Guys, please hlp me choose a new blender

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irishwashguy

irishwashguy

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Apr 22, 2006
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I currently have a Waring blender in black, however, it is kind of loud for my taste, and have decided to give it to my mother( who is overjoyed to take it off of my hands,believe me!!) I have considered the new KitchenAid blenders with the big poly carbonate jar.I like quality, what do you think? What should I get that will not break the Credit Union? Should I get a glass jar? Metal Jar? Poly Carbonate?(plastic)
PS: Thank you to everyone that helped me pick a food prossesor, I bought a KitchenAid, made in France, I bought one of the last ones. I will post pics when I get them back from Cosco!! I Love this place!!! You are all so Fabulous!!!:) Cheers, Ritchie:)
PPS: This is a link to the one that I am considering.

http://shopkitchenaid.com/product_detail.asp?HDR=search&T1=KTA+KSB560WH
 
Why get a NEW

blender at all?

Go to resales, look on Craigslist, why bother with a new one at all?

Most older blenders were better built, and certainly more stylish.

I prefer a glass jar, because the jar without mechanisim can go into the dishwasher.

Oh, and congratulations on the KitchenAid processor. I have the 5 cup one, and like it a great deal.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Personally I like the vintage ones better that's why I have about 40 of them. Buying online to me is a hassle because if you don't like it you have to pack it all up and ship it back. The blender that got the best CR review I believe was the Braun Powermax? and they're not that expensive at around $50 give or take. Dollars to donuts that KA is made in China if that makes a difference but then so are all the other makes. Other than the big KA mixers all their small appliances are now made in China including their fancy Pro blenders,toasters, coffee makers etc .
 
Hi Ritchie! I agree with Lawrence/Maytagbear: you can't beat an older blender for durability. The motor/base of the Osterizer my parents got in 1970 lasted almost 30 years (although the jar was replaced a couple of times). Style is subjective, so if the retro-look suits you then you can probably do well by finding an inexpensive older blender at an estate sale or on Craigslist.

That said, I have a newer blender. A few years ago I bought a KitchenAid Professional at Kitchen Kaboodle. I bought the Professional model because it came with a stainless steel jar instead of glass or plastic. I'd previously chipped glass blender jars and cracked plastic ones, and so far the stainless steel jar has proved indestructable. I've had the blender for about 5 years now and I'm still really happy with it!

My mom replaced her 1970 Osterizer with a VitaMix. She raves about it, although they are very expensive and possibly overkill depending on what you plan on using it for.
 
vintage oster

Search ebay under osterizer or oster blender. Their older machines are reasonably quiet, and very well made. The look is also classic too!
Of course, no blender I have ever had could ever be accused of being quiet!
 
David.. I have one of those GE's in my collection. I haven't really used it though other than plugging it in to see if it worked and shining it up. When it's empty and you turn it on mine seems to vibrate the jar so I'm not sure if that's what they all do or not.. It's certainly a nice design though, sits very low on the counter.
 
I have a Black and Decker..Nice belnder and not loud...Was $30 at best buy...

We had a green waring from 1970 that the motor burned up in for 32 years! My mom has an Oster blender from the early 80's and it works well... Sears made blenders as well and the one my sister has (one of her ex's relitves gave her a used Blender, Coffee Maker and Kitchen aid mixer as a Wedding Gift) and it's not loud either.. Made by Sunbeam or Oster don't recall much more than that
 
Really? The yellow one is crap? Are the Almond colored ones better (here's is almond) Mom has had the thing since her FIRST marrige and it has moved all over the USA with her..Matter of fact, when she decided to live out of her car for a few months (before my step dad talked alot od sense into her) 7 years ago, she had the blender in the car with her... She uses it alot too.. She even has the jars..

I like the Kenmore alot though
 
I probably use the blender about 5 times a year, max, so the cheaper multi button Oster my Dad bought me 20 years ago is fine, for me. I tend to use the Cuisinart much more, and I do think that the food processor has taken over much of the function of blenders, and for good reason.
 
I was talking to mom..
She doesn't even have a Food Processer.. Doesn't like them..

If i hadn't already spent money on her for christmas.. LoL

I asked how she lives with out: Very Simply, she uses the blender or sheds it by hand with a shedder thinggie..

Plus she thinks there noisy..

She told me that was the one thing (the blender) that has been with her for 27 years (1979)and some how has survived.. The few momentos she has she cherishs..BTW, she found one NIB like her's (same model she said) last year at the Salvation Army for $5...She has two now...So i guess she'll have it unti death do her part... Like the $8 coffe pot i bought her 7 years ago..She won't throw it away, because it still works, but the element doesn't work... She hates the new one..Guess it's cause he son didn't buy it.. LoL

Oh yeah, she also has no stand mixer either.. She does have a newer Hamilton Beach Hand mixer with dough hook.. OY!

My mom needs stuff..... They live like collage kids...
Per mom, my step dad and her have lots of Beer, Cheese, Lunch meat, pickles, bread and other sundries and lots of pop in the micro frozen foods, but very little otherwise... Uh-Huh...

ANyway back to the blender richie..
 
lots of use in my house

I have an Osterizer Cyclomatic that I am quite fond of. I use it to chop sometimes, make dips, salad dressings, and protien shakes after workouts.
I'd be lost without it.
 
Here's a small sampling of some of mine. From the left are a Waring 14 spd with timer..noisy. A green Custom 70 7 spd with timer from the late 60's. One of many Oster beehives, a little Silex Blendette,wimpy. another Red 70's Waring noisy. A 50's Waring.ok.. and a fairly newish Waring commercial, noisy..
The best of the lot is that green one second from left.. those boxy shaped Warings are good blenders, powerful and quieter than all the other Warings.
 
Jar selection...

plastic is LIGHTWEIGHT, which is great if seniors or children will use the machine. plastic does tend to hold odors, and will develop a haze after continued use. SOME polycarbonate jars are nearly impossible to break. also, polycarb affects the temperature of the foods being processed less than glass.

Glass will remain clear use after use, and wont retain odors like plastic can. however, glass jars can be heavy, esp when filled, and can slip out of ones hands when washed. glass also affects the food temps. it can suck the cold out of cold foods and suck the heat out of hot foods.

metal is the most durable, but you cant see the foods being processed. also, metal transmits food temp to the outside very quickly. if youre processing a near boiling mixture, the outside of the jar will get burning hot almost immediately.

i agree with the vintage recommendation. the EARLY (70s and earlier) Osters are very nice. the early ones have a metal ring to set the jar into. the later ones look like metal (one the chrome models) but its painted plastic. i like the models with few buttons. two speeds are enough. replacement blades (and jars and lids) are available for most all old osters. 500 watts is a good minimum wattage.

the commercial two-speed Warings are my favorite. the model Pete has is ideal. i had one just like his, till i lent it to a coworker, and he fell in love with it. mine was a 840 watts. BUT the jars are smallish, and on the GOOD warings, the jar bottom is not removeable.

i have a 600 watt Hoover blender, 8 speeds. the (metal) blade assembly is too heavy and seals awkwardly, but the machine blends icy mixtures better than any other blender ive used.

my mother has a vintage (not newish reproduction) Oster beehive. two speeds with 500 watt motor. has plenty of power and runs quiet. the vintage beehives are easy to get on ebay.
 
Yes--I could go with the recommendations for older blenders-esp the older Osterizers and Warings.and of course the older Vita-Mixes.The new Vita mixes and Blentecs are quite expensive-but excellent.The SS jars are good if you want to keep something being blended cold or hot.You can prechill the jar in the freezer for cold-or warm it with hot water for keeping something warm.If you use the SS jar for enough time-you can tell when the contents are blended by sound-bartenders do this.The fixed blade Warings are really intended as a bar blender-for mixing drinks or other liquids.Besides EBay and yard sales-another place to look for blenders is a used restuarant equipment supply.They may have some.Of course they will be less expensive than new ones-but you might have to replace blades,jar or drive clutches.the older Warings and some of the commercial ones that use the square metal spline driveshaft on the motor are the most rugged of the Warings-more so than the newer "Wagon wheel" drive-but the Wheel drive is easy to replace.also the commercial Hamilton Beach blenders are good-like the Waring these are workhorses.Many bars still use them.and their parts are still available and cheap.I would aviod the household-residentual HB machines-unless the much older ones.
 
I have seen those new KA blenders at Linens and Things and Lowe's -If you do want one-check those first-they were selling the new KA machine for $99.00O the KA machine-it still has their ineffective blunt ended blades and an all plastic drive.I have a few KA blenders in my collection and they don't get much use-KA should stick to their mixers.The newer KA machine does come in some colors-white,black and pink.
 
Well this thread gave me the impetus to start unpacking my stuff so I took some pictures before putting them all away.. not all there's still more in boxes..
The Oster blender second on the left is the TOL model, all chrome, very heavy, cycling feature and a whopping 1300 watt motor. The similar one to the left is half the weight and 890 watts. Then we have two fabulous Hoovers,, everyone loves Hoovers. And on the far right another of the better Warings..this one more deluxe than the first.. all chrome and 14 speeds with timer.
 
More blenders

Wowee
Love these Sunbeams pictured on the left...the glass jar is akin to the Mixmaster jar but the glass is molded different at the bottom to fit this blender..won't fit on the Mixmasters.
2nd left.. a fabulous Panasonic all chrome solid state deluxe with electronic pushbutton timer function...and 1000 watts I might add.. wonderful
and then two more pedestrian Oster Beehives, the one on the left is one of the earliest ones, all chrome, even the ring, and then a later version from the mid 60's with pushbuttons.
 
good gawd not more blenders

Not another Oster..this one is sorta ugly, lightweight and not very powerful.
But right beside it is one of those very cool GE low riders that looks smart in any kitchen..
and another Oster 60's model
What's that next to it on the right..too bad they quit making those..the Waring Drink Mixor.. great for cocktails cause it sez so right on the label if you can see it. These were from the late 50's to about 1962 maybe later.
 
Enough with the blendors already

Ok last two for now but I have more not including all the Oster Kitchen machine blenders, the Kenwood Chef blenders, a few Braun KM32 kitchen machine blenders..the Cook'n Stir.

On the left a very nice Lady Kenmore 600 (rebadged Oster) and a Hamilton Beach Commercial Bar blender.

So you might rightly ask, which one do we use daily? An Oster Commercial, it's up in the kitchen now so I haven't got a pic of it.
 
Well, the '65 LK that Jason so generously gave me a couple of years ago would do the job.
It is truly a "Frankenmore".

He changed out many parts including the pully system and the spin and agitate speeds are greatly increased.
It is truly a Kenmore "Bolt-Down"! It spins so fast!

Robert in Roanoke found me a "Roto-Flex" agitator to put in it and we have successfully converted it into a a "Vita-Mix"!

Sorry. I just couldn't resist.
 

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