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Kelly

You definitely got me off from the idea to buy a Vitamix. It's very expensive overhere, 695 euros make about $980.-! If such a machine needs maintenance then I will have to send it back to the USA I assume, I don't think there will be service possibilities here. I'll can live with a few raspberry seeds then!
 
Did you ever look at the ingredients of bottled dressings -

More often than not, reading the ingredients on any convenience product frightens me.

Years back, in my food snob days, I embraced--and insisted on--olive oil and vinegar dressings. The snob era has completely ended, and there was a period when I was willing to eat prepared dressings again. Now, I find myself moving towards making dressing again simply because of what I see on the ingredients of commercial dressings.
 
I personally know little about blenders. If buying, I think my first inclination would be hitting thrift stores looking for an older blender. But then I've used blenders so little that I cannot justify buying an expensive new blender. I don't want a cheap, plastic, Chinese made American company blender which might not even be able to slowly stir air in an empty blender jar without straining.

That said, I have a KA blender which I found in a thrift shop. I've never done anything to torture it, but it does seem quite powerful. Certainly more power than I need.
 
For the smoothies I make the Magic Bullet would burn out.I mean whole frozen strawberries,ice,cored apples,and oranges.and about half gal.Yes,Mixfinder is right on the Smoothie cycles.On both the Blendtec and VM machines I have-commercial ones-the smoothie cycles alternate between low and high speeds-then finish at high speed.I have heard bad things about Magic Bullets.You can't run them for more than several seconds at a time-or the tiny motor overheats.You may have to run them for many cycles to properly mix the small serving drink.The MB sounds more like a chopper than a blender.VM machines are pretty reliable and durable-NONE of the one I own has NEVER needed service-same with my Blendtecs.Either one is probably the most reliable blender your are going to find.they are built for hard COMMERCIAL use-even the models they make for residentual use.Only matter on either VM or Blendtecs are the jars-blendtec jars-the blade is welded to the bottom of the jar-when the blade bearings go-the whole jar has to be replaced-but they are not that expensive and can last several years.On VM jars the blade assembly can be replaced.Takes only a few minutes to replace it-replacement blade assemblies are less then $70 from VM.Again they last for a few to several years.For either jar-just don't let the base bearing area stay wet.And DON'T run them thru the dishwasher.That can leach the lube from the bearings.
 
For almost a $1000.- for a blender I think that thing should last me forever. If I have to replace a jar or a blade after a few years, that will make those smoothies pretty expensive considering I will have to order them from the USA. For the time being I will keep my mind off Vitamix or Blendtec.[this post was last edited: 6/17/2011-02:29]
 
For any blender-the jar and blades are the parts subject to the most wear,next would be blade drive coupler on the base.For VM-the coupler takes only a few minutes to replace-blendtecs is guaranteed for the life of the machine.-I could understand for someone in the Netherlands VM or Blendtec would be hard to get and expensive.Not famaliar with the appliance brands in that area.
 
There seem to be newer variations on the KA blender I own.  Mine doesn't have the pronounced spout on the carafe, and the base/control panel is more like Kelly's.  I presume the mechanics are the same and that performance wouldn't vary much on these later models with the different shaped carafe.  I actually prefer the look of the carafe on previous models like mine.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the reviews on BB&B's site.  As with the recent thread about someone having performance issues with her washer and the discovery that she was using fabric softener instead of detergent, a lot of complaints about appliances are firmly based in operator error, not flaws in the machine.
 
Kevin! That is our family's Hamilton Beach! I have it in a box of stuff from the house. Before food processors, I used to make cole slaw with it. I use the Osterschnauzer I bought in the mid 70s. I thought you had to use a fine sieve to get rid of things like raspberry seeds.
 
thrifty, yet a good idea (Philips)

Now, for lower budgeted seeds-avoiding people, there seems to be the Philips solution, have a look!
No experience with these units though, but from what I can see, the concept somehow makes sense to me:
A funnel to stuff the fruit down, coming from the lid hole and going down to the blades where the shredding occurs, then the lower part of the funnel seems to be some sort of a fine strainer so that only really purefied stuff can enter the drink. I recon the liquid turbulence must be slower here, but what the heck, it is all mashed up anyway. Or isn't it? Practical experiences anyone?

 
Practical experience

Yes, I have such a blender (in white and with a 650 Watts motor). Philips calls this a fruit filter, they compare the function with a juicer.

I tried it once. In order to keep it down you must press the lid down really good. So I decided to make tomato juice. It worked quite well, but when I took the lid off the filter stuck to the lid. Juice and pulp were together again...

BTW, raspberry seeds. Many years ago, I think it was at the Omaha convention, the raspberry seeds came up as a good test for a blender. Apparently a new Vitamix would pulverize them, an older one not. It's not only about power, it's also about the design of the jar and the blades. My 960 Watts Osterizer doesn't totally pulverize the seeds, but it sure does something with them. Just like my Braun MX32 with only 400 Watts. My Philips 650 Watts blender however doesn't do a thing with the seeds.

The benefit of a blender that pulverizes them is that you don't have to sieve the smoothie which is pretty much a hassle in the morning. Sort of like having to use a wringer to get the water out of the laundry after washing it automatically.
 
thanks Louis

I've always wondered how these would perform. I see quite many Philips appliances in our stores here, many of which appeal to me visually (the strainer blender included). Yet I cannot buy any gadget out there just to see how it works.

Magic bullet, smoothie makers and Thermomix: There is this lady in Nordrhein-Westfalen, she is trying out and making every "green" or full-grain recipe you can think of. She runs a blog, a recipe website and a youtube channel. Go share her experiences, she has some very cold-nosed opinions on each of these products' hypes, yet her experience is based on practical use of the machines and what they can do (or cannot do) in real kitchen life (be sure to watch the videos).
She's a cat lover and owner as well, so some kitties might pop up on her patio here and there ;-))

 
Thanks for the link! Looks interesting!

Although I am a big fan of older Philips washing machines etc. and although it's a Dutch company I am not so wild about Philips small appliances. Philips is very good at bringing appliances out with new gadgets, but I really would like it when they would give the product itself more thought.
 
I like Philips!

They are Eindhoven based (a town that I love for very good if not best reasons), they brought CD technology to the world (as far as I am informed) and I do own a very fancy and well-working knife sharpener from the 60s in its original package, inherited from my granny, with a very fancy screaming red power button. What more could there be? :-D
 
I liked Philips

You are right, in the past they made some good stuff. I have their first foodprocessor, their first handmixer, their first coffeemaker and their first ice machine. IIRC my mother still has that knife sharpener. But a lot has happened since then. Why bring a blender on the market with two blades while they cannot even design a blender with just one good blade. I really wish they got their sense back.
 
Also, you load the blender, any blender, liquids, then soft items, then hard items at the top--makes a world of difference.
 

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