Help me buy a blender

[Raenia]

Yesterday I burned out the motor of our blender making carrot-green pesto.  This blender lasted us barely a year, after our previous blender burned out last summer, also making pesto (regular basil).  I know this wasn't a great blender, but I hoped for more than a year of work out of it.  We make a lot of smoothies, homemade sauces, pesto, occasionally blended soups though I usually use an immersion blender for those.  I don't think of us as hard users, but maybe we are.

Tell me about your blenders!  What brands have you had good results with, and which have been disappointing?  I'd rather not spend $500 on a blender, but then I'd rather not have to buy a blender every year either, both from the expense and the waste.  Will a $500 blender last 10x as long as a $50 one?

[GuitarStv]

Look for an old one.  We've been using a 1970s Osterizer as a blender for a couple decades now after picking it up in a used store (I think it was 10$?).  It works really well as long as you remember to oil the base when the blades stop spinning freely (otherwise it will burn out the engine).



I remain unconvinced that the technology of spinning a small blade around has significantly improved since the '70s - but they'll sure charge you as though it had if you let 'em.  :P

[CNM]

I wonder if pesto might be too thick for a blender and that is why you've had the motor blow?  I usually use my food processor for that and it works well.  We have a CuisinArt food processer that we've had for at least 16 years.

[uniwelder]

Buy used from the thrift store. Great place for blenders, coffee makers, bread machines, food processors.

[roomtempmayo]

After burning out a few different blenders, we took the Vitamix leap last year.  We use it a few times a week, and I think it's been worth it.

Vitamix sells factory reconditioned units starting for a little under $300: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/browse/products/Category--All-Blenders/Collections-Certified-Reconditioned/

[WSUCoug1994]

My brother-in-law worked at Starbucks corporate and gave me a remanufactured Blend-Tec that they used to use in the stores.  This thing is an absolute beast of blender and could probably liquify steel.  It has a counter on it and it has been used 75K times.  Has a nice cover on it so it keeps the noise down.  I know that Starbucks has since switched to Vitamix but this Blend-Tec is legit (although I suspect this model is not available publicly).  Not sure how that translates to their consumer brands but it is well made. 

[honeybbq]

I got a vitamix when my husband was sick. You can read all about it in the Vitamix thread on here. :) You can get them for a decent (yet $$) price from Costco. I find they cannot be beat.

[crazy jane]

I bought a Ninja blender a few years back. I made garlic scape pesto in it recently with no problem. I debated whether or not to get the Vitamix. Ninja was less than half the cost so that's what I went with.

[Freedomin5]

Our Blendtec has lasted 10 years and is still going strong. Purchased for ~$300 at Costco during a promotional period. We use it to pulverize nuts for peanut butter, ice, carrots, and all sorts of hard foods. We haven’t had to oil the base or service it in any way. We use it at least once or twice a day.

We considered Vitamix but went with Blendtec because the button/control panel is flat and easier to clean, especially when blending smoothies and soups.

[Bradlinc4]

We went for a Vitamix after my wife burned out three Magic Bullets in four years. She uses it daily, we are clearly heavy users.

[Papa bear]

I’m a vitamix guy.  Hard to burn those things out.  Been getting almost daily use for 7 years and still going.  Went through a blender every year or so before that, including the brown and avocado green 70’s Osterizer that was hand me down from parents.  Wouldn’t buy a different one after using the vitamix now. But it’s an expensive tool. 

But vitamix!  ZOMG facepunch! Isn’t this a bat signal for @sol? Maybe he’ll come out and post again after seeing this.


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[bacchi]

I also have a bullet. Or maybe a Ninja. It's the one that sits on top and it cost $50.

Used at least once daily for smoothies, salsa, pesto, soups, ice cream, making oat flour, etc. I've had it for 8 years.

[Beardog]

...  We've been using a 1970s Osterizer as a blender for a couple decades now after picking it up in a used store (I think it was 10$?).  It works really well as long as you remember to oil the base when the blades stop spinning freely (otherwise it will burn out the engine).
...

GuitarStv - How do you oil the base?  I have one of these and it sounds like it needs some oil.  Do you take the base off to apply the oil?

[GuitarStv]

...  We've been using a 1970s Osterizer as a blender for a couple decades now after picking it up in a used store (I think it was 10$?).  It works really well as long as you remember to oil the base when the blades stop spinning freely (otherwise it will burn out the engine).
...

GuitarStv - How do you oil the base?  I have one of these and it sounds like it needs some oil.  Do you take the base off to apply the oil?

The part that needs to be oiled (at least on the one that I've got) is on the bottom of the blades.



Hold this part so that the blades are at the bottom and the circular part is upright.  Drop some olive oil (works great and is food save) onto the crack in the picture between the gold thing and the metal with the star on it.  Then spin the blades around with your fingers and wiggle them back and forth a little bit.  The olive oil will seep into the blade area (you'll see some bubbles come up) and it will become noticeably easier to spin the blades around.

Especially if you soak the blades attached to the base in soapy water, this becomes necessary or they get rusted or something internally and sticky (lots of resistance when moving blades with your fingers).  When they don't spin as well they stress the motor and it can burn out.  Keep the oiled though, and it'll keep blending for ages.

[DaMa]

I have a Ninja, and I kind of hate it.  It has the square jar and stuff catches up in the corners and has to be pushed to the center.  I don't use it much currently.  I've already decided I'm getting a Vitamix when the Ninja dies (or is destroyed when I throw it out the window). 

[Beardog]

...  We've been using a 1970s Osterizer as a blender for a couple decades now after picking it up in a used store (I think it was 10$?).  It works really well as long as you remember to oil the base when the blades stop spinning freely (otherwise it will burn out the engine).
...

GuitarStv - How do you oil the base?  I have one of these and it sounds like it needs some oil.  Do you take the base off to apply the oil?

The part that needs to be oiled (at least on the one that I've got) is on the bottom of the blades.

Hold this part so that the blades are at the bottom and the circular part is upright.  Drop some olive oil (works great and is food save) onto the crack in the picture between the gold thing and the metal with the star on it.  Then spin the blades around with your fingers and wiggle them back and forth a little bit.  The olive oil will seep into the blade area (you'll see some bubbles come up) and it will become noticeably easier to spin the blades around.

Especially if you soak the blades attached to the base in soapy water, this becomes necessary or they get rusted or something internally and sticky (lots of resistance when moving blades with your fingers).  When they don't spin as well they stress the motor and it can burn out.  Keep the oiled though, and it'll keep blending for ages.

Thank you, GuitarStv!  When I took out the blades and tried to rotate them with my fingers, they were stuck and not rotating at all!  Added some olive oil as you suggested and they are now spinning freely.  No wonder the motor was complaining.  I love my vintage Osterizer.  Thank you so much for sharing this maintenance tip.

[Raenia]

Thanks for all the tips!  I think the square cup would bother me, but that's good to know about oiling the blades.  I debated briefly if I need a food processor, but that wouldn't work for smoothies/milkshakes, and I don't have space for an extra gadget (small apartment kitchen), so we'll just have to make it work.  Maybe I need to spend more time chopping the greens before putting them in, so they don't get tangled around the blades.

I'll see what I can find secondhand locally, and if nothing from a good brand shows up, I'll look at some of the other options you've suggested (BlendTek, Vitamix, Osterizer, Ninja).  Thanks!

[Metalcat]

Yesterday I burned out the motor of our blender making carrot-green pesto.  This blender lasted us barely a year, after our previous blender burned out last summer, also making pesto (regular basil).  I know this wasn't a great blender, but I hoped for more than a year of work out of it.  We make a lot of smoothies, homemade sauces, pesto, occasionally blended soups though I usually use an immersion blender for those.  I don't think of us as hard users, but maybe we are.

Tell me about your blenders!  What brands have you had good results with, and which have been disappointing?  I'd rather not spend $500 on a blender, but then I'd rather not have to buy a blender every year either, both from the expense and the waste.  Will a $500 blender last 10x as long as a $50 one?

I think your problem is using the wrong tool for the job. A good food processor would be better for a lot of those tasks, and last forever. Plus they aren't expensive compared to blenders.

Buy the right tool for the job and you won't have to worry about the appliance burning out. Then pretty much any blender will work for smoothies.

[GuitarStv]

...  We've been using a 1970s Osterizer as a blender for a couple decades now after picking it up in a used store (I think it was 10$?).  It works really well as long as you remember to oil the base when the blades stop spinning freely (otherwise it will burn out the engine).
...

GuitarStv - How do you oil the base?  I have one of these and it sounds like it needs some oil.  Do you take the base off to apply the oil?

The part that needs to be oiled (at least on the one that I've got) is on the bottom of the blades.

Hold this part so that the blades are at the bottom and the circular part is upright.  Drop some olive oil (works great and is food save) onto the crack in the picture between the gold thing and the metal with the star on it.  Then spin the blades around with your fingers and wiggle them back and forth a little bit.  The olive oil will seep into the blade area (you'll see some bubbles come up) and it will become noticeably easier to spin the blades around.

Especially if you soak the blades attached to the base in soapy water, this becomes necessary or they get rusted or something internally and sticky (lots of resistance when moving blades with your fingers).  When they don't spin as well they stress the motor and it can burn out.  Keep the oiled though, and it'll keep blending for ages.

Thank you, GuitarStv!  When I took out the blades and tried to rotate them with my fingers, they were stuck and not rotating at all!  Added some olive oil as you suggested and they are now spinning freely.  No wonder the motor was complaining.  I love my vintage Osterizer.  Thank you so much for sharing this maintenance tip.

No problem!  I noticed many years ago that our blender was starting to make that burning electrical engine smell.  I spent an afternoon started poking around and trying to figure out what was going wrong and eventually stumbled on the stuck blades and need to oil stuff.  I bet that a whole lot of these perfectly good blenders get blown up/burned out because people don't realize they need to do this.

[Metalcat]

Thanks for all the tips!  I think the square cup would bother me, but that's good to know about oiling the blades.  I debated briefly if I need a food processor, but that wouldn't work for smoothies/milkshakes, and I don't have space for an extra gadget (small apartment kitchen), so we'll just have to make it work.  Maybe I need to spend more time chopping the greens before putting them in, so they don't get tangled around the blades.

I'll see what I can find secondhand locally, and if nothing from a good brand shows up, I'll look at some of the other options you've suggested (BlendTek, Vitamix, Osterizer, Ninja).  Thanks!

Ah, sorry, I didn't see this before posting my reply.

However, I do my smoothies and shakes with a sturdy immersion blender and everything else with my food processor. I actually gave away my blender because I wasn't using it. I also live in a small apartment, so I understand not wanting too many gadgets, but I absolutely choose my food processor over a blender.

[jeninco]

Thanks for all the tips!  I think the square cup would bother me, but that's good to know about oiling the blades.  I debated briefly if I need a food processor, but that wouldn't work for smoothies/milkshakes, and I don't have space for an extra gadget (small apartment kitchen), so we'll just have to make it work.  Maybe I need to spend more time chopping the greens before putting them in, so they don't get tangled around the blades.

I'll see what I can find secondhand locally, and if nothing from a good brand shows up, I'll look at some of the other options you've suggested (BlendTek, Vitamix, Osterizer, Ninja).  Thanks!

Ah, sorry, I didn't see this before posting my reply.

However, I do my smoothies and shakes with a sturdy immersion blender and everything else with my food processor. I actually gave away my blender because I wasn't using it. I also live in a small apartment, so I understand not wanting too many gadgets, but I absolutely choose my food processor over a blender.

Bonuses of an immersion blender:
- It's small and doesn't take up much space
- you can use it with other bottoms (like a measuring cup, or canning jars of various sizes) If you use measuring cups, you can measure ingredients and get one fewer dish dirty
- it's extremely amusing to make homemade mayo
- salad dressings (and dressings in general) can be made with stems of most herbs (throw away the really woody parts). You can have creamy salad dressing made from parsley stems, oil, and vinegar
- you can stick it directly in the soup pot -- fewer dishes, less handling of hot liquid.

I also support the immersion blender + food processor combo (and I've made carrot top pesto in my FP: it works great!) although we have a pretty large kitchen, and we keep a blender around for the kid to make smoothies.

[uniwelder]

Thanks for all the tips!  I think the square cup would bother me, but that's good to know about oiling the blades.  I debated briefly if I need a food processor, but that wouldn't work for smoothies/milkshakes, and I don't have space for an extra gadget (small apartment kitchen), so we'll just have to make it work.  Maybe I need to spend more time chopping the greens before putting them in, so they don't get tangled around the blades.

I'll see what I can find secondhand locally, and if nothing from a good brand shows up, I'll look at some of the other options you've suggested (BlendTek, Vitamix, Osterizer, Ninja).  Thanks!

Ah, sorry, I didn't see this before posting my reply.

However, I do my smoothies and shakes with a sturdy immersion blender and everything else with my food processor. I actually gave away my blender because I wasn't using it. I also live in a small apartment, so I understand not wanting too many gadgets, but I absolutely choose my food processor over a blender.

Bonuses of an immersion blender:
- It's small and doesn't take up much space
- you can use it with other bottoms (like a measuring cup, or canning jars of various sizes) If you use measuring cups, you can measure ingredients and get one fewer dish dirty
- it's extremely amusing to make homemade mayo
- salad dressings (and dressings in general) can be made with stems of most herbs (throw away the really woody parts). You can have creamy salad dressing made from parsley stems, oil, and vinegar
- you can stick it directly in the soup pot -- fewer dishes, less handling of hot liquid.

I also support the immersion blender + food processor combo (and I've made carrot top pesto in my FP: it works great!) although we have a pretty large kitchen, and we keep a blender around for the kid to make smoothies.

OP has stated they already have an immersion blender, so yes, I completely agree they should be looking for a food processor for their other tasks.

[Metalcat]

Thanks for all the tips!  I think the square cup would bother me, but that's good to know about oiling the blades.  I debated briefly if I need a food processor, but that wouldn't work for smoothies/milkshakes, and I don't have space for an extra gadget (small apartment kitchen), so we'll just have to make it work.  Maybe I need to spend more time chopping the greens before putting them in, so they don't get tangled around the blades.

I'll see what I can find secondhand locally, and if nothing from a good brand shows up, I'll look at some of the other options you've suggested (BlendTek, Vitamix, Osterizer, Ninja).  Thanks!

Ah, sorry, I didn't see this before posting my reply.

However, I do my smoothies and shakes with a sturdy immersion blender and everything else with my food processor. I actually gave away my blender because I wasn't using it. I also live in a small apartment, so I understand not wanting too many gadgets, but I absolutely choose my food processor over a blender.

Bonuses of an immersion blender:
- It's small and doesn't take up much space
- you can use it with other bottoms (like a measuring cup, or canning jars of various sizes) If you use measuring cups, you can measure ingredients and get one fewer dish dirty
- it's extremely amusing to make homemade mayo
- salad dressings (and dressings in general) can be made with stems of most herbs (throw away the really woody parts). You can have creamy salad dressing made from parsley stems, oil, and vinegar
- you can stick it directly in the soup pot -- fewer dishes, less handling of hot liquid.

I also support the immersion blender + food processor combo (and I've made carrot top pesto in my FP: it works great!) although we have a pretty large kitchen, and we keep a blender around for the kid to make smoothies.

OP has stated they already have an immersion blender, so yes, I completely agree they should be looking for a food processor for their other tasks.

Yeah, but a lot of immersion blenders are really wimpy.
I have a pretty hefty Oster immersion blender, the metal one, not the plastic one, and it's a workhorse. I used to have the plastic one and it wasn't nearly as effective. It would be hard to go without a blender if you had a typical wimpy immersion blender and you want to make smoothies.

Although, I could easily make smoothies in my food processor.

The main purpose of the really high end blenders is to get things ridiculously smooth. That's where a $600 blender comes in. Immersion and food processor just can't get that perfect smoothness that the high end blenders get. But if you don't need that, then they're overkill.

[Raenia]

Yes, I already have an immersion blender, and yes, it is a small wimpy one that a family member was getting rid of.  Fine for pureeing soups, but would definitely not manage frozen fruit, and DH doesn't enjoy his smoothies with rock hard lumps of strawberry in them :).  Even so, I may spend some time this week doing a review of kitchen storage and gadgets.  Maybe if I can get rid of something else, I'll have space to add a food processor as well.

Thanks everyone for the continuing input!  It's clearly going to take some time and thought to get to a long term solution.

[shawndoggy]

I’ve had a vitamix 5000 for about 15 years and use it 5-6 days a week. I’ve worn out a few blades and I had to replace the potentiometer dial (the 1-10 knob) but otherwise it’s withstood mucho abuse. “Worth it?”  Dunno. But it’s a nice tool that I feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of.


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[Papa bear]

I absolutely hate using a food processor.  The amount of parts that have to be put together in just the right way for it to work it outrageous. Plus cleaning it is a royal pain in the ass. I’d much rather use the blender for “food processor” stuff.   


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[SquashingDebt]

+1 to the food processor plus immersion blender suggestions.

I've had a KitchenAid immersion blender for 8 years or so now that I use for daily smoothie making.  It doesn't get as smooth as a Vitamix, of course, but with about 30 seconds of blending there are no perceptible frozen fruit chunks.  I don't use it to blend ice, so I can't speak to how well it does for that, but it's great for frozen berries plus spinach plus yogurt plus almond milk.

[JLee]

I bought a refurbished Blendtec maybe eight years ago and it's awesome.  Really, really loud and not super cheap, but awesome.

[Dicey]

I keenly remember the $800 blender thread, because at the time, I was on the fence about what to buy. I never did make a decision. Then the pandemic hit and my Bonus Kid started making smoothies. He also started riding a bike and lost a good amount of weight, which made us all happy. Over time, it became apparent that my 30 year old Osterizer was losing steam.

About a month ago, DH and I made a pilgrimage to a Costco Business Center. They had a Ninja Combo Something or Other on sale for $99.00 and a Vitamix for $400. We decided that there was no way the VM was going to be four times as good, so the decision was finally made.

So far, we love it. It has two different jars and blades. The large jar is awesome on weekends, because it makes three smoothies in one go. During the week, BK uses the smaller cannister for himself. It is amazing how well it pulverizes food as compared to the Osterizer.

I also have an old Cuisinart Food Processor, an even older Sunbeam Oskar, and a rather new Breville Immersion Blender (because I kept burning out/breaking other brands). I use all of them on a regular basis. You know, because I cook every damn day.

Oh, and a friend gave me a Magic Bullet, which I have never used, because it's too damn small. So it sits on a shelf in my garage in the original box. I keep it because it reminds me of my friend, who has gone to that great restaurant in the sky. RIP, Earl.

Fun Fact: I accompanied Earl on an Honor Flight Trip to see the War Memorials in DC, particularly the WWII Memorial. The next day, I took him to see Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian. He had cooked with her, so he loved it. It was a fantastic experience. If you ever have a chance to escort a veteran on an Honor Flight Trip, do it.

[englishteacheralex]

My current food pulverizing options are as follows:

1. Ninja personal blender. Purchased on Craigslist ~4 years ago for $30. It replaced an identical model that we had purchased new about four years prior. The new one had burned out. I use the personal Ninja twice a day--I make two smoothies every day for breakfast for my husband and me. Still going strong. I've used a Magic Bullet and a Nutribullet at various relatives' houses and they're not as good, in my opinion.

I like the personal smoothie blender because we really have a smoothie every day and with the personal blender, the smoothie is already in the cup and I don't have to clean an extra thing.

2. Cuisinart 14 cup food processor, also purchased on Craigslist. It was new in the box for $150. New ones on Amazon go for ~$230. We use this for all food processing needs and never for smoothies. It's the America's Test Kitchen choice and it works great.

3. An immersion blender we got for our wedding that I use for salad dressing and soup.

I'm a big fan of buying kitchen appliances on Craigslist when the appliance would cost over $50 new.

[3quarters]

From experience, carrot tops are uniquely hard on a blender, some combination of their length and stringiness. I've pulverized all sorts of veggies and fruits in my circa 2012 Vitamix (we call it "the mulcher") but carrot tops almost choked it to death.

But, since carrot-top pesto is both delicious and economical, I'd recommend giving them a thorough rough chop before processing, however powerful the blender is.