the sound between the bottom of the blender and the hard, sound-reflective surface of the counter top. For instance, you could use a folded tea towel or a rubber mat. It really does make a difference, trust me.

2) Hand-wash – Dishwasher users, this might disappoint you since the only part that can be washed in the dishwasher is the glass container. However, I find it very easy to clean since this is a pretty effective blender.

3) Only 2 control speeds – High speed or low speed pulse control. Doesn’t make a difference if you’re going to blend frozen beverages. Plus, it takes the guesswork equation out of blenders who has numerous control settings which I believe is quite unnecessary. So, if you want a coarser texture, some reviews said the pulse feature is mostly adequate.

4) Cheap Lid – Doesn’t reflect a good image of Oster but you can keep your hand on the lid to avoid the splattering mess in your kitchen. Flimsy lid may soften especially if you are blending hot foods (e.g. pureeing warm tomatoes). One user witnessed the clear plastic cap slip through the softened lid and dropped into the blender where it was effectively blended into his mixture. Not a pretty sight, I imagine. You might want to keep that in mind.

5) Some find it too powerful – There might be trouble trying to blend light-weight ingredients so you might have to blend in big batches to bring it all the way down to the blades. Some have problem blending ice to make two pina coladas because they are not used to such a powerful blender. A solution? Nuke the cubes for 10-15 seconds and pour the liquid into the carafe from the top. Use pulse to break down the big chunks of ice first. This way, you should get a consistent and perfect drink.

Generally, Oster Classic Beehive Blender in Chrome is quite reliable. However, of late, there seems to be a discrepancy in consistency in its manufacturing. A few examples would include a broken rubber ring that holds together part of the drive mechanism, failure of the motor after only one usage, leakage of oil and acrid burning smell after running the motor for only 1 minute or more.

However, these complaints from some blender consumer reviews are in the minority and very manufacturer have their percentage of error. For those who were lucky, this blender lasted them for a few years even after using it twice a day all year round. As long as the defects occur within the one year warranty period, I shouldn’t worry too much. All the research and feedback have prove this is the best blender you can get!

The price range is approximately between US $55 and US $65, I think it is pretty reasonable if you receive a reliable blender from Oster.

Best Blender Top Picks

As you can see I have divided the best blenders into few different categories and pick the best of the best blender for each category, here are my best blender quick links for each product:

There are so many things you can find about blenders. There is more to it than just knowing how to buy a blender. I have compiled everything you should need to know for your blending journey. I hope that by dividing them into a few blogs post, the information can be easily disseminated. Fret no more. Knowing all about the best blenders and reviews of blenders are just a click of a button away. Once you have gotten the gist of it, blending can and will be such a joy. What are you waiting for? Click it, read it, blend it. HAPPY BLENDING!!!

Posted by bestblender
Comments Off