Kitchenaid Blender Leaking AGAIN!

[mark_wpduet]

I'm not upset as Kitcheaid has a 5 year warranty on this. I called and they are sending a new pitcher and asking me to return the old one when new one arrives.

This blender is used every single day without fail. Probably the most used appliance. I wash the blender pitcher by hand.. dry it, but it back on the base but not all the way into the base...like sitting on the base until next use so it can dry out any parts that may have gotten wet..Since June of 2022 absolutely NO leaking. Not a drop.. The past few weeks I noticed when I was washing the pitcher by hand, underneath the square bottom part as I'm turning it over washing the bottom I get this wafting smell..I don't know how to describe it. Like HOT stinky metal or oil, only the metal or plastic or what ever that coupling thing is wasn't hot... barely warm. I've noticed this for a while until today the pitcher leaked into the base (not bad) but still leaking...

I swear every single Kitchenaid blender I've owned leaks eventually. I don't care how flawlessly you take care of it. But it's been an awesome blender... She told me that the new pitcher they are sending will have a 5-year warranty...

I really thought the figured it out with this one

 

[rp2813]

That's just sad.  We had a black KA blender for a while and it worked fine, but is was from the mid 2000s and looked entirely different from yours, with a slanted console up front and various bubble-button options.  I gave it to a friend who has a kitchen where it  . . . er . . . blends in nicely, and as far as I know it's still going strong with no issues.

 

I decided a vintage Oster was more fun for me, and I have three blades for it:  Standard, Ice Crusher, and Fusion.  The Fusion will make short work of anything, and the machine is far quieter than anything you can buy today.

 

My buddy has an older Cuisinart blender that resembles our old KA.  It sees almost daily use, and he has had no issues with it.  It's loud, light, and feels cheap except for the heavy glass carafe on which all components can be removed for washing, but it just keeps going.

 

I hope the third carafe is the charm for you this time around.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I'm starting to think the blenders like Oster that don't have a one-piece pitcher are the way to go... I remember having one of those cheap Osters a long time ago... and you would unscrew the blade from the pitcher to wash it... and if something goes wrong... you can just buy the rubber part or the blade replacement...

Of course Vitamix or Blendtec would be best in 2023 I think... Or vintage

 

[rp2813]

Matt --

So your leaky KA has a one-piece carafe?  Wow, that is totally different from our old KA, which had a blade assembly that could be removed for washing, very similar to Oster.  I think this is the best design, and like you stated, just a single component can be purchased instead of an entire carafe.  Osterizers also offer the option of using a standard mason jar instead of the carafe.  They're quite versatile in that regard.

 

I love my ~ 80 year old Waring "rocket ship" bar blender, but I've never liked the fact that Waring carafes can't be disassembled for cleaning.  I won't mix anything but drinks in it.  Other than the space-saving small footprint that sold me on the Waring for the bar, which by the way has a special blade that kicks ice crescents' asses, I'm Oster all the way.

 

If you do go on the hunt for a classic Osterizer, look for the more TOL models with glass carafe, and if you want to take things further, either the "Pulse-O-Matic" or "Cyclomatic" features.  I particularly like the carafes with the beefy cast aluminum blade assembly screw caps.  They still show up in thrift stores once in a while, and blade assemblies, carafe lids and plastic blade assembly caps are easy to find brand new if they need replacing.

 

One blender I would never own is a Ninja.  A friend has one.  They're a pain to operate and their plastic carafes are annoying (I usually have to ask for assistance and it takes two of us to figure it out).  Even the lid has to be snapped on a certain way.  They'll be showing up as discards in thrift stores soon, I would wager.  Assuming they don't get tossed out the window in disgust first.

 

[combo52]

KitchenAid blender

I definitely prefer the blenders where you can remove the blade assembly in case you need to replace it.

I have had this blender for 15 or 20 years. Never had a problem with it all parts of it except the motor go in the dishwasher every single time it’s used.

I would not have any kitchen device that can’t go in the dishwasher, life is too short and water is too precious to wash dishes by hand.

John

 

[rp2813]

John, your blender is similar to my black one.  I think they were designed better than Matt's later type with problematic one-piece carafe.

 

I recall reading here that the blade assemblies for Osterizers shouldn't be machine washed.  This may have something to do with the direct drive blade fitting that Oster uses.  Anything you can share would be appreciated.  I'd love to put everything in the dishwasher, but my Oster has an older "deluxe" glass carafe with what I presume is a bakelite handle that's held in place by chrome band around the top.  I may switch it out with a cast glass carafe and handle if it's safe to machine wash the rest of the parts.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I have two like the red one above, where the entire blade assembly and base can be removed from the pitcher.

One has had to have the gasket replaced.

Both have had to have the rubber drive coupling replaced, with age they seem to decompose, become sticky and crumble.

I also have an Osterizer from the 90s or so, I like the metal drive parts it has. The newer KitchenAid seems to have gone to a similar setup to the Osterizer, where the shaft goes INTO the drive wheel, rather than sitting around it.

Parts for both the KitchenAid and Oster are still available.